If you’re new to video

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Video Marketing, Feature Film, Television, For Pros, Your Questions Answered

Shooting like the Pros

I am a professional videographer, and your advice to “shoot short shots” is totally misguided. Pros shoot more than they need so they can make their video perfect in the editing room. Turning the camera on and off is an amateur move. How have you made a living in this business?

–Chris F., New York

Watch any film or TV show and you’ll see a series of very short shots (read why here). I argue that most people should get out of the habit of running the camera non-stop when shooting. And every so often I get a letter … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video

Best Way To Learn Video: Play With Your Toys

kodak instamatic was a toy you had to read the directions to play with.

When I was seven, my new Kodak camera came with a thick instruction manual. My dad solemnly sat me down and told me how important it was to read the manual before I played with the camera. After all, I could break something.

I love my dad, but what was good advice then isn’t as good today. The major working parts of your new smartphone, DSLR, pocket camera or editing software are microchips. Short of running over your new toy with the car, they’re hard to break. Instead of expensive film you’re recording data. Store the original movie in … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Better Home Video

10 Tips for Great Holiday Video

Ah, Holiday memories.

Like the time you think your dad told a hilarious story– but you can’t hear him on the video. Or the time young Sarah– or was it Matthew?– kept talking about “Santa Paws”. Hard to tell which, because whoever’s face is too dark to see. And let’s not even talk about the video you shot of the lights and place settings and decorations and presents and…um…hardly any people at all.

Shouldn’t your Holiday video bring back memories… of the Holiday? Of course it should. And from now on it will. Just follow these 10 tips for great … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Better Home Video

Back to School Video

At my house we have a back to school video tradition. Every year on the first day of school, my wife makes the kids pose on the front porch for pictures. They’ve complained and whined about it since they were 3, but they also like to look back and see how they’ve changed.

Now let’s take the tradition a little farther—how about a quick video interview on the first day of school every year? You can not only see, but hear how they’ve changed.

The passage of time in video is its own story. What other video traditions can you … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Video Marketing, Teaching and Training, Press

Entertain or Die

Like it or not, videos that don’t entertain don’t get watched. Videos that don’t get watched might as well not exist at all.

To make sure you’re entertaining, think about your audience when you shoot. If you’re bored, so are they. Another way to think about it is using this carefully calibrated audience behavior formula for Entertain or die: Not entertaining=boring =“find something else to watch fast.”

Does this mean that you should turn your daughter’s birthday party into a screaming, hair-pulling reality-show? Your video would get watched, of course, but it might make relatives less likely to come to … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Better Home Video, Your Questions Answered

What Video Editing Software Should I Buy?

I heard you on Lex and Terry and thought I’d check out your site. I just bought an HD camcorder and will be editing a 5 minute, short film. What editing software do you suggest?

–Anthony Abbate

There are two kinds of people in the world, Anthony. The ones who LOVE to sit at their computer and edit video, and the ones who don’t.

Me? I haven’t edited my wedding video from 20 years ago. Relatives still ask about it, and I still tell them I’ll be getting to it soon. (Yes, editing IS part of a director’s job, but … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In If you’re new to video, Teaching and Training, Press

Audio Book Out Now– Get Your Copy Free!

Were you lucky enough to get a new video camera or smartphone for Christmas? Are you itching to get out there and give them a go?

Luckily for you, How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck is now an audio book. Load it onto your smartphone and you can listen while you shoot video. How cool is that? Distracting, yes, but also cool.

It turns out the most interesting part of narrating your own audio book is that one forgets what one has written, and then is pleasantly surprised when it turns out there’s some good advice in there. … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Video Marketing, Feature Film, Television

Video is Never finished…

“Video is never finished. It’s just taken away.” I don’t remember where I first heard this old saying, but I wish I had said it. Do I get to take credit for it if I repeat it a lot? Probably not, sadly.

But I’ve been repeating it a lot this past week as we’ve just aired the 7th and final episode of the first season of Brew Dogs for the new Esquire Network. And gosh darn it if it wasn’t pretty good (if you missed episodes, you can watch on demand here).

But it wasn’t perfect.

I’m lucky … Read the rest