Producing Video with your Smart Devices

By

Thanks very much for those of you who attended the DigiEnable Producing Video with your Smart Devices workshops. And for those of you who’ve stumbled across this page via search, welcome!

Here you’ll find an overview of the top tips we mentioned in the workshop and those vital links to those useful sites and apps to get you digital storytelling out there!

Any questions, or if you want to bring us in for a future workshop – contact us at Info@DigiEnable.co.uk 

What is Digital Storytelling?

Digital storytelling refers to a short form of digital media production that allows everyday people to share aspects of their life story. “Media” may include the digital equivalent of film techniques (full-motion video with sound), animation, stills, audio only, or any of the other forms of non-physical media – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_storytelling 

The 3 Stages

Pre Production

Production

Post Production

Styles

Think about the style of my project before you start, it’ll help focus your efforts, and mean you spend less time recording content you don’t need!

•Genre
•Characters
•Pace
•Storyline
•Style of filming/editing

  “The aim of an interview is to provide, in the interviewees own words, facts reasons or opinions on a particular topic so that the listener can form a conclusion as to the validity of what he or she is saying.”

Robert McLeish

Pointers for Pre-Production

Prepare for your interview

Think about the questions you are going to ask

Ask questions with “informed naivety”

Avoid multiple, leading or non-questions

Use your non-verbal communications to control the interview

Think about your locations – look and listen around you before you press record!

Useful Video Production Links

Sizes of camera shots – http://salvadorsanvicente.tumblr.com/post/29802529406/portraits-medium-wide-shots 

Camera angles and zooms – http://laurenguyverasmedia.blogspot.co.uk 

Storyboard basics example – http://accad.osu.edu/womenandtech/Storyboard%20Resource

Apps for Smart Phones and Other Devices

Video app of the moment (and our current favourite) VideoShop – http://www.videoshop.net/features – which works on Android (free), iOS (free) and Windows (£1.50) smart phones.

Or Video Editor Free for Blackberry (free)

And Movie Creator for Windows Phones (free).

We also checked out https://giphy.com/create/gifmaker to create your own Gifs, and the app http://www.phon.to/ to put simple text onto images. Simple but effective for your online marketing!

Uploading Your Videos via Your Device

And for uploading your finished videos we recommend Youtube for maximum exposure. You can upload straight from our favourite video editing app VideoShop (links above) or use the Youtube app (Android) (iOS) (Windows) and via the share button in Blackberry.

Video Editing Tips

•Edit with “Trim” “Cut” “Split”
•Add transitions and effects – “Speed” “Tranx” “Display”
•Add some text (maybe a title screen) “Text” “Themes”
•Add some extra audio (voice over/backing music)
•Import and export what files you need (+ Album)
•Style options, pace, narrative, and planning for future projects

90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual. Visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text.

Videos on landing pages increase page conversions by 86%

And remember…

•Plan
•Check you are recording before starting
•Think about audio
•Only film as much as you need
•Don’t talk over others/keep quiet
•Get permission – person/place
•Be creative
•Think health and safety

Tips to get you content seen

Be Regular and if possible unique

Word of mouth, offline events

Guest Bloggers

Google doesn’t like mistakes, neither do your readers

Utilising Links and Backlinks

E-mail marketing – Still the most effective form of marketing

Use already established networks, social media, bio links, forums etc.

What ‘added value’ can you offer

Give them a reason to come back

If we can help in any further ways, just give us a ping at Info@digienable.co.uk