How to Create Video Lesson

Today's technology enables you to make interesting and engaging videos and films. Inexpensive hardware and software make shooting video affordable and fun. There is a process for creating video just as there is for the other digital components that we've discussed.

The first step in creating a video is to determine what type of video you want to create. You should determine what the topic will be, who the audience will be, and what you want to accomplish with the video.

Steps in Digital Video Production

There are three main steps in Digital Video Production:

Pre-Production: During the pre-production step, you need to write a script and plan the production and shots.

Production: During the production step, you shoot the video and record the audio.

Post- Production: During the post-production step, there are a number of tasks that need to be accomplished:

Upload video and import other components (audio, images, etc.)
Edit the video by selecting, trimming, and adding clips
Include transitions, apply effects and layer clips
Create text and credits
Add audio
Mix audio tracks, use transitions, and special effects
Export finished project

Planning State: Pre-Production

The pre-production stage is basically the planning stage for the video. During this stage, you determine your topic and audience as well as write the script. It is a good idea to have a script so all participants know what is going on with the video. This planning phase is very important because it gives you a direction to go in as you begin to create the video.

Script Writing

Stages Of Script Writing Image

1. Brainstorm an idea
2. Conduct a research
3. Develop characters
4. Develop a strong plot
5. Proofread and revise It all starts with an idea! A strong concept will make the writing process easier. Once you have a concept, brainstorm ideas that fit with the concept. You can tell that the text annotation indicator concept is strong if you do not have problems brainstorming ideas for the concept. Brainstorm as much as you can. You will begin to see your video production take form.

Along with brainstorming, it is important to conduct research to ensure that all aspects of a scene will be accurate and appropriate. As your ideas begin to emerge, characters and their personalities will become apparent. Develop characters as multifaceted individuals so all of their personal qualities will come across. It is equally important to develop a strong plot. Be sure to consider all components of the plot: What is the beginning? What is the end of the first act? What is the second scene? What happens at the end of the second act? Answering these four questions will put you on the right track for developing your script. At this point, you are ready to begin writing the script. When the script is complete, proofread it, let others proofread it. Make any changes and revise the script. Once all revisions have been made, you are ready to produce the final draft.

Shotlist

A shotlist can help in the planning and filming of a movie. A shot is one uninterrupted collection of frames taken by a video camera. For the shotlist, you should list out each shot describing the action that will take place along with camera angles and type of shot so you know what should be included in each shot.

Hardware and Software

Another part of the pre-production phase, is making sure you have the required hardware and software for the job. Making sure everything is together and accessible is something that will save time once you start recording. The equipment discussed in the Digital Audio module will be valuable tools during video production. A good camera is a necessity, as is video editing software.

Creating video is fairly simple with the resources available today. Most camcorders that you purchase will include their own version of software that can be used for uploading/downloading video files. Some will also include basic video editing software. If you have Windows, you have the opportunity of downloading and installing MovieMaker, which is a free program for video editing. Mac users have access to iMovie.

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