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How to Make a Video<br>How to Make a YouTube Poop<br>How to Create a Good Video<br>How to Create Good Videos on YouTube (with Pictures) - wikiHow<br>How to Make a Video in Windows Movie Maker: 13 Steps<br>How to Make a Lyric Video for YouTube (with Pictures) - wikiHow<br>How to Learn Editing<br>How to Make a Music Video<br>How to Make a YouTube Video<br>How to Make Professional Quality YouTube Videos: 12 Steps<br>
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Create Video Easily with Vidnami ✔ By:Lai Nguyen Table of content 1. How to Make a Video 2. How to Make a YouTube Poop 3. How to Create a Good Video 4. How to Create Good Videos on YouTube (with Pictures) - wikiHow 5. How to Make a Video in Windows Movie Maker: 13 Steps 6. How to Make a Lyric Video for YouTube (with Pictures) - wikiHow 7. How to Learn Editing 8. How to Make a Music Video 9. How to Make a YouTube Video 10. How to Make Professional Quality YouTube Videos: 12 Steps How to Make a Video
Get a camera. Depending on your reasons for making the video, you may want to invest in a high-quality camera to create a professional-looking project, or you may want to use whatever is available for a cheaper option. Whatever the case, getting a camera to shoot video on should be your first step. ● Cellphone videos are super-cheap and really easy to use. They can be a little shaky, however, and the sound is usually not very good, but if you want to grab some video quickly and easily, the camera on your cell is a good option. ● Digital photo cameras regularly have video features, and some are quite cheap and fairly high-quality. Cameras with SD cards are widely available and user-friendly. ● HD Cameras can run anywhere between a few hundred and a few thousand dollars and will look very professional. Many low-budget Hollywood movies have been shot on basic HD cameras you can buy at electronics stores like Best Buy, or even explore renting options in your area.[1] Find the best angles. Whether you're shooting a birthday party, concert, a wedding, or some other event, get to the place early and do some scouting to see the right angles for shooting video. Find a few comfortable positions and shoot from multiple angles to get different footage that you'll be able to edit together later into a nice product.
● If you've got a helper, you can shoot simultaneously from different angles to provide cuts in your finished product with editing. This can be a cool effect that will make your finished product seem finished and professional. ● Try to stay out of peoples' way, especially if there's a sizable crowd. You want to get the close shot and the right angle, but you're not the only one there. Make sure everyone can see and shoot from a reasonable distance.[2] Keep rolling. To be ready for spontaneous moments, keep the camera going! Pick the right time to start and let the camera warm-up, so the video begins before the actual action you want to capture. If you try to fire up the camera when you see your kid sprinting toward the goal, ready to take a shot in the championship soccer game, it's likely you'll miss it. If you've been filming since half-time, though, you'll be ready. ● Don't try to edit together your video on the fly. It's better to avoid lots of stops and starts to the video because you'll have trouble remember what shot happened when which will be much easier to sort out if you've got longer shots. You can edit out the unnecessary bits later, but most cameras have lots of room on them, so take advantage of it. Stay as steady as possible. If you're using the camera on your cellphone, or any camera that isn't steadied with a tripod, try to hold it as steady as possible. Shakiness and blurriness from an unsteady hand can make important video footage frustrating and unwatchable. Sit down while shooting and steady your arms on your knees, if necessary, or invest in a tripod that'll keep the camera steady on the ground. ● A common mistake on iPhone cameras involves holding the phone vertically while taking video, as opposed to horizontally. When you upload the video to your computer later to edit it (if you want to) you'll have annoying bars on either side of the screen. Shoot the "landscape" style and hold the camera long-ways. It'll show up sideways on your phone, but you can tilt it later on your computer and it'll look right. Get as close as possible if you want to capture sound. If you're just using the built-in mic on your camera and not trying to capture sound with other microphones, you'll have a lot of trouble hearing the action unless you're quite close. Upload your footage onto your computer. After you've shot the raw footage, upload it onto your computer and edit it. Most cameras can be connected via USB cords or by an SD card that you can remove and load into a (usually) USB converter. Follow the instructions for the particular camera that you've used.
● Save the raw footage as a separate document so you can feel free to edit and make changes. You can always go back to the original footage if necessary, confident that you won't lose any of it. You can always start over. Download editing software. Unless you shot everything perfectly and want to keep your video as is, it's best to use user-friendly editing software that will allow you to trim, adjust, add music, and otherwise clean-up the raw video that you've captured. If you want to add captions or boost the audio, you'll need to open the footage with some kind of editing software. ● Popular free versions of editing software include: ○ iMovie ○ Avidemux ● Professional editing software includes: ○ Apple Final Cut Pro ○ Corel VideoStudio Pro ○ Adobe Premiere Elements ○ Adobe Premiere Pro ○ DaVinci 16 Resolve ○ Adobe After Effects Cut out unnecessary or confusing bits. When you've loaded the footage into the software, start cutting out anything that you don't want in the final product. Cut repetitive scenes, or trim down everything to the bare essentials and start organizing your best footage. Depending on the kind of video you want to make, you may want more shaky and informal footage, or you may want a clean and professional product. Use your judgment depending on the project. Don't be afraid to rearrange. Move scenes around to switch the order if it improves the video. If you're documenting a party or another event, don't worry so much about staying true to "the way things really happened" and make the best possible version of the video that you're making. Tell a story. Add transitions to smoothen out the final video. Most editing software includes lots of options that allow you to smoothly transition from one scene into another scene, making it easy to move things around and make changes. Avoid hard or disjunctive cuts, unless that's an effect you hope to include in the video for some reason. ● iMovie and other kinds of software have lots of complicated fades and transitions that you can use but use them sparingly. It can distract from the final video if you get carried away. Stay true to the content and make the video the most important thing, not the fancy transition you just learned how to do on the computer.
Add sound effects or music. If it fits the video you want to make, upload music that's on your computer and use it in the background as a soundtrack to montage moments in your video, or take the sound out entirely if it's not important, and use music in its place. This can be a good way to liven up camera phone videos that might not have audio as good as the quality of its video. Finalize the project. When you're finished, finalize the project by exporting the finished video into a video file, like a .avi or a .mov. Open in a playback software like Windows Media Player or Quicktime and check out your work. Share the video. After you've exported the file, consider how you'd like to share your work with others. You could burn your video onto a DVD to provide physical copies to people. This is a particularly good option if you've taken wedding footage or footage of another kind of private event that was attended by a small group of people who would be interested in the footage. ● If the video has wider appeal, upload your video to YouTube. As long as it's short enough, you can create a YouTube account and upload your video relatively quickly. It'll be online in no time and then you'll be able to share the link with anyone you want. ● If you want your video online but would prefer it to stay somewhat private, you can upload privately with a Vimeo account. The video will be password-protected and very high-quality, meaning that you can share it freely with anyone with who you provide the password, but it won't be visible to just anyone. How to Make a YouTube Poop
Know what YouTube Poop is. In general, YouTube Poop is a type of YouTube video that features randomly edited video clips from cartoons, kids shows, commercials, memes, TV shows, and viral videos. What makes a video YouTube Poop isn't the videos that are used in the video, but the way they are edited. Sometimes YouTube Poop intends to tell a joke or a story, or make fun of the source material. Other times, it may be completely random and nonsensical. ● To get an idea of what YouTube poop is, search YouTube Poop on YouTube and check out some of the most recent YouTube Poop videos. Know the different types of Poopism. Poopism refers to the way these videos are edited. They may contain random chopping, extremely loud audio manipulation, sentence mixing/word splicing, visual jokes, colorful and eye-popping visual effects, and other things all put together to make a video interesting, funny, confusing, or even intentionally annoying. The following are some of the different types of Poopism:[1] ● Stutter Loop: This form of editing takes a short clip of a video and repeats it over and over again. The purpose is to either place emphases on a phrase or clip or take it out of context and imply something unintended. Sometimes audio or visual effects may
be applied to each instance the clip repeats. Sometimes the visuals may be removed or replaced with a different visual, such as a character reaction. ● Sequence mixing: This form of editing involves taking random words from a character and places them in a different order to create a new (often profane) sentences. ● Panning and Zooming: This involves taking a video clip and making it move across the screen or zoom in extra close. ● Freeze Frame: This is a form of editing in which a single frame of video is paused and held for an extended period of time. The purpose is usually to emphasize a character's expression. ● Random Visual Effects: Random visual effects are often added to YouTube Poop videos to change the color of a visual and distort the image. Popular effects include swirl, wave, spherize, flashing lights and colors, and chroma key with overlapping video. ● Random Sound Effects: In addition to random visual effects, random sound effects are also used in YouTube Poop. These can be external sound effects like cartoon sound effects, alarms, buzzes, and censor bleeps. Sometimes audio effects are applied to the audio of a video clip. Popular audio effects include pitch shifting the audio to make it higher or lower, or distorting the audio in a way that is loud, obnoxious, or annoying to listen to. ● Tech Text: This is on-screen text that is inserted into a video by the creator. It often only appears for a split second. It may contain a joke, commentary, or random nonsense. ● Voice Transplant: This is a form of editing that replaces the voice of one character with the voice of another character. ● Lip Syncing: This is a form of editing in which the visuals of a video are edited to match a different set of audio, such as making it appear as though a character is singing. ● YouTube Poop Movies: This a genre of YouTube Poop that tends to be longer. They may have a storyline or a strong sense of continuity. Most notably "The King Gets A Car" and "Morshu Gets A Car." ● YouTube Poop Music Videos: These videos are more commonly known as YTPMV's. They use the same video clips and editing techniques that are common in other YouTube Poop videos, but the visuals and audios are edited so they fit a song. The music can be a song from a video game, a popular song, or an original composition. Obtain video editing software. You don't need anything fancy. You can use a free video editor such as Shotcut, Openshot, and VSDC Free Video Editor. If you want professional software, you can get Adobe Premiere Pro, Sony Vegas Pro, or Final Cut Pro.
Select the source video(s) that you wish to edit. Source videos are videos from another source to be edited for YouTube Poop. The six things which it is possible to make a YouTube poop from are films, TV shows, online videos, video games, advertisements, and music videos. ● Some common source video targets are video game cut-scenes and obscure cartoons from the 1990s, such as Spongbob, Blues Clues, Super Mario Bros Super Show, and The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. ● Almost any video can be used as a source. In some cases, you can even make YouTube Poop with no source video at all. Aquire the videos you want to use. In order to edit videos, you'll need to download the video files to your computer so that you can upload them to your video editing software. The easiest way to get the video clips you want to use a screen recorder to capture the videos while they are playing from on a streaming service like Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube. Both Windows and Mac have their own built-in screen recorders.[Image:Make a YouTube Poop Step 5 Version 5.jpg|center]] ● There are also a variety of websites that allow you to download YouTube videos. ● You don't need to screen-record an entire show. You just need to capture the parts you want to use and a little extra. It's better to capture too much of a video clip than too little. Import the videos into your video editor. Most video editors have an option to import a variety of video clips into a library you can use to select the videos and sequence them. You can usually find the option to import videos into into your video editor by clicking the File menu. Then click Import Movies, Import Files, Import Media or something similar. Drag the video clips into the video sequencer. In most video editing software, the video sequencer is at the bottom of the app. Drag the videos you imported from your library into the video sequencer in the order you want them to appear. ● In addition to videos, you can also use still images and sound clips. Split or trim the video clips. In most cases, your source videos will contain more video than you need. If you only want to use a specific word or phrase from the video, you'll need to cut the video down to the section you want to use. This is done using the slice/cut/razor tool often found in video editing software. Use the cut, tool to cut the video before and after the section you want to use. Then delete the sections you don't
want to use from the sequencer. Many video editors allow you to drag the left and right edges fo the video clip inside the sequencer so that you don't have to split the video clip. ● You can also cut and paste a video clip you want to appear multiple times in a video. Apply effects to your video clips. Most YouTube Poop edits can be done using basic effects that come with most free video software. Locate the effects menu and apply different effects to your video and audio. Try experimenting with different effects and see what you can do. The weirder it is, the better. ● To edit the audio separately from the video, you'll need to separate the audio. You can extract audio from a video using Audacity which is a free program. You can also apply audio effects in Audacity. Watch the edited video from start to finish. Once you have all the pieces in the sequences edited together. You need to ensure the video is coherent, plays smoothly, and has no mistakes. During this step, you can also add/change new jokes or elements. Try to go through frame-by-frame and search for errors while you edit if you can. Render the video in a standard video format. Standard formats include WMV, AVI, MOV, and MP4. You can also save the video editing project for later editing. You can usually find the option to render the video in the File menu of most video editors. Make a thumbnail for your video. Youtube will automatically add a thumbnail to your video. This is usually a still frame from your video. If you want, you can create a custom thumbnail in an image editing software like Photoshop, GIMP, or MS Paint. Most video editors also allow you to export a still frame from your video that you can use as a thumbnail. Upload the video to YouTube. You will be able to select a name and thumbnail for your video when it uploads. The common naming scheme is "YouTube Poop: [Video title]" or "YTP - [Video title]". A lot of newer YouTube Poop videos will leave "YouTube Poop/YTP" out of the title to make it shorter. However, this makes it harder to find and may inadvertently attract "trolls." How to Create a Good Video
Find a good camera. An 8 megapixel phone camera or better will get the job done well. Pick a good location. Find a place find a place with good lighting. Somewhere outside, a room with lots of windows, or a room with good lights. Avoid dark rooms or rooms with a single light source.[1] Get a good angle. You should probably place the camera at or above shoulder height. If you are filming a stationary video, a good shot typically has the character's shoulders near the middle and their waist or knees at the bottom. ALWAYS do a short test video before recording the content. If you want to get fancy add multiple cameras each recording from different sides.[2] Speak clearly. If you're speaking about a subject know what your talking about. If its an actual speech create a script with bullet points. Practice recording to get the hang of being loud and not stuttering. Unless you're a gifted speaker you're going to mess up.[3] Be alive! Act like you're talking to someone. Don't read of your script, just hit the main points. Don't stare at the camera, or any individual object. Even if you stay facing the camera,
shift your weight, use limited hand gestures, speak with more than monotone, and use your face to reinforce your words. If possible add jokes, even if they are corny. Transfer for editing. If it is on a phone, upload it to YouTube. You will need a Google or Gmail account to upload, but it is easy (and free) to sign up. You can make the videos private or public if you want to keep it to yourself or share. If your phone/camera isn't able to, then copy it to your computer and edit it. Edit on YouTube. This works best on Google Chrome (browser). Google search “youtube editor”, login, and then you can choose any videos you've uploaded.[4]You can learn how to edit from this feature at How to Use YouTube's Video Editor Make short clips. Unless there is unbroken dialogue, or a scene that must be all one piece, chop it up. Change your shot every 1-10 seconds. This may sound extreme but is very important. Use this to cut out any errors or content-lacking spots in your video. Use simple transitions. Do not use flipping, rotating, spinning, shattering, melting, zooming, or otherwise obnoxious animations. While they may look cool they will not make your video look cool. The best transitions to use are fading to black (on YouTube choose color fade -> black) or no transitions (also called a hard transition). Also other ones that can be used are; fading to white, cross blur, cross fade, and wipe.[5] Add effects and filters. Judge if your video needs to be brighter or dimmer, rotated, stabilized, or have muted audio for certain clips. If so these options can all be done on the YouTube editor. Publish your video! You can choose if everyone can see it, or if only people with a link can see it, or if only you can see it. If you want a copy of your video, choose the “unlisted” option and then use one of the many YouTube downloaders to get in on your computer. How to Create Good Videos on YouTube (with Pictures) - wikiHow
Determine who you want as your target audience. Picking your target audience also helps you choose the types of videos you create. Choose an audience that you can relate to so you can figure out what types of content they’re looking for. Once you choose a target audience, aim to make most of the videos on your channel about subjects related to your audience.[1] ● How-to videos have a large audience so they may help you get the most views and subscribers. ● Video essays cover certain topics in detail and require research. Choose topics that you’re personally interested in because other people might also have a similar interest. ● Short comedy videos usually attract a large audience of younger viewers since they’re easy to watch and share with others. ● If you want to make short films, pick genres you like to watch and make films based on it. Watch other videos in the style you want to create. Look up other popular YouTube personalities that make content similar to what you want to do. Take notes about how their videos are structured, the points they cover, and what they film. Use the videos you watch as influences to your own content.[2]
● Never steal another person’s content or copy it word for word. ● Put your own unique spin on the style of video to make yourself stand out. Look at what’s common between multiple videos in that style and then change something to your own. For example, many video essays have people standing and talking directly to the camera. You may choose to shoot from different angles to make your essays more interesting. Research topics for your video if you’re making informative content. Look up the topic to see what other people are searching for so you know what to include in your video. If you need to learn more about the topic, make sure you use reliable sources so you aren’t spreading false information. Try to find a variety of sources so you become an expert on the topic.[3] Write a script or outline for your video (optional). Plan out what you’re going to say ahead of time so you don’t lose focus when it’s time to record. You can either write a full script or a bulleted list of points that you want to cover. Go over the script a few times to edit out anything that doesn’t fit with the rest.[4] ● If you’re making impromptu videos or recording yourself playing video games, you don’t need to have a script or outline. ● Include visuals in your outline, like things that you want to film or images you want in your final video. Use a camera with a tripod if you’re filming yourself. Make sure the camera you use has enough storage for your video files since they can take up a lot of space. Put the video camera on a tripod so it doesn’t move around or shake while you’re recording since this could look unprofessional.[5] ● If you’re filming comedy videos or short films, you may choose to shoot without a tripod for some of your shots. ● You can use your phone as long as it has enough memory available to record your video. You can buy phone tripods at convenience stores or online. ● Bring extra batteries for your camera since recording can burn through them quickly. Light your recording area so it isn’t too dark. Move lights around the space where you plan on recording to see how they affect the brightness. Make sure it’s bright enough that you’re visible on camera, but not so much that it causes harsh highlights or shadows. Aim to have 1 light set up to the left and right of your camera to create balanced lighting.[6]
● You can also use natural lighting coming from windows into your space. ● You can film outdoors, but avoid shooting directly into the sun or else it will look too bright. ● Your lighting all depends on the space where you’re shooting. Rooms with lighter colors will look brighter than rooms with darker colors. Speak into a microphone to get clear audio. The microphones built into your camera or phone don’t pick up audio clearly, especially if you’re far away from them. Get an external microphone that has good sound quality so your videos sound and feel professional. Test the microphone beforehand to make sure it works.[7] ● Lapel microphones clip onto your shirt so you can clear audio no matter where you are in the shot. ● Directional microphones pick up sounds in whichever direction they’re pointing. ● Omnidirectional microphones pick up any noise around it. Keep the background clean if you plan on recording educational content. Choose a clean wall or area where you feel comfortable to film your video. Remove anything that’s cluttering the background of your recording area since it could be distracting to viewers. Leave some objects, such as books or posters, to give your shot some visual interest.[8] ● If you don’t have a clean wall to film in front of, try hanging up a sheet and standing in front of it instead. Use a screen-capture program if you’re filming video games or computer screens. Look online for free video-capture programs so you can record the game you’re playing. Follow the program’s instructions and select the screen or window you want to record to capture the footage. That way, you can use your microphone to record your audio and while the software records the footage and audio from your computer.[9] ● Screen-capture programs work great for digital art videos, video game let’s plays, and how-to computer tutorials. ● Try filming video of yourself even if you’re using a screen-capture program. That way, you have the option to include it if you need it. Practice your video a few times before recording it. Go over your script and practice saying it out loud to see how it flows. Make any changes to the script that you need to
so it’s easier to say. Try running through your lines faster or slower to see how the emphasis changes. If you’re talking directly to the camera, practice your delivery until it feels like you’re naturally having a conversation.[10] ● If you’re working with multiple actors, run through the scenes a few times to rehearse your script. ● Don’t be afraid to get rid of lines that don’t work as well you thought they would. Record multiple takes of the video so you can choose different shots. After you hit record on your camera, do your best to deliver your lines without hesitation. If you screw up, keep the camera running and just start the line over again. It’s okay if you stumble on a few words since you can edit them out later. After you get a good take, read the lines at a different speed or with different emphasis so you have the option to use those shots later on.[11] ● Try to stick to your script or outline so you don’t lose focus while you’re recording. ● If you’re shooting comedy videos, try to improv a few lines since they could be funny when you edit them later on. That way, you have an option for what jokes you want to include. Film extra footage so you can include it if you need to. Videos like travel vlogs, short films, and educational content usually have extra footage called B-roll that’s used to fill in any gaps. You may use additional footage to transition between topics in your video or to add visual interest. Make sure to include any shots that you may want to add later so you can put them into your video during the edit.[12] ● For example, if you’re filming a video about a trip to Paris, you may include footage of the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe to show off the landmarks. Speak clearly so people listening can understand you. Be sure to articulate each word while you’re speaking so you’re easy to listen to. Stay at a moderate volume so your microphone doesn’t peak and muffle your audio. It’s okay if you screw up a line or two since you can always rerecord it.[13] Ask people to like and subscribe to your channel so you can build an audience. At some point while you’re recording, be sure to ask viewers to like the video and subscribe to your channel. You can tell people in the intro of your topic or at the end of your video. That way, your video and channel can get more popular so other people will see your content.[14]
● You may say something like, “And don’t forget to click the thumbs up if you like this video and subscribe to my channel if you want to see more!” ● Asking people to like and subscribe may not work well if you include it in short films. ● You can also ask people to like and subscribe by including text at the end of your video as a reminder. Use video editing software to cut your footage together. Install video editing software on your computer so you can cut the footage from your video. There are many free options for editing, but you may get more functionality from paid programs. Familiarize yourself with the software you’re using so you know what you’re capable of creating.[15] ● Common video editing software you can use includes Adobe Premiere, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, and Final Cut. ● Don’t upload your video to YouTube unedited since it won’t get as many views. ● YouTube has a built-in editor, but it has limited functionality. Cut out any pauses that are too long so your video moves quickly. Load your footage into the program and rearrange it into the order you want. Watch through the footage and remove any time you stumble over your lines or pause for a long time. Aim to have quick cuts to maintain your viewers’ attention and prevent your video from getting boring or long-winded.[16] ● Cut out any content that you don’t want to include in your video. Add effects and animations to make your content unique. Educational videos usually include images, infographics, or small animations to add more visual interest to your videos. If you don’t have footage for part of the video, use an image or animation with your narration to fill in the gaps. You may also include transitions between your footage to make the video flow and look smooth.[17] ● You can make your own animations in programs like Adobe After Effects or Blender. ● Adding visuals and graphics to a short film can help create a unique filmmaking style. ● Look online for tutorials on how to create certain effects in your video. Make your video only as long as it needs to be. Videos are most popular if they are around 5 minutes long, but it may be longer or shorter depending on the topic you’re covering. Cut out any footage or audio that doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of your
video. When you’re finished with an editing pass, watch through the video to see if there is anything that you still need to remove.[18] ● Many comedy videos range between 30 seconds to 2 minutes long. ● Educational videos may be longer than 10 minutes depending on how much information you’re covering. Give your video a catchy title to draw viewers in. Include any keywords about your topic early in the video title so people can see it immediately when they search it. Be sure to describe what you’re covering in enough detail so viewers know what to expect from the video. Keep the title less than 60 characters long so it’s catchy and easier to share.[19] ● You can use titles that are clickbait as long as you don’t lie about the content of your video. ● If you need to include episode numbers on your videos, put them at the end of your title so the important information is first. Fill out the description and tags so people can find your video easily. Write what you’re doing in the description of your video so other people can read it and learn more. Include helpful information or links you didn’t include in the video. Update the tags on your video with keywords relating to your video so it shows up in more searches.[20] ● For example, if your video is about replacing a tile floor, you may include tags like, “tile flooring,” “replacing tile,” and “home improvement.” ● Try linking to different times in your video if you cover a lot of information. This helps viewers jump to the part of the video that they need. Create a custom thumbnail for your video to hook viewers. Video thumbnails are the first images you see when you’re searching for a video, so it’s important for them to stand out. Use a photo editor to create a thumbnail using a still frame or picture from your video. Put text on the thumbnail so you can read it from a distance to make it more noticeable when you search it.[21] ● If you don’t make a custom thumbnail, YouTube will let you choose a still frame from your video to use instead.
Set a consistent upload schedule so viewers know when to expect new content. If you want to get more subscribers and views, upload videos regularly so people can watch them. You can choose to make multiple videos a week or once a month. Make sure to stick to your schedule so you don’t lose any viewers or subscribers.[22] ● Plan to have 2-3 videos ready at all times so you can have a back-up video if a different one you’re making takes up more time. How to Make a Video in Windows Movie Maker: 13 Steps Download Windows Essentials. This is a free software package from Microsoft that contains Windows Movie Maker as well as a few other Windows utilities. You can find the installation program from the Microsoft website. ● Windows Movie Maker is included in Windows Vista and XP, but needs to be downloaded for Windows 7 and 8.
Open Windows Movie Maker. You can find it in your Start Menu under all programs, or you can search for “movie maker” and select it from the results. Familiarize yourself with the interface. Windows Movie Maker 2012 is organized in a similar way to Microsoft Office. You can navigate through the various options by selecting the tabs at the top of the window. ● Home – This is the main tab for Movie Maker. You can use this tab to add videos, images, and audio to your project. You can also select premade themes for the movie, rotate the image, and upload the project to websites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo. ● Animations – This tab allows you to add transitions between clips. ● Visual Effects – This tab will allow you to change the color and tone of the image. You can turn it black and white or turn the color saturation way up. ● Project – You can make overall changes to your entire project by adjusting the audio mix and change the aspect ratio of the video. ● View – This tab lets you zoom in and out on the timeline, change the thumbnail sizes, and view the waveforms for your film’s audio. ● Edit – This menu appears after you add your first video clip. You can use this tab to trim the clip, set a new start point or end point, fade in and out, and stabilize the video. ● Options – This tab shows up after you add a music file to your project. You can set start and end times for the music, fade it in and out, and split the file. Add your video clips. Click the Home tab and then click the “Add videos and photos” button. This will allow you to browser your computer to find a video file. You can also drag and drop files into the main window to add them to the project. ● If you want to make a slideshow, or add some still images into your project, you can add images in the same way you do videos. ● If you have a webcam connected to your computer, you can click the “Webcam video” button and record a clip directly into your project. Shuffle your clips. Once you’ve added a few clips, you can drag and drop them to rearrange them however you see fit. This can be especially useful if you need to add a clip later in the project but want to place it in the middle of the movie. Edit the clips you’ve added. Highlight one of your clips and click the Options tab. Move the cursor to the point that you want to trim the clip. You can then set that point as either the Start or End, or you can split the video at that point by clicking the appropriate button in the Options tab.
