Looking for some help with Video Productions...

[RockWood610]

Hey everyone,

I am some what new to this site. I hope someone can guide me into the would of videography/semi-pro video production. I have expirience with pro audio (studio and live) and have work in my own little audio production studio. I have many great audio plugins from Sony and Waves, and some really decent studio gear for small productions. I have also been working with video editing and DVD burning with consumer type software since 2004 (Pinnacel studio versions 8 and 9 mostly). A partner and I wanna break away from the normal wedding/christmas/family video projects, to something a little more in depth and professional... or at least to production quality.

Everything I have done from day one has been all trial and error, and with the help of a lot of forums, I have pieces together a lot. I am not really into to many different conversion methods (like Divx and what not), just more about shooting video, uploading it to a PC, editing it, mixing/mastering it and burning it to DVD. I wokr with AVI files a lot and master my work with Sony DVD Architech.

I branched out from Pinnacle Studio into Sony Vegas. I know my way around the software ok, and I am working with Sony's seminar series videos to learn more. I am also working with Sony Acid Pro 6 witch is a digital audio work station for recording our own score music, and tagging them up with Sony's Cinescore software (scremusic generator). I just purchased a Canon Vixia HV 30 HD cam corder and started my jorney into the recording of HD.

Here is my goals/issues. I have seen a lot of videos online that were shot with the Canon HV 20/30 that were production quality videos. My partner and I looking to start going into that direction...

I know very little about post production effetcs, white balance settings, lighting a scene, different lenses and lens filters ect. I want to start working my way into these things for 2 types of productions projects we are looking to do:

1) Indipendent type movies/films that are low budget, but done some what pro (Kind of like a Kevin Smith Clerks style flick. Not a lot of visual effects, just a basic plots and shooting methods).

2) Tv Hosting style productions... somewhat like a news reporting style in front of green screens or sit down interview segments for documentaries.

If anyone could pass along any info weather it would be how to books/DVDs, videos, websites ect that could explain the basics of videography and get us started, I would really appritiate it. I know this is a lot of ground to cover, but I am really not sure where to even start with this. I was looking at Video Maker magazines howto videos, but wasn't sure if the 30 min segments would teach a lot....

Thanks in advance.

John

[Soopafresh]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/505479-REG/Master_Works_JSGCHV20_DVD_Jumpstart_Guide_for.html

http://www.amazon.com/Lighting-Digital-Video-Television-Second/dp/1578202515/ref=pd_sim_d_title_42

http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Video-Hacks-Shooting-OReillys/dp/0596009461/ref=pd_sim_d_title_43

[RockWood610]

Supafresh... and you the man. Thanks a lot!

I knew there was a Canon GL2 DVD out, and I planned on buying that when I thought about buying a GL2. So thanks for the link on the HV 20 video. I have the 30, but there isn't much difference between the two.

Here is a Vegas Video question if anyone can help...

When I capture video in HD via firewire, it captures as an mt2 file. If I wanted to edited/render that into a file for a partner to download it without loosing any video quality (so he can see how awesome the shots look quality wise), how would I go about it? Should I render it as an avi or some sort of mpeg? Then after I choose my file format, my rendering template options are a lot. There are the normal DV templates, PAL temps witch I know I won't need for any of my stuff, and then there are several HD options that range from 720 to 1080 intermediate, and then the last three options are HD 1080-50i (or 60i) YUV.

Yester day I used 1080-60i intermediate (I shot my footage in 1080/60i) and I had to download a codec for my Windoes media player to play it. In the description for this template it said "Audio: 48,000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo, PCM Uncompressed.
Video: 29.97 fps, 1440x1080, Upper field first.
Pixel Aspect Ratio: 1.333, using CineForm HDV codec. OpenDML compatible."

Any ideas/suggestions?
Wicth templare should I use?

[zoobie]

just upload 20 seconds of your m2t to your website and give your partner (?) a link
you have a cam...ok...
ugh

[RockWood610]

Does windows media player read Mt2 files?

[JohnnyMalaria]

They can use VLC which is free and cross-platform.

[RockWood610]

Ok great, thanks. A lot.