There are many ways to tell a story with video. I have written about it before. But one of my favorite ways to do this with video is with interviews. And in my opinion, weaving some interviews together in a way that develops a good story is one of the best ways to make a video. And as you probably know many modern news and documentaries (and even some films) utilize this style today.

Here is a rather humorous example of what I am talking about. It is a clip from the movie Waiting For Guffman, directed by Christopher guest. The whole movie is told through interviews. Here is one clip of what I am talking about:

The “serious” benefits of using interviews to tell the story:

Avoiding Narration
The possible pitfalls of narration are boredom and lack of quality. Most people usually find narrations stale and academic. And unless you have spent a pretty penny on a professional voice over or have a friend that can talk like Morgan Freeman, there is a high chance that your narration is going to sound cheap and from the 80’s.

A really inexpensive and easy way to get around this (which you don’t have to, but it is helpful in many cases) is to utilize an interview and let you interviewees narrate the video for you. It not only protects you from these two pitfalls, but it usually produces a better final product.

Authentic and Organic
Not only can a good set of interviews take the place of a the classic narration, but they take it’s place with style. One of the great things about interviews is that they are authentic and real. Here is this person, sitting in front of me telling a story. It doesn’t feel contrived. It’s a natural progression of history. It’s organic. It’s like the difference between a pool and a lake.

Most people in our world today like transparency and authenticity and interviews with real people satisfy that.

Easy Editing
And to get totally nitty-gritty, interview-style videos are so much easier to edit. All you have to do is lay the interviews in order, throw some b-roll on top of the footage in conjunction with the interviewee comments and you got yourself an awesome video.

This method also allows you to safety-net a video project by not trying to take a video somewhere it can’t go. Having the interviews, lets you know what and what not this video can cover. And once you have the interviews and lay them down in the order you want, 80% of the video is finished. From my experience, using interviews to tell the story of a video make editing easier and faster.

So, those are the reasons I like using interviews to tell the story of a video instead of narrations or graphics. This idea mainly applies to documentaries, news stories, and maybe promotion pieces. It’s not for everything, but my video com padre, I say take advantage of this as much as you can.

I hope this inspires and helps. Good luck.

A question that faces me many times during my video production is how far should I go with in-camera effects while shooting my video. Is fine for me to get my footage as close to the final product as I can. For instance, is it good for me to shoot my video in black and white if I know that my final product is going to be in black in and white; or should I shoot my video in color and then desaturate it while editing? This is a good question; one which I ask myself frequently when shooting.

So far I have concluded that it is better for most cases to save effects to video for post-production. And here are some of the reasons why I think so:

You Can’t Undo What You Shoot
This is one of the biggest reasons to save in-camera effects for post-production. If you shoot your video in letterbox-mode or black and white, then you will have no other option for your video when it comes to editing it. Your video will always have the effect you shot it in. Now, if you know exactly what you want before editing, with no doubt what-so-ever, than maybe you will have no issue with this point. But it seems wiser to keep you options open while shooting.

Further, most in-camera effects can be done in post-production, so the best bet is to give yourself the most options when editing. Who knows how you might want to use the footage in the future anyway. Just remember, there is no “edit-undo” with in-camera effects. Once you shoot it, that’s it.

A Camera’s Options Are More Limited
Not only can you do almost all the effects a camera might offer in a basic editing system, but there is a good chance that your non-linear editor offers more options in tweaking the video footage than the average consumer/prosumer camera. This is another reason to hold off on adding effects until post-production. You will probably be able to create a better more fitting effect for the video’s vision by using an editing system rather than a camera. It just has more options and is more customizable.

So there are the two main reasons that I would recommend using post-product instead of in-camera effects for adjusting your video.

Are there Exceptions?
I would think so, seeing that most rules have exceptions. I can think of a couple reasons why someone would need to use in-camera effects.

One exception could be argues if you wanted to do some video manipulation with a camera that cannot be reproduced in post-production. For example, some camera’s offer to take a standard definition 4:3 aspect ratio image produced by a camera and adapt it using an anamorphic lens effect to a 16:9 aspect ratio. This is sometimes called “Stretch mode” in cameras. As far as I know, it is more difficult (and maybe impossible) to reproduce this effect in post production without making the footage look stretched. So, this may be one good reason to use an in-camera effect.