● If you are having a hard time getting the cursor to a specific part, you can enter in the exact time into the field. Add transitions between your clips. Select the first clip and then click the Animations tab. The Transitions section will show animations that will play at the start of your movie.[1] ● To add a transition between your first and second clip, select the second clip in your project. You can select from the available transitions. Use the arrow buttons at the end of the Transitions list to scroll through more options. Add a soundtrack. Click the Home tab. If you want to add narration to your video, click the “Record narration” button. This will allow you to record your voice if you have a microphone attached. ● To add a music file to your movie, click the “Add music” button. You can choose to download music from free online sources or add music files from your computer. Add titles. You can add a title to the beginning of each clip if you’d like. This can be especially useful for presentations. Click the Add Title button in the Home tab. This will create a title screen and open the Format tab, which will allow you to change the text properties and title card background color. Add credits. Clicking the “Add credits” button in the Home tab will add a Credits card to the end of your project. You can add multiple cards to have multiple credits screens, and you can use the Effects section of the Format tab to create scrolling credits just like a real movie.[2] Preview your creation. Once you are finished putting it all together, use the “Preview full screen” button in the View tab to watch the movie from start to finish. Make note of anything that doesn’t work correctly or that needs tweaking. Share the video directly to a social network. You can use the Share section in the Home tab to upload your video directly to sites like YouTube and Facebook. Movie Maker will ask what resolution you would like to save the movie in, and then ask you to sign in with your Microsoft Account. Once you do, you will be able to upload the video, as long the video fits the guidelines for the site you are uploading to. ● You must have a verified YouTube account in order to upload videos longer than 15 minutes.
Save the video to your computer. Click the arrow underneath the “Save movie” button in the Home tab to open a list of preset formats that you can save your video as. Choose the device that you plan on watching the video on, and Movie Maker will do the conversion automatically. ● The first option is recommended settings for your specific project. ● You can choose “Create custom settings” to specify exactly how you would like the video encoded. How to Make a Lyric Video for YouTube (with Pictures) - wikiHow Decide on a song. Pick a song that you want to use for your YouTube music video. You'll generally want to pick a song that's popular enough to receive attention, but not so popular that several people have already created lyric videos.
● Avoid using recently released music, as artists often request that their recent songs be unavailable anywhere but on their official pages. Download the song if you don't already have it. Purchase the song and download it onto your computer, or download the MP3 version of the song from YouTube. ● If you're using a Mac, play the song once in order to place it in your iTunes library. ● Keep in mind that YouTube will often flag music that wasn't purchased as copyright violation. Find the song's lyrics. The easiest way to find accurate, verified lyrics for your song is by going to the Genius website at https://genius.com/, entering your song name into the search bar in the top-left corner of the screen, and reviewing the results. ● You can also just type your song's name and the word "lyrics" (e.g., three little birds lyrics) into a search engine. ● Accurate, grammatically correct lyrics generally fare better on YouTube than do inaccurate, misspelled lyrics. Open Windows Movie Maker. Its app icon resembles a film strip. ● Windows Movie Maker doesn't come packaged with Windows 10, but you can download it from a third-party site. See Download Windows Movie Maker to learn how. Click Title. This is in the "Add" section of the toolbar that's at the top of the page. Enter a title for your movie. Click the text box in the middle of the preview window, press Ctrl+A to select the filler title, type in the title of your lyric video (e.g., the artist and song name), and then click a blank space on the page. ● You can also select a transition for the title by selecting its slide in the main window, clicking Animations at the top of the page, and selecting an option from the "Transitions" section. Click the Home tab. It's in the upper-left corner of the Windows Movie Maker window.
Move the placeholder to the right side of the title clip. Click and drag the vertical black bar in the main window all the way to the right to do this. Click Add music. It's a box below the blue musical note in the upper-left side of the page. Doing so prompts a drop-down menu. Click Add music at the current point…. This option is in the drop-down menu. A new window will open. Select your song and click Open. Navigate to the song you want to insert, select it, and then click the Open button at the bottom-right corner of the window. Your song will be uploaded to Windows Movie Maker. Click Title again. Doing so will add another title slide to your movie's timeline in the main window. Drag the second title slide to the far-right side of the timeline. This should be the title slide that you just added, not the one on which your movie's title is written. Enter the first section of lyrics. Click the second title slide to select it, replace the "My Movie" filler text with your preferred lyrics, and click a blank space on the page. ● You can adjust the size of the lyrics' text box by clicking and dragging the spheres in the corners and on the sides of the text box. Adjust the lyric slide's duration. Double-click the slide that contains lyrics in the main Movie Maker window, then click the "Duration" text box at the top of the page and type in the time in seconds for which the slide should be present. ● For example, if your lyrics comprise the first ten seconds of the song, you would type 10.0 into the "Duration" text box. ● You can preview your movie by clicking the "Play" button below the preview window on the left side of the page. This will help you line up your lyrics according to the song's pace. Add more title slides with lyrics. You'll repeat the following steps until you've created lyrics for the entire song: ● Click Home ● Click Title ● Enter lyrics. ● Adjust the slide's duration.
Return to the Home tab and click Save movie. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Recommended for this project. It's in the drop-down menu. Doing so opens a Save window. Enter a file name and click Save. Type in a name for your movie's file. This is just for your personal use—you'll be able to title the movie differently on YouTube. You can also select a save location (e.g., Desktop) on the left side of the window before proceeding. ● The exporting process can take a few minutes. Click Close when prompted. This signifies that your movie has officially been created. You can now proceed to uploading the video to YouTube. Open iMovie. Its app icon resembles a video camera on a purple star. Click the plus +. It's above the words "Create New" near the upper-left corner of the window. Click Movie on the menu. Select a background for the video. You can use the Search field at the top-right corner to look for something in particular. Click Create. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. A pop-up window will appear. Enter a file name. Do so in the text box at the top of the pop-up window. If you'd like to change the saving location, you can choose a different folder from the "Where" menu. Click Save. It's at the bottom-right corner of the pop-up window. This will save your video project. Click the Audio tab. This is the second tab at the top of the window. Search for a song. Type your song's name into the text box at the top of the iTunes section. It will appear in the middle of the left side of the page. Move the song into your video's timeline. Click and drag the song title onto the timeline section at the bottom of the window, then drop it there. Create a title slide. Click the Titles at the top of the window, click and drag a title from the main window into the timeline, and replace the title slide's filler text with your preferred title (e.g., "Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around Comes Around").
Add another title slide. Click and drag a title slide onto the timeline. This will be your first lyric slide. Enter the first batch of lyrics. Select the second title slide, then replace its filler text with the lyrics for the first section of the song. Extend the slide to fit the song. Click and drag the vertical bar that's to the right of the lyric title slide in the timeline to the right until it matches up with the last lyric. ● For example, if your slide's lyrics cover the first ten seconds of the song, you'd want your slide to extend for ten seconds. Add the rest of the lyrics to additional title slides. Repeat the previous steps until you've added all of the song's lyrics. Click the share icon . It's the square with an upward-pointing arrow at the top-right corner of the window. A menu with icons will expand. Click the File icon. It looks like a filmstrip. Clicking it prompts a pop-up window. Save your file. Click Next... in the pop-up window, select a location on your computer, and then click Save. This will prompt the video to begin saving onto your computer as a file. Once the video finishes saving, you can proceed with uploading it to YouTube. Open YouTube. Go to https://www.youtube.com/ in your browser. This will open your YouTube home page if you're logged in. ● If you aren't logged in, click SIGN IN in the upper-right corner, then enter your Google email address and password. Click the "Upload" icon. It's an upward-facing arrow in the upper-right side of the page. Doing so opens the uploads page. Click Select files to upload. This is in the middle of the page. Clicking it prompts a window to open. Select your video. Click the lyric video to select it. ● If the window opened to a file location other than the one in which your video is stored, first go to the video's location in the window.
