Or something to that effect. I don’t really blame my tools, I generally blame ppl

That being said, a question I get asked a lot is what software  I use. So I thought I’d share a little of that with you today.

EDITING : My current program of choice is Apple’s Final Cut Pro. Mostly because I find the Mac platform really stable and lets face it, it’s a brilliant program. Robust and has a lot of brilliant features.

However if you are not on the mac platform, I would suggest Sony’s Vegas. Why not Adobe’s premiere pro you ask? Well to be honest I haven’t been happy with premiere since 6.5. And historically 6.5 was the worst, but it scarred me so bad that every time I have revisited the program, it just brings back bad memories. Plus Vegas is waaaaay more stable. Even on PC it doesn’t crash nearly as much as premiere. But the Vegas editing workflow is pretty different than most PLUS it doesn’t port across to other Adobe apps as seamlessly as Premiere. But perhaps the price tag could convince you otherwise (Vegas is significantly cheaper than Premiere!)

COMPOSITING : Adobe After effects. Well there is no other app I have used for compositing other than Combustion 2 (but that was way back in the late 90s!). Not exactly nodal based like the rest of the other compositing programs out there, but it can do a surprising amount more than it looks like it can do. Videocopilot.net anyone? It’s probbably the cheapest of the compositing programs out on the market anyways and in the right hands, can give you the extra “oomf” your video needs.  (BTW if you don’t know what compositing is, check it out here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compositing) PLUS these are the list of plugins I currently use:

• Trapcode Particular 2

• Knoll Light Factory

• Automatic Duck (converts the FCP project in After Effects)

• Trapcode Horizon

SOUND MIXING AND MASTERING : I personally don’t do the sound mixing, I just design the layout and timing of sequences in Final cut and then OMF them to ProTools. But the sound guys swear by this and honestly, it really comes down to the engineer more than the program. But the plugins and hardware you can get for protools is pretty sick.

GRAPHICS : Adobe Photoshop. Nuff said.

3D : I actually use Blender cause I can’t be stuffed buying Maya and learning it. But the other boys here use a mixture of Maya and 3D studio Max ( of which 3D studio Max has a slightly easier learning curve).  But if you can’t be buggered buying software for 3D cause you’re too cheap like me, check out www.blender.org . You might be surprised at what you can do with this app. Surprised me!

Ok now for the list of programs I will never use (cause I am a snob and if I catch you using them, I’ll smash you!)

• Premiere Pro – I’m sorry have I made it clear how much I hate this program?

• Livetype – it’s kinda fun when you start out, but it’s pretty bad.

• Apple Color – Slow as molasses and not quite getting the results I want. Has a lot of potential though.

• Windows Movie Maker – tragic tragic program.

But seriously, everything I have listed here is nothing without good creativity. Like the guys from Pixar say, let the art challenge the technology and the technology challenge the art.  Have a good balance of both and you should be in a good place

Finally got this bugger online!

Ok earlier this year we made a documentary on how we made church news from the initial script writing to the final playback on a sunday. It covers everything from camera operation, post production skills, editor management and dealing with departments. I hope you guys enjoy it! I think it turned out alright!

So I have been deliberating on what are the most common (but easy to miss) mistakes that people make when you start out doing videos.
I have narrowed them to five. I have called them “the terrible five!” dun dun dun.

1. Bad audio - This for me is one of the biggest deal breakers in making your video either the best thing or the worst thing on the planet. It doesn’t matter how good your video is, it could be shot with the best prime lens on the RED camera and graded by Glenn Stewart himself, if the audio is crap, it will be percieved as pretty… erm crap…
Pay attention to your audio. it will save your life.

2. Title safe - I hate, I HATE, when people don’t pay attention to title safe. When you make your videos, make sure you titles are within the title safes. For me there is nothing that screams more “I don’t know what I am doing” than making your titles OUTSIDE title safe. Get the titles inside the lines guys, it’s not that hard!

3. Over exposed footage - When you’re out in the field and your shooting your footage, overexposing your footage is what I like to call “destorying” your footage. In reality you can grade things in post to give that overexposed look, but you can never go back the other way. Once you lose that detail, you lose it forever. Digital video (apart from shooting red) gives you little or no latitude when exposing things,  so if you are losing that detail in the view finder, you’re gonna lose it when you bring it back to the computer.

4. Bad lighting – This is an area that a lot of video professionals seem to neglect a lot. Lighting will set the mood and tell your story better than your camera can. It can take some time to set up right, but once you get it, every shot will look like a million bucks and then it means less time in post grading and more time telling your story!

5. Too many fonts! - if you wanna show people how terrible you are at video design (or just design in general) just use too many fonts. It’s so simple! Start with comic sans and work your way to windings. The more fonts you have, the more amateur you will look!but Seriously keep it simple. Choose one or two (at most).

And with that I will leave you with this amusing video on local commercials: