Powerpoint Rules

Hi Guys

Powerpoint has been around for what seems to be a lifetime and we have all attended webinars where we have been subjected to boring presentations supported by ugly, boring or complicated Powerpoint. Maybe all three. 

Like the following example 

The worse  nightmares were when the speaker just read the words straight off the screen, often facing the screen so you couldn't hear what was being said. And when he hadn't rehearsed and stumbled then this was the pits

Now these simple text only presentations have a place in offline seminars where the speaker knows his stuff and uses Powerpoint as little as possible, just with the brief bullet points.

And this is brilliant for webinars and online courses where you are watching remotely and just want bullet points. But here are some points to bear in mind:

• Learn what you are going to say. Rehearse. Rehearse. Rehearse. You just can't rehearse enough. Take a look at the professionals. Actors rehearse until they are not only word perfect but action perfect too. They are entertainers and so are you. Practice in front of a mirror, your family and friends.
• Keep your slides simple and big enough text. We have all seen screens full of text so small that it's impossible to read - firstly because it's too small and secondly there is too much text. This usually happens when the presenter is going to just read what's there. For text sizes I's recommend 60pt for headings, 48pt for sub-headings, and 36pt for the bullet points. Any smaller and it can't be read easily. Also if you use these recommended sizes it will restrict the number of words you can use. 
• I'd highly recommend using simple typefaces such as Arial or Times New Roman. Then use the derivatives such as bold, italic, Black, Rounded etc. By using different fonts in a family the look will be much more consistent. Using these typefaces are also easy to read and are the fonts suggested for visually impaired people.
• Use good contrast. Black on white is ok. The best contrast used to be blue on yellow but the latest thinking is black on yellow. Using more colours might look bright but remember KISS - keep it simple, stupid.
• There are loads of transitions and animations.These add a bit of sparkle but don't overdo it. Remember, it's what you say that's important, not a jazzy presentation.
•  Consider having the slides available online as a download. Afraid someone else will use them? Don't worry, it seldom happens but you give attendees the chance to see them and inwardly digest. You might consider an audio to so they can be listened to at convenient times, like in the car.
• Use pictures and cartoons if they are pertinent but make sure they are easy to see. Sometimes photos are too detailed, blurred or out of focus.  
• Talk slowly. We often talk too fast and in presentaions of any type it is really important that every word is clearly understood.

So there are a few tips. Now there are some great ideas to take Powerpoint to the next level. You can design this yourself or download ready made templates that you can just modify and change. There are plenty, Google free templates. I will be making video on how to use Powerpoint and convert it into an MP4. 

Here is a simple example of a downloaded template that I modified to show you. Now something like this can be used to make lectures for online courses, short videos of different types for your website and much more. If you are camera shy this is a sure fire route to take.

 I hope that this has been useful to you. Please follow me here and make a comment. I'd love to hear your experiences, comments and suggestions. In the right hand column you'll find a link to my YouTube channel. Why not click and see what I'm up to.

 

The Trailer Video on your YouTube Channel

 





Hi Guys
I've just launched a YouTube channel trailer. 

Setting up your own YouTube channel means you can have a specific page for your videos.I fact if you have a couple of interests you can have a separate page for each. This will mean you attract viewers interested in each interest and can encourage them to come back over again.

Having a trailer video means that anyone browsing can look at this and know exactly what to expect. It's a great idea. You can use an existing video from your library or have the latest and newest video as your trailer. But I believe that if you prepare a specific video you can explain exactly what you cover on your channel

So how do you do this? Well first of all you need to plan the type of video. Will it be a talking head, a Powerpoint presentation or a cartoon type video. There are others but these are the main ones used. If you are up to it I would highly recommend you do a talking head because it is the easiest and fastest to shoot and you will build up a fast relationship with the viewer. By relationship I mean its good to get viewers to know you and to like you. They will eventually trust you and the material you publish so that they come back and watch everything you make.