Another reason some one might put forward is that in-camera effects can help with framing for a final product. For example, if you intend to have a video in letter-box in the end, it might be more helpful to use the in-camera effect so you can frame you shots better and not cut off heads of important parts of the video. In-camera effects could possibly help in this scenario. So, I would accept this as a good argument, and it might be something someone shooting video might want to consider.

However, in conclusion, I would recommend that for most situations, it is a better methodology for making videos to keep effects for post-production. Bottom-line is you keep your options available by waiting for post production. However, there are exceptions to be considered and I would imagine that as cameras become more and more advanced, this issue will only get more complicated.

I hope this helped and I wish you good luck shooting!

So you want to make a video? And you want me to tell you what would be a good idea for your video? Well…there are hundreds of ideas that I could give you, but what good would it be for me to just start listing ideas for you to use. What kind of videomaker would you be, if you had to rely on someone like me to give you a video idea?

Here is a really great place to find good video ideas.

I know how it is; I have been there. I know how tempting it is to get online and just search for some video or script that will prompt me with an idea. Well, if either one of us wants to be any good at making videos we need to be good at coming up with our own. It isn’t easy, and it may take some time. However, there are some ways to get those creative juices flowing a lot faster.

Here is Where to Look For Video Ideas

Think About Your Life
We pass by most of the best ideas for videos everyday. Generally, the content for a good video can simply come from your own day-to-day experiences. Think about the some of the funny/scary/strange things that have happened in your life in the past week. Think about the people you met and maybe the things that have happened to them. I would have you know that some of the best scriptwriters in Hollywood keep a pen and paper in hand at all times just to jot down the movie moments that happen to them everyday. So stop and think about what has happened to you lately that might make a good video idea.

Google Old Mythologies/Stories
Sometimes you can find some really good content from old myths and stories past down through history. Go ahead and pull out some old books or do an Internet search for some ancient mythologies. You may have to weed through a few, but sometimes you will be able to find something that can be made into a short video or even a feature length. Did you know that Star Wars was totally based on the structure of classic mythologies? If anything in the process, you will probably get a good kick out of some of the stories you will find.

Limit Yourself
Many times, being limited can actually help fashion a good video idea. For instance, there are probably only a few places that you can think of right now where you could shoot a video. Well, think about those locations and what could happen there in a video. Not only that, but think about the props you have lying around your house, the people you know would be willing to help, et cetera. Let you limiting surroundings help direct your video. This may not only help you come up with a good idea, but it could also serve practically when you actually go to short a film. Always work with what you have, and it’s helpful to write that way as well.

Study Story Structures
Now this tip is for the more hardcore videomakers out there. I don’t expect for many to go this far. But if you receive a formal education on writing for video, one of the first things that you would be taught is the basic structure of a good story. There are actually guidelines out there for what makes a good story to an audience. These have been passed down for centuries. And it is truly interesting and helpful to find out how peoples’ minds work and what makes a good video to them. It is a neat study and I commend it to you. No doubt it will help you come up with good video ideas.

So those are my tips. Unfortunately, I know that most people when clicking on this page left immediately. They were looking for the easy way out of coming up with a good video idea and didn’t find it. But, if you made it this far, you are probably one of the few rare creative people out there who desires to actually come up with good videos. Well, thanks for your time, and I wish you the best of luck with your video ideas and I hope that these few quick tips helped out. You might also benefit from my article on coming up with good video ideas.

Do you have a website or blog where you would like to put some of your video? Maybe you have a family video you want others to see; maybe you are trying to put you video portfolio online. Or maybe you just have a video you want to be able to show others on a blog. Whatever the case, one of the simplest ways to do this is through the website www.youtube.com. Back in the day it was very difficult to put videos on websites, but now, with websites like Youtube it is rather simple. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Capture Video to Your HardDrive
I will assume that you have already captured the video you want on your website to you computer’s hard drive. But I will say that there are many programs out there for doing something like this. Most computers with Microsoft windows installed come with a program called Windows Moviemaker which can allow you to capture video, or if you have a Macintosh computer, most Apple systems come with iMovie which can capture video. The programs differ, but basically you will need to hook you camera up to one of these(using a video card, firewire cable, or USB cable) and capture video footage onto you computer. If you have questions about this feel free to send them to our team.

