[FS] Izzy Video 133 – How to Use a Light Meter [Free Show]
By | May 21, 2009
Photography and videography have a lot in common. Many of the tools that photographers use can be useful for video shooters as well. In this installment of Izzy Video, I review the difference between reflected light meters and incident light meters, and I also demonstrate how to use them.
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You can download the Quicktime version of the episode here.
Topics: Shooting Video | No Comments »
[Tr] Izzy Video 132 – How to Embed High Quality Videos in Your Website [Trailer]
By | May 14, 2009
For many years, nearly all the videos you’ve seen embedded on my website have been Quicktime videos in file formats such as MP4, MOV, and M4V. I’ve used Quicktime embed code on occasion, but usually I simply link to the video files so you can click on them and watch them in your browser. I did this even when most other websites embedded Flash video files, and clearly Flash was becoming the new standard.
My reason for this has been that I’ve much preferred the quality of Quicktime files over the quality of Flash files. To my eyes, Flash videos were unbearably low quality and difficult to watch. And one of the biggest problems has been the video-sharing services like YouTube. When you upload a video to their service, they control the transcoding process, so you give up your control over quality.
Everything has recently changed. My concerns are gone because Flash now has the ability to play videos encoded with the H.264 codec. This is huge! H.264 gives you the ability to produce high quality videos with a relatively low file size. This codec is the one I use with all of the videos I distribute over the web.
In this week’s installment of Izzy Video, I demonstrate how to create a high quality FLV file (which is a Flash file format that’s excellent for playing on the web). I also demonstrate how to embed it into your website. If you’ve been wanting to embed high quality videos in your website, this episode is a must-see.
This week’s tutorial is available to Izzy Video Members only.
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Izzy Video Members get access to full versions of the show in HD and iPod resolutions. Please follow this link for more details on becoming an Izzy Video Member.
Want to see the trailer and all the other free tutorials?
Subscribe to the free version of Izzy Video in iTunes, and have this trailer plus future free tutorials and trailers delivered to your computer by clicking on the following link:
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You can download the Quicktime version of the trailer here.
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[FS] Izzy Video 131 – Getting a Good Exposure with an 18% Gray Card [Free Show]
By | May 13, 2009
We’re returning to some video fundamentals with this episode. This tutorial is all about getting a good exposure. Also, I demonstrate how to to use an 18% gray card.
The specific gray card I’m using is from Lastolite. Here is an Amazon link (where I purchased mine): Lastolite 12-Inch Ezybalance Card Gray Card
You can watch the high quality version of the video here.
Want to see more videos like this one? Check out the membership information page to see how you can get access to all the other videos.
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[FS] Izzy Video 129 – Make a Demon Child in Motion [Free Show]
By | May 13, 2009
Who says that video production can’t be a family activity? 
I get requests for Motion tutorials all the time, and it’s been a while since I’ve released one, so I thought we’d have a little fun in this week’s episode. In this installment of Izzy Video, I demonstrate the steps you take in Motion to turn a face into a monster’s face. The technique uses motion tracking and keyframed filters. I hope you have as much fun with this technique as we did.
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[FS] Izzy Video 126 – How to Darken Your Background Outdoors [Free Show]
By | May 13, 2009
In this video tutorial, I demonstrate the final tool I recommend as part of your outdoor lighting gear. It’s a black net. You can use a black net for a lot of things, but it’s an excellent tool to cut the light in a background. In this video, you’ll see how I use an 8×8 Scrim Jim with a double black net to darken the background behind the subject. This is the last lighting control tutorial I have planned for the “Shooting Outdoors” series. More on shooting outdoors is still to come, but not on lighting.
You can watch the video here.
Also, if you’re interested in the live workshop I’m doing on April 17th, 2009, you can get the details here.
If you’re not an Izzy Video member, you might want to check out how it works so you can see the rest of the videos in the “Shooting Outdoors” series, along with more than 100 other videos. Members get more. A lot more.
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[FS] Izzy Video 123 – Output Video for the Web [Free Show]
By | May 13, 2009
This week’s video does a couple things. It promotes my new course, Learn Final Cut Pro 6: The Izzy Video Guide for Beginners. Also the video answers a question that viewers frequently ask me: “What is your process for exporting video for the web?”
I covered the subject a while back, but my process has changed a bit since then, so it’s a good time to update you.
