MISCELLANEOUS

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by Randal K. West
October 2005

Every successful shoot starts with a good plan.

If you want to expand your creative horizons and add new and exciting production elements to your videos, start by developing a plan for your production. Selecting the appropriate format, style and production elements will set you up for success.

As Creative Director for an advertising agency, I am regularly part of a dog-and-pony show to pitch clients creative premises for their television programs. In order to make sure that the right creative elements are contained in each premise, we start with a think tank. This is a day long meeting with the client that allows us to gather as much information as possible about the product. There are no bad ideas at this point as any idea helps the creative flow. Your videos can benefit from a similar process.

1. Gather Information

Before you begin to think creatively, do a quick overview of the project. Determine what it is that you hope to accomplish. Identify the intended viewer. Explain how you want your video to affect that viewer. Do you want to motivate, inform or just cause him to relive a warm memory. Try to boil the project down to a single statement that encompasses everything you are trying to accomplish. In advertising, this is called a “Unique Selling Proposition.” Actually write down a statement that defines what is unique about the project and what elements must be present in order to produce a successful project. Let’s call this the “Essence” of your production.

Next, take a look at all the potential production elements and then allow your time-line, budget, available resources and the appropriateness for the project to dictate what goes into your outline. Once you’ve defined your project, summarize it in a paragraph. Keep that paragraph in front of you as a constant reminder of what is important in the project.

2. Choose a Format

Part of your planning will involve selecting a format (or combination of formats) to use for your project. There are several formats commonly used for television and video productions.

Interview. A formal interview might take place on a set with the host seated behind a desk, like Leno or Letterman, with the person being interviewed seated opposite the host in a chair. An informal interview could be someone in a reporter role interviewing a coach on the sidelines of a football game, or a starlet on the red carpet before the Oscars. Additionally, the interviewer may be seen or unseen.

Documentary. A formal documentary might use a voiceover to describe the events that lead to the Battle of the Alamo, featuring drawings from the period and using black and white footage from old films that depicted the battle, like a PBS documentary on the Civil War. An informal documentary could be comprised of interviewing the cast and crew of an upcoming musical as they prepare to open a new performing arts facility. Rather than having a formal narration to describe the events leading to the opening, ask questions of the actual participants that will lead to a body of material from which you may cut your entire documentary. In the real people’s own words.

Video Magazine. In this format the hosts are usually behind a desk or newsroom platform but two hosts banter between themselves, the tone is lighter and entertainment value is increased.

Story Based. A story-based piece requires a complete script and actors to perform scripted lines. This is the most sophisticated and complicated format as it includes getting actors to say someone else’s words and yet come across as real people conveying real emotions. It might also involve the actors doing written recreations of events. These scenes can be shot in a studio or on location.

Talking Head. This is the simplest format. It is less complicated than an interview only because a standard interview usually involves more art direction and feeling of environment than a talking head segment. Talking heads can be shot with multiple cameras or film style. A film style single camera shoot involves shooting the person answering the questions first and then re-creating the questions with the interviewer later. Be sure to shoot reaction shots of the interviewer, “noddies,” so you can edit to the reactions in order to compress the guests answers without a jump cut.

3. Select a Style

Selecting the style you will use is essentially identifying the personality of the project. What is the flavor or feeling you want the program to convey? Is the presentation essentially formal or informal? Is it serious or silly? An interview, for example, can be formal (the 6 o’clock news) or informal (Oprah). A documentary can be narrated or it can utilize real people telling their own stories. In a lecture format, the speaker or topic will dictate the tone. A video magazine program like 60 Minutes is less formal than the Nightly News, where an anchor throws to field pieces.

4. Add Appropriate Elements

Once you’ve determined the format and style, you can decide which elements are appropriate for your project. Does any footage related to the subject already exist? Be sure to examine all possible existing footage before final planning. Even if you don’t use it, you might learn something about how the subject is best shot. If your subject involves following a process (remodeling a room, painting a picture, losing weight), consider before and after shots. These can be quite inspiring. I once shot a video designed to get the Mayor of a city re-elected to a fourth term. By showing what the city had looked like before he took office and what it looked like after, voters could see the difference he had made.

