Author: gravitystix

This week has felt unbelievably long..

In a time and nation where everyone is litigious, it has become important to document and back up every claim and video is becoming the medium of choice. One might think that taking video for the courtroom is easy, however the fact of the matter is otherwise! A legal videographer must not only record the video, but he/she is the one that researches the activities undertaken, reads and takes laws and regulations in context and uses them well as to not be impeached.

After researching laws, the actions undertaken and the purpose of the video, they must then shoot the short video. After we can just imagine the use of editing t bring out the finite details to make the point we are creating for the jury. From angles, lighting and the content presented it is important to meet each aspect and make the video right, as the outcome could lead to a decision effecting a man, woman, or company for the rest of their existence.

Certification is not needed, although highly yearned for. Two programs providing certification are the “Guild of Court Videographers” and “National Court Reporters Association“. From these you can get a qualification which will make you not only more respectable in the form of trust within the courtroom, but makes it easier to find work through attournies.

All in all, this buisness is a well respected and highly open field. Attourneys accros the country are searching for new bodies to embody the emotions and anicdotes/testimonies of their clients into a video form. Not only is the work respectful and meaningful, but the $500 to $3,000 per finished minutes is also enjoyable when you work solo.

In this article from the June 2010 edition of Video Maker magazine, we are taught how to make our very own sound effects. Videos go way beyond what you see on the screen, it has a lot to do with the audio and effects as well. It’s important to have good audio and sound effects or else your video will just end up bland and forgetful. So here’s a short guide to do-it-yourself.

First of all you’ll need some audio recording equipment such as a microphone or audio recorder. There are also very cost effective editing software that work just as good if not better than the break-the-bank software. It’s all very basic and simple. Use what you have and what you can get a hold of and just run with it.

Try to be as authentic as possible. If you’re shooting a car driving by, make sure you actually get good car sounds and not a motorcycle. Be real, and shoot what you see. loud noises pose for possible problems such as overloads and spikes. Make sure you have plenty of room to eliminate these problems when you’re editing. Even if the sound is not as loud as it should be or as you want it to be, remember, you can always bump up the volume in post editing and production. You might even move the mic back even further, this will avoid loud spikes and still get you that authentic sound.

Using everyday items can also make really neat and cool sounds. Such as cups or even plastic bags can get you a good audio effect. If your going for more of a sci-fi kind of movie, try mixing common items next to a microphone and see what kind of out of this world sounds you can make.

Hey everyone! Evan and I find out if we won our contest in July. There’s also a prize for whoever obtains the most views, so please watch it! Multiple times if you feel like it. 😉

So, this Sunday night I spent 5 hours in cloud nine watching kids dance. And filming them. While I now have a cramp from perching on a stool and craning my neck over a camera all night, it was worth it… because we got enough DVD orders to make $1,800 dollars!! The show was actually pretty entertaining too. As soon as the tiny toddlers in tutus tiptoed out on the stage, I was riveted. They were so cute!! And there were some pretty cool numbers from older dancers too. My favorite number was two girls in black body suits with faces attached to the back of their heads. Their precise synchronized movements were captivating. At one point they flipped each other over sideways three times in a row. It was incredible. I was jealous. The big numbers with like 30 dancers perfectly in sync were pretty sick too. All in all, good show and well worth filming. 

‘Sup blag. Just checking in, seeing how you’re doing, and bringing the news… of YouTube. Yeah, that’s right, the amazing Google-owned and operated video sharing is amazing. However, there are a few things you need to know.

1. It’s really easy to use. That’s right, if you can browse the Internet, record a film, and transfer it to your computer, then you can post on YouTube. So that’s just something to keep in mind- it’s really easy to use, so you’re going to want to upload a bunch of videos. Don’t. Nobody wants to see your stupid videos, and they’re going to let you know, in no uncertain terms.

2. Any video format goes. Literally. Do you know what an .MKV format is? Me either. Apparently, it’s a Russian video format (Матрёшка) that is used for storing an unlimited amount of video and audio- multiple files. And YouTube accepts it, as long as it is under 2 gigs and 10 minutes. (Unless you’re using their “paid developer subscriber super plus whatever” program, and then the limit is whatever the heck you want it to be.) They even give support for cell-phone to YouTube direct links. Amazing.

3. HD. Not Highly Delicious, it’s High Definition. And it’s amazing. YouTube supports up to 1080P high definition. (Not that much different, but it’s a heck of a step up from what used to be available.)

