Video Production

Click here for a walkthrough.

Click here for a walkthrough.

Drones, also known as a UAS (unmanned aerial system), have become increasingly popular among consumers in recent years. Despite being consumer-focused, many of these drones are powerful tools for academia.

What is a drone and why would I use it?

While drones initially made headlines due to their military benefits, consumer drones are typically small (1-5 pounds) devices with 4 to 8 rotors. They often will have a camera attached or have a cargo area to support a payload. A few of the advantages to a drone are:

• Quickly deployable
• Small, lightweight, and low cost
• Capture high resolution (4K) still images and video
• Long range of flight — over 4 miles, depending on the model
• Offers repeatable autonomous GPS-guided flight
• Potential for remote sensing operations

Prior to the emergence of UAS technology, the primary means to capture data of this nature would be a helicopter or small manned aircraft, which is a costly and slow process.

What are some applications?

Cinematography: Mainstream drones like the DJI Phantom 4 are capable of capturing 4K video using a built-in camera. Higher-end drones provide a platform for mounting DSLRs or other lightweight cinema cameras. Some standard shots include flying along a path, orbiting an object, or tracking a moving subject.

GIS: Drones can be programmed to fly autonomously to capture a specific region. With the camera pointed straight down and utilizing the embedded GPS information, these photographs can be stitched together to create a high-resolution map. These maps are of a better quality and are more current than existing satellite imagery.

3D Modeling: By taking pictures of a large object (such as a building, statue, or even an island) from multiple angles using drones, special software can analyze these images to replicate a virtual 3D model of the object. With the GPS information included, these objects can be measured for length or volume. Additionally, these objects can be 3D printed or viewed in virtual reality or on a desktop.

Drones at Colby

Academic ITS has a fleet of 3 DJI Phantom 3 Professional quadcopters, which are available to faculty and students for conducting research. Please contact us to learn more by emailing [email protected].

Are you working on a video or audio production, and need to give it some spice? Browse through a selection of free stock footage libraries.

Occasionally when creating video or audio projects, the need arises for additional audio or video footage, such as music, sound effects, or video clips that can’t be captured on campus.  Please visit the following resources for freely-available audio/video content for student projects, internal videos, and other non-commercial applications:

• Pexels Video offers a wide array of high quality videos and photos.
• Pixabay specializes in photos, but also offers a limited selection of videos, illustrations, music, and sound effects.
• Adobe Stock, while commonly viewed as a paid service, offers several free photos, vectors, and videos.
• Free Music Archive features over 100,000 music tracks.
• YouTube Audio Library provides free music, available for download.

Many of these services utililize Creative Commons licensing, and attribution should be provided in accordance with the site.  To discuss more options, click Request Service from the ITS Service Catalog.

Note: Colby used to provide access to VideoBlocks and AudioBlocks (also known as StoryBlocks), but that service is no longer offered.

In putting together a video, you’ll often need more than just a camcorder. Listed in this article are a few helpful resources to get you started on your next video production.

Storyboarding

The first step in producing a video is to plan it out.  If your project needs it, storyboarding can be a helpful way to visually plan out each shot in your video.  Create customized PDF storyboard templates with the Storyboard PDF Generator.  If you prefer to use pre-made drawings to assemble a storyboard, visit Storyboard That.

Equipment Loan

Academic ITS has equipment available to put on hold for specific courses or assignments.  Once reserved, this equipment can be picked up from the Academic ITS service desk located on the main floor of Miller Library during most business hours.  To reserve equipment, please request equipment in Reftab.  Kits available are:

• Canon XA10 camcorders – This also contains a wired lavalier mic and a shotgun mic.  These kits are best for basic video recording with a shallow learning curve.
• Canon 60D DSLR – The kit comes with a 17-135mm lens, 50mm prime lens, and a shotgun microphone.  The 60Ds produce a high-quality image, but demand more from the user.
• Audio kit – This includes an H4N Zoom Recorder and Sennheiser wireless lav mic.  This is a great standalone solution for an audio production.  Alternatively, it can be coupled with the DSLR kit for higher-quality sound.
• LED Light kit – This is a small, camera-mounted unit which provides an extra boost of light when filming.
• Advanced gear – this is in limited supply, but is usually available when requested.
  • Lowell 3 point light kit
  • Boom microphone
  • GoPro Hero
  • Camera slider

Campus Facilities

The Instructional Media Center (Lovejoy 406) houses a sound recording booth, providing a professional grade audio recording facility.  This is a great option if your video is going to have a voiceover. Please visit this page to make a reservation.

Media Resources has additional A/V equipment should you need it.

If you have a newer smartphone, it probably shoots good – or even great – video.  However, if you’re able to use one of the Academic ITS camera/camcorder kits, we’d recommend it.  While smartphones can look great, the sound they capture often leaves much to be desired.

