Charlotte Gets Secrets of Video Production for Photographers

Secrets of Video Production for Photographers is coming to Charlotte on June 18 and 19. I’m looking forward to my first visit to what promises to be a charming city.

Friday night is going to be the APA evening presentation from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Paradox Film & digital where I give a basic outline of the process of video production. I do this keeping in mind video is an additional component to a still production. I will discuss the techniques and tools needed to do video production. See http://charlotte.apanational.com for more details.

Saturday’s workshop is always fun and informative as I have more time to really get into video production. In the morning, we look at the basics from a different point of view and then build on those basics including when to call in a post house like Rawworks to help. In the early afternoon we do some lighting and camera techniques followed by a short commercial shoot with the latest equipment from Manfrotto, Panasonic, Ziess, Marshall Electronics, Redrock Micro, Beachtek, Sennhieser, K-Tek, Hoodman, and LaCie. I then take that video into Final Cut Studio, edit it and output it for various distribution methods. The day gives anyone interested in video production a good outline to follow in video productions. See www.tiny.cc/june18 for more details.

Video production is changing by the day and can be confusing to photographers just getting into motion. Having a working understanding of the overall picture, helps give the photographer getting into video production an understanding of how to judge what equipment and software to use.

Christopher Lozano www.tlsHollywood.com did this time lapse click (MOVIE) of the LA evening presentation.

Chicago Welcomes Secrets of Video Production

Chicago was surprising.  As with the other cities, I had no doubt that the photography professionals attending would be welcoming but I had not expected the warmth they extended to me.  I did both my Secrets of Video Production for photographers evening presentation and Saturday workshop at Callie Lipkin’s very spacious studio.  Callie and her husband/studio manager Robert were great hosts and they have a great space that is also a rental, so if you are in need of a studio in Chicago, give them a call 773.853.2339.  APA’s Midwest director Megan was indispensible in getting things set up for my events.

Everyone was intent on learning about video production as this is a no nonsense group of professionals that see video production is the next stage of the now ever-changing landscape of professional image making.  They understand the days of being a pure professional photographer are fast disappearing and they are willing to take the next step, which is into video production.  I had at least two photographers  who drove from Columbus Ohio to attend.  Two more came from Milwaukee and plan on sharing what they learned with the rest of the crew at QuadPhoto.  Dave Busch of QuadPhoto was nice enough to send me an email that included the following quote, “The combination of facts, experiences and practical ideas you presented will undoubtedly save a lot of money and pain for any photographer that is just beginning to investigate video production.  Plus the tools, toys, and software you shared were a real eye opener for those of us who have already started shooting HD video with DSLR.  Thanks again for making the event well worth our time and the 180 miles we drove to attend!”

It was exciting to share with them some of the new development I saw at NAB a few days earlier in Vegas, including the exciting developments of Litepanels new hybrid LED that flash sync’s.  Zeiss’s new cine compact prime series was well as introducing them to Zeiss’s HDSLR series lenses for Canon and Nikon cameras.  Sonicfire’s new Voxal vocal albums and, of course, Redrock Micro’s upcoming wireless follow focus were just a few of the items I told them about.

I have no doubt that the Chicago professionals I met will have little problem making some great short form video content.  I look forward to them sharing some of their video experiences with me.

Workshop image including Lastolite light modifiers, Manfrotto 536 MPRO tripod (sticks) ©Megan Erskine

Lee White preparing to shoot commercial with model Maya using Marshall Electronics V-LCD70P-HDMI, Redrock Micro eyeSpy, Beachtech audio adapter DXA-5D ©callielipkin

Lee white talking about framing which is illustrated in the Marshall Electronics V-LCD70P-HDMI ©Megan Erskine

Seattle hosts Video Production for Photographers

“I found the information accurate and interesting and your presentation top-notch” – Richard Wieser video professional services for VMI Broadcast and Professional Video.

Seattle’s Secrets of Video Production for Photographers evening presentation and workshop was a blast.  Both events took place at the Seattle Pacific University, a beautiful campus in northern Seattle.  Along with my past sponsors of Apple, Manfrotto, Zeiss, Panasonic, Redrock Micro, Beachtek, Smartsound, Marshall Electronics, Sennheiser, LaCie, Hoodman USA, there were the new and very welcome sponsors of Rawworks, K-tek and Agencyaccess.

I’d like to say a little bit about these new sponsors who along with my other sponsors that help bring photographers across the nation the information photographers are going to need to compete in the new media world.  Rawworks is a post house, which means it finishes the video with editing, audio sweetening, color grading (color correction) and format conversions.  Although Rawworks handles all type of video, it has taken a special interest in HDSLR post-production.  I suggest before embarking on a video project involving serious post-production, consider talking to them.  Check out their website at hdirawworks.com.

