#18 Some comments on Chroma Key by Walt Barrett

    I have just received a question about Chroma Key. The question was basically should a beginner try to use Chroma Key ( Green or Blue screen) back screens to allow photo or video back grounds sets to be used in a video.  The practice allows you to save a fortune in film sets.
The short answer is yes, I taught myself in my spare time, and so can you.
    This is the answer I sent my friend from Facebook.


 I like green screening.  I am about to buy a new portable setup that includes lighting.  All it takes is a little practice. I have one setup already. There are lots of excellent tutorials on you tube.  If I were you I would do it.  you need a smooth evenly lit green screen with no wrinkles on it.  Good lighting is the key to good green screening.  I intend to build a studio and do an entire wall so we can do commercials and rock groups, hip hop , etc.  We will have the green paint mixed to the right color and make a smoother seem less wall that we can paint. Don't forget, you need the software too.  I have it in my Pinnacle software. You can make money with a studio as long as you build it yourself and do not go overboard with the costs. 


   If you want to produce a neat little series this is a great way to go.  I suggest that you put together a tight little film group in your area and pool all the knowledge and talents in order to put together some well written and planned productions.  Do as much as you can on chroma key.  You can photograph the interiors of buildings and rooms that you want to use and the just drop them into your background using the Chroma Key software


I will be making more comments on this subject in the future.


 This video below is done using Chroma Key. 
 This simple commercial has sold thousands of these flasher units.  

#17 Making the Jamestown video by Walt Barrett

     This was a fairly simple video to make.  Yesterday Nancy and I drove over the Jamestown Bridge to Jamestown Island.  It's a beautiful quiet Island in the middle of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island.  We walked and drove all over the island and I snapped some decent quality digital still shots of everything in site.  When we got home I loaded all the shots into Windows Live Photo Gallery and used the built in software found under the heading of Fix to color correct and straighten out all the photos.  This soft ware is free with windows 7 or you can download it FREE off the web site www.microsoft.com .  It's part of the free windows live collection.
This software also allows to digitally manipulate your photos by over tinting and plating with the contrast control.  I would encourage to to experiment with all of the settings for color correcting and editing photos.  Some people prefer to look at altered versions of a land scape or a Sunset etc. Then I used the video editing software and dropped in a suitable piece of music.  My Pinnacle software allows me to fit a score to the exact length of the video.  I then saved the file with a 1080i format.  If you need any help or technical advice about your photography or video just drop me a comment or an email at: wbarrett1@aol.com   I'll get to you as quickly as I can.
Thanks,
Walt
This video plays great at full screen.

Fall Foliage by Walt Barrett

Today we went to to East Killingly, Connecticut and filmed along the banks of the Five Mile River.  The foliage is not as good this year as it was last year.

#15 Grabbing still frames from video by Walt Barrett

   I have received a very good question from one of our members.  

He asked me how to make an album of still photos shots from a video file.  The answer is yes you can do it, but you need to use a special piece of software that allows you to do that.  It's called frame grabbing software.  I do it with my pinnacle software, but there are many free downloads available under free frame grabbing soft ware. 

 Try this http://www.sharewareconnection.com/titles/frame-grabber.htm

    

Before you ever buy any kind of software, be sure to look for the free stuff, and don't forget to check The free software foundation   It's a gold mine.  Their free open office program can save you $700.00!!!
They also offer several free Linux operating systems.  Maybe you have a spare computer like I do, and want to learn about Linux.  It's a great operating system with lots of free video stuff too.
   Please pass this valuable info forward to your friends
Thanks,
Walt


Click to enlarge

# 14 Why I work with slides a lot in my videos by Walt Barrett

   I like to work with stills in my videos for several reasons.  
1. They are usually much clearer than video.
2. They are faster to color correct and manipulate digitally.
3.  They take up less space on the video server because they are not moving, cut down on the pixel count, and are only one frame that you can easily lengthen, or shorten on the film piece.  This is usually done by dragging the frame longer, or shorter in the editing line.  That way you can control the slide duration time without effecting the length of the other scenes. It is also very handy for syncing in voice overs too so they will match up with and last for the particular frame.
4.  Stills are very useful for commercials and also for scenic videos with no motion required in the scene.
They can also save you a lot of time.  I use them a lot.
Walt
          Click photo to enlarge

# 12 The Antique Shingle Making Machine by Walt Barrett

     I Shot this little piece yesterday while visiting Water's Farm in Sutton, Massachusetts.   I didn't want to drag out my video camera so I used my Fuji 620 S digital reflex still camera and selected the video option.
The quality is nowhere near that of my 3 chip Panasonic video camera, but it gets the job done.
 1.This morning I loaded the video from the camera into my "video file" In my computer, 
 2. And then into my Pinnacle video editor.  I then trimmed the ends a bit, and linked it all together on the video editor.  It was just under two minutes and ran cleanly.  
3.The next thing was to use the voice over part of Pinnacle and record a voice track.   
   The next thing was to save all my work by making a mpeg4 video.
   You can use the same editor as me by downloading the Pinnacle 14 trial program.
  Please make comments or ask questions on the blog page.
Thanks,
Walt
   

#11 A Fall Film for you and Checking the blog page comments by Walt Barrett

First of all, I found one comment that had been grabbed by Google's auto spam filter and I am not happy about that so I will be checking every morning to see that it does not happen again.  Secondly, there are some questions and answers in the comments found under each blog.  They are responses to questions that I have received.  They may be of some help to you.

Waters Farm

   Yesterday I shot a little film at the Historic Waters Farm open house in Sutton Massachusetts.  Ms. Waters was a 19th century writer and we visit her place often. Waters Farm link
It is a very simple edit, and I did it on Pinnacle Ultimate 14.  I added in the music from the Score Fitter section of the program.  I use it a lot, and like it very much.  I try to make the music fit the theme of the video.  It is very easy to go back in and drop in a voice over track.  There is a 30 day trial download of this software.  BTW, I do not sell for Pinnacle.  I just like their software and have used it for many years.
Enjoy the Antique, and Historic Waters Farm.
Walt