Task Force 72 – Video Production Hints and Tips
Making a video is basically similar to producing a short movie. Its main purpose is to record live events for sharing, entertainment and historical purposes; in our case the display and sailing of Task Force 72 models. The addition of movement and sounds brings to life the models in their natural environment and adds to the realism.
Below are hints and tips to assist with the recording of video for publishing on YouTube. The list is not exhaustive and any suggestions for improvements are always welcome.
- Use a Hi-Definition video camera – at least 1080 Resolution. There is now 4K video available but YouTube currently best supports Full HD.
- When recording video it is always preferable to record a bit more (ie lead in and fade out) rather than very short clips. The longer clips are able to be edited.
- When zooming in or out, and when panning across – try to do so slowly.
- Recording live video of our models is nearly always outdoors and wind noise can be a problem. Some cameras have built-in wind noise reducers, but otherwise the use of a piece of plastic foam, or even cotton wool over the microphones makes a big difference. There are YouTube videos that show how to accomplish this.
- Be careful of using cameras normally used for still photos for recording video, especially with zoom lenses, as they are difficult to keep steady when hand held.
- Always be mindful of background noise. A good video recording including realistic sounds emanating from models can be ruined by background noise – eg people talking, aircraft flying overhead. Many times the best solution may be to overlay the video with suitable music. Suitable music can also add to the ‘mood’ of the video.
- Do not make videos too long. Most viewers tend to not watch an entire video.
- Try to get the model operators to drive at realistic speeds when recording video.
- Wave action usually causes models to ‘bob’ around faster and more than is desirable. When editing video consider ‘slowing down’ the action if necessary. This brings more realism to the final video.
- The public from anywhere in the world can watch your video, so keep it entertaining.