Click Open. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. This will prompt the video to upload to YouTube. Enter a title for your video. In the "My Movie" text box near the top of the page, replace the "My Movie" text with whatever you want to name your lyric video. Add a description and tags if necessary. You can add a description to your lyric video in the "Description" box (this is a good place for artist credit), while you can add tags in the "Tags" text bar. Wait for the video to finish processing. Once the progress bar at the top of the page disappears, you can proceed. ● Videos can take several minutes to several hours to finish processing, so make sure that your computer is plugged into a power source during this time. Click Publish. It's a blue button in the upper-right side of the page. This will publish your video to your channel. You should now be able to view and share the video from YouTube as you please. How to Learn Editing
Select a video editing software. Popular video editing software includes Adobe Premiere Pro CC, Corel VideoStudio, Final Cut Pro, and Apple Final Cut Pro X. Search online for reviews and find an editing software that will run on your computer and fits within your budget. Free software also exists if you have limited funds.[1] ● Free software includes Movie Moments, Movie Maker, iMovie, and Magix Movie Edit Touch. Watch tutorials online to learn how to use the video editing software. There are free online resources that you can use to learn the basics of video editing. You can find tutorials on popular platforms like Youtube or Vimeo as well as editing-specific blogs and websites.[2] ● Popular tutorial sites include The Beat, Ripple Training, and PluralSight (Adobe Suite). Many of these sites have courses for a variety of software. ● Choose tutorials for the specific software that you plan on using. ● You can also sign up for paid classes with an accredited university or on sites like Udemy and Lynda for more in-depth instruction. Collect video footage so you can practice. Collect footage or take footage yourself and practice different techniques on the video. You can also search online and find stock footage that you can use when you’re first starting off. At first, practice with 30 minutes to an hour of footage. As you become better at editing, you can start cutting and editing larger pieces. ● Popular stock footage websites include Dissolve, Pond5, and Filmsupply. You'll need to purchase the license to use these clips. ● You can get footage of yourself playing video or computer games with a webcam and video capture software such as OBS Studio, Plays.tv, and Nvidia Shadowplay.[3] Experiment with different transitions. Transitions can include cutting, wiping, and fading. Take your footage and try to transition different pieces together. Don’t worry about having a cohesive story yet.[4] Add music to your video. Try adding music to the video that you transitioned together. This could be a song or sound effects. Add the audio to a separate track by uploading it into your video editing software. From there, you can cut and alter the audio to your liking.[5]
● Classical music will make your scenes refined while heavy metal may make your scenes seem intense or dark. Take notice of how the music affects the video. Add opening and ending credits to the movie. Opening credits usually include the production company, the title of the film, lead cast, director, producers, and writers. The ending credits typically include all of the people involved in the creation of the film.[6]Most video editing software will allow you to write text and place it on its own layer over the film. You can use the built-in tools to make the text fade and scroll. ● You may also want to add text to have built-in subtitles if your actors are speaking different languages. Create a short film with a storyline. Once you get the basic techniques down, create an entire narrative and try to edit a full short film. Think of an idea for a story, then attach your video clips together for a cohesive story. Your first short film only has to be 5-10 minutes long.[7] Read books on video editing. Once you get the basic techniques down and start to edit together your own films, you may want to learn more about the art of video editing theory. These books will give you more in-depth insight into all aspects of film editing. ● Popular books include Behind The Seen, Making Movies, The Film Editing Room Handbook, and The Conversations: Walter Murch and the Art of Editing Film. Get a bachelor's degree in film or a related field. If you go to film school, you'll learn the basics of video editing and will be able to network with other people interested in filmmaking. Viable undergraduate majors include film, digital cinematography, digital filmmaking, and production. Consider going to a college or university if you have the time and money and want to become a professional video editor.[8] ● A formal education isn't always necessary to work as a film editor. ● Some of the most popular film schools include the American Film Institute, Altos de Chavon Film School, Colorado Film School, and Hofstra University.[9] Consider getting a degree in fine art or photography. A formal education will teach you the basic photo editing skills you'll need in order to land a job in the industry. You'll also gain friendships and build your professional network. Considering going to a photography or art school to get a jump start on your photo editing career.[10]
● Popular photography schools include Massachusetts College of Art and Design, University of Arizona, and Yale School of Fine Art. Choose a photo editing software to use. Before you get started, you’ll need to purchase and install photo editing software that’s compatible with your computer. You can also use in-browser photo editing tools. ● Top photo editing software includes Adobe Photography Plan, Phase One Capture One Pro 10, and Serif Affinity Photo.[11] ● Free photo editing software includes GIMP, Fotor, and Paint.NET.[12] Watch and read tutorials online. There are many free resources, courses, and video tutorials that you can watch online. Some tutorials can be found on sites like YouTube while others are created specifically for photo editing. ● You can get free tutorials from Adobe and Tuts+. ● Paid video editing courses can be found on sites like Lynda and Udemy.[13] Practice resizing, moving, and cropping images. If you want to cut down a photo so that it only shows a certain piece of it, you’ll need to crop the image. Most editors will have a crop tool that you can drag around a certain area in the photo to crop it. You may also need to shrink a photo if it’s too large or increase the size of an image.[14] ● If an image is at an angle, you can also straighten and then crop an image to make it appear like the picture was taken on level ground. Learn how to adjust the exposure and saturation. The exposure changes the brightness of a photo. You can use it to correct over or underexposed photographs. Saturation will dictate how vivid and deep colors look in your photo. Use the tools in your photo editing software to manipulate the look of the image.[15] Use layers to your advantage. You can layer different images over each other to change the look of your photos. Take a photo at a high and low exposure, then layer and use the blend tool to make dark and light areas of the photo pop. You can also layer different objects, texts, or images over a photo to completely change the image. Mastering layers will allow you to edit your photos much easier.[16] ● Setting a high opacity will make a layer transparent.
Adjust the hue and deepness of certain colors. Photo editing software will have a bar you can use to adjust the hue of the picture. This will make the reds, blues, or greens in the picture pop. Adjusting the hue could give your picture a deeper and richer look. You should also learn how to select certain chunks of the photo and adjust the color, saturation, hue, and opacity. Learning how to manipulate colors and make them pop will enhance your photos.[17] Read popular photo editing books. You can purchase a photo editing book to work on a specific aspect of photo editing, like color correction, or you can buy a general book to learn the basics. Reading these books will give you a better understanding of photo editing. ● Popular photo editing books include The Photography Book, Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Photography Field Guide, and The Photographer’s Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos. Take an online copyediting course. Copyediting.com and the Poynter Institute’s News University are two websites that offer courses on copyediting. You may also find free tutorials or guides on websites like YouTube. Search online for other copyediting courses or tutorials and watch them to learn the fundamentals of copyediting.[18] Read the different writing stylebooks. Stylebooks cover punctuation, source citation, and capitalization. Read manuals like The Chicago Manual of Style and the Associated Press Stylebook. These will explain the rules behind the edits that you are making.[19] ● Different publications will use different stylebooks. ● The editing staff or editor in chief can tell you which stylebook is used for their publication. Take online copyediting quizzes. Look online for proofreading or copyediting quizzes. These quizzes will provide text that has intentional errors in it. This is a great way to practice if you aren’t in school or don’t have access to other people’s writing.[20] Offer to edit things that your friends wrote. If you’re still in school, you can get practical experience with copyediting by helping your friends correct their work. Ask your friends if you can correct their paper before they submit it. Try to find errors in their grammar, spelling, and punctuation. If you think a sentence can be structured better, leave them a note in the margin. Double-check their source citation and make sure that the piece of writing makes sense.
Follow editors on social media and join online proofreading groups. Visiting forums and following current editors will give you more personal insight into the world of copyediting. Meeting editors online may also give you opportunities to network and find proofreading or copyediting jobs.[21] ● Popular proofreading groups include Copy Editors and Proofreaders, Editors & Copyeditors Forum, and the Freelance Editing Network. Get a formal education in communications, writing, or publication. Most copyediting jobs will require at least a bachelor's degree. While you can learn how to copyedit without a formal education, having one will give you the fundamental grammar and sentence structure instruction that you'd need to be an effective copyeditor.[22] ● Having a formal education is important if you want to pursue professional work as a copyeditor. Message a copywriter and ask for an interview. One of the best ways to gain insights into copywriting is to ask a working copywriter. Look for copywriters online and ask them if they would sit on a phone interview with you. Think of important questions like how they got started or what their day is like in order to get a better idea of how to get started.[23] How to Make a Music Video
Get a sense of your budget. Great music videos don't have to be expensive or elaborate. Some of the most creative, memorable music videos in history are simple, shoestring productions.[1] Some are multimillion-dollar affairs.[2]Knowing how much money you have at your disposal beforehand can help ensure you don't go over budget. Keep a notebook. You don't need anything fancy, digital, or expensive. You want something to gather your thoughts, take down notes, and sketch scenes. Keep pencils and an eraser or two with your notebook and keep these items with you throughout the filming process. Ideas may come to you when you least expect them. Talk to the artist or band. They may have ideas about how they want their video to look. Some of them will be good. Some might even be great. Some will require a cast of thousands, cutting-edge CGI, and Peter Jackson at the helm. If you have the budget, there's no limit to what you can do, but it's up to you to decide which of the artists' ideas to incorporate in to your video. Have a realistic outlook - know which ideas are feasible, which are unfeasible, and which are just plain bad.
