Tag Archives: Boston videographer

Shooting a Live Event

Skillman Video Group did a shoot on Wednesday, August 15th, for a medical malpractice insurance company called Coverys. Coverys is a consistent client of Skillman Video Group, and continues to be a client through the years. We filmed a talk for them during a live conference. And now, I am here to tell you all about what happened during the shoot, and what I learned from it.

Video Production Lighting

Lighting during live event shooting for Boston video production can be tricky. During the shoot for Coverys, the lighting was not very good. The lights on the ceiling for the room were not very powerful, but the light coming in from the half-covered windows was ridiculously bright. This resulted in some very interesting shadows on the speaker’s face whenever she would walk to the left side of the stage. However, we were able to adjust the camera settings so that the actual footage was not that bad. So if you plan on shooting a live event, be aware of the lighting in the room. It could make or break your video.

Audio for A Live Event

When filming a live event, sound is kind of a problem. You can’t use your own sound feed from your camera, because it would be picking up the entire room sound and everyone watching the speaker, as well as the actual speaker. Basically, the sound would be messy and awful. For video production Boston, it’s important to make sure the venue of the event can provide the sound feed for you. That way you can hook up the microphone on the speaker to your camera, which is what we did, and the sound will be a lot better.

Location of the Camera

Funnily enough, the location of the actual camera during a shoot for a live event is more complicated than one might think. Because guess what. The shoot comes second to the live event that is going on. Which means that you can’t just put your camera in front of the stage and block everyone’s view, even if it means you’ll get a better shot. And you can’t film from the audience, because the angle that the speaker would be being filmed at in video production companies Boston would be absolutely awful. So we put our camera on a riser platform at the very back of the stage. That way nobody is being blocked by the camera, and the camera can get a lovely eye-level shot of the speaker. I recommend that if you are filming a live event, you make sure your camera is on a riser platform as well.

I learned a lot from participating in a live event shoot, and I hope you learned something as well!

Skillman Video Group LLC specializes in Video Production Boston Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

What to Expect on Shoot Day

Recently, I filmed a YouTube video that I had written for my internship with Skillman Video Group. And building up to the shoot day, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I made sure I was prepared, and I made sure my actors were prepared as well. However, I still didn’t learn what was really going to happen until it did, so here I am to teach you a few things you should expect on a shoot day for Boston video production.

Actors

Now, if you’re filming a YouTube video, odds are you don’t have professional actors. I definitely didn’t. However, the actors I did manage to convince to be in my video did an excellent job regardless. But because they were not professional actors for video production Boston, none of them were completely confident in their lines. They all knew their lines, but they were still nervous about performing them once the camera started rolling. What I needed to do was make sure they were as comfortable as possible, and once they were, they did an amazing job. So don’t get frustrated with your actors for not doing something a certain way. Most people don’t perform well under pressure, so try to instead be encouraging and patient, and odds are the shoot will go smoothly.

Sound

I am going to be completely honest. I don’t have a ton of experience with sound in video. I usually just don’t film many videos with sound in it at all. I’m more of a put music in the background and silence the video type of person. However, for this shoot, since I wrote in several lines, sound was a huge priority. I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a camera that I could record the sound on separately. My camera does not have decent sound recording, so this was extremely helpful. I would recommend doing this for anyone who doesn’t have access to an external microphone or camera with better sound recording.

Shooting a YouTube video for video production companies Boston can be stressful, but in the end it’s worth it. If you know what to expect, you stay organized, and you make little to no mistakes, you will end up with a product you are proud of, and that is all that really matters.

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

Writing a Script for a Video

How to Write Script for Marketing Videos

Part of the work of a summer intern at Skillman Video Group is to create a video for YouTube that you write, direct, and edit all by yourself. Now, this can seem pretty simple, considering it’s just a five or six minute YouTube video depending on whatever topic you choose. But no, this is just simply not the case.

