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dslr Archives - Steve Stockman

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

Checklist: 20 Questions to Make Your Video Great

Since everyone alive today has been watching film and video from birth, we all have some idea of what bad film and video look like.  It’s that stuff you click out of instantly on your browser or your remote, often within 15 seconds of starting it.

“I know bad video when I see it” works great when you’re the consumer, but not so well when you’re the creator. Creators not only need to know bad video when they see it, they need to know bad video before they see it.  Ideally even before they start shooting it.

How do you … Read the rest

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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

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Steve Stockman
In If you’re new to video, Teaching and Training, Your Questions Answered

What about Video Classes? Can You Help?

Hi Steve,

I’ve read your book and improved a lot after reading it – thank you!

Now I have a fancy new DSLR, and want to take my home movies to the next level. Do you know anything about some of the courses that are out there, such as dvworkshops.com, or nyvs.com? I’m thinking they might be  good resource to help me work on polishing my camerawork and editing.

—Lilia

I have an extreme bias toward experiential learning in video.  Theory is nice, but practice is what makes you better– practice in both the physical job of shooting and practice … Read the rest

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Steve Stockman
In For Pros

Miraculous Video Cure! Man’s Video Stops Sucking!

This is only the second video I’ve ever produced, and the first video after reading your book.

The video was shot entirely on a GoPro Hero. I think its apparent, especially to a trained eye, that I’m not using expensive equipment. But I was really influenced by your mantra that a great video can be shot on a cell phone. A compelling story beats technology any day!

I must confess, I bent a few rules making this video. Some by choice (generic graphic, I couldn’t resist), others by impulse (I had to pan to keep the sharks in frame); though,

… Read the rest
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Steve Stockman
In Tips and Tricks, Video Marketing, For Pros

Making a Simple Interview Look Great

I’m living in Holland and I’m working as a teacher and a radiohost for a local station. I have just bought in New York your book and I’m loving it very much! In the summertime I have every week an interview of exactly one hour with a local vip. During the program I record on tape the interview with one videocamera from one point of view. Any tips how I can make an interesting youtube videoclip from it, length: less than 10 minutes.

–Boelo Lutgert

I recently watched the limbo video “Wisdom” example in your book. It appears they

… Read the rest
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Steve Stockman
In 12 Tips

A Good Video is Like a Sentence: 12 Tips to Un-Suck Your Video (#12)

Videos need to be about someone doing something.

The ideal video follows the classic “noun/verb” or maybe “noun/verb/object” sentence structure Mrs. Zellermyer taught you in third grade (note:  the name of your third grade teacher may vary.  Hopefully it was easier for you to spell when you were 8.)

“Our cute dog” is not a video because nothing happens.  Random shots of your dog lying around the house are what we in the video business call “snapshots,” as in “take out your still camera and shoot snapshots because this is not a video.”

Video requires action to hold our attention.  … Read the rest

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Steve Stockman
In Tips and Tricks, 12 Tips

Use a Microphone: 12 Tips to Keep Your Video from Sucking (#11)

The microphones on most video cameras are programmed to adjust their own sound levels: they take whatever they hear and boost it to a constant, listenable level. Unfortunately, if they hear crowd noise around you, they boost that. Traffic noise, sirens—it all gets boosted.

In fact, if the camera mic hears nothing, it boosts that too. In an interview where the subject is too far from the mic, the camera will crank up every hint of sound between you and them, creating a big, echoey overlay of room noise.

If you’re as close to your subject as you should be … Read the rest

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Steve Stockman
In Tips and Tricks, 12 Tips

Keep Your Video Short: 12 Tips to Keep Your Video from Sucking (#10)

When it comes to video, the old show-business expression “Always leave them wanting more” applies. Anything worth saying in video is worth saying shorter. TV commercials tell a complete story, entertain us, and sell us—all in 30 seconds. Benjamin Button lives his entire life on screen, backward, in two hours and 46 minutes (not a long time for an entire life, but still some might suggest it could have been done in 2:20).

The record of your mother’s second birthday party probably exists as either a grainy two-minute silent home movie or six photographs stuck in an album. Yet if … Read the rest

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