In this animated bike map video, I use GEOLayers 3, MotionVFX and Holomatrix sourced from Strava data.
How to Create a Running Map in GEOLayers 3 with Strava Data
In this video, my friend and I run a 10K 🏃🏃♀️. I use GEOLayers 3 to show you how you can animate a running map using Strava! Enjoy
How to Replace Screens Using Red Giant's VFX King Pin Tracker in After Effects
In this video, I show you how to do screen replacement and motion tracking in After Effects using Red Giant’s King Pin Tracker:
2 Maps in GEOLayers 3 in After Effects
Maps set context and can be a rich source of data for your videos. I created this video: '2 Maps in GEOLayers 3 in After Effects', to show how I created two types of maps in GEOLayers 3.
Map Example:
Reminiscing about southern Alberta, with this quick graphic flyover.
Toronto Fly In Map
This video was made for Instagram Stories, of a fly in of Toronto using a digital animation map.
Southern Alberta Flyover Graphic Using GEOLayers 3
Reminiscing about southern Alberta, with this quick graphic flyover:
Futuristic Graphic Test Along Lakeshore Using GEOLayers 3 & Motion VFX
In this video, I use GEOLayers 3 and Motion VFX (HUD 3 and mCallout) graphics to design a futuristic look.
Walk Down Bloor West Using MotionVFX mHUD 3, mCallouts Specs and GEOLayers 3
In this video, I showcase my walk down Bloor West using motion graphics (MotionVFX mHUD 3, mCallouts Specs and GEOLayers 3):
These three programs/ plugins are a powerful way to seamlessly tie in graphics into your promotional videos, so as to enhance your message and sell your product or service.
How to Use the MotionVFX Callout Spec in Final Cut Pro
Graphics are a key element to any promotional video. They enhance your message and call out important features about your product or service.
In this video, I describe how to use the MotionVFX Callout Spec in Final Cut Pro:
Making My Way Through the Demystify Color Course
I'm currently making my way through the Demystify Color course by a nice fellow from Austria, who's a professional Colorist. The aim is to become a better color-grader myself, particularly to understand the foundations of color-science and developing that 'film look' in Davinci Resolve. Check out the course's promotional video here and enjoy the proper post-production aesthetic your video deserves:
Animated Maps in GEOLayers 3
I’m currently learning new skills in GEOLayers 3. Check out my most recent video, featuring three types of maps in three locations: Toronto, New York and Banff:
GEOLayers 3 is a powerful program in After Effects, that allows you to create animated maps. There are many possibilities of how businesses can use animated maps to set the context and inform their consumer regarding data-driven content. For this example, I explain how to create three animated maps in GEOLayers 3:
My Current Editing Post-Production Workflow for Instagram Stories
In this blog post, I will share my steps to my post-production workflow using Sony DSLR footage in Final Cut Pro X; post-production is what occurs after the shooting of the video - the editing component.
I shot a video at High Park here in Toronto. I’ll be using this video as an example to explain my post-production workflow:
A Couple Pointers of How I shoot My B-Roll With My DSLR:
For this video, I shot the footage vertically, as opposed to horizontally, using my Sony A7II. This allows for the best quality in terms of shooting for Instagram Stories.
The critical point is to shoot/ use the gear for the format of the video you plan to deliver. So, in this case, because I was shooting for an Instagram Story, to get the best resolution, I shot with the camera vertically.
In terms of frame rate, I shot in two formats using my DSLR/ I used both 60 frames so that I could slow the footage in post, and 24 frames per second, recording in 4K.
I could have shot in a log profile (S-Log 2) to get the best most desired results in terms of dynamic range. However, because for my workflow, I’m working on simplicity and minimalism, I choose to bring just one camera, with one lens (my nifty fixity 1.8) and shot in the built-in standard settings for this shoot.
My Post-production Workflow:
For my videos, I often start by giving a quick overall cut of my footage. I will use the Command ‘A’ to ‘select’ the clip in Final Cut and ‘B’ for the ‘blade tool’ to quickly edit the best shots. For me, this initial cut is focused on my ‘creative eye,’ as well as focusing on the story I want to tell. I try not to overthink this initial step and consider it more art than science.
After I have made this initial cut, I may then bring in music. I’ll pick a track on Epidemic Sound and will cut to the beat and rhythm of the song. This next part will focus on the story in terms of the sequence of clips and the overarching themes I uncover as I edit. Using my chosen song, I will often edit to a build-up or climax of the song. In short, I will structure the edit using the song, timing the cuts to the rhythm, beat and build-up/ climax of the song.
I have been focusing more on the pacing of my videos, so this is where I’ll spend the majority of my edit.
After I have made these two categories of edits, I mostly have the skeleton of my video, edited to the beat and rhythm of the song. I’ll then turn to colour grading my footage.