K-Tek has also joined in spreading the video production information to photographers.  They added important items to the equipment I have been showing which are a superb shock mount and a combination fuzzy with shock mount.  These improve the sound quality by reducing the unwanted vibrations and wind noise that otherwise would be picked up by the microphone.  Their website is ktekbooms.com.

And, of course, all the right equipment and hard work in producing video means little if you are not letting the world know you have added this new service.   This is where Agencyaccess becomes an important part of your overall plan.  They can help you in getting the word out to potential clients by supplying you an up-to-date database of prospective clients and a wide variety of ways of getting your promotions designed and out to them.  To see more of their services, go to agencyaccess.com.

Friday evening’s group was there to find out what this new convergence of photography and video is going to mean to them and get a glimpse at the new tools and techniques they would need to use.  Richard Wieser of the VMI video, www.vmivideo.com, was there to answer questions for some of my sponsors like Panasonic, Sennheiser, and Marshall Electronics. VMI has stores in California and Washington and is an excellent resource for video gear.

Some of Saturday’s group already had upcoming projects that included a video component and were seriously looking for answers to the many questions shooting video brings up for the photographer.   I gave the group a good overview of how to get started and what to prepare for in video production.  I also had a chance to answer specific questions about individual photographer’s problems concerning their future productions.

New York’s chance to see Secrets of Video Production for Photographers

Tomorrow, February 11 New York gets to see the first of two video production events.  Thursday evening I will outline what photographers should consider in planning, estimating, techniques and tools when producing videos.   And, of course, I get to get away a Final Cut Studio $1000.00 value and Smartsound Sonicfire with royalty free music.

Saturday’s workshop, February 13, www.tiny.cc/nyfeb13 is where I can really get into what photographers need to know about pre-production, production and post-production.  We get to talk about video, do some lighting and shooting and then get into the editing of what we just shot.

Atlanta “Secrets of Video Production for Photographers”

There was another big turn out for my Atlanta “Secrets of Video Production for Photographers” given for APA Atlanta.  Along with gear I had from my sponsors Apple, Manfrotto, Zeiss, Panasonic, SmartSound, RedRock Micro, Beachtek, Marshall Electronics, Sennheiser, LaCie and Hoodman, Apple was there showing Final Cut Studio and gave away a $1000.00 Final Cut Studio suite of video editing software.  The Zeiss representative showed their special Canon and Nikon mount lenses with long focus barrels and color-matched glass.

Showcase camera store of Atlanta, a beautiful fully stocked professional camera store, also supplied additional gear from the above mentioned sponsors to give attendees a chance to see the various pieces of equipment up close and personal.

Big Studio, 404-874-6111, was a wonderful host of both the Thursday evening event and Saturday workshop.  It is a great studio to work in and Megan the studio manager was both gracious and professional.

Below are pictures Lindsay Lewis the director of APA Atlanta took during my evening presentation.  The first is me talking about the false color filter of Marshall Electronics V-LCD70P-HDMI monitor.  The second is me talking about the Sonicfire Pro program and five royalty-free multi music tracks.   I have arranged for every attendee to either of my events to get the music tracks for free.

Lee White with Marshall Electronic false color filter

The Saturday workshop was especially interesting for me, as I got to really delve into shooting video with stills then editing.   We talked about planning and equipment in the morning and after the lunch I provided from a tasty deli nearby, we got into the gear.

Everyone had a chance to try some hands on using a complete video rig.  I did a couple of lighting demos and shot a short commercial.  The picture below shows me shooting the commercial using a Reckrock Micro rig with a microFollowFocus geared to a Zeiss ZE 50mm F1.4 lens, on Manfrotto  sticks (tripod) and fluid head with a Beachtek 5d audio adapter cabled to a Sennheiser ME66 microphone.  On top of the rig, you can see the Marshall monitor showing the camera feed.  In the foreground is a Litepanels MicroPro LED light and in the background a medium Lastolite Skylite diffuser.

After shooting the video, I took it into Apple’s Final Cut Studio and showed how to transcode the files into a more edit friendly format using Compressor onto a LaCie rugged drive.  A step you can bypass when using video cameras from Panasonic.   Then I show everyone how to get the files into Final cut Pro, edit them into a commercial and output several distribution formats.  I ended the workshop by showing how easy it is to match music from SmartSound’s Sonicfire Pro with video or pictures.

Denver’s Video Production for Photographers

Denver had a great turn out for my “Secrets of Video Production for Photographers” an APA-LA event that is a first step in building the APA Denver chapter. One photographer drove six hours through the snow, literally it snowed, I’m here, I saw it, to attend. First let me say the people in Denver are great, especially the folks at Denver Pro Photo who helped put on both last night’s Thursday APA event and the upcoming Saturday workshop.

If you are in Denver and need equipment, supplies or rental, Denver Pro Photo is the place to go. Beyond the well- stocked store, they also have a number of different size stages including a huge one, football field huge, plus a complete grip room.

