Taming The Media Monster

Media is a complicated beast that can spiral out of control at any point, especially when it comes to video production. There are so many variables that go into it. Such as lighting, audio, your talent, what the story is, ect… So how do you handle it? How are you able to pump out videos like a boss each and every week? The answer? Organization.

Organization is the most important feature when it comes to creating media. Creating a simple system that keeps files organized and a workflow that is reasonable and secure. Here’s a workflow that I would suggest.

Pre-Production:

This is the part where you pre plan everything out. For video it is the script. Timing everything out, writing down a shot sheet of ideas that can tell the story visually. Finding audio and putting together a team that can understand their roles and knows the vision being cast would be done in this stage too. When it comes to photography, getting to know the subject and creating a relationship before the shoot is crucial. That allows confidence in the subject, but also enables the shooter to know what to be looking for.

Once a game plan is set out, and then you must have the workflow to keep things moving.

The Process:

On the shoot, it’s important to back everything up. It has been said that if you have your file in one place it doesn’t exist. You must have it in three places for it to truly exist. This basically means that computers and hard drives crash all the time. To ensure that your media is safe, you should definitely back it up in different locations.

Here’s a great video that explains this concept on a professional level.

Sharing:

Once the content is created, you have to share it some how! Social media has been a great tool for doing this. Facebook pages are a great way when starting out. It can act as a homepage and include photos and videos. This is what my FB page looks like: IndieElephantProductions However, once you start to get larger you definitely need to look into having your own website. smugmug has a great tool that I use when it comes to building a website. It enables you to be creative and show your content any way you want and even has a store that can sell photos for you. Many of the social media sites should be used to get traffic to your actual website. Linking everything together is a great idea and makes it easier!

In summary, I want to encourage you all that even though creating media can be a scary thing…it doesn’t have to be! Figure out a system that works for you and stick with it. Stay organized and label everything so you can access it easily in the future. And never put the camera down! I leave you with this cool shot of Philadelphia I took the other day. 

Until next time. 

DSLR, The Age Of Potential

What’s so great about a DSLR? Well, pretty much everything. In today’s day and age, photography and filmmaking has never been better. The price, mobility, speed, and the many other features make these devices a great tool for just about any creative individual.

A DSLR can be for the hobbyist or professional. To really utilize their power, yes it does take some reading and knowledge, but they can be user friendly as well. In fact, many professional photographers begin as just a hobby. It’s crazy to think of all of the power these cameras contain and the incredible prices such as the Canon T3i with a kit lens under $800.

The DSLR has many unique advantages when it comes to the design and function. The most noticeable is the fact that they use SD cards. Unlike the older days when cameras used film or tape, DSLR’s record their information through cards that can instantly be downloaded and ready to be edited in a matter of moments. Not only is that process faster, but of higher quality as well. The changing of lenses is a great function as well! A DSLR can have great range with the different types of lenses as well as a faster shutter speed. This basically means that the creativity and looks of your images can be greatly influenced in an easier way.

Another great aspect of the DSLR is that of maintenance. DSLRs are quite simple to take care of. Most of them include self-cleaning functions that clean their internal sensors. The only other maintenance is that of wiping the lenses and tightening the focuses, to enable sharper images. Now, granted there are issues that can come up with a DSLR, but for the most part they are easy fixes. For more information on cleaning your DSLR, check out this post from Darren Rowes Here

Once your hobby takes off the ground and you better understand your camera, there are also a lot of fun toys you can add to enhance the experience. Lighting and audio are key features when it comes to photography or even video. Lighting especially when it comes to photography, can add a dynamic feature to your images. An on camera flash such as Canon Speedlite 430EX II Flash, is able to provide quality lighting in low light situations. For video, a simple tripod with a fluid head or a slider can provide the cinematic look and feel that many seek.

Bottom line, the art of photography and filmmaking is an addictive hobby. Once you get your hands on a camera, any camera; you begin to catch the “bug”.  I would encourage you to see which camera works best for your needs or desires. If you can’t afford a DSLR camera, start with a “point and shoot”. There are great cameras even with the cheaper ones that can give you a good idea of what you’re able to do. But be aware, once you dive into the world of video and photography…there is no going back.

Nashville Dream Recording Winner!

A few months ago I shot a music video for Zach McCord not having any idea that it would lead to a profession recording for him. Zach is a good friend of mine at Valley Forge Christian College and we had a lot of fun making the video. It was an original song and his plan was to make the video to show his girlfriend how much he loved her. Little did we know that the video would have over 4,000 views on YouTube and be entered into a contest for a $15,000 recording session.

The Nashville Dream Recording Contest was something Zach had found about a month ago. The contest rules were to submit a video on their website and have as many people vote for their favorite videos. The person with the most votes at the end of the contest would win the package that included the recording, photo shoot, and album cover. Zach had chosen to use our video and began asking friends and family to vote for us. The contest came down to Zach and another artists named Scotty Butters. The votes were tight and the last day Zach down a couple hundred votes. However, with an incredible serge of support we had the most votes in the end and Zach won! I did a little research and found that Dark Horse (The recording company) has recorded big names such as Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw, and Reliant K just to name a few. I'm really excited for Zach McCord and the big things that are about to come for him. If you haven't done so yet, please check out the video and continue to support Zach and myself!