So how should you make the video. Firstly it needs to be precise. You need to introduce yourself in a sentence then talk about what you will be showing and finishing with a call to action where you ask viewers to either subscribe, go to a website or blog or take some other action.

It needs to be short, about 60-120 seconds. I's suggest an intro of about 10 seconds with a title. When you record look at the camera and be slightly off-centre on the screen. Be well lit: the best lighting is natural sunlight but when its actually cloudy because you'll not get harsh shadows. A good plane is to face a window. If not get some lights, with video these days you can use almost any type of light. I'm not going into lighting here but you can always do some test shoots. As a point of interest you could go to a park or other quiet place and do a selfie with your smartphone. This will probably be more than adequate.

When you have uploaded your video you need to make a custom thumbnail. Use Carva.com which is free. You can make all types of images with text to the correct size for any particular use such as a YouTube thumbnail or Facebook banner. Your thumbnail needs to be simple and with only one or two words max. Remember many people view on smartphones and other devices with small screens so text can't be read. There is a tight specification of recommendations that will give you the best thumbnail that will draw the most attention. There is not enough room here to cover that in detail. Take a look at successful YouTube channels and they will all have custom thumbnails. Copying their ideas is ok, but don't use the same images, use your own. 

So now you need to set up your trailer. Click on the "My Channel" button on the left. The you will see the wheel symbol on the right as in the following image. Click then you will see a drop down menu.

Where it says "Customize the layout of your channel" switch the botton across to change colour to blue as below

 Go to My Channel and as below click on "For New Visitors" and you will see the space below to load your Trailer. Complete as much on the text as you can as usual and tags.

 This is the finished result. This has been a very quick guide. I will produce a full video on this as it is very important

Good Luck. Give it a try.

I'm really happy to help you with your video problems. Leave a comment below and I'll reply or make a new post to cover your query. If you have any useful suggestions or ideas please leave hose too. We succeed by being a community

And please subscribe here and on my YouTube Channel

Your Community Station Studio Start-up

Hi Guys

Thank you for reading this blog. I do hope you find it informative and useful and that you take action. I've had some very positive feedback from the last post about setting up your own online TV show and today I want to elaborate on some issues that I've had questions about.

Gina from Ontario asked how do you start? And Bill living (I presume) in Wood Green in North London said he runs a community project and thinks this would fit well with what

they are doing. He also wanted to know how to get going. What equipment and how does he design a studio in his Community Centre?  I'll try and answer Bill's question now.

So lets talk about your studio.

You can have a studio almost anywhere provided you have a

 small space bigger than about 4 metres by 5 metres. You will need a power supply for low energy lighting and other equipment. Standard power sockets will be adequate and the quantity of power used will be no more than the power you use to light your home. So there's no big drain on energy.

Natural lighting is the best for filming provided it is sufficiently strong but I feel that for a studio it will be inadequate. If there is natural light use it and supplement it with artificial lighting. You can pick up a lighting kit for a very low cost. Lights

available on E-bay are adequate and low cost. I'd suggest a couple of these packs. Cost is less than £90/$130 per pack. These lighting boxes are called soft boxes because there is a translucent cover over he front to diffuse the light and cut out shadows. But you can remove the covers and have direct light. They hold low energy daylight bulbs that are cool when working, unlike traditional lights which become tremendously hot. With two kits you are ok for smaller sets such as interviews and also for larger sets such as panels, chat shows where there may be 3 people on a sofa and a presenter. You can of course use more traditional lighting or LED lights that are now available as direct mains powered or battery operated.

How about cameras? There is a whole range of cameras from the simple (well rather sophisticated really) smartphone, through camcorders, professional cameras, DLSRs and Go Pro Heros. The choice is yours. Personally I'd grab a couple of camcorders because they are relatively cheap new or dirt cheap second hand. This means you can work on a shoestring and grow in time. There's another bonus here. If you are going for funding then you can produce material to backup what you are looking for by showing you have started to experiment. You'll also need tripods. Hand help cameras are generally really bad. You just can't prevent hand shake and movement. To start use KISS - keep it simple, stupid!!

