How To Archives

Shooting

Getting Started: Manual Controls

Automation is nice. Heat sensing microwaves that can tell how long to heat leftovers, say, are very convenient. But sometimes you need to override...

Shooting

Whiter Whites: the Hows and Whys of White Balance

Videomaker

Ever finish shooting video, convinced you recorded great footage only to later discover that your whites weren't crispy clean? Your colors weren't vibrant and...

News

Glossary of Video Terms

Videomaker

aspect ratio Proportional height and width of a picture on screen. The current NTSC standard for conventional receiver or monitor is four by three...

Directing

Dramatic Lighting Livens up Videos

Videomaker

There was a time when dramatic lighting and video production were mortal enemies. Early video cameras needed so much light to create a clean...

Editing

Edit Suite: The Language of Transitions

Videomaker

Hardly anyone needs to be introduced to video transitions like cuts and fades. Even the dampest newbie instinctively recognizes them from years of watching...

Directing

Special Effects: The Invisible Man

Videomaker

You might remember the classic TV show The Invisible Man, about an English scientist, Dr. Peter Brady, who discovered a way to make himself...

Shooting

The NTSC Signal: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Videomaker

In 1953, the National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) devised an American standard for the video signal that's still used today. Understanding this standard offers...

Audio

Viewfinder: May I Suggest a New Acronym, the VRC?

Videomaker

I am not a big fan of acronyms. Although these abbreviations may help us communicate complex concepts quickly and easily, frankly I think the...

Audio

Benchmark: Edirol VideoCanvas A-6 Digital Multi Audio Station

Videomaker

A Digital Audio Studio in a Box Getting good audio in video can sometimes be as simple as putting an external microphone next to your...

Audio

Benchmark: AKG WMS 60 Wireless Microphone System

Videomaker

Diversity is the Spice of Life Wireless microphone systems are popular with advanced videographers who want a microphone close to the action, but who are...