Aspirational shots (“aspirational” is an adjective in advertising lingo) can be created by simply locating a model who has the right look or by searching the Internet for inexpensive stock footage shots. When your video is talking about how wonderful it is to live an active older life, you cut to your aspirational shots (perhaps stills even) of attractive older models playing golf or sitting by a pool.

Product Demonstrations are often useful, where appropriate. A comparison between the old way and the new product can be a great element. Product demonstrations are straightforward, with possibly an expert performing the demo, or they can be light and fun (or even outrageous), as long as the power of the demo is maintained.

Since the development of pop-up video (interesting or pertinent information that overlays the video), the use of factoids has become popular. A factoid is simply an element related to the subject that is popped on in text or portrayed in both a voiceover and text.

5. Try Testimonials

Testimonials are particularly powerful. There are a few ways to incorporate testimonials into your project. The first is to interview a real group of everyday people who are doing the activity or using the product. The cheapest and easiest way is to bring all the people to one location and shoot them with the same background. However, this can look visually dull after a few shots. You may be able to get three or four usable locations out of the same room by picking multiple set-ups within the same general location. Sit just left or right of the lens and establish strong eye contact with the person. Don’t have them look into the lens unless they are very comfortable on-camera and even then only when what they are going to say is a personal appeal to the viewer. Talking right to a camera can be uncomfortable to the performer, (no human contact or feedback) and to the viewer, (the person is looking right at me). If you identify a particularly strong testimonial, you might want to arrange to shoot B-roll (shots without sound) of that person doing what they talk about and build it into a full feature for your piece.

If you shoot before an audience, you can ask for their reaction to what they’ve seen. You can do instant testimonials or a mall intercept, where people try your product or activity and you shoot their reactions. You can also shoot man on the street pieces. Make sure that if you shoot real people for testimonials that you have them sign a simple release which states that you can use their image and not pay them.

Expert testimonial is usually shot a little more formally. Keep in mind that having an expert might provide material that substantiates your belief in your topic, but an expert can also be a dynamic video presence. Sometimes a little science can go along way. You can choose to shoot the expert as a stand-alone testimonial or have him interviewed by a host or hostess. An expert can also analyze the action or perform a play-by-play description of an event.

The Essence

Pre-planning your video project and creating a project essence that acts as your reference, along with a realistic time-line and budget, will help you select the right format, style and elements for your production. Once you start shooting with expanded creative visions, your palette will keep growing and growing. As a Creative Director, one of my favorite exercises is trying to match the format and elements to the project. I think you’ll find as much fun in this as I have, and your videos will look better and be more effective in influencing your audience.

Randal K. West is the Vice President/Creative Director for Hawthorne Direct, a Direct Response Television Advertising Agency.

Video Essence

Here is an example of a video essence brainstorm for a Public Service video for a local Kiwanis Club:

Needs to portray the focus of the club as one which helps children by raising money and distributing it to children’s causes and individual kids.
Needs to show that the club is both local, regional and nationally based.
Needs to seem fun and fulfilling to be a club member.
Needs to seem like the club is open to all ages, all types and both men and women.
Needs to be engaging, visual and dynamic.
Will It Work?
Three factors usually limit whether an element will work in your production:
Time
Does the production timeline allow you to spend the time required to add this element?
Money
Will the budget allow you to expend the money required for the element?
Style
Is the element stylistically appropriate in the piece?