Step 2: Create a Youtube Account
Alright, once you have the video file you want to put on your blog or website, you are ready to start uploading your video to Youtube. To begin, you will need to create a Youtube account into which all your uploaded videos will be housed. It’s free and easy, just follow the instructions on www.youtube.com. Basically, it’s like an myspace or email account in which all your videos will be stored. You will also be given specific abilities like uploading videos, editing profiles/descriptions, once you have signed up for an account and logged in. Note: You will not be able to upload videos to youtube unless you have an account set up.

Step 3: Upload Video to Youtube
So now that you have an account you are ready to upload the video to Youtube. This is usually the most difficult part, due to some of the video file requirements set by Youtube. As of right now, youtube will not except video that is longer than 10 minutes, and it also must be under 100 megabites, which means you will probably have to do some compression in order to get lengthy videos onto youtube. If you have a short video, it might upload just fine. Youtube accepts many video file types (.WMV, .AVI, .MOV, and .MPG) but they recommend these file standards for the best quality:

• MPEG4 (Divx, Xvid) format
• 640×480 resolution (* most updated recommendation)
• MP3 audio
• 30 frames per second

These can normally be set when exporting the video using some of the software mentioned earlier. If you have any difficulty in this area feel free to submit questions to our team, and we will try to get them answered.

Other than the file standards difficulties, uploading is pretty easy. Just find the upload button in your account (currently located toward the top-right of the page). Give your video a title, description, category, tag (search terms to be found under) and then just find the file and upload it. It takes a few minutes depending on the size of you video. But once it has been uploaded, Youtube will then approve it (which has never taken them over 10 minutes for my videos) and then you are ready to put you video on another blog or website.

Step 4: Embed Video to Blog/Website
Once you have finished uploading your video to youtube, you should be able to click on the video and watch it online. Youtube has assigned it to a specific URL (website name ex:www.youtube.com/….) which you can copy and past on your blog or website anywhere you want to give your viewers a link to the video. However, if you want to actually set it up to where you can watch the video on your site, you will have to use what is called embedding. Basically this is placing an html/script code into your website’s html. Which youtube makes rather easy.

First find the “Embed” for the video you want to put on you blog/website. It is currently located to the right of the video when you play it on youtube. It looks like this:

Copy the code provided and place it the html code of your blog or website. Most blogs give you the ability to put html code into an entry. It will depend on your provider on how that actually works, but from my experience most blog services make it easy to access codes. Some blogs even have buttons set up for the specific purpose of putting youtube videos in an entree. Once again, you might have to play a little to figure out how you can do this. Also, some blogs need a plug-in to play the youtube scripts, so you might have to download that as well. However, rest assured, alot of people are putting videos on their blog right now and it something that most providers make easy to do.

Well I hope that helps. Putting videos on your blog or website is really easy once you get the hang of it. There are also a lot of resources out there besides this article that can help. Feel free to ask any questions you might have concerning this process if you get into any trouble. Good luck.

Recently, I was able to fly out to San Fransisco for some freelance video production work for a big conference being held in that city. The company provided the equipment and everything, which is very nice, but always nerve racking, because you never really know what kind of equipment you will end up with. Luckily, this company provided a Canon XL2, which was a nice surprise.

A Videographer’s Dream
Today, most of the consumer cameras out there don’t have much to offer in the area of manual control. Automatic control seems to be in, especially for those dads out there who just want to point and shoot. However, once you have dug into shooting video for a little bit, you will see the limitations to automatic settings. You can’t focus on what you would like to when you want to. Most of the time there are a couple presets for lighting (inside and outside), which don’t really hit the color perfectly. Automatic cameras are like a on-size-fits all deal; good in on sense, but bad in another.

