Video increases a viewers time on a website. That’s quite a generalisation but in most cases it’s true. Video keeps visitors watching and when they watch they become accustomed to the website. That means that they’re more likely to use your website then and more likely to use it in the future. Continue reading
Making a video infographic has made me realise the importance of non-motion, time to absorb and read information. Because that’s what’s needed in an infographic.
It sounds simple enough and really, it should be. However, editing a motion graphics piece takes a long time, watching repeatedly and in the end you begin to know it like the back of your hand. The result of that it becomes difficult to read the content and absorb it as if you were for the first time. Of course having fresh eyes watching it and giving feedback is a great way to overcome this, another may be to put the music on (if you have it), and read the information out before you start editing, record the timings which seem comfortable to you on a piece of paper and use that as your guide. This isn’t earth shattering advice, but ti might just help the next time you go for an informative video. Not just in infographics, but in all motion graphics and video. It’s important to allow reflection and space, just like white space in editorial design.
Another outcome from the existience of this “white time” is something that works for me and has become a rule in my editing. Always edit to 4 bars like your editing music. Keep a rhythm and your video will magically flow better. Sometimes I’ll find a song that inspires me to create the video I want to make. Edit to that and keep it in time. Let the music show off your video, make your video show off the music. Even if you don’t use that track in the end (which you would want) due to editorial or audience or cost, it’ll make your video better. Replace it with another that fits in or don’t use any at all. Human beings are tuned into the rhythm and will appreciate the flow of the film anyway.
We’ve always been edged over to 3D and we’ve pretty much done everything we could to stay in our beloved After Effects, using camera trickery to give the illusion of 3D in our films. Now the time has come to take the leap, bite the bullet and learn something new. Now, what’s the best way to go about this?
I find most 3D programs follow the same ideas and rules and are essentially very similar, it begs the question to me, why are there so many doing the same thing. The answer to this is that they all have slight differences that, when you know what you’re doing, come to be important… I imagine.
So, to cut a long illogical story short, I’m learning Houdini from sideFX. It’s free, industry loved and great for effects rather than modelling which is what I want to do with it.
Houdini uses some strange concepts to me (which they would be!), lots of “nodes” which change the behaviour of whatever node was before it. They call this “procedural” with the idea being you can go back and change any part which will effect all the others down the chain.
So that’s not really exciting. What is exciting for me at the outset is the particle effects and the shattering potential. Smoke, fire, breaking walls and effects are all within reach once I know how to. You can also export to 720p in the free version so looks promising! With that and some basic 3D knowledge we can do cool logos for clients and cool explosions for ourselves.
I’ve found the best tutorials to be on the Houdini website (although they get complicated very quickly) and on 3DBuzz.com. It’s taking a while but I’m starting to understand it all.
A photo fades in and zooms out from its centre, a newspaper article angled as if haphazardly placed on a table.
Narrator: The power of images lets us remember that which is important.
It shows two runners, one gloriously crossing the finish line, crowds blurred behind cheering. The ribbon breaking across his stomach as he wins the race. To the right the silver placed runner lags behind, trying hard to keep up his speed in an effort to overtake. Suddenly, the picture animates and shows the last second of the race in an explosion of camera flashes.
We start filming on Thursday and have a lot of organising to do until then. We have our actors, script, storyboard and locations. All we need to do now is put them all together into an amazing film.
I’ve started a production page showing how we are putting it all together to try and help future film makers in our position. We’ll be updating it as we go along as well as other blog posts so like NewFlight Pictures now on Facebook to keep up with what’s going on.
A script by NewFlight Pictures
On a war torn street in Venezuela a priest roams to help those panic stricken, snipers are embedded in buildings, firing at the enemy soldiers approaching. Continue reading
But, we hate tracking a shot as an afterthought where we need to add some cool effects, If only there was a way we could keep the cameras steady but not on a tripod. Then we could move around freely and have a nicer shot to work with.
I’m not sure why, but I have the idea that this mysterious device is a “monkey rig”, whether it is or not, humans may know it as a camera shoulder mount.
We’re extremely proud and flattered to have won second place at the imperial war museum for our film Harmon’s Letters. The competition was excellent and the people who were there were inspirational. A lot of the films this year were from Iraq and showed a unique view from those who live there and face the struggles every day.
Harmon’s Letters was praised for it’s camera work, it’s actors and it’s reflection on the frenzied plain of war.
Thank you to everyone who was involved and to the Museum for the opportunity and the great evening.
But we wouldn’t let a thing like that stop us. Pepsi’s Pop, Fizz, aaaah! competition has been around for a while but we’ve only just found out about it.
http://www.mofilm.com/competitions/pepsifilms/barcelona2011
We did a session on creating some ideas and with the time limit and the fact we’ll be seperated after Sunday until February, we can only go with one. Matt’s come up with a skate themed 60 second film. I can’t be there to film so I’ll be doing effects and titles. It’s going to be really close and we’ve never put a project together so distantly without coming together at some point.
We’re putting everything on the backburner for now but this is good for the experience.
Filming starts Sunday, effects due around Friday ready to be polished off and uploaded. This is one of 8 potential chances so there’s opportunities in the future but either way, wish us luck!