Creating a Video From Start to Finish
Creating a Video From Start to Finish
Class Description
AFTER THIS CLASS YOU’LL BE ABLE TO:
- Confidently make a movie from start to finish
- Expand your photography skills to motion pictures
- Tackle pre-production and post-production essentials
- Capture video and audio expertly
- Edit in Adobe Premiere Pro and Audition
ABOUT VICTOR’S CLASS:
Photography and videography have several things in common -- but what about factors like audio and telling a story using video editing? In this filmmaking class designed for photographers, learn how to use the DSLR or mirrorless camera that you already have to capture high-end videos. In this start-to-finish course, you'll master everything from planning to post-production. The goal of the class is to teach anyone how to create a video from start to finish.
Dive into video production from the planning and pre-production phase, where you'll learn how to choose an idea, scope out locations, research the client, and more. Jump into video gear -- and what's really necessary on a low-budget -- and learn the essential filmmaking tips for recording. Discover how to capture excellent audio and tackle those B-Roll shots.
But this filmmaking course doesn't just teach you how to use editing software -- you'll learn the editing process, start to finish, from storyboarding to exporting. Work in Adobe Premiere Pro to perfect your footage and Adobe Audition to fine-tune that audio. Tweak color in DaVinci Resolve. Add soundtracks, titles, and keyframes. Then, finalize and export your project.
WHO THIS CLASS IS FOR:
- Photographers eager to add motion pictures to their repertoire
- Beginner filmmakers
- Self-taught filmmakers ready for additional insight
SOFTWARE USED: Adobe Audition, Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve
ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR:
Previously a photographer, Victor Ha is now a filmmaker. His experience working with both stills and motion pictures helps him guide other photographers through the same process, from photo to video. He's known for his straightforward, practical teaching style that's easy to follow along with.
Lessons
- Class Introduction
In the first lesson, meet your instructor and learn what to expect during the class. Know what's up ahead by pinpointing the goals for this class at each production stage.
- Putting Ideas Into Motion
Start the filmmaking process with an idea. Learn how to flesh out ideas and turn them into successful projects.
- Client Profiles
Video projects come in many different forms, from cinemagraphs and short films to commercials and features. A client profile is a type of video telling a story about a person or business. Learn what's involved in this simple video type as an easy format to get started with.
- Choosing Your Subject
Video projects start with a subject -- but just how do you choose? In this lesson, Victor discusses how to narrow down your ideas to choose the best one.
- Scouting Locations
Part of the planning process is scouting out different locations, an essential part of pre-production. Learn what to look for when scouting out different locations and how to spot good camera angles. Then, work with that information as you prep for shooting.
- Researching the Client
Understanding the client -- and what they are looking for in a video -- sets the stage for a successful video project. Learn how to research your client and the essential pre-production questions to ask.
- Choosing Equipment
You don't need an elaborate amount of gear to shoot video -- Victor goes through the essentials for video, and how that list may change for different products.
- Waveforms and Scopes
Waveform monitors show a visual of the video's exposure. Using waveforms along with vectorscopes can help you get the best results in camera as you shoot. While confusing at first, these tools offer big advantages on set.
- Shooting Strategy
Build a strategy to organize those thoughts from pre-production and create a shooting schedule for the project. Incorporate these factors into a shooting strategy for success.
- Interview: Setting Up for Success
The interview is an essential style for filmmaking. In this lesson, learn how to set up an interview for the best results, including audio suggestions and pitfalls to avoid.
- Prepping for the Interview
Before you head into the interview, have a list of questions -- and practice asking them. Master the essentials for interview prep, including research.
- Capturing Audio
Video and audio go hand-in-hand. Gain tips for capturing the best audio for your video, from dual system sound and setting levels to working with audio gear.
- Capturing Room Tone
By recording the ambient noise in the room, unwanted background noise is easier to edit out. Learn how to capture the room tone and tricks to create better audio by adjusting the room.
- Audio Q&A
Audio is scary stuff -- learn from the most frequently asked questions from students like you.
- B-Roll: 3 to 1 ratio
B-Roll is supporting footage for your video, helping to add interest and fill gaps. In this lesson, learn why B-Roll is important -- and how much you need to shoot.