● If you happen to be a member of the band whose music you're using, you're in a position with unique benefits and challenges. You'll have firsthand, personal access to the band's creative process. On the other hand, music video making can be stressful. Your personal and creative relationships might be taxed - beware. Before making any plans, listen to the song. Don't do anything else the first time — just listen. Then, listen to it many, many more times. Listen to it with the artist or band members. Even if you know the song by heart, try to listen to it as if it's the first time. How does it make you feel? Does it make you want to dance, cry, act silly, or head for the bar? Or does it make you feel strange combinations of feelings? Jot down your reactions. ● To get the most out of your listening experience, consult our guide on listening to music like a pro. Refine your ideas. Once you have an idea of the song's emotional core, brainstorm ideas for your video. It can be very useful during this process to consult with members of your technical staff - they'll know what's easy to film and what's not so easy. ● Music video ideas can be straightforward without being ineffective. For instance, an idea for a country song about meeting people on the road like "following a man driving down the highway, meeting people in small town grocery stores and gas stations along the way in situation reflecting lyrics" can work great if well-executed. ● Adding small, specific details can make your video memorable or even iconic. The following notes have much more personality than the somewhat vague description above: "Main character driving a '57 Chevy convertible on long, straight stretch of highway out west; farmer at roadside grocery in verse 1, soldier in Hummer at gas station during verse two, pretty girl in verse 3 (star cameo?) hops in car and rides away with our hero as song plays out. Comedic side-story: huffy business suit embarrassing himself in each scene: squirts mustard on shirt in v1, bumps into hummer with his Porsche or pours gas on expensive shoes at gas station in v2; clumsily putting moves on girl in v3." ● Odd, abstract ideas for music videos can make for great videos. Footage doesn't necessarily have to closely reflect the lyrics - having a contrast between the visual and lyrical content can make for a striking contrast. Some videos are even bizarre or nonsensical.[3]Don't be afraid to confuse or shock viewers if you think it's the best choice for your video. It's a great way to fight The Man. Scout locations. Before you start shooting, you'll need to know exactly where you want to shoot. Sometimes the video concept can necessitate traveling to a remote location or
building a custom set. For example, our country video may be easy to shoot if we're in Wyoming, but if we're in New York City, we'll have to plan a workaround in advance. Our How to Be a Location Scout guide has tips for amateur scouts. ● Talk to the owners or management of any location you want to use. Make sure they are OK with your shooting. If you're lucky, they may also be a perfect fit for a character in your video (if they're willing.) ● It's also a good idea to notify neighbors about your shoot beforehand. If you don't, they may be confused or distressed by your shoot. Know local noise ordinances beforehand so you'll be prepared if they complain to the police. Create a storyboard.[4]One of the most effective video-planning tools at your disposal is a storyboard. Storyboards are shot-by-shot sketches of a video that are consulted to direct the video's action. See How to Create a Storyboard for detailed storyboarding advice. ● Music videos often employ special cinematic choices[5]or visual effects[6]to create a unique experience. If you plan to incorporate either into your video, be sure to incorporate them into your storyboard. ● Storyboards don't have to be flashy. They can be as simple as the position of actors and props in each scene, or they can be as detailed as individual cutaways, expressions, direction of movement, etc. If you can't even draw a straight line, don't worry: make a text storyboard. As long as you have an idea of what is going to happen in each shot, and you can communicate that to your crew, you'll be good to go. ● Look to break your video into "scenes" that match your vision. You can minimize shooting time if you shoot all the footage in a certain location at once (even if it's out of the order it will appear in as a finished video.) Plan your shooting so that you travel as efficiently as possible. Find your crew. Depending on the scale of your production, you may be able to rely solely on yourself and your actors, or you may need to create large a crew for the video. If you need to hire actors, look for people who are great at conveying emotion and feelings nonverbally.[7]Here are some positions you might consider filling based on what work you'll need done: ● Director: This will most likely be you. You'll be managing all the different parts of the shoot, from sharing your vision to the cast and crew, to mediating disputes between lighting and sound, to making sure there's gas in the car and that all your locations are cleared for shooting. You're the boss, but you're also responsible for more than anyone else.
● Videographer: The videographer will be in charge of capturing the action on one or more cameras. You'll define the shot, but she will actually frame the scene, work with the gaffer to ensure the set is properly lit, and let the sound guy know when the boom is in the scene. ● Gaffer: Somebody needs to make sure all the lights are lit, the actors are visible, and everything is right for the shoot. That person is the gaffer. ● Sound man: On a movie set, he's the guy sticking mics in everybody's faces. For a video, which often doesn't feature dialog, he'll be the guy cuing up the song so the actors have something to work with. In between pressing "Stop" and "Play" and "Rewind," he'll be running to get Cokes, pizza, and other sundries. ● Grip: This is the lucky soul who gets to move all the wires, all the lights, all the gear, seating, tables, props, and everything else that is brought on set. It's a lot easier to run a shoot when you have somebody to handle those things while you handle the bigger-picture items. ● Wardrobe: Depending on the budget, you may simply provide direction to the talent ("wear jeans and a tight shirt,") or have costumes made to order for the actors. Whichever way you do it, if there are costume changes involved, make sure somebody can coordinate that between scenes, and that your actors have a bit of privacy for changing. ● Props: Again, this might be you, but somebody has to find the vehicles used, plus things actors on the set use—mustard bottles that squirt reliably on cue, anything an actor picks up or puts down, or is not part of the location. ● Continuity: Unless you are going to shoot from start to finish in one take, there will be need for somebody to make sure that where people start is where they stopped previously. That is what continuity does. They make note of positions, usually with the aid of a camera. They make sure the mustard stain on the suit in the first scene it still there 3 days later for the last scene's shoot. (Or, conversely, that the mustard stain is *not* there if shots prior to the staining are done later.) ● Dancers: This part is unnecessary, but if you are a great dancer you can hire back-up dancers. ● Choreographer: If you do want dancers and it's in your budget, get a choreographer. They will make sure the dancing is smooth and coordinated. Find the right acting talent. Make a list of all the characters in your video. Your video may or may not include footage of the band performing - if it does, you'll be directing their acting, too. If your video tells a story, write down any characters, making notes about what they look like and how they behave. Hold auditions and choose the talent best-suited for each character. For our hypothetical country music video, we would look for actors to play these parts: ● The Traveler- He doesn't need to speak, but will need to look cool, confident, and like he belongs driving down a country road in a vintage convertible. Jeans. Shades. Shirt?
● The Farmer-Older, weathered from the sun. Old hat, jeans and untucked shirt, friendly smile. Brief camera time, so he doesn't need to be a pro. ● The Soldier- Young, tall, muscular, buzzcut, stronger and more confident than the hero, but also more humble. ● The Gas Station Attendant- Scrawny? Plump? Greasy mechanic shirt, friendly with a bemused outlook, good at rolling his eyes. ● The Suit- Metro, almost handsome but not quite. Slicked hair that is un-slicking in heat. Expensive looking wardrobe, car. Socially and physically awkward, has condescending sneer. Unlikeable on first sight. ● The Girl- Strong, independent woman. Confident with her body and therefore beautiful. Brunette. Confident, carefree, tanned, good sense of humour and constant half amused grin. Never upset by The Suit, only amused. Casually objectifies The Traveler. Set the stage. Now that you have all your ducks in a row, the actors are well-rehearsed, and your crew is loaded for beer, it's time to prep your set and shoot your video. Pick a scene to shoot. For this example, we'll choose the final scene of our country video. Here, The Suit trips all over himself, the Traveler helps him up, and the Pretty Girl hops in the car with the Traveler. ● Put the vehicles and anything else that's in the scene into position, and have the actors stand on their marks. ● Set your lighting. Lighting can make a big difference in the overall mood of your video.[8]As this is an outdoor shoot, if you don't have powered lights you might be able to use a reflector, which is a large piece of white fabric or poster board that reflects the sunlight, softening shadows and brightening a scene. For the most effective way to focus light, use more than one reflector, or even a mirror. Your gaffer will manage this, under your direction, if you have one. ● Remember, the main person on screen is always the brightest on screen. When outside, always have the main character's back to the sun except when the sun is in the middle of the sky. This way, the reflectors can illuminate the person's face and front. Although there is a lot to do to get efficient lighting, it is worth it when you want a high quality video. Set the camera. You may want to shoot part of your video on a tripod, for static scenes. Jiggly cameras can sometimes distract the viewer from the video itself. Other times you may want to use a handheld Steadi-Cam for more dynamic shots, or a totally free-form "shaky cam" for higher energy shots. If you have the people and the budget, shooting a combination of angles and styles will boost creative options in the editing suite.
