Video Help needed asap Help me Please

[Dasson]

I have a photo and video shoot tomorrow. Need some general help please. I dont want to screw this up. I've been doing the solo model website thing for a minute, been anxiously wanting to move into the more "explicit" stuff. Finally found me a few interested females for the shoot. One in particular that I want to shoot tomorrow.

I have experience working with professional camera and video editing, but not anything pass using them in college. It wasn't my major. Well I have a few questions.

1. I will be using a Canon XL1 or GL2, what setting am I looking to use to get that quality and look that you see on websites like Bangbros or other sites. The videos I shot, I never liked them, because they came out looking amateur like. Like a home movie or something, even when shooting with the XL1. I want to get that nice, crisp digital look to it.

2. File sizes, what settings am I going to have to use to get reasonable file sizes. The vids will be used online, and I dont want to have a 3minute clip with a huge file size as I've seen and as I have done before. I see sites that have like 2 minute trailers and file sizes are about 2-4mb. That is what i'm aiming for. Or is this something for post production.

3. Along with being for the website, I want to use the footage towards future DVDs. Is there anything I have to look for or do to ensure it works with the plans for DVD production.

4. The only editing software I will have access to is the IFinish. Anyone worked with this and can offer any tips. How are the file sizes and rendering time for editing.

5. Any thoughts or input to help me get through with this and make this a good session?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. Please as soon as possible. Shoot is tomorrow. I'm hoping all goes well, been wanting to get things going for some time now and I feel like this is the start of good things and more successful shoots to come. Feel free to hit me up at ICQ: 237-076-431 as well. I'm always looking to network

[Dasson]

I've heard it all about the Encoding. Can someone give me a crash course on what this is and how to utilize it.

[God Almighty]

I have a photo and video shoot tomorrow. Need some general help please. I dont want to screw this up. I've been doing the solo model website thing for a minute, been anxiously wanting to move into the more "explicit" stuff. Finally found me a few interested females for the shoot. One in particular that I want to shoot tomorrow.

I have experience working with professional camera and video editing, but not anything pass using them in college. It wasn't my major. Well I have a few questions.

1. I will be using a Canon XL1 or GL2, what setting am I looking to use to get that quality and look that you see on websites like Bangbros or other sites. The videos I shot, I never liked them, because they came out looking amateur like. Like a home movie or something, even when shooting with the XL1. I want to get that nice, crisp digital look to it.

MORE and BETTER lighting.

2. File sizes, what settings am I going to have to use to get reasonable file sizes. The vids will be used online, and I dont want to have a 3minute clip with a huge file size as I've seen and as I have done before. I see sites that have like 2 minute trailers and file sizes are about 2-4mb. That is what i'm aiming for. Or is this something for post production.

This is a function of the encoding. (post production). NO ZOOMING. keep the lens wide and if you need a tighter shot, get closer.

3. Along with being for the website, I want to use the footage towards future DVDs. Is there anything I have to look for or do to ensure it works with the plans for DVD production.

I can name a number of network television shows that use XL1 cameras in the field. The quality is fine.

4. The only editing software I will have access to is the IFinish. Anyone worked with this and can offer any tips. How are the file sizes and rendering time for editing.

never used it, so I can't comment

5. Any thoughts or input to help me get through with this and make this a good session?

wear goggles!!!

[God Almighty]

I've heard it all about the Encoding. Can someone give me a crash course on what this is and how to utilize it.

encoding is what you do with your edited files to get them on the web. There are a number of programs that do this. The balance you are looking for is compression versus quality. The more you compress the smaller the file size, but the quality of the image goes down. Also, the size you set for output will also determine file size. a wmv file that is encoded @ 720x486 1000 will be larger than a 320x240 512.

your iFinish may have this built in. I've never heard of OFinish so I don't even know what it is. I am guessing it's something for an iMac???

[Dasson]

MORE and BETTER lighting.

This is a function of the encoding. (post production). NO ZOOMING. keep the lens wide and if you need a tighter shot, get closer.

Hi, thank you all for your help, I have been getting great input and help.

Hey Almighty, you mentioned keeping the lens wide and not zooming. This helps with file sizes? I'm curious as to how it does? And are you talking of keeping it at its the widest the lens can go or choosing or somewhat appropriate and wide lens and working from that point on and not zooming.
Thanks again for your help. I'm looking forward to showing you guys the result of the shoot.

[donross]

i think instead of zooming.. you move the camera closer to the object you're shooting... zooming will decrease the pixel quality and will have blurry and grainy result on some cameras...

[AsianRain]

For video editing, I have never found anything better than Pinnacle Studio 10 for balancing advanced functionality with ease of use. If you are capturing your video using a DV video camera, render your video into MPEG-2 for DVD distribution and either MPEG-1 or DivX for compact web distribution.

Lighting is the most important factor for capturing video (and pics). Too little light (underexpose) and your product will be grainy. Too much light (overexpose) and your product will wash out.

I have tried all other video editing solutions. For my personal experience, they are all too difficult (e.g. Adobe Premiere) or too simple (e.g. Ulead Video Studio). Good luck, AR+