As I mention in the video, this free version is much smaller than the ones available as part of my Final Cut Pro course. My course offers both HD videos at 1280×800 and Small videos at 960×600, so viewers can see everything that I’m doing on the screen.
I’m really excited about this new course. It took a long time, but I’m very happy with it. I believe it’s a great way for someone new to Final Cut Pro to learn the fundamentals of the app. I’ve already started receiving feedback from people who signed up for it yesterday right after I launched it. The feedback has been quite positive so far, and of course, I’m delighted about that!
By the way, if you’re an Izzy Video Member, then you get $20 off the price of the course. Simply login to the members area and you’ll find a coupon code. If you’re not a Member, and you’re interested in learning Final Cut Pro, this is a great time to become a Member.
You can download Izzy Video 123 here.
Finally, if you have additional recommendations regarding outputting video for the web after watching the video, please post any comments here. I’d love to read additional strategies.
Of course, you can leave any comment you want. It doesn’t have to be an exporting strategy. 
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[FS] Izzy Video 121 – How to Shoot Video Outdoors, Part 1 [Free Show]
By | May 13, 2009
This is a popular request I get: Will you please show different ways of shooting video outdoors, when you don’t have all the comforts of a studio?
That’s a big request, and there’s a lot to cover, so this installment of Izzy Video will get the ball rolling. This one is all about diffusion. I’ve touched on the subject in the past, but this episode goes more in-depth and does a better job of covering gear.
UPDATE: Several people have asked me to post a link to the Scrim Jim Kit that I show in this video. Here it is: Scrim Jim Broadcast Location Kit – Large
You can watch Izzy Video episode 121 here.
As I mention in the video, this is the first part of a series of tutorials on the subject of shooting video outdoors. There’s plenty to talk about, so there’s no way to fit it into one episode. If you’re new to Izzy Video, I recommend you subscribe to the RSS feed in iTunes to ensure you get the future episodes.
If you want to see every episode in the series, you’ll need to be an Izzy Video Member. Members always get more. If you’re new, you might want to learn about an Izzy Video Membership.
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[FS] Izzy Video 116 – 2.5 Dimensions [Free Show]
By | May 13, 2009
Still photos can be powerful additions to your video, and adding movement to the photos can take them to the next level. Today’s episode shows you how to take the movement even further, by using an effect called 2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensions). In this tutorial, I demonstrate how to create the effect using a combination of Photoshop and Motion, but you could just as easily do it in Photoshop and After Effects, or even other software combinations.
The effect is difficult to describe. It’s subtle, and the best way to understand 2.5D is just to see it in action.
You can watch the free version of Izzy Video 116 here.
As always, the paid members can download an HD version of this video in the member’s area. To learn more about becoming an Izzy Video Member, please visit the membership information page.
Topics: Shooting Video | No Comments »
[FS] Izzy Video 112 – Tips for Shooting During the Holidays [Free Show]
By | May 13, 2009
Happy Holidays to everyone!
This installment of Izzy Video is all about things you can do to shoot better video this holiday season. Hopefully this will help you get the footage you’re hoping for.
In this video, I cover several topics including:
* How to capture live events
* Adding extra lighting
* Better camera angles for shooting children
* A list of things to avoid
You can watch the free version of Izzy Video 112 here.
As always, the paid members can download an HD version of this video in the member’s area. To learn more about becoming an Izzy Video Member, please visit the membership information page.
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[FS] Izzy Video 110 – The Rule of Thirds Revisited [Free Show]
By | May 13, 2009
This installment of Izzy Video is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Some of you may know that the first episode of Izzy Video I did three years ago was on the subject of The Rule of Thirds. Over the past three years, as I’ve rewatched episode one, I’ve wanted to redo it. It’s a fundamental rule of cinematography, so I believe it deserves a little more elaboration than I originally gave it. In this remake, some of the content is the same, and some of it is different. But I definitely believe it’s better.
In this video, I cover several topics including:
* Using the Rule of Thirds with talking heads
* Using the Rule of Thirds with landscape footage
* Using the Rule of Thirds with static objects
* Using the Rule of Thirds with someone moving across the frame
You can watch the free version of Izzy Video 110 here.
As always, the paid members can download an HD version of this video in the member’s area. To learn more about becoming an Izzy Video Member, please visit the membership information page.
Topics: Shooting Video | No Comments »