YouTube has improved so much. It’s crazy. It’s insane. AND IT’S %$#@ING BLOCKED AT SCHOOL!!!!!

E.T.: The Extra – Terrestrial is a movie that many people told me was very good. I watched it for the first time this week and I thought it was very good and defiantly deserved the praise given.

E.T. is about a crazy phenomenon that shows a space shuttle full of aliens that lands on Earth, but in a rush has to leave Earth but accidentally leaves one of their people on Earth. The plot shows how E.T. the alien that was left finds friendship with a boy named Elliot and his sister and brother, and his journey home.

This movie is a very good movie. Even though this movie was made many years ago, it definitely is a must see movie for people of all ages. The ang\les of the camera really helped with the tone and mood of the movie. An example being when the cops were searching for anything around where the space shuttle had landed, the angles of the camera helped give the affect that they were rushing and searching for whatever they could find.
The acting in the movie is very well done. I am honestly not a very big Drew Barrymore fan and most of her movies I think about her as a person, and not her character. But in this movie I had a delightful shock part of the way through the movie when the realization that the little girl is Drew Barrymore. I thought the little boy Elliot did a rather good job, but the mother bothered me a bit.
Overall I think the movie was very good and definitely deserves the praises. I would probably give the film 8 Grace Points* because I enjoyed it a lot but it is not my type of movie, and didn’t make me very excited about having watched it.

* Grace points are how many cookies I would give the director/people in the film. If I liked the movie a lot, they get a lot of cookies, but if I don’t like it, then they might very little cookies, or I might even steal cookies from them (as in negative points).

J.J. Abrams, who brought us such films and TV shows as Armageddon, Mission: Impossible III, Cloverfield, and Lost, recently directed and produced Star Trek in summer 2009. He is personally one of my favorite directors – he’s funny, creative, and knows when to be serious. However, when my friends dragged me to see Star Trek in theaters, I wasn’t expecting much because I’m more of a Star Wars guy. It was the second day the movie had opened in theaters, and there were still a good number of Trekkies dressed in detailed costumes. I was expecting to see a very cheesy movie. I was in for a pleasant surprise.

Not only were the special effects and actions sequences beyond breathtaking, but the script was brilliant. There was a great balance of humor, drama, and love. The cast was wonderfully chosen, showcasing great up-and-coming actors as Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana. The score to the film was nearly perfect and composed by Michael Giacchino, a favorite composer of mine (he has also composed the score to Lost).

One thing I especially love about the film is that you don’t need to have an obsessive knowledge of the Star Trek universe prior to watching it. This film focused on how the original Star Trek crew came together. It shows us an alternate reality, in that a black hole changed everyone’s lives. This made all the characters seemingly different than how they were in the TV series, which must have been refreshing to longtime fans. I give Star Trek five out of five stars because it was an amazing film overall. And when all the Trekkies in the audience gave it a standing ovation at the theater, it was the perfect end to an awesome night.

Samstar

Hey, y’all. Just saw Pirate Radio (The Boat That Rocked, to you kids in the UK). It’s pretty interesting.

It’s 1966. British people in power (not Parliament, just a few people in power of a local government) hate the newfangled Rock and Roll that’s so obviously corrupting everybody in the entire area horribly. So it’s banned from the airwaves. A ship anchored to the coast begins to broadcast 24 hours a day, making the people happy. Which is what they want. A kid is sent onto the boat by his mother to learn how to stop being rebellious (his godfather is on the boat). This leads to all sorts of hilarity, and… well, I can’t say much more without utterly ruining it.

Anyway. I thought that much of the filming was good, the music was all right (I’m not a great fan of music from that era), and some of the background music was great at keeping tension strung really tight. There’s also some great comedic moments, which I’m not going to ruin.
What I didn’t really like was the music itself. That’s just me, though, because again, I’m not a fan of 60’s music. Just something that bugs me a bit. Anyway.

That’s the review. Pretty good movie, I’d recommend it.

So… we need a title for the Putt Putt doc. It has to be something pretty cool because it’s flying out of Jason London’s screaming mouth (courtesy of Pat Flynn). We are putting together a rough cut for Allen to look at. I feel like the basic skeleton is finally coming together and we just need to find and add some more b-roll. This doc won’t be perfect but I think it will be pretty okay. And it’s going to be on a legit DVD that thousands of people will see! Kinda cool stuff.