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This self-serve guide is designed for anyone in the Brandeis community who needs to create a short video clip and has little to no previous video editing experience. Videos can be edited on either a Macintosh or Windows PC, but a Macintosh is recommended. The checklist below contains everything you need for a basic video project with explanations of each item.
If you are working on a more extensive video project, consult the Advanced Video Editing guide.
Time is the most important aspect of a video project! Video projects can be a lot of fun to create, but be aware that they are more time-consuming to produce than you might expect. Most video projects take at least two hours of work per minute of final footage produced. For example, a 5 minute video typically takes at least 10 hours to produce.
If you have never created a video before, you will need some extra time to learn how to use a camera, edit footage in a software program and all of the other tasks associated with a video project. Don't forget to include some extra time for unexpected problems. For example, it could rain the day you wanted to tape some outdoor footage!
Before you begin filming your video, take some time to think about what you want your final product to look like. What story do you want to tell? What is the purpose of your video? Do you want your audience to take some kind of action as the result of watching your video or do you want to inform them about an important topic? What format will your video take? Will it be a fictional story, an interview, or a documentary? Write down your story idea, also known as a treatment.
If you are creating a video about a specific topic, you may need to do some additional research. For example, if you are creating a short documentary about a historical period, you will need to get some information about the time period.
After you have a better idea of what you want your video to look like, create an outline, script or storyboard to guide your project. This will help you narrow down your story and guide you through the process. It's ok if your storyboard changes a bit through the process, but having one will help keep you on track.
If your video is telling a story, you will need to identify your characters and write a script. If you are creating a documentary, you will need scripts for the narration. If your video involves an interview, you'll need to create the interview questions to ask your interviewees.
Once you have your video plan in place, you will need to create a list of the video footage you will need. What clips will you need to film? What locations will you be using? Do you need to get permission to film in a certain place?
Who will be starring in your video? If you are working on a class project you will probably be appearing in your video with some of your classmates. If you are telling a story, you will need to find some actors. If you are filiming an interview, you will need to schedule a time to interview your subject. Make sure you have someone to run the camera if you need to be on screen. Get permission from your filmed subjects before you begin filming.
In addition to capturing video footage, you may wish to include other visuals in your video. These are known as assets. Assets may include title screens, photographs, maps, or other video clips, such as historical footage. Be sure to include time to find or create other assets, and to get permission if you are using someone else's work.
You can use your own video camera, if you have one, or you can borrow a camera from Media Technology Services.
You will need a DV or miniDV tape depending on your video camera model. Make sure to get the right kind of tape for your camera, and to get enough tape for your project. For a short clip of 15 minutes or less, a one-hour tape should be sufficient. Tapes can be purchased from Media Technology Services or at just about any major electronics store, department store or office supply store.
For a short video clip, the microphone built into your camera should work well, but if you are working on a special project, or need better sound quality, an external microphone that attaches to your camera is recommended.
The FireWire cable is used to transfer video from your video camera to the computer for editing. FireWire cables are also known as IEEE-1394 cables or 4-pin to 4-pin cable for PC's or a 6-pin to 4-pin cable for a Macintosh. Make sure to get the right cable for the computer you will be working on.
Headphones are helpful for editing your video in a computer lab, checking the sound if you are using a microphone, or using your video camera in playback mode.
Video files can get very large very quickly, so you will need a hard drive with plenty of storage space to store your video files. For short videos, you can use your own computer's hard drive to store your files. If you will be editing more lengthly videos, or if you expect to create a large number of video clips, you may wish to purchase your own external hard drive. These hard drives are also helpful if you plan to edit video in a lab or need to work between different computers. .
For video editing, we recommend using Final Cut Pro through the Getz Multimedia lab.
