Make Videos for the Web

August 2, 2012
Accessories, budget, Share Video, YouTube
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Wanting to make videos specifically for the Internet? Here’s how!

  1. Avoid excess camera movement. Don’t zoom in and out or pan. Use a tripod or some other type of steady surface to keep the camera still.
  2. Use simple backgrounds. Don’t get too complex or the camera will try focusing on other subjects besides your main one.
  3. Use tight shots. People don’t want to squint to see your subject. Don’t be afraid to get closer to your subject.
  4. Use lighting to soften the frame. Take lamp shades off of lamps, move lights around, do anything you need to make shift your lighting.
  5. Make sure your audio is clear. No one wants to listen to fuzzy noise. Get a microphone if needed.

Make YouTube Video Look Better

August 1, 2012
Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, iMovie, Movie Maker, Share Video, Smartphone, Sony Vegas, YouTube
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Here’s how to make you videos on YouTube look better. Sometimes they get discolored or grainy looking.

YouTube’s recommended settings are:

  • H.264, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 format
  • 640×480 (SD) or 1280×720 (HD) for 4:3 & 16:9 aspect ratios.
  • Frame rate should be the same as original video
  • Sampling rate: 44.1KHz for MP3/AAC audio

Your source video needs to be ideally high resolution. For example: MOV or AVI file, NTSC 720×480, HDV 1080i, 720p or VGA 640×480.

It’s important that you keep an aspect ratio of 4:3 or 16:9, if not the quality of your video will be degraded. Flash 7 codec performs best when the frame width and height use multiples of 16. This is best for video playback.

If you want to fit the player perfectly, encode at these 16:9 resolutions:

1080p: 1920×1080
720p: 1280×720
480p: 854×480
360p: 640×360
240p: 426×240

You need to get a high quality video encoder. Keep in mind that most video editing programs such as Apple Final Cut Pro, iMovie, Adobe Premiere Pro, Windows Movie Maker or Sony Vegas, come with an encoding engine so you can export your videos directly from the timeline.

YouTube has updated its technology and now you have the option of watching some videos at a higher quality or in HD 720p Mode. Read YouTube High Definition for more in-depth info.

In Hi-Res Mode, YouTube creates 2 new copies of your video:

  • 448×336 pixels, Flash 7 video @ 900Kbps. Audio @ 44.1KHz Mono.
  • 480×360 pixels, H.264 video @ 512Kbps. Audio @ 44.1KHz Stereo.

Vyclone

July 31, 2012
Smartphone, app, Share Video, Vyclone
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Vyclone is a free iOS app that allows you to record video and contribute to a single movie that includes multiple angles. You can create a movie automatically from numerous cameras in one place or you can edit the footage yourself.

Joe Sumner thought up this idea after seeing tons of camera phones recording him while he was at a concert playing on stage. He wanted to create an app that could bring all the footage together so everyone could share it with one another. David King Lassman helped build Vyclone as well.

So how does this work? Users begin filming a clip up to one minute long before uploading it to Vyclone’s servers. Vyclone automatically distinguishes who else is shooting at the same time and location. Vyclone combines the various camera angles to make one video with one audio track.

Smartphone Video Accessories

July 30, 2012
Accessories, budget, iPhone, Smartphone
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Take full advantage of your video features by purchasing some accessories that will upgrade your video drastically. By improving the steadiness of your video and the sound, the quality of your finished product will be much better.

  • Studio Neat Glif ($20): connects smartphone to a tripod.
  • Joby’s Gorrillamobile ($40): portable tripod with bendable legs.
  • Heavy Duty L-bracket ($10): holds a light.
  • Mike Cables from Action Life Media ($29.99): cable that connects a microphone directly to an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad’s headphone input.
  • Microphone ($39.99): to make the sound more clear.

All of these products are affordable and for those of you who use your smartphone video features frequently I would suggest purchasing some of these. They will all improve the quality and final product of you video.

Use Dropbox To Store Videos

July 27, 2012
Dropbox, HD Video, Pictures, Store Video
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Dropbox has expanded by adding a new plan specifically for smartphone video.

Dropbox’s site says it is a “free service that lets you bring your photos, docs, and videos anywhere and share them easily. Never email yourself a file again!”

You no longer have to worry about losing your phone or breaking it and losing all of your data. You can now upload your files to Dropbox and access them anywhere.

The new plan allows up to 500 gigabytes of storage, which would equal about 45 hours of HD video. Dropbox is used mainly for creating videos and sharing large amounts of photos. Businesses like that they can share PowerPoint presentations and building plans.

Here are the plans offered to customers:

  • 2-18 gigabytes (Free)
  • 100 gigabytes ($9.99/month or $99/year)
  • 200 gigabytes ($19.99/month or $199/year)
  • 500 gigabytes ($49.99/month or $499/year)

Customers who bring new customers to Dropbox receive more storage space for free.

I suggest downloading Dropbox and testing it out. I use it to back up all of my photos, documents and videos I never want to lose. It’s a great storage tool and it allows you to test out a small amount of storage for free before you have to commit to any money obligation.

Edit Video On Your Smartphone

July 26, 2012
Smartphone, app, iPhone, Android, YouTube, Share Video, iMovie, Facebook, SD video, HD Video, Viddy, AndroMedia HD, iSuper8, VidTrim Pro
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Here’s a few apps you can download on your smartphone so you can edit your video right away.

Viddy

Viddy is for shorter videos. It allows you to film, edit and share a 15-second video clip, which are called viddys. There are a number of effects that you can use on your viddy. Viddys can then be shared to social media sites or sites like YouTube.

AndroMedia HD

AndroMediaHD is for Android smartphones only. It allows you to add effects and transitions, add title clips and captions and fade video in and out. The app supports multiple video formats and videos can be exported in SD or HD and uploaded directly to YouTube.

iSupr8

iSupr8 is specifically for iPhones. It allows you to give your video a vintage look and change the frame rate to 12, 18 or 24 frames per second.

VidTrim Pro

VidTrim Pro is for Android phones. It allows you to edit your video and upload it directly to any site. You can also create stills in the video. Sharing the video via e-mail is also one of its features.

iMovie

iMovie is available for the iPhone only. It’s also available for computers. iMovie allows you to edit your videos by adding music and transitions and create a trailer for your finished video. Your video can then be shared via e-mail or iMessage. You can also upload it directly to sites like Facebook and YouTube.

Photo Credit: ABC Open

Stream Content to TV

July 25, 2012
Android, app, iPhone, longer films/movies, Pictures, Share Video, Smartphone
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Wanting to stream your video to your TV? Check out these two features to get the job done.

AirPlay

AirPlay is unique to Apple products only. It allows you wirelessly stream anything on your iPhone (or iPod touch or iPad) to your HDTV speakers using Apple TV. You can also mirror your iPad or iPhone 4S screen. To use AirPlay, make sure both your Apple device and Apple TV are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. The AirPlay icon will appear automatically and all you have to do is click on it for the image to transfer onto your TV.

AirPlay Mirroring shows exactly what is on your iPad or iPhone 4S on the TV. This is commonly used in business meetings because of its capabilities to show web pages, spreadsheets, photos and videos.

AirPort Express allows you to stream music to your home entertainment system using Apple TV. Just connect any speaker to an Airport Express and there ya go. This allows you to stream music wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Skifta

Skifta is specifically for Android phones. Skifta allows you to access music, videos and photos from different locations. You can stream directly to your DLNA or UPnP TV, Sonos system, PlayStation 3, Windows 7 PC or other compatible devices. Skifta is completely free to download on your phone. You do need to have a Wi-Fi connections for Skifta to work.

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