Tag Archives: videographer

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.

Fully Equipped: Spotlight on SVG’s Recent Shoot

We’ve seen the movies, we know the phrase – before any director can yell, “Action!”, they first must yell “Lights! Camera!”. At Skillman Video Group, we take pride in our state of the art video production services and equipment; making you look and sound perfect on your next video with us. As one of Boston’s top professional video production companies, we make sure our technology and electronics are top as well.

At our recent shoot with LEK Consulting in downtown Boston, one of SVG’s videographers Ian Fein was using a Sony’s Fs7 Series camera. Equipped for any and all productions ranging from action movies to documentaries (and everywhere in between), it produces some of the best footage in our video production industry. Critically acclaimed for it’s clean quality and state of the art zooming capabilities, as well as the significant effects of its many lenses, it’s perfect for our line of work. With many video production shoots, we will also combine Sony equipment with additional manufacturers’ equipment such as Canon and Nikon; maximizing production from some of the foremost camera companies in the ‘biz.

For lighting, our video production services offer an assortment of different tools and techniques to deliver both professional quality, as well as assurance that you look your absolute best on camera. Lighting panels and fixtures that are used on your favorite movies and TV shows are also used on our SVG shoots. More recently, we used the “Celeb 201” and “Arri CS60” lights and Sky Panels. Referred to in the industry as “faithful and beautiful lighting…”, these lighting options help to completely transform the video production location – turning a normal room into a bright, powerful set with popping colors and crisp visibility.

We work with only the best equipment, so you can be exactly as you should: looking, sounding, and feeling your best.

Skillman Video Group, LLC specializes in Boston video production. Please call 1-800-784-0140 to learn more.

Does the Equipment Make the Videographer?

In the world of video marketing there are endless different brands, styles and classifications of video production equipment including cameras, microphones, lighting and more. For an aspiring videographer all of these options can be quite overwhelming. Video production is a highly competitive field and your competitors are always upgrading equipment and your own equipment can become outdated very quickly. Is a videographer only as good as their equipment? Here at Skillman Video Group, our videographers know that skills and experience are more important and more valuable than owning the latest gear.

What to Expect on Set

Stepping on the set of a video shoot for the first time can be both an exhilarating and terrifying experience. Each experience on set is unique and every shoot is different, so it is difficult to predict what will happen on your first shoot but one thing that should be consistent at every shoot a videographer attends is an early arrival. Experts from elite Boston video production companies all agree that to be on time is to be late, which means that to be fully prepared and ready for any shoot a videographer must arrive at least a half hour early so that he or she can start setting up immediately. Another useful tip from the video production experts is to always ask questions. It is better to be honest and admit where you are inexperienced and confused than to pretend that you know what is going on. It’s ok to show weakness or lack of skill, this is how Boston videographers learn and gain experience is through mistakes and asking questions. Faking knowledge will slow down the entire video production team and potentially sabotage the entire shoot. Skill comes with time, the best in the business have a lot of experience and knowledge that they certainly did not have when they first got started.

Does the Equipment Make the Videographer?

Owning good quality equipment is definitely beneficial in the video production company world, but the equipment is useless if the videographer does not know how to use it. There must be a certain level of competency before a videographer’s skills become evident. These skills are learned through not just filming but mostly from seeing how others work, what they are using and handling a wide range of cameras, both expensive and inexpensive. Before investing a pricey, high-tech camera, a beginner videographer must first completely master the equipment that they already have. This means that they must know the gear inside and out, memorizing every feature and menu option possible. The best way to improve is through experience, so new videographers should always be filming!

Essential Skills

Video production is a highly competitive but extremely rewarding career path. Although most essential skills are learned, there are a few natural abilities and qualities that make a great videographer. For example, a good videographer has a close attention to detail, both visual and auditory detail. They must watch all the meters on the equipment and actually listen in real life to what is happening on a shoot, this is to prevent any unwanted sound or errors when recording video. Boston videographers must be attentive and aware of the small ambient sounds around them because sound is half of the picture. A good videographer also knows the limitations of their equipment, not all equipment is created equally so the users must know what their gear can and can not do well. Along with understand the limitations, successful videographers must be able to work with different types of equipment and be able to work inside the limitations. It is dangerous to depend on the quality of your equipment, and knowing how to use a wide variety is useful because there is such a large array of different types of cameras, audio tools and editing software that could be used for each different video shoot.

In conclusion, the video equipment does not make the videographer. There is a lot more to being a great videographer than having top of the line gear and having the budget to update cameras with each update. Successful members of video production teams value each experience and are able to learn from their mistakes and from their successes. Video production is very fun and can be very lucrative, but keep in mind that it is a competitive businesses. The best videographers agree that video production is worth the struggle because when they step off the set, they know that they are doing what they love.

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

What Makes a Good Videographer?

Online video is one of the most effective and fastest growing trends in the digital marketing world. Nearly all successful and relevant businesses produce or incorporate video content on their website and within their marketing strategy. This means that behind every good business, there is a great videographer.