Some of the sponsors like Zeiss with their long focus pull lenses, Marshall Electronics with their video monitors and SmartSound with royalty music, were there to answer specific questions on their video solutions. I understand a lot of this is completely new to photographers so it is good to have experienced resources to answer the large variety of questions photographers have.

I had a chance to meet some of the attendees and once again heard some unfortunate stories of jobs lost because the video component could not be handled. Some were as simple as snips for the web but it was smart of the photographers not to get into something they knew little about. It is much harder to get a client back after messing up a job than truthfully saying, presently, part of their needs cannot be met.

During the presentation there was lot’sa interaction and after the presentation, I had a chance to answer some questions about challenges some of the photographers were facing with learning video production.

I want to thank the nice lady who won the complete Final Cut Studio program that I personally provided for the raffle for giving me a hug. She was so excited.

Dates: Secrets of Video Production for Photographers

There will be a copy of Apple’s Final Cut Studio raffled off.

More giveaways from LaCie and Hoodman.

The latest equipment and software by Apple, Panasonic, Zeiss, Redrock Micro, SmartSound, Beachtek, LaCie and Hoodman among others will be at the event for photographers to see.

Los Angeles information for Thursday January 14
6pm-9pm Dinner 6-7 pm Presentation starts 7:15 pm

5th and Sunset Studios,12322 Exposition Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 900064

How much: APA MEMBERS ARE FREE! Full time students $20 with id all others $35 RSVP Call 323-933-1631 or email director@apa-la.com

LA Thursday evening event

Non-member $35.00 Student with ID $20.00

Denver information for Thursday January 28

6pm -9pm Dinner 6-7 pm Presentation starts 7:15 pm

Stage 3 at Denver Pro Photo,235 South Cherokee Street,Denver, CO 80223

How much: APA MEMBERS ARE FREE! Full time students $10 with id all others $25 RSVP Call 323-933-1631 or email director@apa-la.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Denver Thursday evening event

Non-member $25.00 Student with ID $10.00

Atlanta information for Thursday February 4

BIG Studio, Suite E, 887 West Marietta Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30318
www.bigstudiorental.com

Registration:
$10 for APA members – $15 at the door
$20 for AIGA or ASMP members – $25 at the door
$25 for non-members – $35 at the door
FREE for student & assistant APA members
$5 for students or assistants
Join the APA and your admission is free!
Contact Lindsay Lewis APA Atlanta Director
director@apaatlanta.com

Please check back for New York February 11 and Chicago March 4

Saturday Workshops

10am-5pm

Now is the point in time when photography and video come together. In the last year, the idea of photographers producing video has exploded and photographers are now gearing up to take advantage of this interest.   As advertisers and magazines turn to video on the web, cable and mobile devices to get out their message, there are more opportunities than ever for you to do video in tandem with your photography to capture new clients and sell video services to existing clients.

Producing video creates a fundamental change in your workflow, so you need new tools and techniques to take the step from photography to video.  You need to learn what the new technologies mean to you from a photographer’s point of view.  This is why Lee White has created an intensive all day workshop to help guide you into video. This workshop will go in depth about each step of video production so you can start producing your own video.

The Saturday subjects will include:
- The importance of workflow including recording formats
- Estimating and planning combined photography and video shoots
- Understanding lighting, filming and sound techniques for video
- Camera, lighting and grip equipment demonstrations
- Editing demonstrations

FREE SOFTWARE: SmartSound will give each attendee a free copy of their Sonicfire Pro 5 software along with free royalty-free music.

More giveaways from LaCie and Hoodman.

The latest equipment and software by Apple, Panasonic, Zeiss, Redrock Micro, SmartSound, Beachtek, LaCie and Hoodman will be demonstrated.

Los Angeles information for Saturday January 16

Helms Daylight Studio

3221 Hutchin Ave. #E

Los Angeles, CA 90034

Cost: $149.95 per person, APA members will receive a 10% discount refund* on confirmation of valid membership.

*Please put membership number in special instructions to seller and the discount refund will be given at the workshop as the APA member enters.

Denver information for Saturday  January 30

Stage 3 at Denver Pro Photo,235 South Cherokee Street, Denver, CO 80223

Cost: Early registration until Jan. 8 $99.95 regular registration after Jan. 8 $129.95 APA members 10% discount.

*Please put APA membership number in special instructions to seller, discount refund will be given at the workshop as the APA member enters.

Atlanta information for Saturday February 6

Where: BIG Studio, Suite E, 887 West Marietta Street Northwest, Atlanta, GA 30318, (404) 874-6111 www.bigstudiorental.com

Cost: Early registration until Jan. 22 $129.95 regular registration after Jan. 22 $149.95 per person, APA members will receive a 10% discount refund* on confirmation of valid membership.

*Please put membership number in special instructions to seller and the discount refund will be given at the workshop as the APA member enters.

Please check back for New York February 13 and Chicago March 6