Creating an Idea for a Marketing Video

If you’re interested in making a YouTube video, you should choose whether or not you want it to be funny or serious. Personally, I chose to make a funny video. You could also decide to make something serious, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Lots of amazing videos and short films are serious, but I personally would rather make something fun. Something that makes everyone laugh…hopefully. You also need a concept: a topic for your video. I decided to make my video an SVG-themed parody of a popular reality tv show called “The Bachelorette”. I picked this because most people know what it is, and it’s extremely easy to make fun of. Sometimes important sacrifices have to be made when it comes to Boston video production humor.

How to Write a Script

Next, if you want your video to be the least bit successful, you will need to write a script for it. This is the hard part. You have to make sure your story makes sense whilst creating characters, jokes, and ironing out all the details. You need to be thinking about locations you can use, people who can play your characters, and what is funny and what isn’t. Writing the script for my marketing video took a while because I had to figure out which contestants could be funny yet sensible options for my parody show. However, since the show already exists, I basically just followed the layout of a typical Bachelorette episode, which made my job a little easier.

Video Concept Ideas

Coming up with a concept for a video is easier said than done. However, once you come up with one, turning that into a script is a lot more complicated. We didn’t even discuss what shooting and editing one is like! But once you have all of your details ironed out, you will have created something you’ll be proud of for a long time. Forever, actually, since once something is on the internet it never really goes away.

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

4k vs. 5k Cameras

Should I Invest in a 5k Camera?

Videos are all about the visuals, and you want to make sure your video is up to par for the viewers. Our Video Production Company in Boston shoots everything we do in 4k and 5k. There are many options for display when it comes to choosing your camera and what you want to shoot in. Your Boston Videographer might have a preference of what they want to use for their shoots, but today we are going to focus on 4k and 5k.

What is 4k and 5k?

Simply stated, the names 4k and 5k refer to the width of the footage, which means approximately 4,000 and 5,000 pixels. Being broken down further, 4k has a total pixel count of 9,437,184 with dimensions of 4096 x 2304. 5k is much larger than that and has a total pixel count of 14,745,600 with dimensions of 5120 x2880. Although 5k is larger, it isn’t always someones first choice. Your Boston Videographer will know what resolution will be best for the shoot you are working on.

What’s the Difference Between 4k and 5k Cameras?

4k and 5k resolution are both used widely within the world of video production services. Each change in resolution throughout the years have allowed for videos to have more detail and become larger in size. The biggest difference between 4k and 5k are based on the pixels and size of the footage. There are many different resolutions that you can choose to shoot in. One thing you want to make sure is that it comes out clear. Both 4k and 5k will give you a clear and detailed shot.

Choosing your Resolution

As everything in technology and video are advancing, it is bringing people to upgrade their video cameras. The last thing any Video Production Company would want is to be creating videos that no longer pair with their audiences devices. Although it may be hard to change with the times, you want to upgrade before you miss the mark. 4k and 5k are very popular within the video production world.

There may be many reasons your Boston Videographer loves the display he or she shoots in. It is always important to use what you are most comfortable. Both displays are wonderful and create magic for any shoot. We stay true to the 4k display for shoots with our Boston Video Production Company.

Skillman Video Group LLC is a Boston video production company. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

Being The Third Eye on Set

How Many Cameras Are Too Many Cameras?

When it comes to filming events, interviews, and even short films, there is never too many angles that you can cover during a video production shoot. Last week, Skillman Video Group had a live event to shoot over at MIT Sloan. The program is for most prestigious and intelligent scholars that do research in hopes of changing the world with their discoveries and teaching at universities. The camera crew used three cameras during the shoot: two Sony 4k cameras, and a small mirror-less 4k camera. We used three cameras so that it can help the editor during the editing process. The two Sony cameras were used to get different angles of the presenters a wide shot, and a mid shot, while the small mirror-less camera was used to film the slides during the presentations.

Live Event Production

The great thing about having more than one camera during any shoot is variety. With one camera, you can always shoot what you need to film, but with two, you are able to get different angles. That is
because shooting in 4k allows you to zoom into a subject and still get that crisp clean look when editing the shots. But even if you are shooting in 4k, it’s still important to have another angle. Video Producers always need a way to keep the viewer engaged and interested. By having three cameras, the number of variety shots that can be done is limitless. If a director already has planned shots ahead of time, with a third camera, it can always be used as a back up if one of the cameras runs into an issue. In most cases, having a third camera can help film extra b-roll and any shoot angles that you wouldn’t on the other two cameras to help progress the story of what is being filmed.