What does it take to be a videographer? It is more about the equipment or the technical skills? Here at Skillman Video Group, we believe that it is a mixture of both. Like most Boston Videographers, the camera men at SVG are passionate about what they do and how they do it.

Tools You Will Need

What is a videographer without his tools? The equipment that a videographer uses on a shoot is almost as important as their skills, some would argue that the equipment is more important. Here is a short list of the general tools that a good video production company must bring to set.

A video camera – the type of camera depends on your budget and what you are shooting. Online video is unique because it can be shot on both iPhone cameras and thousand dollar DSLR cameras so remember that there are a wide range of cameras to choose from that will fit your video shoot
A tripod – keeps your footage steady and professional, wobbly camerawork will make viewers dizzy!
Camera light – this is a small lighting attachment for the camera that is most often used for documentary films
Three-point lighting kit – a lighting kit is mostly used when shooting indoors, it is used to position the light and create a well-lit, perfect scene
Shotgun Microphone – good audio is an important part of every video, the viewers need to be able to clearly hear the speakers, and this microphone is a simple way to ensure quality audio because it is small and can be placed on top of the camera
Boom Microphone – This type of microphone is useful when filming large groups or interviews because it is held above the speakers and out of shot, the microphone should come with a large pole and shockmount. The shotgun microphone can be equipped as a boom with these additions.
Audio XLR cables – These connect your camera to the microphones
Lenses – Wide angle, fish eye, macro, polarizer, and zoom lenses! There are so many different types of lenses and it is useful to have lens options on set
Extra Batteries – Dead batteries are a videographer’s worst nightmare, make sure to always have extra batteries on set!

Good Habits

Every good Boston video production company knows the most important thing to remember on a shoot is to stay organized. They must make sure that they know where everything is and that it is within reach, because you never know what you might need on a shoot and it’s good to stay prepared for any situation. No one wants to watch a boring video, this is why a good videographer must be creative. They must be the kind of person to think outside the box and always be thinking of new ideas and stories for their videos. In addition to being creative, videographers must pay close attention to detail. In both the shooting and editing process attention to detail can make or break the video, so it is important to be aware of everything that is happening on the set and to take time to make sure that everything is correct.

Finally, the most successful videographers never lose sight of the main goal, to create an effective marketing video for the client. This means that they always need to be thinking about the keywords and the story that they are telling because at the end of the day, the videographers main job is to be a storyteller.

2016 Doctoral Research Forum

Shooting live events is nothing new for Skillman Video Group, and neither is working with MIT. Recently, SVG was hired to shoot the 2016 Doctoral Research Forum held at one of MIT’s campuses in Boston. The forum was based around 8 presentations that would last about 20 minutes each. It always feels good for SVG knowing that we continuously provide the best videos for our clients, and so much so that they keep us on speed dial for other projects or events.

Although we have worked with MIT before, our approach and protocol stay’s the same. SVG’s videographer, producer, and audio crew arrived at the filming location an hour and a half before the presentations began to set up the equipment. Seeing that we would be filming a live event, it was important to arrive at the location early to test the audio, soundboard, lighting, and camera angles.

Audio

When filming live presentations it’s important that the camera is able to pick up all the audio from each presenter. By bringing in our audio team it allowed us to hook our camera up to the sound board so any dialogue coming through over the rooms speakers would also be directly sent to the camera. Three presenters were set-up with wireless lavalieres. When it was one presenter’s turns to speak the sound crew would turn down the audio from the prior presenter and turn up the audio for the next. This allowed for an easier transition from one presenter to the next without having to slow the day down due to micing up the next presenter each time. Having three wireless lavalieres not only made for an easier transitions but also kept the presentations flowing. Our audio crew also set-up two wireless microphones. One was set at the podium for introductions into the next presenter, and another at the judge’s table for questions. The audio from these two microphones was also sent to the soundboard and then into the camera. Although audio can be difficult to understand if we are talking logistics, as long as you have the right equipment and audio professionals, the task is easier done than said. All it takes is one wire to connect the soundboard to the video camera.

Camera Set-Up

Camera set-up can be tricky when filming live events especially because the videographer must anticipate where the presenters will be walking. In order to ensure that our video cameras would capture the presenter the projector screen, we added tape on the floor so the presenters would know what areas he or she were permitted to walk. Although you will have some presenters who wander off past the black tape, our wide camera angle made sure to capture all movement.

Camera set-up is always important during live events. Seeing that the presenters would be using a projector with slides to show their research we needed to include a close up shot of the presenter, a wide angle shot of the projector and the presenter, as well as a shot of just the projection screen. As stated before we assembled one camera toward the back of the room. We raised the camera up on the tripod to avoid the audience members sitting at the tables in front of the presenter. Having audience heads at the bottom of the screen takes away from the video and is a distraction visually. Another video camera was set-up at the front of the room, but out of the way of audience members. This camera was solely to focus on the presenter and pan to the judges during questions. Finally, a third camera sat on one of the tables at the front of the room. This camera was only set-up to capture the presenters slides. The slides from the presentations were sent to our editor to include into the video. By filming the projector screen it would help the editor in post-production know where each slide is to go.