Sound is more important than most of us realise. So I'd recommend using separate mics, not the ones mounted on cameras. You can use the input socket and either wireless or long leads and this is ok. We use a boom mic held over the actors, interviewers or guests. And this works well. You can make a boom easily and cheaply. We'll cover that in another post. So my favourite external recorders are the Zoom range. These provide a variety of sound options and are compact and lightweight.

You will need a backdrop. Now this could be as simple as a painted wall, but you could use paper or material backdrops. You can by backdrop kits of a stand and material backdrops in black, white and green. You will move on to the green backdrop for green screen as you become more experienced. If you have a large room you could just pull away from the walls and have the background out of focus.

So you have choice. In addition you can dress the set at little cost. Remember a photo of a prop can look like the real thing on video. A planter on set is easy and you might get a local shop to donate or free loan you. Ask kindly and you will be surprised what you can get.I have tended to keep it simple. A tall planter is all I usually have on set. 

You probably will need a desk for news readers. This doesn't have to be elaborate and in fact a shallow desk is good because it takes up little space for storage between use. 

Props can be the real thing or made out of papier mache which can be used to form almost anything. I used to make puppet heads with it but also remember a huge dinosaur (probably 4 metres high) we used in a carnival made from chicken wire covered in papier mache. Once painted it is pretty well water proof and, if enough layers, is strong too.

Backdrops can also be sheets of mdf, plywood or almost anything that's firm. So you can have a window with the sun shining through, a balcony, painted backdrop like you see in Kids TV shows. The limit is your imagination.

Now with a small studio you will probably need to shoot some material around the show you are producing. So, for example when we had a music item, this was filmed prior to the show and edited in. Firstly the guitarist had another engagement so we had to film him early, but secondly he would have been hanging around unnecessarily for a couple of hours. 

So that's your studio. Ideally, if you are working  in a Community Centre you will probably have more room. A studio should be an integral part of any Community Centre at it teaches a new skill, gives users confidence and social skills, and its a a fun project. In addition it is a great way to promote everything local, particularly community activities

If you don't have suitable premises I would highly recommend approaching everybody who might be able to help using both social media and direct approaches. You may be surprised at the support you will get without having to pay.

Good luck with your venture. Watch for further posts on setting up and running a Community TV Station. And there will be a full course ready soon with everything you need to know about setting up and running one.

Selfie with a message

Just found these videos that were really selfies. I think this is what a selfie should be. It should be interesting and tell a story or give a message. 

What do you think?  Please leave a comment 

Start a Personal Video Blog. A Vlog!!

Starting a personal video blog is easy. Pick up a camera or smartphone, film and upload. And that's it. At its simplest no editing, no title, no background music. And the results can be interesting and watchable. I've made several videos in this vein and here is my formula that works.

First I always use the selfie model, secondly I keep the video length down to less that 2 minutes, thirdly the content has to be conversational like talking to a friend, fourth I think through what I'm going to say before recording so I have a plan, and last there should be something worth listening to and about. I try to keep to one take but inevitably re-do about 4 or 5 times. I do believe that each take is better than the previous but you are never going to be perfect so just finish and download.

Now lets look at each facet. Running this in selfie model is good. People like talking heads because they hear the words, see your lips move and subconsciously decipher your body language - just like you were there in person. And when you realise that we rely about 80% of what we see only on 20% of what we hear body language is a big deal.

Try to look at the camera lens. Many people look at the screen where they see themselves but the camera is often situated at the top. You'll see a pinprick, check by covering with your finger and if the screen goes black then you've got it. Look at the camera and you'll seem more intimate to viewers. Try to get an interesting background but fill the screen top to bottom with you face and shoulders. Many hold the camera as far away as possible to make themselves smaller, and this is wrong. Viewer want to see you. We are all a bit apprehensive about how we look on screen. Don't worry, you will look fine.

 Try to look happy unless you are talking about something really serious. I look at myself and think I look miserable. I just don't know.