- Planning for B-Roll
B-Roll should help tell your story -- so what should you capture, especially when the scene doesn't seem so interesting? Find out how to plan for B-Roll and ideas for the most interesting shots.
- 5 Rules to Capturing B-roll
Use these guidelines to capture better B-Roll for your project, from gear tips to determining what's important.
- Using B-Roll to Shape an Edit
B-Roll is secondary footage -- learn how to tackle video editing with B-Roll in mind. Then, jump into editing with Adobe Premiere Pro editing software.
- Introduction to Footage Review
After recording, you may have hours of footage -- how do you decide what goes in and what stays out? Make footage review less daunting by tackling your fears first.
- Asset Management
Organizing footage saves time and helps you get a jump start on that edit -- but the organization doesn't have to be elaborate. Learn how to manage the assets for your film project.
- Edit Setup
Before you edit, preparing helps get the film project off on the right foot. Learn how to prep for editing, from working on audio first to identifying mistakes.
- Edit Audio in Adobe Audition
Victor suggests photographers edit audio first to get the aspect that we're least familiar with out of the way. Build an understanding of audio editing and skills for using Adobe Audition, including eliminating that room noise.
- Syncing Your Footage
Set up for a successful edit by creating "goal posts" and allowing enough time to reach each one. Start working on the edit by laying out the timeline and syncing footage.
- Conceptual Storyboarding
Building a storyboard guides the edit and helps you tell a story, without meandering away from what's important. Create a successful story -- and learn why Victor creates his later in the process -- by working with a storyboard.
- Editing Choices
Video editing is full of choices -- but you can always change your mind. Learn how to get over hurdles and make the best choices for your filmmaking project.
- Selecting a Soundtrack
Soundtracks give your edits a tempo -- but what song should you choose? Victor talks about choosing neutral soundtracks, avoiding songs you already know, understanding copyright, and everything you need to know about soundtracks.
- Building the Rough Cut
Start turning that storyboard into an actual edit by building the rough cut. Learn how to shrink down long footage, decide what to cut and what to trim, and start organizing footage.
- Refining the Story
Take that rough cut and turn it into something less rough. Start moving footage around to match that storyboard. Victor explains the "meat and potatoes of editing" -- going through footage, listening, cutting, and repeating that same process again.
- Adding B-Roll
With the shape of the video in place, work in footage from the second camera and B-Roll footage to fix continuity issues or simply add more interest. Develop not just an understanding of the editing software, but a workflow for editing your film project.
- Rough Cut to Final Cut
Move from that rough cut to the final cut with an overview of the last stretch of the editing process, including mastering transitions, color edits, and polishing that timeline.
- Color Grading in DaVinci Resolve
Create color-graded videos inside DaVinci Resolve. Learn how to use the software, import and export, and color grade your project.
- Three-Way Color Corrector in DaVinci Resolve
A three-way color corrector allows you to fine-tune RGB values. Walk through the basic color correcting process to correct issues like color cast.
- Export from DaVinci Resolve to Adobe Premiere Pro
With the color correction finished, be sure to export your file properly for a seamless transition back into Premiere Pro.
- Add a Title in Adobe Premiere Pro
Adding text and titles in Premiere Pro is simple. Learn how to add text frames to your video project without leaving Premiere Pro.
- Export Project from Adobe Premiere Pro
Once your edit is finished, it's time to deliver. Learn how to export your project from Premiere Pro.
- Adding a Keyframe
Keyframes are simply markers in the video that signify the start and the end of a change. In this lesson, Victor uses keyframes to adjust the audio of only a small portion of the video.
- Creating Multiple Projects from Your Edit
With the main project done, what else can you build from your material? In this lesson, Victor discusses additional options to add to smaller supplemental projects to your main work.
Reviews
Beatriz Stollnitz
Victor is an incredible instructor, clearly passionate about teaching videography to photographers. His teaching style is engaging and energetic, and the content is interesting and useful. I was very fortunate to be part of the audience for this course.
Lynne Harty
Victor is a wonderful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic teacher - I learned so much. Thank you.