Tips For Creating Video Tutorials

[..kels*]

I thought it would be nice to have a thread that answers how those who have video tutorials go about creating them. Sort of a Q&A type of thing.

For example,

What camera do you use? (Webcam, Digital, DSLR, Camcorder - what model?)
What settings do you find work best? (FPS, ISO, etc.)
What lighting do you use? (Natural, Halogen, etc.)
Where do you film?
What do you use to edit, if anything?

etc.

Mods, I hope this is in the right place!

[Nightvamp]

i would love to now this too

[MissChievous]

I'll get this started I guess...

Camera:
I use a Canon Powershot S2 IS. It has a great video function that has unlimited recording capacity (just until you fill up your memory card).

Settings:
This camera has no real additional settings for video, but I choose the appropriate light balance. Usually I have the white balance set on "artificial light" because the makeup can look wonky on camera with strong daylight glaring. I record at 15 frames per second.

Lighting:
This is probably one of the most important aspects of a good video. You need good lighting to show off your makeup. I do my videos at my vanity table, if it's during daytime I close the curtains on the side so that I still have daylight but not a direct glare of sunlight. At evening I use my halogen lamps, although the best is to probably have some trulite bulbs in a lamp. You should set up 2 lamps so that you your face is illuminated from both the front, and right & left side so that you don't get strong shadows.

Editing:
I use Windows Movie Maker which I don't really like, but my old computer can't handle any of the more technical, professional programs like Adobe Premier. I don't have enough RAM for it.

[gabi03]

I use a canon SD870 with an 8gb memory card so i can record for much longer periods.
I use the auto settings, it adjusts depending on where i am in my house.
I use natural light during the day, i make sure i'm in a naturally lit room without any other lights on. Or i'll use artificial lights if its nighttime, i make sure nothing points right at my face.
I bounce between imovie 08 and hdmovie (ilife 06). I like imovie 08 because it posts right to youtube for you and converts everything to the correct size and format. My only gripe is that is a dumbed down version of hdmovie which has tons more features (like fast forward).
I also use windows movie maker, its ok, and it takes all formats.

[LadyMakeup1]

Oh, this is very helpful because I just started to make my own videos and It is so hard for me to find the specific light to make my makeup look good. I need to find a good set of laps right now!!!!

Also, I use windows movie maker to edit the videos, is really easy to use, the bad thing is that is not really professional and you are very limited, but it works!!

[Make-up Envy]

I have a book coming out that covers every aspects of have a great makeup video tutorials for You Tube. You can get some free videos rights now to get you going until April 30th.

To answer your question:

Cam - Any webcam over $50 should be good quality or if you just recording to post on the web look at The Flip camcorder under $100, just google it. More pricer, is the a digital camcorder but I use mine for everything so it worth it.

lighting- Any area with natural lighting or somewhere well lit in your house.

As for you makeup videos just go for it , it will become more natural the more you do it. A Good was to practice too.


Click link below , it's called Lights, Camera... Makeup!

[Brie]

HELP:

I keep trying to post in this section, a video of mine with a picture products used ect and when i hit submit it disappears ??? Is this a moderated forum??? It happened when i tried to post in the shameless promotions too and it never came up ??(that was about a week ago)

[Makeupguru21]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ..kels*

I thought it would be nice to have a thread that answers how those who have video tutorials go about creating them. Sort of a Q&A type of thing.

For example,

What camera do you use? (Webcam, Digital, DSLR, Camcorder - what model?)
What settings do you find work best? (FPS, ISO, etc.)
What lighting do you use? (Natural, Halogen, etc.)
Where do you film?
What do you use to edit, if anything?

etc.

Mods, I hope this is in the right place!

Great idea!! A lot of people should know these things. I do tutorials on youtube and here are my answers to the questions.

The camera i use is a digital camera from Samsung. There's only one mode that reords video on it.

For lighting, i use my sisters desk lamp. AIm it right at my face. And my face looks really clear and smooth.

The editing type i use is Windows movie maker. I'm learning how to use the video transition better and also how to edit at the exact part i want.