Editing

iMovie is commonplace and readily accessible on most Mac computers, and is a great option if you need something easy to use. If you have your own Mac laptop on campus, it probably has iMovie on it, and we’d recommend starting there.

For a more advanced editing option, there are computers with Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro in Lovejoy 400.

Stock Footage

Use of pre-shot video – stock footage – is common practice in video production, and can be a huge time saver. 

Still images can help to supplement anything that the above link doesn’t provide.  A good starting point is Google Images, with the search settings defined as ‘Large image size’ and ‘Usage Rights: Labeled for reuse with modification.’  Be sure not to save the thumbnail, but the actual image.  Also, make a note of who to credit.

Any media content acquired Creative Commons, or any other source, would typically be credited at the end of a student video or a film which calls for credits.

Uploading

YouTube is a simple way to upload a project to the web in order to reach a large audience and it is accessible using Colby login credentials. Most editing software has YouTube export options, which are ideal to use. Once posted, YouTube links can be made public or private.

Google Drive is an additional way to store videos that will have a much more limited audience, such as a class. These videos are private unless shared, and are not searchable by the public. Videos uploaded to drive are not compressed, making Google Drive a better archival solution than YouTube.

Support

If your group or class has video-related questions, wants to understand equipment or software more, or needs help troubleshooting a problem, please contact Tim Stonesifer to set up a time for your group to get some one-on-one instruction.

Basic Steps to Producing a Great Video

Movies and TV shows might make it look easy, but creating a good video can be quite involved. While you don’t need to be the next Steven Spielberg, a few foundational steps will go a long way in bringing up the level of your production. These seven pointers are just a few to get you started. Since every video shoot is different, bear in mind that these are more like guidelines than hard and fast rules.

Select a good location for filming.

Convenience of a particular place may be the final factor, but still be mindful of what’s behind your subject. Ideally, look for something visually interesting or beautiful, but not distracting. Try to showcase some depth that your room or exterior might have, instead of just pinning a person against a flat wall. Things to look out for are clutter, unnecessary movement, wild colors, or anything that may take away from the attention your subject requires. Windows in the background can sometimes present a problem.

When possible, use a tripod.

This will steady your shot while still providing the freedom to pan left and right and tilt up and down. Once the tripod is set up, look for a small bubble level near the top of the tripod. Adjust the tripod legs (or the head on a more professional-grade tripod) to line the bubble up in the center of the lines. If it’s inconsequential to your background, try to put the camera lens at the same height as the eyes of your subject. Occasionally you may need to physically have the camera move, or your content might motivate a handheld camera. In these instances, hold the camera close to your body to stabilize it as best as possible. Many camcorders also have a handheld setting which should be used.

Consider the lighting.

You often want the strongest point of light to be aimed towards your subject’s face. This may be a window, the sun when shooting outside, or a floor lamp. Turn and face your subject towards that light. If your light source is blinding the person (usually, we can blame the sun in this scenario), turn your subject a bit to the side so they’re not staring directly into the light. Avoid harsh lights directly over the subject’s head, as this creates unsightly shadows. Ultimately, shadows on the face should be minimized. There are lighting kits available through Academic ITS that will mount to the camera to give you a helpful boost of light.

Put your subject in the right part of the frame.

Most commonly, the principle applied here is the Rule of Thirds.  As you look through the viewfinder or LCD monitor, the subject’s eyes should be about 1/3rd of the way down the frame.  In the picture of the bird, notice how its eye is right around the top horizontal line.  To learn more about the Rule of Thirds, see this great explanation.  In addition to the Rule of Thirds, pan the camera to favor the side your subject is facing, called lead room.  For the astute observers, you’re right – the bird in this picture does not have lead room.  Instead, the photographer chose to favor the full body of the bird.  Remember, these are not rules, but guidelines.

Get the best audio possible.

For taping a single person, use a microphone: either a wired or wireless lavalier mic, a handheld microphone, or a shotgun microphone (in order of preference). For recording a group session, a boom mic, a handheld microphone to pass around, or a camera-mounted shotgun would be ideal. Use the ‘auto’ volume setting on the camera if you don’t want to worry about levels during recording. Set the volume to ‘manual’ if you’d like to control the sound for more consistent levels. Bring a set of headphones/earbuds so that you can actually hear what’s getting recorded.

Communicate with your talent.

Make sure you know what your subjects are planning on doing. For all you know, they might have a surprise walk across the room up their sleeve for midway through the video. You have expectations as well. Be sure to discuss all of these things for a smooth production.

Lastly, be prepared.

It never hurts to bring a spare battery, an extra memory card, and anything else you think you may need.