http://www.videomaker.com/article/9313/

When you rent equipment, take a Polaroid picture of it in its case before you leave the rental company. The picture will not only help you repack the gear, writes Pat Sergeant of West Virginia University; it also may serve as record of the gear’s condition when you received it, in the event of a dispute when you return it.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Keeping small parts from rolling off of your work bench and keeping your clothing lint-free can be accomplished using the same common item–unneeded manufacturer’s tape labels-according to tipster Alberto Arce of Channel One in Los Angeles. Small objects placed on the sticky side of the labels stay put and, unlike cups, the labels don’t tip over – but they do remove lint from fabrics.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Blocks of 2’X4′ wood with hook Velcro on the bottom can help prevent equipment from rolling around in the trunk of your car. The Velcro strip will grab the loops of the carpet. If the floor of the trunk is naked, you can use double -sided tape to glue down carpet samples that are available from most stores that sell floor coverings.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Detachable AC cords are magnetically repelled by the unit they are intended to power. That’s why you will hardly ever find them together. Philip Bergey of VMI in Sunnyvale, California, suggests shackling the two together with a stick-on-type plastic wire tie. Be sure, however, to leave enough slack so the cable an be unplugged in an emergency.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

I sometimes use a large golf bag to carry extra light stands to shoots, but this doesn’t work very well when I travel by plane. John Marsh, a producer at Lawyers Communication Network in Midvale, Utah, solves this problem by packing his stands in a hard plastic case that is more commonly used to ship a golf bag. The case is extremely durable and a lot less expensive than a commercial light-stand case, John says.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

You need to install speakers so the wires entering the wall behind them come back out through a hole near the baseboard. How do you fish the wire out without destroying the wall?

Phil Gordon, a system installer in Denver, suggests this method: Fold a thin metal tape measure in half, then push the miple through the lower hole until it bends out to form a loop. Push the speaker wire into the upper hole until the end reaches the floor inside the wall. The wire should pass through the looped tape measure. Pull both ends of the tape. The wire should come out of the hole with it.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Checking video equipment as airline baggage or shipping it as freight means there’s a chance it will be stolen or tampered with. Using the theory that thieves can’t steal what they don’t know about, Harold Russell, video product manager at NewTek, says you shouldn’t ship your equipment in its original packaging. In fact, he stencils the words “Fish Eggs” or “Live Fish” on his cases to make them less susceptible to tampering. Harold also suggest that you apress packages to an individual, not a video-related company. Use your own name, not your company’s, in the return apress.

When I travel, I put my equipment cases in old suitcases purchased from thrift shops or garage sales.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Do you often need to ship film or other temperature-sensitive material? Visit your local pharmacy or hospital. Bob Stephanic of Mt. Clemens, Michigan, says these places might be willing to give you their used cardboard, foil, Styrofoam and other insulating materials that they use to transport and store pharmaceuticals.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

According to a recent study, the problem with 90 percent of equipment sent for repair can be traced to the cable. This validates the box of spare cables I keep in my production van.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

An improvement of our March 1997 tip about using a paper clip as a zipper-pull comes from Bradley Ross of King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He says that wrapping electrical tape around the clip after you have attached it to the zipper will keep the clip from being pulled apart while also improving your grip. Using colored tape may help you identify the bag.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

An old roll of masking tape that has become hard an difficult to peel can be softened by microwaving it for about 20 seconds. Just remember not to leave the microwave unattended while your tape is softening.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

John Meece, multimedia specialist at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, needed to cut a 24-inch circle from white poster board. The circle was to be inserted over the head of a marching-band bass drum, so it had to be perfectly round. John improvised a compass by putting an extra grip head on the arm of a C-stand and clamping a pen into each head.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Many batteries are easily damaged by overcharging, and unfortunately many battery chargers let out a slow trickle of electricity even after charging is completed To solve the problem, use a lighting timer. This device, designed to turn your lights on and off while you’re away on vacation, can be set to shut off the current feeding into the charger after a specified amount of time. I purchased one at a discount department store for $4.99.