Because you've thought through what you will say it will be easier not to hesitate. Stumbling over words, hesitation and umms or errs are really irritating. The good news is, however, that practice makes perfect. So don't worry too much with your first efforts.

Keep it short. You can usually get your message across in less than two minutes. This is a great control and will ensure you cover just the essentials. Firstly surfers will stay for 2 or 3 seconds to see if interesting and if there is no impact they'll leave immediately. Otherwise they stay but the average is less than a minute. So you've got to make it really interesting. OK your family will not only watch everything you film, but they'll watch over again. But not the man in the street. I try and give some factual information first then a point I want to get across. Look at the video on this blog and you'll see what I mean. 

When you are talking think that you are having a conversation with one person. Maybe you are telling someone in your family or a friend. This will make the video more intimate and will hold the viewers attention. And it's easier to think you are talking direct to someone you know than an impersonal camera.

I try to do it right first time and when I re-shoot I keep thinking this is the last. Inevitably I do about 4 or 5 retakes and each one is better. Just give it a go. You'll be bettrer than you think.

Now for the final act. Upload to Facebook or Youtube. Job done. If you find this useful or want more information make a comment at the bottom of the page. Go out there and shoot a mega movie.

Interview Techniques to Make better Video

Hi Guys
 

Interview techniques are straight forward but often we forget some of the basics so here's some tips.

Decide the format of your interview.

     Is it a two-hander showing both the interviewer and interviewer?  Just the interviewee? A documentary with the interviewer telling the story and cutaways of interviewees to accentuate a point?

Once you've decided then stick to the same format. If you change mid-stream it will throw the audience.

Are you using one or two cameras? You can make an interesting interview cutting between both parties with one camera but it takes a bit or organising and planning. With two cameras you can direct one at each party, lay them down in parallel on the time-line when you are editing and then cut between. This is the simplest. Firstly when you are editing it's possible to see both faces and cut to the best shot. If there is hesitation or any reason to edit something out then you just cut to the other party and there is no jump in the continuity.

If you are using one camera and you are shooting and interviewing then it's still possible to show both parties and retain the flow of conversation. We do this by pointing the camera at the interviewee, filming them talking then, when complete, move the camera to focus on the interviewer who asks some of the questions again, the words don't have to be exact because you will be cutting in when editing. Then take some shots of the interviewer nodding in agreement, shaking their head and looking as if they are listening. And of course finish with a summary piece looking at the camera (called to camera). You can then edit this together to look like a two headed interview.

Lighting is important. You should think about natural light which is best but avoid direct sunlight particularly in someone’s face. They will have no definition and will probably screw their face up. It’s always best to find a place in the shade.

If you are filming indoors then try filming near a window with the light on the interviewers face. If necessary then you’ll have to use artificial light. Video lights on Amazon are really cheap now. An LED hand held battery operated light will be as low at £20 but we do not have time to cover lighting here. Watch out for a FilmMakerTips information sheet .

 I would highly recommend that you get anyone you are filming to sign a release form giving your permission to film them and use it at all times. If you are using it commercially and possibly paying them, then put that into the agreement. The main thing is that you have their permission. If they are contracted to a major TV network or film at a later date then they may have to sign an exclusivity document preventing them from working with anyone else. I've had this a few times now with TV stations and Shows like the X Factor. In fact I've just wanted to use a photo of a girl who worked with me 4 years ago and I'm told the BBC want me to remove it off the website. I haven't looked at the legalities because we had a contract at the time, but have just done it to save time and effort.

Always explain to the interviewee what you are going to do and what you expect from them. So, for example, tell them where to look - you or the camera. Tell them to relax and that any mistakes can be edited out or they can start an answer

again. Tell them most importantly that it’s just a conversation and to talk to you like a friend.

Start off with some local questions to put them at easy so that there is some flow going when they answer the relevant important questions because they are comfortable. So talk about the weather, sport, TV last night, families. Then just carry on into your questions. Afterwards tell them how good they were, and that you will tell them when it's edited.