Get your actors in place. If they're in the scene as the camera rolls, have them take their marks. If they come into the scene as it plays, have them at their entrance point. Cue up the music. Have Sound locate the proper point in the song, and give it a good lead in time so people can "get in sync" with the music. Longer is better, at first. If you do multiple takes, you may be able to shorten this part up. When Sound is ready and music playing, he'll shout "speed!" (An expression that hearkens back to when recordings on set were done with magnetic tape driven by motors, which took a moment to come up to speed). The sound guy may also want to feed the sound into the video, so there is a reference track for the post editor later. Power the Lights! Have all your lighting people in position, and all powered lights on. Starting the Camera! The videographer presses the record button, and starts shooting the scene. Saying Action! You know the drill here—on "Action!", the actors come out and do the scene. Repeat for all the scenes in your video. You may end up with multiple takes, multiple angles, great takes, and awful takes. This is where the fun begins! ● Movie making is a complicated, detailed process that can't be completely described in one article. Consult our wide selection of movie making how-to guides for more focused looks at the film making process. Transfer your video to a computer. Generally this is done with USB, Firewire, or proprietary connections. However you do it, you will want to load everything into your computer and store it in one directory. Fire up your editor. Your software editor, that is—whether you're using Sony Vegas, iMovie, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut Pro, or have a deluxe Avid suite, this is where the magic happens. Use your best material. Work through the video from beginning to end, looking at all the takes, and finding the best ones. ● Use the scratch audio track on the video to match up the cuts with the music, but don't worry much about slight pops or noise on the audio track. This track won't be used for the final video. Lay the music track over the footage. With the track loaded in, check to see how your edits and the music sync up. Unless you're lucky, they'll probably be close, but not
perfect. Make minor adjustments to each cut so that everything happens when it should — which will be especially noticeable when you're working with shots of the band playing the song. ● If using footage of the band performing, be prepared to cover mistakes. For example, if the guitarist was miming "Stairway to Heaven" on the video during a passage where he's simply holding a single note on the recording, cut to another band member, or back to a different scene during that moment. ● Use moderation when editing. Tons of short, choppy cuts can be disorienting, while takes that go on go long can start to look fake. It's usually obvious when a cut looks bad - take your time and use your best judgement. Add a title and credits if so desired. It was once standard procedure for the song title, artist name, record label, and video director to appear in text at the beginning and end of most videos. Today, some artists choose to leave this information out or take a more "movie style" approach to titles and credits. Talk to the cast, crew, and band to see what they feel about your choice. Study the classics. Like any art form, music video creation has its "classics." These videos have influenced future artists and directors' videos. Know that many of the greatest music videos are great for completely different reasons. Some are visually inventive, some have a razor-shop focus, and others just fit the music perfectly. By understanding what made certain music videos particularly influential, you may have a better perspective for how to make your own unforgettable video. Tell a great story. Many of the most beloved music videos of all time tell stories that are funny, shocking, tragic, or triumphant. A truly great story stays in the viewer's head for weeks, months, or even years. ● Arguably one of the most famous videos of all time, John Landis' video for Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video tells a classic story.[9]This video also greatly overruns the length of the actual song. It works here, but use caution - too little music and too much video can make for a boring combination. ● The video for Radiohead's "Just" directed by Jamie Thraves also tells a great story, albeit one with a drastically different tone.[10]This video uses excellently-cast squares and an open-to-interpretation ending to skewer the inanity of white-collar life - a great match for Thom Yorke's spiteful lyrics. Create a unique visual style. Music videos are great places to showcase visual innovation and trickery. The video can be an opportunity to employ abstract visuals, unique effects, or animation that visually compliments the song's audio. The visuals don't
even have to "make sense" in a traditional sense. As long as they're striking and accompany the song well, they can leave a lasting impression. ● Steve Barron's video for A-ha's smash hit "Take on Me" features a romantic story playing out in a combination of live action and sketchbook-style rotoscope animation.[11]This stylistic choice perfectly matches the song's whimsical, smitten tone and makes for an unforgettable visual style. ● The video for The White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army" (made by directing duo Alex and Martin) employs visual trickery to give the illusion of one four minute long continuously-zooming shot.[12]Combined with the striking lighting choices, this creates a tremendously disorienting effect that gives the video a great dark atmosphere. ● See also: Muse's "Stockholm Syndrome,"[13]Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing."[14] Play with parody and pastiche. Cultural references are frequently used in music videos - sometimes, the entire video is a loving homage or a scathing lampoon of the material being referenced. With a good sense of humor, the results can be classic. If the artists don't mind a little self-deprecation, all the better - people love musicians who are humble enough to poke fun at themselves. ● Hype William's video for 2Pac and Dr. Dre's "California Love" is a parody of the Mad Max series of films.[15]The parody serves two purposes - besides being just plain funny, it also suggests that early 1990s California is a lawless, do-or-die playground where only the strongest survive, similar to the post-apocalyptic wasteland depicted in the Mad Max films. ● An even funnier parody music video is the video for the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage," directed by Spike Jonze.[16]Having the Beastie Boys portray over-the-top caricatures of gritty 1970s TV cops, Jonze makes an unforgettable, hilarious video that somehow fits the music perfectly. Be extravagant. It can be entertaining simply to throw as much money as possible at the screen. Shoot in an exotic locale. Plan enormous choreographed dance sequences. Hire supermodels. Great music videos can be pure spectacle, plain and simple. ● Hype William's video for Jay Z's "Big Pimpin'" is a classic example of music video as spectacle.[17]There's very little in the way of narrative or story - it's mostly just Jay Z and friends having a good time on a massive yacht, partying at a tropical villa, and throwing money to a crowd, all while surrounded by beautiful women. As a display of wealth and braggadocio, it's very effective. ● Lady Gaga is another artist famous for her elaborate music videos. Steven Klein's video for her "Alejandro" depicts a bizarre, sexually-charged militaristic dystopia,
complete with insane (but appropriate) sets and costumes.[18]It's a striking, extravagant production. Keep it minimal. Conversely, many great music videos follow a "less is more" philosophy. Minimalist music videos allow the viewer to focus on the action (and its emotional relationship with the music) with no other distractions. A minimal video is also a great choice for directors on a limited budget. ● Saam's video for The XX's "Islands" uses repetitive shots of a short, tightly-choreographed dance to great effect.[19]By making very subtle changes to the dancer's moves each time the shot repeats, we're able to see hints of a tragic romance unfolding. The gradualness of the change makes the final shot all the more shocking. ● OK GO's early videos used imaginative choreography to make instantly memorable viewing experiences on a minuscule budgets. Their video for "Here it goes again" (directed by Trish Sie and the band) is great example of a well-done video shot for almost nothing.[20]The video is done in one static shot in an undecorated room, the only props being eight treadmills. Because of the strength of the choreography and the memorability of the concept, the video was a big viral hit when it was released in 2006. How to Make a YouTube Video
Use a webcam for convenience. As with smartphones, most laptops made within the last five years come with an integrated webcam (usually just above the monitor). Webcams tend to have much poorer quality than a standard video camera, but they'll do if you can't afford to purchase a smartphone or dedicated camera. ● If your computer doesn't have a webcam, you can usually purchase and install one for under $20. Use a smartphone for mobility. Most smartphones on the market come with three video-making essentials: A video camera feature to record videos, a microphone to record audio, and a large hard drive on which to store everything. While smartphones are portable, the audio and visual quality can be inferior to that of a dedicated video camera. ● Videos take up a lot of storage space. You may need to transfer your videos off of your phone after recording. Use a video camera for high-quality filming. You can find decent-quality video cameras for under $50 on Amazon, or you can spend around $120 on a high-quality video
camera. Video cameras often have better display quality than a smartphone or webcam. ● Most modern video cameras have a removable SD card that can be used to transfer videos from the camera to the computer. Double-check to ensure that your selected camcorder has an SD card before purchasing it. Record content that is on your computer monitor. This can be accomplished by downloading third-party software that will allow you to record your screen. If you're recording tutorials or video game footage, you'll want to use such a program. ● When recording, be sure that both the audio and video are properly being recorded by first making a test clip and viewing it. Consider purchasing a dedicated microphone. While not imperative, good sound quality can make or break a video; to this end, relying on your recording item's built-in microphone may not be ideal. If you can find a reasonably priced microphone that is compatible with your recording item, your videos' overall quality will improve immensely. ● Some video cameras come packaged with a dedicated microphone and all of the hardware you need to connect the two. Try writing a script. While optional, doing this before settling on a video genre will help determine the kind of video you wish to record. Occasionally glancing at a script can help you keep on track, give your video more structure (and therefore more professional) and will mean you don't forget anything. Consider using a current trend for a video. YouTube hosts videos from millions of users, but some types of video are more popular than others: ● Video blogs, or “vlogs,” are regularly-updated video series featuring the creator talking about whatever is on his or her mind, usually for 10 minutes or less. ● Video game-related videos attract a fair amount of traffic, especially if you cover recent releases. ● Tutorials can encompass literally any topic in which you are skilled. ● Montages are videos filled with images or video clips, set to music. ● Pet videos are always popular. These are typically recorded with a hand-held item, such as a smartphone or camcorder. They often feature the creator's pet doing something funny or endearing.
● Reviews are video blogs that review a product or service. Being sardonic and funny when reviewing something will get more people to watch. ● Comedy videos encompass a wide range of styles and approaches. They're best done with friends, and can feature anything from practical jokes, to silly dancing, to scripted sketches and beyond. Plan a video for a personal purpose. If you'd like to share an experience with friends or relatives who can't be there to live it with you, YouTube is a great way to bridge the gap. ● Plan ahead of time to film events like family picnics, weddings, and birthdays so that you'll have the raw video to edit and upload to YouTube later. ● You can choose to lock a video so that only people with the specific URL (web address) of the video can view it, but that's no guarantee it won't eventually be seen by third parties. Keep the content of your video clean and in accordance with YouTube's guidelines. Consider making a video from other videos. This practice is especially popular with clips that don't belong to any specific YouTube user, such as clips of old cartoons and TV shows. ● If you're taking this route, you won't need video recording equipment, but you will need source files in the form of downloadable video clips (you can download YouTube videos for this purpose if need be). ● These "remix" videos often exist in legal limbo. You're unlikely to get in any trouble for making one, but if one of the copyright holders for the original clips in your video requests that YouTube remove it from their site, they will do so immediately. Make sure you have plenty of light. If possible, film during the day, using natural daylight. If you're planning to do a nighttime scene, provide a little bit of light so people can see what you're doing. ● If you're recording yourself, you should sit facing the light, and the camera should point toward you. ● This step doesn't apply for screen-capture videos. Choose your clothing appropriately. If you have a specific-colored background, don't wear that color (for example, if your wall is black, avoid black or other dark clothing).