As mentioned, I often will shoot in a ‘flat profile,’ such as S-log 2, using the Sony Profiles. But for this example and video used at High Park, I decided to shoot the video in its original capture setting. This allowed for less colour correction.
I will then do an overall edit of the video, correcting the footage using Magic Bullets Colorista IV. I will focus on lowering the shadows and upping the mid-tones and sometimes the highlights, often utilizing an s-curve, allowing for a more excellent dynamic range. I may also touch up the colour temperature, exposure and highlights.
Once I have the bade colour correction, I will add a LUT using Magic Bullet Looks 4. A favour LUT I will apply is the Blockbuster Warm.
The LUT will often be too intense, so I will lower it considerably, often reducing it to between 10%-30%.
After this LUT treatment, I turn to Magic Bullet Mojo II. Mojo gives that Hollywood look, offering a beautiful teal look in the shadows and upping orange in the highlights. Mojo can be a bit strong as well, so I will switch it to the video section because I didn’t shoot the video in a flat format. I will also use the light preset as I find it offers a lighter treatment of Mojo to my footage. After this, I will go ahead and lessen the amount, hovering between 10-30% as well.
My final step is to apply a grain effect, using Magic Bullet Renoiser. There is a nice feature in this effect, to select either Image Vitamins or Compression Proofing.
I will then go into the edit a make minor adjustments to each clip, cutting up the adjustment layer.
Then, after I have made a base colour edit, and have the basic story down in the video, edited to the beat, I will focus on sound design.
My Sound Design Workflow.
I will go through each clip, adding sound to each clip.
For my High Park video, I added nature sounds - particularly bird sounds to all clips.
I then added a backpack sound, a bike sounds with a bell, a runner sound and a whoosh sound when transitioning from a tree, as examples of added sounds added to the footage.
A crucial step you can do is extend the sound before and after the clip, allowing you to transition to each clip.
A Final Couple pointers
A key feature I’m trying to incorporate is to tie my clips better together using logical sequencing.
So, for example, I may share a similar object or theme between clips. For instance, in the High Park video, I used similar scrubs to transition clips. In another shot, I added several shots of a bird, to tell a story; I also used the brightness of the sun, to both begin and end the sequence of the story.
I hope this video was helpful to give you some tips on your video editing workflow.
I’d encourage you to get creative if you enjoy photography and video.
Thank you for watching my video. Don’t forget to like this video and subscribe.
What Is the Ideal Length for Your Social Media Video?
Think ‘Shorter Is Sweeter’ and ‘Content is King’ in Terms of Your Social Media Posts for Your Brand*
Do you struggle to consider how long to have your social media posts or ads? According to Matthew Barrett, Senior Videographer at Prodigy, a Toronto-based Educational Tech company, ‘shorter is sweeter’. He considers 15-30 seconds as the ideal length for a social media ad, but this depends on the social media platform your brand is using.
If your video is not a social media ad, and you are doing more an educational or instructional video, then the content can be longer. Social media platforms such as YouTube are better served with this longer form content; Instagram content is often shorter.
Production value of your video matters, according to Matt, but ultimately ’content is king’. You can shoot on an iPhone if it means the content is there. But if you don’t have the quality content your audience seeks, then it won’t really matter if you shot the video on a $40K RED camera.
So for your next social media post, think ‘shorter is sweeter’, but also consider the quality of the content your audience is seeking.
Through The Creative Eye The Creative Eye: Matthew Barrett, Videographer
In this Series, Through The Creative Eye, I interview Matt, Senior Videographer at Prodigy, regarding what brands should be looking for in a videographer and what story engages an audience. 'Through the Creative Eye, is an interview series, featuring Toronto-based creators. The series explores the artist's inspiration behind their art and what drives their creative expression.
Through the Creative Eye: Who Is Sumartist? And How Does Nipsey Hussle Inspire His Art?
In this video, Sumartist, a local Toronto-based artist, speaks about what inspires his art and why he painted the street mural of Nipsey Hussle in the Graffiti Alley. 'Through the Creative Eye, is an interview series, featuring Toronto-based creators. The series explores the artist's inspiration behind their art and what drives their creative expression.
The Importance of Dynamic Range for Your Promotional Video
Considering dynamic range is essential for a cinematic image, as it allows more degrees in terms of light, which is closer to what the human eye captures. Let me explain:
The Human Eye & Dynamic Range of a Camera
Dynamic range is the ratio between the maximum and minimum measurable light intensities. Cameras have different dynamic ranges, depending on the power of the sensor. For instance, the human eye can capture 24 stops of light, while a typical DSLR camera can capture up to 12 stops. The 6K Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera I work with has 13 stops of light! Higher-end cameras, such a what is used on Hollywood film sets, like ARRI cameras or a RED, have up to 17 stops of light.