Canon XL2 has done a good job in kicking the consumer cameras up one notch. I love how everything that I would want to be able to control is at my fingertips. I can focus on what I want, when I want. White balancing is possible. Shoot (no pun intended), I can even set the f-stop and shutter speed to whatever I desire. Canon’s XL2 is truly a videographers dream when it comes to giving the freedom to be as creative as they would like.

Here’s a cheesy ad for the camera, but it highlights some of the XL2’s features.

It Gets Even Better
The Canon XL2 not only gives a person freedom with focusing, f-stops, color temperature, etc. But this camera doesn’t hide all it’s features deep in a menu somewhere. Oh this is the best par: every one of the camera controls are tangible with nobs or buttons. To focus you turn the lens like you would a professional camera. Everything is easily accessible and very intuitive. Push a few buttons and you can total transform your footage. The XL2 really looks and feels like you are using a real professional 40,000 dollar camera where everything is manually set and operated. There is so much more freedom, and as I said earlier, it was a very good surprise at the San Fransisco conference.

What If You Want It Easy?
Well you’re a camera pansy. Just kidding. Most freelance videographers don’t need to control everything all the time, so Canon’s XL2 gives the user the ability to set which controls they would like access to and which ones they would like automated. A person can go from controlling everything to controlling nothing and hit every stop in between with Canon’s XL2. So if completely manual operation isn’t necessarily something you are really interested in, this camera is still good for you as well. However, I would recommend at least trying to get to the point that you can really begin shooting video manually. Honestly, it will make for better footage.

My point in all this is to recommend Canon’s XL2 camera. I don’t work for Canon. I just enjoyed the equipment and would think it would help for making better videos, so I recommend it’s use. I’m sure it isn’t the only camera out there and there are great sites with good camcorder reviews you will probably get more information from, so you will probably do well to read some reviews from other people on the Canon XL2 or other cameras.

How do the Different Editing Systems Compare in Price?

It is definitely helpful to know what kind of editing software is out there. Basically, there are really three branches in the editing world. First is editing systems for your consumers. These systems are very basic, mainly useful for dads putting together home videos or beginner editors with a tight budget. Second there are professional editing systems which can be used for broadcast, short films, and even hollywood movies. These are obviously more expensive, but worth the investment if you are looking to get into profession freelance work.

Now, there is a in-between stage, dubbed prosumer, that is very helpful for people looking for professional-like editing platform with a lower price. Both Final Cut and and Avid have prosumer versions of their professional systems. On a side note, for video makers in college, there are great discounts on professional systems through some of the editing manufacturers. So, you might want to check that out if you qualify for student discounts. Most editing systems are very similar, and my personal favorite for basic editing has been Apple’s Final Cut.

Here is a list of the basic editing systems out there now with their prices. I have put them in their categories, so you can get an idea of the workability each has. Also, I ordered them from least expensive to the most expensive within their respective sections. Hope it helps.

Consumer:

Avid Free DV Free - (No Longer Available)
Windows Movie Maker - Bundled with Windows
iMovie - $79 (as part of the iLife suite)
Ulead VideoStudio - $99.99
Adobe Premiere Elements - $100
Pinnacle Studio - $129.99
Canopus EDIUS Neo - $349

Prosumer:

LiVES - Free
Kdenlive - Free
MainActor - $199
Final Cut Express - $199
Avid Xpress DV - No longer Available
Canopus EDIUS Pro - $699

Professional:

Blender - Free
Cinelerra - Free
FORscene - from $2/hour
Ulead MediaStudio Pro - $399.99
Sony Vegas - $449.96
Adobe Premiere Pro - $849
Canopus EDIUS Broadcast - $999
Final Cut Pro - $1299
Avid Xpress Pro HD - $1695
VCube - $1000 - $3000
Avid Media Composer - $4995
Media 100 HD Suite - $5995.00

Note: These prices and systems are constantly changing. I will try to keep it updated, but I can’t make any great promises. Double check my figures, before making any big decisions.

How do you edit raw footage together into a short video with very little money?
How can you avoid spending a lot on editing software and a computer to support it?

Without going far into some of the free platforms out there now for digital editing, may I suggest that the best way to edit video cheaply has been under our noses for decades? And not only is it free and easily accessible to the young editor, but this form of editing will be really valuable in helping shape good video editors.