Keep your background clean. People will think you are unorganized and messy if your background isn't clean enough, and a clean, professional-looking background is more pleasant to look at than is an untidy one. Begin recording. Once you've settled on an idea for your video, perform whatever tasks you must to set up and prepare, then record the video. ● You may have to record multiple takes. This is completely normal, especially for a beginner. Speak loudly and clearly. This serves the dual purpose of both ensuring that you make the most of your audio quality and capturing your audience's attention. ● If you're using a microphone, speak directly into it. This is especially important when you're using a recording item with a built-in mic. Be cautious of what information you give out. You most likely won't want anyone knowing your full name or what your number is, much less where you live. Stop recording when you're done. Make sure you definitively press the Stop button on your recording item. Doing so will typically save your recording automatically. Transfer the video to your computer if necessary. If the video is on an SD card from a camera, plug the SD card into your computer, open the SD card if it doesn't open automatically, and move your video from the "DCIM" folder onto your computer. ● Your computer may not have an SD card slot. If so, you'll need a USB card reader. Open YouTube. Go to https://www.youtube.com/ in your computer's web browser. This will open your YouTube home page if you're logged in. ● If you aren't logged into YouTube, click SIGN IN in the top-right corner of the page, then enter your Google Account information. This is so you will be known as the creator of the video. Click the "Upload" icon. You'll find this in the upper-right side of the page. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
Click Upload video. It's in the drop-down menu. The video upload page will open. Click Select files to upload. This is in the middle of the page. Clicking it opens a File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) window. Upload your video. Select the video that you want to upload by clicking it once, then click Open in the lower-right side of the window. Add a description and a title. Type a title for your video into the "Title" box, then type a description (optional) into the text box below the title. Select a thumbnail. Click one of the thumbnails in the lower-right side of the page to set it as your video's thumbnail. ● You can also click Custom thumbnail here to select a custom thumbnail. ● If you want, you can change or edit the thumbnail later. Click Publish. It's a blue button in the upper-right corner of the page. Doing so will upload your video to YouTube once it finishes processing. ● You can keep track of the processing time by looking at the progress bar at the top of the page. Open YouTube. Tap the YouTube app icon, which resembles the YouTube logo. This will open your YouTube home page if you're logged in. ● If you aren't logged into YouTube, you'll need to select your account or enter your email address and password when prompted before proceeding. ● If you plan on extensively editing your video before uploading it, you may first want to transfer it to your computer and edit it there. If so, consider uploading from desktop instead. Tap the "Upload" icon. It's in the upper-right side of the screen. Doing so will take you to the upload page. ● You may have to allow YouTube access to your phone's camera, microphone, and/or camera roll before proceeding. Select your video. Tap the video that you want to upload.
Edit your video if necessary. You can edit your video's length by tapping and dragging one of the ends of the video bar left or right, or you can change the video's visual presentation or music by changing to the proper tab at the bottom of the screen. Tap NEXT. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. Add a video title and description. Type a title for your video into the "Title" box, then type a description (optional) into the text box below the title. Tap UPLOAD. It's in the top-right corner of the screen. Your video will begin to upload to YouTube. Wait for the video to finish uploading to YouTube. Once the video is live, you'll be able to view it on your channel. Open the Photos app. Tap the Share icon. This will open your Sharing Menu on your device. Press the YouTube icon. (If the icon isn't there, scroll all the way to the right on the first row and press MORE. Make sure YouTube is selected.) ● If you aren't logged into YouTube, you'll need to select your account or enter your email address and password when prompted before proceeding. ● If you plan on extensively editing your video before uploading it, you may first want to transfer it to your computer and edit it there. If so, consider uploading from desktop instead. Enter your video Title and Description, quality, privacy, etc. Tap the "Upload" or "Publish" icon. It's in the upper-right side of the screen. Doing so will upload your video to YouTube. Wait for the video to finish uploading to YouTube. Once the video is live, you'll be able to view it on your channel. How to Make Professional Quality YouTube Videos: 12 Steps
Establish a budget. Before you sit down to create your first video, you'll need to gather a few pieces of equipment--namely, a camera, a dedicated microphone, and lighting hardware. While this list may seem daunting, you can easily build up an equipment inventory on a budget. While establishing your budget, remember a couple of things: ● Don't immediately assume you'll need the highest-quality equipment you can afford. It's better to have a cheap camera that you know how to operate than to have a $1000 DSLR that you can't make the most of. ● Prioritize your equipment in this order: audio (microphone), video (camera), lighting.[1] ● It's okay to improvise. For example, refrain from spending $80 on a tripod when a stack of books might better suit your videos instead. Consider your camera options. Depending on your budget and the types of videos you want to shoot, you can use anything from a simple built-in webcam to a film-grade DSLR camera. Some of your simpler options include the following types of camera: ● Smartphone - If you have a smartphone, you'll be able to record fairly high-quality videos with the touch of a button. Smartphones are also easier to transport than larger, bulkier cameras, meaning you can record on-the-go if you like. You can also purchase a smartphone-specific tripod for under $30 if you plan on filming vlogs or the like.
The largest drawback to using a smartphone is the lack of available audio input--you'll either need to record audio separately on another device and then synchronize your video and audio later, or you'll need to settle for the in-camera microphone. ● Camcorder - A camcorder is a perfect balance between a smartphone's portability and a DSLR's high-quality shooting capabilities. You can purchase a camcorder that shoots in high-definition (720p or higher) for relatively cheap--around $120--but keep in mind that you may also need to buy an additional memory card to accompany it. ● DSLR Camera - Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras include a wide array of devices, but generally entail a high standard of quality. You'll want to tend toward high-profile brands like Canon or Nikon if purchasing a DSLR, but remember to ensure that your selected camera includes video recording as an option. Also keep in mind that DSLR cameras require a higher level of skill and patience to operate effectively. If you aren't already well-versed in DSLR camera operation, consider using a cheaper alternative. Invest in a dedicated microphone. Even if your footage is beautiful, poor audio will severely detract from the overall appeal of your video. Think of it this way: you want your audio's quality to match--if not exceed--your film quality, and using your camera's built-in microphone will make it difficult to achieve this task. You'll want to look into the type of microphone your camera supports (e.g., USB) if you want to record both at the same time. ● "Audio-Technica" and "Blue Microphones" are both reputable companies with a wide variety of stock from cheap, accessible microphones to studio-grade ones.[2] ● Spending around $100 will net you a professional-sounding microphone. ● If you're working with a limited budget, consider opting for a cheaper microphone. ● Using a dedicated microphone can also minimize the amount of echoing and background noise in your video since your microphone usually sits much closer to your mouth than your camera. ● Consider purchasing a pop filter to place over your microphone in order to reduce audio feedback during the editing process. Get some lighting. This can be anything from a desk lamp or two to a professional-grade lighting kit. For best results, you'll need to use lighting in a static location (such as a room in your house). ● When setting up your lighting for a room shot, you should have three separate sources: one behind the camera (facing you), one placed 45 degrees to your left or right (facing you and the wall behind you), and one on the opposite side of the second source strictly facing the wall.[3]
● You can also use natural light (e.g., a window) to illuminate your face from behind the camera, though you'll need to shoot consistently during the daytime. Make sure you have video-editing software available. Most computers come with stock video-editing software (e.g., iMovie or Windows Movie Maker)--these will get the job done in a pinch, but you can easily download or purchase much more advanced software that will give you the control you need to produce a high-quality video.[4] ● Wondershare Filmora is an excellent free option for beginners on both Mac and PC, while Lightworks caters to a more intermediate film editing audience (PC only). ● If you're willing to spend some money, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere are great options.[5] Figure out your video's theme before you begin filming. While this isn't technically equipment-based, your video's conceptual focus is perhaps the most important aspect of your finished product. Before you sit down and press the "Record" button, know the following things about the video you want to shoot: ● The subject of the video ● The purpose of the video ● Your target audience ● Your script Choose your background. If you'd prefer to have a blank background, for example, you should shoot with your back to a blank wall. You can also put up a sheet of paper or something similar. ● Your background will eventually become a key aspect of your videos if you use the same one enough. Keep this in mind when choosing your background. Place your camera. Naturally, you'll want it to face the area in which you (or your subject) will sit. ● If you're using a tripod, this is a relatively easy step. Otherwise, set up a pile of books or a small shelf for your camera to rest on. ● You'll also want to situate your microphone during this time. You may have to play around with your camera's zoom level and your microphone's location in order to keep the microphone out of your shot.
● If you're filming with a smartphone, camcorder, or webcam, refrain from zooming in. Doing so constitutes using a "digital zoom" (as opposed to the optical zoom used by DSLR cameras) that distorts the video quality. Place your lights. Remember, you'll want three lights in different locations--one behind the camera, one to your left, and one to your right--for optimal visuals. ● While this is a good guideline, every room is going to mandate different lighting. You'll need to experiment a bit before you find the sweet spot. Use the rule of thirds. This rule dictates that, given a set of three-by-three lines dividing the frame into ninths, the subject of your shot will fall somewhere on intersecting lines. This essentially means that you don't want to center yourself in your camera's frame--instead, sit a little bit to the left or right. ● If you have a picture or something similar on the wall behind you, try sitting opposite of and below it for your shot. ● Most smartphones have a camera-related option that displays a three-by-three grid of lines on the screen while filming. Make sure your shooting location is quiet before filming. Background noise is a huge detractor from the quality of your content. Edit your video. Depending on your preferences, this process will vary. Once you've completed your shooting and editing, you're ready to upload your video to YouTube![6] ● If you're trying to produce dynamic (e.g., quick and engaging) content, consider cutting out any awkward silences or pauses in conversation. ● Most video-editing programs come with a "noise-cancelling" feature included. You can use this to lower the overall background noise in your video. ● This is also a good point for you to add music or other effects. ● ●