Before the interview do some research if you have sufficient time to do so.  This is obviously important with pre-arranged interviews where you won't get a second chance. I remember a reporter coming from London to do two interviews for me with local people. As soon as she sat down with them it was obvious that she had done her homework. She knew all the relevant information and more. She talked about their families, their jobs and history and the heart of the interview topic with confidence. I guess that's why she was contracted for so much Sky TV work.

At the interview avoid eye contact with the camera unless intentional. It’s always best to use front and back end pieces to camera even if you don't use. You can't go back later. Use open ended questions that can’t be answered with one word. Use Why, Where, When, What, Who because they lead the interviewee onto a full answer. Encourage the interviewee by nodding, shaking your head, smiling, leaning forward. Anything to get them to open up and elaborate. You will find you are closer to each other than you expect but this improves the visual impact. You will look further apart, just like you will appear to be slightly heavier in weight than you are in life.

If things go wrong just carry on. It is best to pause for about 3 seconds which gives you time to regain your posture and get your thoughts straight, but also helps the editing.

Times are important too. The editing will always cut out content but when you are interviewing you can go on too long or forget the time. If you are on your own refer to clock or your watch. If you are being directed then watch the director and take instructions from them.

When interviewing get names right, say them back before the interview to check pronunciation. Use names through the interview but not in every sentence. Remember you are in control so direct the conversation back whenever it slips away.  

A quick word about microphones. The usual microphones for interviews are lapel mics, handheld mics or if you are in a studio with assistants then a boom mic. You may also use a fixed overhead mic. I'll be talking about mics on another blog. The cover over the mic softens wind whistle sounds. Lapel mics are really good, they pick up the voice but most other sounds are out of reach. When you use a hand-held mic then point it at whoever is speaking. Often non-professionals wave the mic around, or don’t point it in the right direction. Sometimes the interviewer will tap the mic unconsciously with their fingers.  But always remember to tell others in the room to be silent whilst recording.

Wear suitable clothes. If it’s a formal interview then wear formal clothes. Always try to dress to suit the occasion. This looks better on screen but also puts the interviewee at ease. Avoid wearing clothes with confusing patterns, In fact keep it simple. Plain clothing is best. In the event you may be recording in a green screen situation then avoid greens and blues.

Any questions? Write to me at my e-mail which is ask@mikeleahy.com

Welcome to How to Make Awesome Videos

Hi There and Welcome,

This blog is the companion to the new course that I'm putting together now.so you can expect some good tips and products here that will help you make great video. The course is due shortly and will be very comprehensive.

Some of the topics we'll cover are choosing cameras, lighting, sound and editing equipment and software on a budget. In fact I'll be showing you how to create stunning video using your smartphone. It's hard to believe you can do editing, add music and titles and download from within the phone itself.

I'll be looking at setting up a home studio and what you need for a mobile studio. How to take YouTube to the next level and use as a platform for your own online TV Channel. Filming interviews, local events and how to monetise your video. I'll set out the complete syllabus shortly.

I will set up a Facebook page and have already fixed an e-mail so click on the START photo which will take you straight there. I'm also setting up some regular freebies that my course students and followers here will benefit from. Yet another reason to sign up.

Now just a bit of background information. I don't have a degree in film-making or any other academic qualification. What I do have is practical experience in indie work and surrounding myself with professionals.

Just to let you know I made my first film in about 1951 so that may be before you were born, and maybe before your parents were born! I was about 8 years old and borrowed my father's 8mm camera. There as some film stock in it and I borrowed a couple of tartan skirts from my sister. I went off to the local park with a couple of mates and we made a film of about 3 minutes about the Scotsman Rob Roy, who fought the English. I can't actually remember much else except mny father was really mad that I'd taken his most treasured possession.

I will tell you more about my experience as we go on. It'll show you how technology has improved film-making and brought costs crashing. we'll look at the beginnings of the film studios in America and how you can use their techniques to make budget films.

So watch out for more.

Good filming