All right, so here is how it is done. Basically it requires two VCRs and a television monitor of some sort (can be just s regular television with an input). What you do is send the output of the first VCR to the input of the second VCR and hook the TV up to the output of the second VCR. (If you own a camera that has the ability to play back footage, you can use it for the first VCR).

Essentially what you will be able to do once you have set this up is play video from one VCR and record it onto another. The monitor is there to help you see what you are doing.

Now, you can pick the specific segments of your raw footage and piece them together by playing them by one VCR and recording them on the other in whatever order, at whatever length you desire. This should truly give you the freedom to edit together a video. Remember, it is helpful to give your self a bit of a pre-roll by starting the raw footage about 5 seconds before the spot you actually want to record. This will make sure that the footage is not only playing at the right speed, but also that you have enough time to press record.

Here is a short video I found that someone put together trying to show how an editor can cut on the action using a VCR-to-VCR editing setup. It isn’t an exciting video, but it shows you that even some of the hardest cuts (cuts-on-actions) can be done with two just VCR’s and a TV.

Honestly, this is really the most basic form of nonlinear editing at it’s finest. Some of the best directors in Hollywood started this way. And in my opinion, it is editing like this that will truly prepare you for editing really good videos. One really begins to understand the intricate details of an edited video when using this method. If you are young and don’t have much money, this way to edit is not only good for your small budget but your development as a professional video editor.

If you have ever edited video on a non-linear platform before Final Cut should be no problem at all. Today, most video editing systems use a similar organizational structure and usually if you can learn one you have learned them all. Final Cut fits in this category.

If you have never used video editing software before, Final Cut is an easy system to learn and probably the best non-linear editing system to start on due to its easy usability and the fact that it is generally the industry standard in terms of video editing. And like I mentioned earlier, if you can learn Final Cut, the layout and functionality are very similar to other editing systems such as Avid’s and Adobe’s.

It’s Best to Start with the Layout
When you open Final Cut you will have four different windows to work with. These four windows are the main areas in which all editing on final cut takes place. And it is very easy and simple to learn their functions and begin using them to edit your video. Most other editing systems have windows that directly correspond to the layout of Final Cut and if you can understand the functionality of its layout, you will be able to get the others easily.

The Browser
The first window on the top left is called the project browser. And as its name suggests, this is where all your files for you project will be located. As soon as you capture or import video, audio, or still images, they will be brought directly into the Project bin. Here you can name your files whatever you like and insert descriptions of the video clips. You can also create folders in order to organize your clips. Effects can also be accessed through the project bin.

A couple notes to make concerning the project bin: First, if you are opening Final Cut for the first time or starting a new project, a sequence file will be created automatically. This is necessary for your video timeline, which we will discuss a little later. Secondly, the project bin window can host many project bins at once. The different projects will appear as tabs beside the effects tab. You can create as many projects as you want, click File>New Project and a new tab in the project window will appear. You will probably want to create a new project for each video you produce.

The Viewer
The window next to the Browser is called the viewer. This area serves for the purpose of individually playing your video and audio clips. So if you were to double click a video file in the project bin it would show up in you viewer and you could play it and watch it all the way through.

There are many things you can do to you video clips once they are in the viewer. You can adjust their audio levels, apply different effects and graphics, and most importantly, you can set the in point and the out point you want for you video clip. The Viewer is also helpful in editing audio and still images in the same way. The simplest work flow in editing with Final Cut is to take your files from the project Browser to the Viewer, editing them there, and then to the Timeline.

The TimeLine
The long window on the Bottom is your Timeline for the video. And this is where you put together the edited video clips to make a complete video. When working on the timeline you must think left to right; the beginning of your video will be on the far left and the end will be on the far right. And you will put you clips in order like a sequential timeline.

To get your video and audio clips into the timeline just drag them from either the Browser or the Viewer into the Timeline. The clips will appear as rectangles with widths corresponding to duration. Here in the timeline, all the magic happens. You can move and position your clips wherever you like. Order doesn’t matter. You can layer them on top of one another using multiple tracks to create superimpositions or dissolves.