Sigrid

[PrincessPinkcat]

Camera:

Prior to July 20th, 2009 I was using a Fugifilm FinePix S1500 to film my videos. Unfortunately on July 20th, my camera got stolen, and I wasn't able to recover it. So, I had to go out and buy a new camera. All of my videos filmed after July 20, 2009 have been filmed on a Sony Handycam DCR-SX40.

Settings:

I have no idea really - my son does all the filming.

Lighting:

I just use a couple of lamps with the shades off.

Editing:

I just use windows movie maker for now.

Where I film:

In my dining room which doubles as our school room

Questions for all of you:

My old camera was so easy for editing. I just had to upload the videos onto my computer and drop them into movie movie maker, and then convert them to .mpg format before I uploaded them to YouTube.

The problem I'm having is that with the new camera, I can't edit videos off the camera in movie maker until I convert them to .avi's, and then I have to convert them again after I edit them to .mpg's because I seem to have trouble uploading .avi's to YouTube.

Does anybody here have any ideas how I could do this easier? It's driving me nuts...lol

Also - does anybody have any advice regarding how I could make my lighting better?

And finally... last question... I promise... Can anybody give me advice on how to take better pictures with a camcorder? The handicam takes pictures, but I find they aren't as good of quality as the pictures my last camera took...

Thanks everyone!

[Brie]

^ I'm having the same problem, only since I bought my second Kodak camera and updated the software. its so frustrating.

[Almond_Eyed]

I took a video production course in school and learned a LOT of helpful tips for making your videos look more professional. I look at some of the video tutorials on YouTube.com and they make me cringe!

It depends on the kind of camera you have for some of the settings I'll be describing, but it will also be a guideline for things you should think about when shooting your video, or things to look for when you're looking to buy a camera.

Here we go:

Location, location, location:

This is one of the most important considerations when shooting your video, you should ask yourself:

• What are the lighting conditions? Is there a lot of natural light? Is it bright enough? Will I need to use artificial light?
• How will my environment affect video sound? Is there a lot of background noise? Does my location have an echo?
• What is my background? Is it a busy background that might distract my viewer from the subject? How will I position the subject in relation to the background? Are there reflective surfaces in my background that will shine light back into the camera?
• Does my environment have distractions that will disrupt my shooting? Will people or cars be passing by?

Lighting and White Balance

Lighting and white balance work together to produce the correct colours and appearance of your video.

• Use natural lighting as much as possible because it will give you the most accurate colours of your makeup.
• If you have to use artificial lighting, make considerations of the "tinge" that it produces. Incandesant light will make your video look orange and fuzzy, and fluroescent lighting tends to be a bit more blue and looks harsh.
• For artificial lighting, position a few different light sources at different angles at your subject (you) to get rid of shadows. Keep the light sources at a far enough distance to avoid over-lighting.
• Look for the White Balance settings, which usually include Indoor, Outdoor, Incandesant Light, Fluorescent Light, and Natural Light, and pick the setting that looks the best.
• Do NOT use the AUTO setting for your White Balance, whenever you move around your camera will keep adjusting and re-adjusting and be distracting to your viewers.

Focus

This is my biggest pet-peeve when it comes to videos!

• Use Manual Focus, do NOT use AUTO focus! When you use auto focus, your camera tries to adjust every time you move. You can tell someone is using an AUTO setting when the camera goes blurry then goes back into focus when they move around, wave their hands, or show a product up close to the camera then pull it away.
• If you prefer to use AUTO focus, then you must be still and don't wave your hands around. It's best to sit farther away from the camera so your movements don't make the camera refocus all the time. If you use Manual focus settings, you will not have this problem, but the camera will not focus if you hold something close to the lense.
• Sometimes you want to show a product close up to the camera. When using AUTO focus settings, show the product then place your hand behind and cover the background. Hold the product still for at least 5 seconds so the camera has a chance to focus and the viewer has time to see it. When you're done, pull the product away, wait 2~3 seconds for the camera to refocus, then continue. The better way to show products is to take a picture then edit them into the video later, keeping the audio track on top.
• Instead of moving back and forth, shoot close-ups using Manual focus settings separately from "portrait" shots. Edit your video to alternate between close-ups and normal distance shots.