WH Russ
Rosewell, New Mexico
From:
Videomaker
November 1997

Although they frequently need to be removed, cassette labels seem to be attached with a glue backing that could be used to keep a space shuttle together. Bill Stephens, a producer in Reno, Nevada, breaks the iron grip by heating the label with a hair dryer, then slowly peeling it off. Any remaining residue can be removed with rubber-cement thinner or Goo Gone.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Delta is enforcing their size restriction for airline carryones. Your carryon will need to fit in a sizing box 24″ X 16″ X 10″. What does not fit in this box, located at the flight gates, will have to be checked as baggage.

Here is what to do to make sure your camera fits:

Leave off the wide-angle adapter, the wireless and the wireless mounting, side plate, leave off the battery, and leave off the mini-batt light.
Doing the above will make BVW400a’s 21.5″ X 11.25″ X 9.5″ and the BVW7a’s 21.5″ X 13″ X 9″.
Camera bags will not fit.

Delta will not make any exceptions for video camera. Some freelancers have already been bumped from lights, so please heed this warning.

When you transport a video lens, its internal workings will be best protected if you follow the “wide, wide, and wide” rule: Set the focal length to the widest zoom, the f stop to the widest aperture, and the focus to the widest distance – infinity.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Before your shoot, try to convince your actors that they will look much better in the finished product if they wear “video-friendly clothes.” They should not, for example, wear anything that is extremely light or dark. Such clothing can cause contrast problems and loss of detail. A gray or brown suite is better than a black or dark navy one. White shirts and blouses should be replaced with earth colors or pastels.

In apition, women should avoid flouncy necklines and large necklaces, which might look good from a distance but can interfere with a lavalier microphone. They also draw attention away from the subjects’ face.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

The lightweight black cord used for zillions of purposes around a studio or stage is called trick cord. The folks at Muson Theatrical in Santa Clara, California, store their trick-cord reel and keep it from rolling across the floor by mounting it on a piece of pipe threaded through a milk crate. Caps on the ends of the pipe will keep it from slipping out.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

To determine how much cable I need for a project, I use a rolling ruler like those used by police officers at accident scenes. The problem is that camera cables, which are usually made in Japan, are labeled in meters, and the roller measures distances in feet. Therefore, I have attached to the device a sticker that lists the most common conversions.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Several rotating sets of rechargeable AA batteries keep the wireless intercom headsets at KTEH television in San Joes, CA going around the clock. When a set goes dead they are replaced by a set from the charger. Problems occurred because the charger doesn’t have a “ready” light and there was no way to know if the batteries had been in it long enough to be fully charged.

Acting Chief Engineer Richard Medrano solved the problem by figuring out how long it took to go from dead to a full charge and putting a wind-up kitchen timer next to each charger. When the timer reaches “0” everyone knows the batteries are ready.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Sandbags are great safety devices. Andy Hartman, a producer/director at Cox Communications, makes his own from old blue jeans. He says: First cut off the legs in varying lengths for different size sandbags. Then, fold over one end and sew it up with heavy-duty thread. Next, fill a large, self-sealing, heavy duty, plastic food bag with sand. It’s a good idea to reinforce the closure with tape.

Put the bag inside the piece of leg, fold the end over, and sew it closed. You now have two durable sand bags and a new pair of shorts.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

v

These days it seems almost every piece of battery-operated equipment comes with a plug-in power supply or “wall wart.” Because of their size, one wart can block up to three sockets on a typical power strip. Here are three tips to get around the problem.

1) Whenever possible place the wart at the end of the power strip where it s bulk will hang over the end instead of blocking other outlets.

2) Anthony Burokas, Media Technician at IEBA Productions in Philadelphia, suggests using ground lift adapters to raise the wars above the regular plugs. Sometimes you can even use multiple adapters to alternate high and low along the power strip. Most warts are ungrounded anyway so there is no safety problem.

A shorter extension cord stored with the power adapter will keep it out of the way whenever it is used.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

A tripod is perhaps the most awkward piece of equipment we normally carry. Hal Donovan, video communication specialist for the Hazelwood School District, made his tripod easier to transport by aping a handle to the balance point on on of the legs.