Boston Video Production Services

Overall, it by having a third camera to film, you aren’t losing any quality, only gaining more. By adding more shots that add verity, having extra audio if the other two main cameras run into problems, and just being to have back up.

Skillman Videography Group LLC specializes in video production Boston. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

Editing Process on our DIY Series

At SVG each round of interns are asked to create a video project of their own. For this current season while on the Boston video production team. As this current round of interns, we decided we wanted to make something that would be useful for current followers of SVG’s blog and for DIY/DSLR videographers. By creating something with these two audiences in mind, we hoped that we would be able to instruct current followers with their own personal projects while attracting a new audience towards SVG through DSLR video production. One thing we learned about video production services is that the processes before and after shoot day both play major roles in the projects. In video production services, a major portion of the work comes after and before the shooting day. The video editing process is half of the creation process in video production.

Editing a video requires a close attention to detail, imagination, and practice. After trying to begin learning the programs of video editing, it was clear that this expertise deserves its credit- things are complicated and extremely technical in this stage. With this in mind, one of our videos used iMovie as the main editing program since it allowed a much more user-friendly interface as it doesn’t possess the intense technical abilities like other programs such as Adobe Premiere. With a smaller project such as this, the editing program didn’t require such complicated tools, so we stuck to the more familiar and amateur friendly, iMovie.

One aspect of the editing process that took us by surprise was how effective clipping and trimming some of the footage made the project. Most of the video is an interview style setting. In these takes though, some of the dialogue and pauses went on for too long. After seeing the takes in order in full, we knew that we needed to trim. After beginning the trimming process we started seeing a clearer and more refined product. In the end, it created a more streamlined and entertaining piece.

In video production services, the editing process has proven itself to our interns as a dominant influence in the success of any video project. It is easy to assume that the main work and creative vision happens on the shoot day, as we quickly learned, this is not true at all. The work and creativity begins at collaboration and strategizing and continues all the way into the editing process.

Skillman Videography Group LLC specializes in Boston video production. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140

Quick Tips for Videography Beginners

Anyone just starting out in Videography wants to make sure that they are familiar with the equipment. There are many small aspects to the process of video production services that may be overlooked by beginners. You don’t just want to just pick up the camera and start shooting. Once you have your idea and shoot planned out you want to think about the little things that will affect your video. You may not be a professional Boston Videographer, but with these tips you can prepare to shoot on your own!

How to Shoot Video

If it’s your first time shooting, you want to be confident with your equipment. You should know the in’s and out’s of using, holding, and moving your camera. You want to be careful of having shaky hands when holding your camera. For this reason, most interview of stand still shots are done with tripods. If you don’t have a good quality tripod already, it is recommended to get one of those perfect smooth shots.

How do You Make a Good Video?

It is important to use your resources to light your scene. There are different ways to set up your lighting to best illuminate your set. Three point lighting the the basic setup for video shoots. Using key lights and back lights to light up the main person of your shoot and the background. Use diffusion to lower the power of the lights against the subject of your video. An important part of lighting for videos is to make sure to white balance. If you forget to use white balance your the colors in your shot may come out a little different than they look in real life. Using white balance is the easiest way to get the colors in your shot accurate to how they look in real life.

How to Shoot Wide Shots

It is important to know how wide you should shoot for the shot. You want to make sure you get close to your subject. There is no reason to have a wide background when you can focus close in on your subject. Be careful not to get too close, because you also don’t want your subject to be too large for the shot. There is a good balance between the two. A good tips to try is having the interviewee hold a fist on top of his or her head. The camera should be focused from the chest to just the top of the fist.