Audio

Here are some audio tips besides being in a good sound environment:

• If possible, use an external mic. This will reduce the background noise as well as increase the quality of your audio.
• Look for the audio recording settings on your camera. My camera has an 8 bit and a 16 bit setting. The 16 Bit setting is higher quality.
• Practice your public speaking skills and avoid using "like" or "um." Be concise in your instructions and discussions, it also helps cut down on your video time. Write a script and shoot multiple shots if needed.

Positioning

Some tips on positioning yourself in front of a camera:

• If you tend to move around a lot or use your hands, sit farther away from the camera (think Mona Lisa distance) and be sure to use manual focus setting.
• Position yourself off-centre from the camera instead of sitting in the middle the shot. This looks more professional. Think of news anchors, they always stand or sit to the side!
• Use the grid display if your camera has it. Basically, it pops up a grid that looks like tic-tac-toe, dividing your camera into three sections vertically and horizontally. Position yourself along these grid lines for professional looking shots, one way is to line your eyes and nose along an "intersection" of the horizontal and vertical lines. (Google "grid method" if you're still confused.)
• You can sit as close or as far away from the camera using the grid method, just be sure to use the right focus settings.

Edit to your advantage!

Instead of shooting one continuous video, use editing to your advantage!

• Mix normal distance shots with close-ups to avoid having to use the AUTO focus settings.
• You can use the technique of pre-recording your voice giving instructions and edit the audio track over the video of you doing each step. This way you can concentrate on each separately.
• You probably won't get it right the first time, so record multiple shots. Sometimes you might stutter or hesitate, so reshoot that section and edit it in.
• Don't overdo scene transitions, a simple fade-in/fade-out or fade-to-black looks simple and professional. Watch out for snipped audio when transitioning two shots.
• Give enough time for the viewer to read any text you've included in your video. Read it out loud to gauge how much time you should keep the text up on the screen.

Conclusion

I listed a lot of information and tips, but to sum it up:

• Find a good location with lighting and sound considerations.
• Avoid using AUTO settings for focus and white balance.
• Position yourself off-centre and don't move around too much.
• Speak clearly and concisely, don't say "um" or "like."
• Use editing techniques to solve problems.

Hope that helps!

<3

[viarbd]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MissChievous

I'll get this started I guess...

Camera:
I use a Canon Powershot S2 IS. It has a great video function that has unlimited recording capacity (just until you fill up your memory card).

Settings:
This camera has no real additional settings for video, but I choose the appropriate light balance. Usually I have the white balance set on "artificial light" because the makeup can look wonky on camera with strong daylight glaring. I record at 15 frames per second.

Lighting:
This is probably one of the most important aspects of a good video. You need good lighting to show off your makeup. I do my videos at my vanity table, if it's during daytime I close the curtains on the side so that I still have daylight but not a direct glare of sunlight. At evening I use my halogen lamps, although the best is to probably have some trulite bulbs in a lamp. You should set up 2 lamps so that you your face is illuminated from both the front, and right & left side so that you don't get strong shadows.

Editing:
I use Windows Movie Maker which I don't really like, but my old computer can't handle any of the more technical, professional programs like Adobe Premier. I don't have enough RAM for it.

I just have to say "I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS" and because of you I learned how to do my makeup and also the reason I joined this site, thnx so much xoxo...via

[astronaut]

For filming I use the Canon HF200 HD camcorder (though I don't import the files in HD because it takes up too much space) and for photos I use the Canon Rebel XS DSLR (VERY worth it). I use iMovie 09 to edit and for my lighting I have 5 26 watt daylight CFL bulbs. I used to use only 4 but just recently added one more. Depending on the time of day, I will reduce the amount of bulbs I use though I prefer to film while there is no daylight at all because then I have full control of my lighting. The sun is often covered by clouds at random moments and alters my lighting.