Taking Full Advantage of Dynamic Range of Your Camera
When you can expose the shot correctly, without losing any detail in the highlights (the brighter part of the image) and the shadows (the darkest part of the picture), you are taking full advantage of your cameras dynamic range. This is why people shoot in RAW formats or 'flat profiles' (i.e. such as S-log and C-log) as it allows for a higher amount of stops of light. Capturing the full dynamic range for your camera is pleasing on the eye, as it's closer to what the natural eye naturally picks up in terms of gradience of light. Taking full advantage of the dynamic range of your camera is an essential component of capturing what is often referred to as a 'cinematic image.'
In this video, I describe the importance of dynamic range and natural light in capturing an interview.
Framing, Leading Lines & Geometry for Your Promotional Video
When shooting your next promotional video, consider how you frame and use lines for your shot. When we frame and use lines for our business video, we are directing the viewer to a given subject and drawing the attention of the eye. This produces a more professional and intentional video for your audience. So for you next, consider adopting these cinematic techniques.
Leading lines
When lines are directed towards the subject, our eyes intuit that they are who we should be paying attention to. It is pleasing to the eye to see leading lines, as our eyes naturally follow symmetry. This is why the top Hollywood movies use the leading lines technique often. So for your next promotional video, consider how you use lines as part of your composition.
Framing Your Shot
There are many ways to frame a shot. This is often best done by having an object be in the foreground, which frames what the main shot is featuring. As you can see in this photo, the CN Tower and cityscape is framed by the three on the right. This other shot is framed by the part of the building being in the foreground.
Rule of Thirds
Rule of a Thirds is a popular photography and cinema convention, which splits the image into nine equal parts. The belief is that my setting the main feature of the image in one of the the four intersections, that it leads to a more pleasing composition. Most beginners will shoot a given subject in the centre, which certainly can be a delightful picture. However, Rule of Thirds, for me at least, is a technique I often implement when shooting my subject in my promotional videos. I also try and incorporate leading lines and framing.
For your next promotional video, consider using symmetry, leading lines, framing and geometry when shooting. Your viewer will intuit a more pleasing shot, and it will keep the focus on the subject when they are speaking.
4 Must-Have Motion Graphics to Enhance and Energize Your Promotional Video
Motion graphics are an essential way to emphasize and animate what the speaker is saying in your promotional video. It allows your professional video to stand apart and get noticed by your audience, much more than a video without graphics.
Here are my top four motion graphic strategies/ plugins I use to get the best results for my promotional videos:
4 Must-Have Graphics for Your Promotional Video:
1. Trendy Motion Pack
The Trendy Motion pack works with Adobe’s Premiere NLE and After Effects, respectively. The motion pack uses Atom in After Effects, which allows you to customize your graphics in a more refined manner. The pack is on version 3 and comes with a host of trendy and stylish graphics. You can pick up the package here.
Another motion graphic pack I use is by Ezra Cohen ‘Tour Visuals’. His graphics are more retro, which compliments the other graphics I have in my motion graphic arsenal. Cohen has a training I purchased, which explains how he applies his tour visuals to video. I value this pack, as it allows me to work with the building blocks of graphic design in a way that I can build complex sequences with just a few of his graphics assets.
3. Red Giant Universe
Red Giant has been a leader in the motion graphic game for some time. Their visuals are a cornerstone of my graphics workflow. As they write this, they just came out with their latest point release, Universe 3.2!
HUD Component is a powerful graphics plugin as part of the Red Giant Universe suit. It can unlock futuristic graphics for your video, saving you time and energy building these assets yourself.
Many people will know of the popular YouTuber Peter McKinnon. He has a popular title graphics pack that you can use to enhance your videos. What I like about these titles is they add energy and excitements to videos. Plus, they are easy to use. Drop them on the timeline, customize to your liking, and you’re ready to go!
Motion graphics are essential for engaging and professional promotional videos. Consider these plugins and strategies for your next promotional video.
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Why Your Promotional Video Can Benefit From Quality Sound
Getting Quality Sound for Your Promotional Video
George Lucas once said: "The sound and music are 50% of the entertainment in a movie." So neglecting capturing quality audio can be detrimental to your promotional video.
It's not as though I've always followed this lesson. I have had to learn the hard way when capturing audio for my videos. Maybe it was a fan that was left on, wind hitting the microphone or noise from traffic. However, since learning about what it takes to get quality sound, I've devoted more time and attention to ensuring my videos have better overall audio.