Note: The timeline window should automatically be labeled sequence one. This directly corresponds to the sequence one in the browser. You can create as many sequences as you want and the can be opened in the timeline window.

What’s with all the Tracks?
You will notice that there are rows in the timeline. These are called tracks. There should be a double bar separating the tracks. The tracks above them are audio tracks and labeled v1, v2, v3. The tracks on the bottom are the audio tracks that are labeled a1, a2, a3 and so on. You can create as many tracks as you want or need for a video. As I mentioned earlier the benefits of using more tracks are the different effects that are possible and for me, it makes editing easier and more organized in the long run to use multiple tracks.

The Canvas
The final window to learn for editing video using Final Cut Pro is the Canvas. This window is very similar to the Viewer. It has a few different buttons, but generally functions in a similar manner. The main difference is the Canvas will show what is in the timeline.

When you press play in the Canvas the edited video from your timeline will play. If you look you will notice a thin vertical bar will scrolling across the timeline. This line is directly corresponding to the Canvas and playing the clips in the order you have edited them. Very simple, but very powerful in the sense that Final Cut is giving you a look at your edited video in real-time with one click.

That’s It for Now
So just getting a grasp of the layout and functionality of Final Cut Pro, will give you a good start at editing you first video with this program. I hope this has helped. The good news is that most editing software is very similar to this when it comes down to it. Once you get a feel for this program, you will be able to edit on just about any of the main-line non-linear editors. Good luck!

As a good videographer or an editor, you always want to be aware of how your audience is responding to your video. And there are certain rules that have been passed down through the generations, from one director to another, that can help us produce good video that will best serve our audience. The best of these rules is called the 180 Degree Rule and it helps videographers and editors by protecting them from making easy mistakes that will inadvertently disorientating their viewers.

The Problem: Confusing the Viewers
It isn’t always easy to see the problem of breaking the 180 Degree rule. But if you start by thinking about it in really simple terms, it is easy to grasp.

To start, try to picture this? It would not make sense in a jogging sequence of a video to have someone running from the left side of the screen to right, and then cut directly to that same man running in the same place from the right side of the screen to the left. If you are trying to communicate that this person is running in the same direction down the same street, mixing up the shots like this will not make sense.

Or imagine a single conversation a man is having with a woman, and in the first shot, which is a shot with both people in the picture, the man is talking to the woman facing the left side of the screen and the woman is facing the man towards the right side of the screen. If the very next shot shows the man facing the right side of the screen while talking to the woman, it would not make much sense and look as though he maybe started a conversation with someone behind him.

These are two basic and hopefully easy to see examples of how a videographer or an editor can disorientate the audience by ignoring what is called “screen direction.” However, the instances get much more complicated.

Here is a video that does a good job explaining this rule if you are having trouble seeing the problem at hand.

How Easy it is to Accidentally Change Screen Directions
Generally, maintaining the same screen direction of a video sequence is the best way to ensure that your audience can follow the scene most clearly. But it isn’t as easy as you would think. In fact, if one is not careful when making videos with interviews, dramatic dialogue sequences, car chases, or even with sports scenes, it can be easy and even seem natural to accidentally change the screen direction, disorientating the audience.

The Rule that Solves the Problem
Instead of trying to think through every possible scene scenario and prevent accidentally changing the screen direction, one rule has been established to help videographers and editors prevent doing this in most all scenarios. It is called the 180 Degree Rule and here is how it works.

Take the two main points of attention in a scene. In an interview or dialogue situation it might be two people. Or it could be two cars in a chase scene. Or even two different football teams in a game. Whatever the main two points of attention are in a scene, imagine a line drawn straight through them. As if there is a straight line between attention point A and attention point B. Got it? Well this line is what is referred to as the 180 Degree Line. And once it is established you have only one thing to remember when it comes to obeying this rule: DON’T CROSS IT.

If you start shooting on one side of it, be careful to stay on that side. If you cross the line, the screen direction will switch on you. It isn’t always easy to notice while shooting video, so be careful. I would encourage you to try it out to see what really happens. It was hard for me to understand this rule until I saw it broken personally.