Natural Lighting

Although the tape on the floor was to stop the presenters from moving outside of the camera shot, it was also to ensure the presenters would not walk in front of the projector screen and cast a shadow. Shadows would ultimately be the problem to avoid throughout filming. The room we were in brought in a lot of natural lighting, which illuminated the room beautifully but can also cause a lot of unwanted shadows across the background and floor. To avoid the shadows, our professional videographer assembled two LED lights (One small and one larger). The LED lights would add extra light but would also offset the shadows. One thing to keep in mind when working with natural lighting is the suns movement through the course of the day. However, having extra LED lights set-up can be adjusted as the natural lighting comes in through different directions, and again can offset the shadows.

On a side note: when filming indoors with natural lighting always make sure to reset the white balance on the camera.

It’s always a pleasure working with MIT, and we hope to continue our relationship with the University down the road. Though there are always some problems that come up when shooting a live event, our crews preparation only makes those problems minimal.

On set with SVG

Video production is intimidating for any recent college graduate, but with help from experienced professionals any concept can come to life. Through the past two months I have learned a lot working with Skillman Video Group like the importance of storytelling, being organized, and not settling for average. Working as the head student producer for my college was nothing compared to the real world of professional video production.

Skillman Video Group has high standards and I didn’t want my video to be anything less than great. Editing has always been my forte but professional cinematography and lighting was slightly out of my realm of expertise. I was able to borrow some filming equipment from my former professor at university, which would make the filming task easier because I was familiar with the equipment.

Equipment:

Sony XD video camera –Filming the interview
Nikon DSLR d3300 camera- Filming B-roll
Tripod- Camera stability
2 high voltage lighting fixtures- Illuminate room and interviewee
Lavaliere- Record interview
Headphones-listen to audio

Concept

The concept for this video was to provide helpful insight to SVG’s potential clients regarding what businesses should consider before setting up a meeting to discuss a marketing video. After some discussion we decided interviewing Christina Skillman, SVG CEO and creative director, would be best. Besides, any business wants to be informed directly from a producer.

Set-up

For the interview setting I wanted the style to be documentary. I had worked with documentary style videos in the past and SVG had recently done a shoot using this technique. Fortunately, Christina Skillman was the only person I had to interview so we wouldn’t have to continuously change up interview spots. The interview would take place in an SVG office located in Faneuil Hall. However, filming in an office can have its difficulties. For one we are constricted on space, and second the sound from the busy Boston streets and conversations from the offices next door. Sound a lack of depth would be an issue to overcome, but the rustic brick walls as the background made up for it. Because it was a sunny day in Boston natural lighting illuminated the room enough that we only needed one lighting fixture. Though we had the brick wall as our background, it’s also important to include props. We angled the chair Christina would be sitting in so the brick wall would be seen as well as the shelf with props. With any interview setting it’s important to have enough room between the seating of the interviewee and the background. Fortunately Jack, SVG’s Marketing Coordinator, was there to help run the camera while I asked Christina the questions.

Lighting

Once settled into the setting we adjusted the lighting. Yes, natural lighting is great but clouds can cause problems. We puts the shades up over the windows which allowed some natural lighting to come through but we used the lighting fixture to provide the most illumination.

Sound

Headphones are the best tool to have on set when listening to audio. If background sound is picked up from the lavaliere we are able to detect it right away and start the interview question over. Though we were concerned with street noise and conversations happening in the offices next door, we only had to stop once to redo a question.

B-roll

Before filming I made a list of the B-roll I needed to capture that would relate to the interview questions and answers:

Person writing notes
Person walking and pondering (soul searching)
Person pretending to work at desk in front of computer
Person sitting down with their clients
Person looking out the window pondering
On the computer plugging in numbers or has a spread sheet open
On the computer looking at SVG videos
Walking into the SVG building
Talking on the phone
Christina shaking hands with client (person)
Christina talking with the client (person)
Person at their place of business

Before capturing b-roll with Christina, I decided to take some b-roll of myself pretending to be the client. I was able to film at a family friends office where I gave off the impression that I was working and pondering. Overall the b-roll was average. It’s difficult acting and filming at the same time especially when you can’t see how the image looks. Nevertheless, I was able to capture more b-roll on the day of filming. However, instead of using the Sony XD video camera, I opted to use my Nikon DSLR camera just in case I ran out of card space on the video camera.

After moving desks, chairs, and video equipment around, Christina and Jack pretended to talk while I filmed them seemingly having a discussion about video marketing. I took different angles of the two looking at the computer and going through the SVG homepage, shaking hands, and having a conversation. Once that was finished, Jack took the reigns on filming and shot me pretending to work at my desk and taking phone calls. This b-roll would also be incorporated into the video.

Post-production

Once filming was finished we found that we had enough content and subjects to make two videos. Each would be around the two-minute range and would incorporate the first concept of knowing what to have in order before creating a marketing video, and the benefits of a professional video marketing company. Though editing is my favorite part when it comes to production, finding a program that would support the video and allow a wide range of tools was difficult. Moving into the final stages of post-production my goal is to create perfection and export a video that is visually effective and informative for the SVG clients.