Some keys to getting quality sound are the following:
1. Invest in a Good Microphone
I recently purchased a Deity S-Mic 2 shotgun microphone. This microphone has received great reviews, and it's at a much lower price point than other shotgun microphones in its category. I'd suggest if you're looking for your first microphone to consider this microphone or if you are shooting on your cellphone, find a microphone that can plug straight into the phone. There are many options for these types of microphones (everywhere from $40-$100). A simple upgrade over your built-in camera microphone or your cellphone microphone will go a long way it creating professional audio your audience expects.
2. Control Your Environment
I often see people who are newer to shooting video neglect consider the various sounds in their environment. It takes awareness to continue to monitor the environment to ensure there are no distracting sounds. One might think: "I'll fix it in post" or "it's not that bad". However, any audio engineer or experienced videographer will tell you that fixing bad audio, is no simple matter.
3. Ensure the Microphone Is as Close to the Subject as Possible
Aiming the microphone at the subject's chest (should you be using a shotgun microphone) and placing the microphone as close to the subject's mouth is critical. Aiming the mic at the subject's chest will often give you a more fuller sound. Often people think that having a microphone on their camera, which may be about 6 feet away, will be fine enough to capture audio. However, this will entail that more background audio will be capture (which you often don't want), and the sound will not be as crisp as it would be, should you place it near the subject's mouth.
4. Monitor Your Microphone Levels to Ensure Your Audio Is Not 'Clipping'
Ensure that your audio is not 'clipping,' a term which means when your sound is surpassing its available range, leading to distortion, which is often very hard, if not impossible, to recover in post. By monitoring your audio (via headphone), so that it's neither too low nor too high, you'll ensure that you're capturing great audio. People often recommended keeping the levels between -12 and -6. It's better to have a lower sound that does not clip than having audio, which is clipping and distorted.
Conclusion
Consider upping your audio game by investing in a better microphone and following the tips covered in this article. Quality audio will help your subject's voice be much crisper and listenable, which will give you that more professional sound your audience expects.
Working With Businesses Who Embrace the Infinite Game Mindset
The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek
I just finished 'The Infinite Game', by Simon Sinek, author of another insightful book, 'Start with Why'. Sinek offers a mindful and intentional perspective on leadership - a 'first principles' approach. He provides advice on what we can do to play the infinite, long-term game, both in business and life — in other words, not just playing to win in the immediate (a finite game), but rather in serving a just cause and working hard to achieve it. The moon shot as it were.
I take Sinek advice to heart: those who have an infinite mindset are the ones that will thrive in today's economy. People reward companies who stick to their vision and demonstrate over time their commitment to their values. Companies with such a mindset, demonstrate their integrity and trust to the market.
“The rules of an infinite game are changeable while infinite games have no defined endpoint. There are no winners or losers—only ahead and behind.” - Simon Sinek
Working With Companies That Embrace an Infinite Mindset
Working with companies that embrace an infinite mindset are the companies I want to do business. Expressing their vision creatively, with the power of video, is a just cause worthy of giving voice, helping them thrive in 2020 and beyond.
Why Your Promotional Video Can Benefit From Three-Point Lighting
Why Does Lighting Matter, Particularly Three-Point Lighting?
Proper lighting in video is essential to help the subject stand out and differentiate themselves from the background. A quality soft light helps compliment the subject's skin, but also makes the talent' pop.' Pop in terms of differentiating themselves from the background, creating the sharpness and definition we expect from a higher-end interview or talking-head promotional video. Accentuating the subject from the background is often best achieved through a technique called 'three-point lighting.'
Three-Point Lighting
Three-point lighting is one of the oldest and widely adopted lighting techniques used in shooting video. The method consists of three lights – a key light, fill light and backlight.
Key Light
The Key light is the central light. It is usually the strongest and has the most significant influence on the look of the scene. It is placed to one side of the subject so that one side is lit and the other side has some shadow.
Fill Light
The fill light is the secondary light. It is placed on the opposite side of the key light. The light 'fills' the shadows created by the key. The fill is often softer than the key light. This can be achieved through the distance of the light or by simply turning down the light's brightness.
Back Light
The backlight is placed behind the subject. It fills the rear of the talent's head. Its purpose is to help define and highlights the subject from the background.
Soften Your Key Light by 'Damping' It With a Sheet or Paper
When lighting your subject, too strong of a light can blow out the highlights of your subject's face, which essentially means that the detail in the highlights will become lost. The camera can only capture so many ranges of light, so by damping the brightness of the light, with a sheet or paper, you allow the skin colour of the subject to more lightly exposed, retaining the details in the highlights. A 'softer' light is more flattering to the skin and avoids unattractive shadows that can be cast on the face by too bright of a light.
Conclusion
Consider lighting next time you shoot your next promotional video. Lighting will help your subject 'pop', complimenting their skin and giving you that more professional look and feel your audience expects.