The handle is actually a door pull which is attached by two worm clamps. All the parts come from the local hardware store. Hal said he cut the excess strapping from the worm clamps with a hack saw then filed down the rough edges. If your tripod needs something to hold the feet together, a small dog or cat collar may fill the bill.

From: Dick Reizner
To share your tips for possible inclusion in his article in Videography magazine, contact Dick at:
Reizner & Reizner Film & Video
7179 Via Maria, San Jose, CA 95139
dickreizner@worldnet.att.net
All submissions become the property of Reizner & Reizner. None can be returned.

Not all television sets in the world are equal. Different countries use one of the three main video standards – PAL, NTSC or SECAM. This means that a videotape from a PAL country will not play in a VCR in a country that uses the NTSC standard.

Afghanistan PAL

Albania PAL

Algeria PAL

Angola PAL

Argentina N-PAL

Australia PAL

Austria PAL

Azores PAL

Bahama Islands NTSC

Bangladesh PAL

Barbados NTSC

Bahrain PAL

Belgium PAL

Bermuda NTSC

Bolivia PAL

Botswana PAL

Brunei PAL

Brazil M-PAL

Bulgaria SECAM

Burma PAL

Burundi SECAM

Cambodia NTSC

Cameroon PAL

Canada NTSC

Canary Islands PAL

Chad SECAM

Chile NTSC

China PAL

Colombia NTSC

Costa Rica NTSC

Cuba NTSC

Cyprus PAL

Czechoslovakia SECAM

Denmark PAL

Dominican Republic NTSC

Ecuador NTSC

Egypt SECAM

El Salvador NTSC

Ethiopia PAL

Fiji PAL

Finland PAL

France SECAM

Gambia PAL

Germany PAL

Germany (formerly East) SECAM

Gibraltar PAL

Ghana PAL

Great Britain PAL

Greece SECAM

Greenland NTSC

Hawaii NTSC

Holland PAL

Honduras NTSC

Hong Kong PAL

Hungary SECAM

Iceland PAL

India PAL

Indonesia PAL

Iran SECA

Iraq SECAM

Ireland PAL

Israel PAL

Italy PAL

Ivory Coast SECAM

Jamaica SECAM

Japan NTSC

Jordan PAL

Kenya PAL

Korea (VR) PAL

Korea (rep) South NTSC

Kuwait PAL

Lebanon SECAM

Liberia PAL

Libya SECAM

Luxembourg PAL

Madeira PAL

Madagascar SECAM

Malaysia PAL

Malta PAL

Mali SECAM

Mauritius SECAM

Mexico NTSC

Micronesia NTSC

Monaco SECAM/PAL

Mongolia SECAM

Morocco SECAM

Mozambique PAL

New Caledonia SECAM

New Guinea PAL

New Zealand PAL

Nicaragua NTSC

Netherlands PAL

Nigeria PAL

Norway PAL

Oman PAL

Pakistan PAL

Panama NTSC

Paraguay N-PAL

Peru NTSC

Philippines NTSC

Poland SECAM

Portugal PAL

Puerto Rico NTSC

Qatar PAL

Romania SECAM

Russia SECAM

Rwanda SECAM

Samoa NTSC

Saudi Arabia SECAM

Seychelles PAL

Sierra Leone PAL

Singapore PAL

Somalia PAL

South Africa PAL

Spain PAL

Sri Lanka PAL

Sudan PAL

Sweden PAL

Switzerland PAL

Syria SECAM

Tahiti SECAM

Taiwan NTSC

Tanzania PAL

Thailand PAL

Trinidad & Tobago NTSC

Tunisia SECAM

Turkey PAL

Uganda PAL

United Arab Emirates PAL

Uruguay N-PAL

United States of America NTSC

Venezuela NTSC

Yemen PAL

Yugoslavia PAL

Zaire SECAM

Zambia PAL

Zimbabwe PAL