Is This Always Right?
As soon as I was taught the rule in college, my “rebel without a crew” spirit kicked in and I began to look for any possibility to find fault with this rule. And, as you probably have already found some instances yourself, this rule is not absolute. There are many situations one might need to cross the 180-degree line. For instance, if the attention points are changing constantly like at a round table discussion or football huddle.

Either way, this rule is meant to help, not hinder. Don’t feel boxed in by this rule. Many good videomakers have broken it and you can feel free to break it. Just know what you are doing and try to keep you audience in mind. Generally, if you break the line it helps to actually show the camera moving across the line. This will keep you audience in tune to why the screen direction changed. Or even just placing some other cut-away clip in between a direct screen change can make the transition smoother. But like I said, the rule is just there to help and it is good to keep in mind while shooting most video scenes.

Then ask yourself, what is the best video genre to accomplish my purpose for the video. There are many types of video genres out there: narratives, documentaries, instructional videos, music videos, experimental videos, et cetera. Odds are there is one video type that best accomplishes your videos main reason for existing. Once you have established what genre of video you want to create, half the battle for coming up with a video has been won. Now comes all the fun!

Here is the best place to find good video ideas.

Here is short film made by Robert Rodriguez before he become a famous Hollywood film director. It’s encouraging because though it is creative, it isn’t too far out of reach for someone like you or me to produce.

Make it a Community Project
Video ideas always come better and easier when more than one person is thinking. So, if you can, try grabbing three two four people for thirty minutes to discuss ideas for your video. Tell them all your thoughts for the video, and then ask them what ideas they have. You never know what you’ll get, which is why this is so helpful. Many times people can see the obvious ideas we might be missing. However, if you can’t get people together, still try to bounce you ideas off the others that are around you. The feedback of other people is your most valuable resource for coming up with good video ideas.

Good Ideas come from “Bad” Ones
It has been my experience that most good ideas for videos generally start as very bad and sometimes very laughable ideas. So don’t feel the need to have a perfect idea right away. Take time to work with ideas and let them grow up. Sometimes it can take a month or more for a video idea to develop to a state that is relatively decent. And even then, you will generally find that your idea will continue to evolve as you produce your video.

Also, be slow to reject the “ridiculous” ideas of others so quickly. Many times when one person says an idea, another person can refine it into a better idea, and so on. I find that this is usually how really good video concepts are formed. I can’t tell you how many times our team’s award winning idea was due to ideas sparking off of other’s ideas. Videos get exponentially better in meetings like that. So, cultivate this mentality: that good video ideas grow out of nominal ones. Work off each other.

Work with What you Have
When coming up with good video ideas, always be thinking about the logistics of the idea as you are developing it. To give a ridiculous example, don’t plan to blow up a car unless you have an old beat-up wagon sitting in your backyard. It really helps to be able to actually plan your scenes around the locations and props you have naturally lying around where you are. Not only will this help your writing because you will already be familiar with the scenes, but you won’t spend a fortune trying to satisfy a outlandish script. When starting out as your own writer/director, this is really the way to go.

It also helps to systematically troubleshoot ideas as they come to you. Ask yourself questions like, Is this idea even possible for me? Or Do I have the equipment to pull off that effect decently? Or Can I really make it look like there is a flying saucer landing on earth? Most problems new filmmakers have when coming up with good video concepts is not realizing their limits. Always write with what you know you can do. If you go beyond that, you’ll usually end up with really cheesy props or effects, or you’ll just end up giving up. So, it is always very helpful to try to work with what you have.

Wait for It
Growing up with my friends, we could make a short film in a day. Those days were fun, and I learned a lot, but when I truthfully assess our videos, I don’t see much more than glorified chase scenes. Each video was almost entirely the same chase scene, just with different contexts. It wasn’t until later, when we were willing to devote more than a day to an idea, that our videos began to really become good.

I tell you all this because it’s important to see that good video ideas take time. Be patient. Write out your idea. Let it sit. And then come back to it. And do it all again. The longer you give an idea to develop, the better it will be. There is no need to rush, it’ll come. Just think about your purpose, ask and look around, and be patient. Your great video idea come soon enough. Good luck!