Filmmaking 101 for Kaltura

For professionals, filmmaking is an art which takes years to refine.
For the rest of us who just want to make a good kaltura,
here are a few tips which will help you achieve better results.

1. Pre-Production

The more you plan ahead for your kaltura, the better results you will get.
No matter what type of scene you are shooting, the following are a few questions to consider beforehand:

• Where will I be shooting? It is always best to visit your location ahead of time.
• What time of day will I be shooting and how much light will I have? Will I need artificial lighting?
• What kind of sound environment will I be shooting in? Will it be a noisy outdoor space or a small, quiet room? What kind of sound equipment will I be using?
• From what angle and distance will I be shooting my subject? How many different shots will I need to take?
• How much time will I need to set up, film everything I need, and clean up?

2. Production

Overview:

What we perceive is different from what is recorded on our video cameras.
To get the best results for your camera, you need to be conscious of the composition,
light, and sound for each of your shots.

General info about camera work:

• Start shooting at least 3 seconds before the scene begins and at least 3 seconds after it ends to make for easier editing later on.
• Hold your camera as steady as possible.
  For longer scenes, it is best to use a tripod.
  If you don’t have one, sometimes other surfaces (such as a table) will work.

Composition:

As your kaltura will look more interesting if it is shot from different angles and distances,
it is usually best to vary the position of the camera with respect to the object and scene you are shooting.

Here are some classic shots you may want to use:

Distance

• Long Shot
• Close-Up
• Medium Shot

Position

• Low Angle
• High Angle
• Eye Level
• Worms Eye
• Birds Eye
• Canted

Zooming and panning:

Panning are usually best done slowly and smoothly, to prevent your viewers from becoming nauseous.

A note on shooting objects in motion:

When you upload your raw footage to Kaltura, it will be compressed and converted for viewing on the web.
Therefore, the more motion you have in your shot, the more you’ll notice a loss in video quality once your footage is uploaded.
If you plan on shooting objects in high speed (such as a fight scene, skateboarding, or horse racing):

• As above, keep panning extra slow and smooth.
• Consider using a higher quality source file when you upload to Kaltura. (See "Digitizing" section below).

Light

• Video cameras get the best looking picture when light is within a certain range.
  If there is too much light, the resulting image will look washed out.
  If there is too little light, the resulting image will be "grainy" and there will not be much color in it.
• When you prepare to shoot, look through your camera to check on the light.
  If the existing light is not enough, you may need to use additional light sources (such as lamps) to make your shot look right.
  If you are using artificial lights, try to make sure they do not create shadows within your shot.
• Some video cameras are equipped with their own light source.
  These may do the job if you are shooting from a short distance, but they will not be very effective in shooting objects farther away from you.

Sound

• Generally, the closer the microphone is to the sound source, the better a sound recording you’ll get.
  If you are shooting your subject from a distance, in a noisy location, or in bad weather this will be more difficult and you may want to use an external microphone.
• As you prepare your shot, check the sound quality by connecting a pair of headphones to your camera and listening to a few test shots.
  If needed, adjust your distance from the subject or change the placement of an external microphone to get the best sound possible.

3. Post-Production

Digitizing Your RAW Footage:

If you are using a digital camera that shoots on hard disk or DVD, you can import your raw footage directly to your hard drive.
As long as the size of each individual file is under 200 MB, your footage is ready to upload to Kaltura.

If you are using a camera in miniDV format, you will have to undergo a few extra steps:

• First, you will need to digitize your footage, which converts the footage on your tape to a data file on your computer.
  There are several products available for this purpose, ranging from freeware (such as winDV) to more expensive software (such as Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere).
  Refer to the instructions included with each product for details.
• Next, if the size of each of your individual files is larger than 200 MB, you will have to compress your raw footage.
  Again, there are several products available for this purpose, from freeware (such as STOIK Video Converter) to specialized compression programs (such as Sorenson Squeeze).
  You can also compress your video in the context of most offline editing software such as Final Cut Pro or Adobe Premiere.
  Kaltura supports several different file types, so you can convert your footage to most any standard video file type (such as .avi, .mpg, .mov, .wmv, .m4v, etc.).

Uploading your RAW Footage to Kaltura

Once you open your kaltura, the wizard will guide you through the uploading process.
For more information, please visit www.kaltura.com/tour and click on "Add a Clip".

Again, it is strongly recommended that you limit the size of each individual file to under 200 MB.
You can upload the footage you’ve shot from your hard drive, and you can also upload movies, sounds, or photos from a variety of other websites (such as YouTube).
Additionally, you record movies or sounds directly to Kaltura from a webcam.

Editing on Kaltura

Kaltura’s editor allows you to piece together your individual media files as well as add sound, animation, motion graphics, and other effects.
For a tour of the editor please visit www.kaltura.com/tour, and click on "Edit Kaltura Video."
You can also practice editing at the sandbox.

A general point on editing:

What kind of mood would you like to create in your kaltura?
Many factors, such as the speed of your edits, transitions, and the music you choose, can help you to create this mood.
Generally, the slower your transitions and edits, the more "mellow" the feel of your kaltura.
You can create this mood through your choice in music and speed of your edits.

One Last Note:

While the easiest way for you to learn about this process is through trying it out, the most important thing is that you have fun!