Video tips and tricks - Steve Stockman

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Teaching and Training, Your Questions Answered

Can you actually make a great screencast?

How can I make great screencasts?

I am an educational technology trainer and have to make videos for teachers to show them basics of online tools like Google Classroom. Most videos/tutorials out there are dry, a person with their face in the corner going through the site and explaining. This is great when someone is seeking quick directions, but boring for people who need to be convinced that this is the right tool for them.

Any ideas? Thinking in shots is hard to do when the only shot is a computer screen.

—Keri Haas

I’m with you on how … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Video Marketing

How to Do a Zoom Meeting that Doesn’t Suck

While there are plenty of posts on Zoom Meeting Etiquette out there, much of that advice is painfully obvious. (Pro tip: You can tell if advice is painfully obvious if the words “you moron” perfectly complete the sentence. Like this one: “Unmute before you talk.” See what I mean?) As the pandemic wears on and it’s clear that zoom meetings are here to stay, it’s time to go a little deeper.

We just shot a series of commercials for Saatva via Zoom Meeting. This made sense as a) there is still no actual production here in LA and b) we … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Feature Film, For Pros, Your Questions Answered

Do I Need to Know the Act Breaks in a Movie?

“I’m from Poland. Sorry, for my English. I read your article about Arrival after seeing the movie. I was wondering about three-act structure of this movie. Could you tell me in which minute – in your opinion – are the act breaks for act I, II and III? I’m have a trouble to do this. For me:

I act ends at 41 min – after Louise return from the spaceship – “kangaroo” scene

II act = 92 min – after they get in contact with aliens

III act is about stopping China from attack on aliens

What do you think?

… Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, For Pros, Your Questions Answered

Adding a Story After the Shoot

I bought your book last Saturday and have already read most of it! I have a question about creating a story for a book-signing that I shot on Saturday to promote my friend’s new book.

Using your story formula, I know my hero is the author. But what’s the story? Should the video tell the story of how she breaks into a new genre of writing? Or should it focus on the story of her book? I’m confused.

Can you help me get to step two with my video?

Babs Hogan
Arlington, TX

Thanks for reading the book, Babs. Great … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Video Marketing, Teaching and Training, Press

Teaching Video: Summer Stars Foundation

Summer Stars campers perform live August 2019

I do a lot of speaking and consulting on video, but by far the most rewarding is teaching I’ve done almost every year since 2000 at Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts. This is the camp’s 20^th Anniversary and I’ve managed to attend 17 sessions, teaching music video classes to 12-17 year-old disadvantaged kids from New York and Boston who pay nothing to attend. Much of my book comes out of my work teaching those kids.

(I’m also on the camp board, so now must suggest that you donate at www.summerstars.org)

The first step in creating a … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Feature Film, For Pros

There are No Fish in “The Abyss”

My writing partner and I were arguing about a scene in a new screenplay. It’s a time-travel piece, and he wanted to explain all the technical steps that lead a character to have a conversation with someone from his distant past. The reason? So the audience would believe their meeting could plausibly happen.

Makes sense. If we don’t show how the machinery works, and explain exactly how the two accidentally meet over miles and eons, who will believe it? Credibility comes from detail, right?

It makes sense, but it’s totally wrong. Extreme explanatory … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, For Pros, Your Questions Answered

Toy Story: Learning to Use Video Tools

Recently I picked up a multi-rotor drone to carry my HD camera.

I’m having fun flying my drone, but now my videos feel all the same: running along a straight line, go up and take a 360, fly really low almost touching the bushes. Pretty pictures, but not really good video.

Any ideas on how to script/arrange/film better videos for subjects as simple as “last weekend with friends”?

–Ed

Basic drones are mostly good for scene setting and beauty shots. Think fireworks from inside the blasts; an establishing montage of New York City between segments on a TV show; or … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Better Home Video, Feature Film, For Pros

Better Call Saul: The Devil is in the Details

There is no better show on television than AMC’s Better Call Saul, from Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, ex of Breaking Bad. All four seasons are spectacular, but if you haven’t watched (or even if you have) it’s worth considering what makes it great. Great writing and acting, sure, but for me the best part of Better Call Saul is that every shot, every sequence, every episode is about intrigue- built by lensing in to the details.