Video Shooting Techniques

You have to be very careful when zooming during a shot. Many people use zoom frequently when they are first starting out on camera. The one issue with this is sometimes it does not look as good as you would picture it to be. People can be very shaky when they go to zoom their camera. Video Production Companies that use 4k are able to zoom in during post, but when you are just starting out you want to work around zooming. Instead of zooming in during your shoot, you can stop recording and move closer to the object to get the more zoomed in look. This can help make your transitions and zooms smoother. If you do zoom, make sure you know how close you want to get before you just hit the button. Zooming in and out quickly can be shaky in your shots.

Whether you are just picking up your first camera or are more familiar with shooting, these tips can help keep you on track to become a great videographer. Find that great idea and work to create your own Boston Video Marketing shoot!

What Should Be In Every Videographer’s Bag?

Video Production Equipment List

For every professional videographer, there are a few tools that are instrumental to the production of a successful video. Aside from the camera, which is the most important part, there are supplies that stabilize the equipment, adjust the lighting, and make the set a maneuverable, overall safer place for the crew. Regardless if it is a corporate video shoot or a music video, here are the pieces every videographer needs to have in their bag:

Tripod

In addition to making a shot look stabilized and professional, a tripod also makes the camera’s movements smooth and precise. Keep in mind that there are tripods for photography and shooting video. A video tripod has fluid pan and tilt head features that allow the camera to move in various directions, while a photography tripod is stationary.

External Microphones

Most video cameras have internal microphones that picks up sound from all directions, but the best quality will only come from what is placed directly in front of it. The best way to record clear audio is to have it close enough to the subject, which is to record is separately from the camera. There are several options which are specific to the type of audio that is needed. The most common and useful are shotgun microphones and lavaliere microphones – which can be clipped onto the talent to get the cleanest sound possible.

Headphones

For videographers, the best headphones are able to block out external noise. While the talent is being recorded, it is necessary to listen to what is being said in order to determine which take was the most successful.

Lighting Reflectors & Diffusers

LED lights, which are most used on set, are extremely bright, which makes the talent look overexposed and washed out. Bounce cards and sheer cloths can be used to diffuse them, and can even de-intensify any natural light from the sun that might be too harsh. Professional reflectors are flexible, circular, and and have silver or gold sides. They are the most common forms of light reflection, and can be placed on the opposite side of the incoming light to shine it onto the talent.

Gaffer’s Tape

From taping down cables for maintaining the crew’s safety, to hanging a diffusion gel, gaffer’s tape has a variety of uses. The bigger the roll, the longer it lasts. This type of tape is specially formulated to easily unstick if necessary.

Batteries & Chargers

Most cameras require batteries in order to function. Having more than one battery, as well as their chargers, is a way to ensure that the camera can record for a long period of time.

Power Strips & Extension Cables

Sometimes, depending on where the shoot is taking place, there are not enough power outlets to account for the camera and lighting tools. Power strips contain several outlets which can power up to 4 or 5 pieces of equipment. Extension cables are also necessary in order to power lights from a great distance.

Skillman Video Group LLC specializes in video production Boston. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

Boston Videography

With all the advances being made in mobile technology, it seems like anyone with a phone can become the next Scorsese. While it is true that more and more videos are being shot on phones these days, there are still certain tips and tactics to take advantage of to become a great videographer. Here at Skillman Video Group, a Boston video production company our Boston videographers utilize a variety of methods to ensure the highest quality video.

No Shake in Your Take

Unless you are shooting an earthquake scene, the camera should be held steady. Using a tripod is the most effective way to take the shake out of your scene but is not necessary. Mounting the camera on the wall will also help keep a steady shot. You can obviously hold the camera in your hand as well, but make sure that any body movements or breathing do not cause your Boston video production to suffer.

The More the Merrier

Just like with anything in life, the more options you have, the better. Most first time Boston videographers will set up the camera, take the B-roll they want and call it a day. Do not do this. Get creative. If you are shooting a conversation, try from over the shoulder of each participant. It will give a real feel to the video that you might not achieve with a standard wide shot. Taking many different shots from various angles of the same scene will only serve to help you in the editing room. No one likes to see a two hour movie all shot from the same perspective so keep that in mind as go out on your shoot.

