UM-Flint Video Guide – #1: An Intro
[youtube]http://youtu.be/Iwuy4hHO3YQ[/youtube]
Video killed the radio star, and 35 years after the Buggle’s music video debut, the “moving picture” still reigns as King of Media. YouTube alone attracts over 800 million unique visitors each month; in fact, more video is uploaded to the popular internet streaming service in a month’s time than any of the three major U.S. television networks created in 60 years. If you’re reading this blog post, you’re probably considering jumping into the vast ocean of video production to benefit your department or organization—but before you dive in, it’s important to know how to swim!
There are a few crucial steps you need to take before even picking up a recording device. Don’t get me wrong: you are fully capable of planning, capturing, and producing quality video—but have you thought about the time investment or budget? In some cases, if your budget allows it and there are affordable options available to you, it is in your best interest to seek out a professional for any important multimedia projects. However, if you’re planning to shoot a series of short testimonials or personal stories that require quick turn-around (pre-production to completion), then it may be the right decision to pick up a new skill.
The good news is that I am here to show you the basics of getting quality video on all types of budgets. The bad news is I can’t stop you from getting addicted to the “could have technologies” and “next big thing” that the video world has to offer. For the most part, though, we’ll stick to the basics in this series.
Before we get started, you should know a little bit about me. I started making videos in 2010 as a production assistant for another higher ed department. As my skills improved, I started testing the waters for corporate commercials, public television shows, wedding highlights and dvds, and even theatre trailers. Funny enough, this was the first major video I worked on:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/N8UGHhBow54[/youtube]
While I’ve worked solo or with small teams of three or fewer people for most of my production work, I’ve also played various roles for huge production teams aiming for success at film festivals. These days, I am the one-woman production team for University Relations here at the University of Michigan-Flint—and I love it!
It’s my hope that the advice and instruction I provide in this series of blogs will help eliminate any fears you have of creating quality videos for your department or organization. Feel free to ask any questions by leaving a comment or emailing me at [email protected]. Together, with our cameras, we can capture what it really means to be a part of the UM-Flint community.
