For those who signed up on the IN[FOCUS] learning site, here are links to the videos that I played and referred to during my presentation. Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Red 5 Studios Movie Trailer Demo
“Romeo + Juliet”
“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”
“Entourage Behind-The-Scenes”
“Heroes”
“50 First Dates”
“Forrest Gump”
“Sneak Preview”
Here’s the conclusion to our behind-the-scenes look at the making of our HEROES spoof! In this featurette we get a glimpse at what we do in post production, which includes editing with special effects, music and sound effects selection, and color enhancing. You’ll also get to see the premiere of the short film at Hieu & Elaine’s wedding reception. For those of you getting married next year, be sure to watch PART 1 to see the entire experience of making your very own movie for your wedding day. Enjoy!
Here it is folks! Our behind-the-scenes featurette about shooting our latest concept video, a spoof of the TV superhero drama, HEROES. It’s a peek at how we shoot on-location, what it takes to make a successful spoof, and the fun that the bride and groom (and their wedding party) have while making their movie. Check it out if you’ve ever been curious to see what it’s like to be on a Red 5 Studios set.
Click here to watch in HD
To aid us in our recent Movie Trailer spoof of The Bourne Ultimatum, I used a simple program called Comic Life, which is already built into most new Macs and Macbooks. I used it to storyboard scenes so that we could reference them during the filming and know exactly how a shot was set up for the real movie. This was really helpful, especially when blocking fight sequences that have to be executed carefully to keep the actors safe. Below is a comparison of the storyboard (using images courtesy of the real Bourne trailer) and stills from our completed shot. The moment lasts for just a few seconds but with skillful editing and sound effects that moment is exciting! The Bourne Ultimatum spoof premieres at Dave and Melissa’s wedding, Sunday, September 30.
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One of the cool aspects of making the movie trailers is creating places that never existed. For The Bourne Ultimatum spoof, we needed to have a central operations room for the agents trying to bring the main character home.
We knew we needed lots of computer monitors and screens but there had to be a level of detail that would really “sell” that it was a real place. First we shot security camera footage of our hero walking around Victoria Gardens shopping center to be later displayed on large HDTVs.
Also, we needed maps, passport photos, and other visual material that would flash on the computer screens. Even though they would appear in the finished video for just a few seconds, it’s these little things that transport the audience into the world of the movie (even if our movie is just a couple minutes long).
The details continue in post production as we add sound effects to make the room busy with chatter, office machines, and other miscellaneous noises (click on screen captured photo to see details of the Final Cut Pro timeline). If you’re a Mac user, a lot of these sound effects are already installed in your computer as a part of Garage Band and iMovie. For more advanced users, Soundtrack Pro also has hundreds of sound effects, including foley effects, impacts and explosions. With each pass in editing, I’ll continue to layer the sounds until I feel there’s enough to make the room seem like there’s dozens of people at work even though we had only a handful of actors. The Bourne Ultimatum spoof premieres on Sunday, September 30th.
Here are some common mistakes to avoid so you can make your home videos look like a pro (well.. unless you’re trying to make it look like “The Blair Witch Project”).
Shaky shots - As I mentioned, if you’re not fond of work from The Blair Witch school of film, I suggest using a tripod or, if you’re using a hand-held camcorder, try leaning your arm against something to keep your shot steady. Also, stay away from caffeine the day you have to shoot your nephew’s baptism. Your camera’s image stabilization feature can’t really help if you’ve got the jitters.
Whipping the camera - I call this the “Daddy-Cam”. Don’t swing your camera around like your garden hose or spray painter! Pick your subject and stay there, even for a few seconds.
Digital zoom - I don’t know why they have this feature. Turn it off (and keep it off) or your kids will look like pixelated video game characters.
Over-using the zoom button - Unless you’re Superman or have bionic eyeballs, it’s not natural to zoom in on objects! Stop playing with the zoom button and just move closer to your subject.
Unneccesary audio - Try not to talk or make noise while you’re videotaping… unless you want your cousin to really know how you feel about her wedding dress.
Make sure you have enough tapes and battery power to get you through the day.
Conserving tape - Tape is cheap, folks. Roll more of it so you can have plenty of footage to edit with. Record early and often.
Bad framing - When you’re looking through your viewfinder, remember it’s going to be seen on TV. Don’t “bulls-eye” your subject. It’s a camera… not a gun.
Backlight - This happens when there is excessive light behind your subject, causing them to be a dark shadowy figure. Learn to use your backlight compensation button (featured on most cameras today), light your subject, or just move and avoid it altogether.
Not paying attention to the RECORD button - Be aware of the “REC” signal or flashing circle or whatever tells you when you’re taping, otherwise you’re gonna get a lot of footage of your feet.
Not hiring a professional videographer for a really, REALLY important event - Some things are better left to the pros. ’nuff said.