Bright Lights, Big City

Having the proper lighting for your scene is very important. You want your subjects face to be lit, but not too much so position your lights in a way that sheds the right amount of light. Sometimes you have to deal with the elements and shoot outdoors. While the sun is an obvious great source of lighting, always know where the sun is. Try to shoot with the sun behind you. If that is too bright for your subject, try using different filters to help shield the sun. Working in a Boston video production company also means dealing with less than ideal conditions outside. Be sure to have waterproof equipment and all the proper rain gear to keep yourself dry out there!

Zoom Out!

If you’re an amateur Boston videographer, you might think the more the camera moves the better. However, constant zooming and panning can leave the viewers of your video feeling as if they just took a trip down whitewater rapids in a milk crate. Let the action on film dictate where the camera goes. Your pans and zooms should have a purpose and be of benefit to the viewer, not a distraction.

Shooting a high quality video does not need to be tough. Incorporating these tips into your shoot will help you create the video that you want.

Skillman Videography Group LLC specializes in video production Boston. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.

Equipment on Set: Acupuncture

This past week, Skillman Video Group filmed on location at a local health club and gym and aromatherapy and acupuncturist office to create video content for our client- Acupuncturist Robert Gracey. The goal of the shoot was to film short videos of Gracey in action and interview him and his patients about the healthcare services that he offers. In order to pull this off our team of Boston videographers had to film a variety of shots including interviews, action shots, and some B-roll of Gracey at work with his patients. Each of these shots required a different set up for the camera and different equipment, but luckily SVG is a top Boston video production company and is always prepared for anything.

Interviews

To get an inside look at the services that Gracey offers our Boston video production team arranged a series of interviews with Gracey himself and a few of his acupuncture patients. This group of people is better than just a single interview with Gracey because it provides multiple perspectives of the services that he offers and potential patients who view this video will be able to learn about the treatments from actual patients.

Equipment Needed

Large room with adequate lighting
Lighting equipment with extension cords and adjustable stands
High power microphone that is easily attached to a shirt
High quality video camera and playback screen
Tripod for video camera

Our team of Boston videographers were lucky on this shoot because we were able to conduct our interviews in a large exercise studio in Watertown that provided the perfect backdrop for our healthcare professional. Because the lighting equipment and camera were on tripods we could easily maneuver the equipment to create a variety of shots and backgrounds for each of the different people that were interviewed. This technique allows our corporate video production team to make a large space look even larger!

Action Shots

After the interviews were finished it was time to film Robert Gracey in action. The next step was to get footage of Gracey working out in the gym and doing meditations in the studio. Our Boston video production team also followed him to his personal acupuncture studio to get some shots of him working on a patient. The interviews were just telling the viewer of the video what services he offers, but these action shots are actually showing us what kind of person Gracey is and what the services that he offers actually look like. This can be very reassuring for potential patients who are on the fence about acupuncture. Seeing a video of Gracey working with a client and then hearing the client speak about the treatment is a great way to showcase Gracey’s healthcare methods.

Equipment Needed

light-weight and powerful lighting that can be repositioned depending on location
Steady-cam rig for the video camera for smooth moving shots

Audio recording and microphones are less important for these clips because they are more focused on looking at Gracey rather than hearing what he has to say. These clips are showing, not telling. Rather than placing the camera on a stationary tripod, our Boston videographer used a steady-cam set up. This is a tool that is attached to the body of the videographer so that the videographer become the tripod. The camera is able to move smoothly without bumps or shaking because of the extensive rig so that the videographer can shoot graceful footage while walking around a subject. This was extremely useful while filming Gracey working out in the gym or chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

Professional video production companies love working with friendly and kind healthcare professionals like Robert. He was engaged, energetic and ready to work as soon as he stepped on set. This video shoot was complex because it involved a variety of gear and each shot was unique, meaning that each shot involved a different combination of gear and positioning. Our team of Boston videographers came to set prepared and was able to get each shot and deliver a final product that accurately portrays this skilled acupuncturist.

Skillman Videography Group LLC specializes in video production Boston. Call us anytime at 1-800-784-0140.