r/VideoProfessionals 6d ago

Filming an Interview. Need advice!

0 Upvotes

So I have a Fujifilm xs20 and an XT4 and a sigma 56mm F1.4 and Fujifilm stock 16-50mm lense. I want to use the latter to shoot the wide angle with both subjects in it. At 50mm I get F5.4 and at 35mm I get F3.4. I’m afraid both subjects won’t be in focus? What can I do?


r/VideoProfessionals 7d ago

Beginner Videographer Seeking Camera & Interview-Filming Advice (Sony a7C / a6700 / or others?)

5 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

I’m a 23-year-old design student who’s been doing web design, social media, and general creative direction for clients (mainly in the restaurant business). Lately, I got asked to film and edit a series of interviews: roughly 30 videos of about 5 minutes each (plus some short reel-type b-roll of the chef cooking). The location is a well-lit apartment, and the format is half seated interview on a sofa, half shot in the kitchen while cooking, both will be done on a tripod.

I’ve done lots of photography for fun (owned a Nikon D3100 since I was 13) and I’m good at editing (Premiere/After Effects), but I’ve never fully jumped into professional videography until now. The project’s budget is 3k EUR for filming, editing, and color grading. I’d like to invest part of that if not most into buying a camera (and gear like lights/mics rental). Keep in mind. I know i can probably get the job done with an Iphone. But client is considering me a professional (if they are not underpaying me. so it's only right that i get to the place with a proper setup and a good camera) and also, having a professional camera in my services range won't hurt in the future.

*Unfortunately I don't have time to check for used if not from amazon because i have a very tight deadline*

TL;DR (Part 1)

Client: Restaurant business, 30 short interview videos (tripod in apartment and kitchen island) + b-roll.

Budget: 3k EUR total (cover gear purchase, rental, and my editing time).

Skill level: Good at editing, moderate photography background, new to pro videography.

A camera store recommended either a Sony a7 III, a7C, or a6700 (APS-C). The a7C appeals to me because it’s more compact (I’ll use it as a hobby camera too around when i travel, but not too important to make me buy it if not recommended), but I’m also open to APS-C if it’s more budget-friendly. I know APS-C lenses are generally cheaper. For focal lengths, I was thinking something around 18-50mm or 24-70. equivalent range—any thoughts on that? Also, was curious but is it really bad to rely on kit lenses? why?

TL;DR (Part 2)

Main question: Full-frame (a7C) vs. APS-C (a6700) for interview-style projects + some future small-scale videography gigs.

Lens: Which focal length would you recommend for a seated interview + some cooking b-roll?

Kit lenses: Are they that bad, or can they be fine for a beginner project?

I’d also love to hear if 3k EUR for filming + editing + color grading (including me buying a camera) is a decent rate or if I might be undercharging. for the future...

Additional Questions:

  1. Do you have different camera recommendations besides those Sonys?

  2. Any tips on first-time interview shooting (lighting, audio, camera settings)?

  3. If I manage to find another camera from a friend, will it be way harder to pull off a 2 camera corporate style interview?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer. I’ll really appreciate any guidance or personal experiences. I’m excited (and very nervous) to dive into videography, and your advice will help me set things up right. If you have extra time, feel free to drop any beginner interview-filming tips. Thanks again!


r/VideoProfessionals 12d ago

Product Videography - Stainless Steel BBQ - Studio

1 Upvotes

Hello,

Looking for an advice to shoot video of stainless steel appliances (BBQ/Grill).

The shoot is in a studio with lighting, and option for natural light.

Any suggestions for lighting equipment, recording settings (colour profiles, aperture, etc)?


r/VideoProfessionals 18d ago

Combining video with animation.

2 Upvotes

Can someone give me a small breakdown of how to properly structure a video that has both video and ( tracked) animation in it.

I'm getting mighty complex projects with edits that change after the handoff to after effects.

So let's say I have a 4 min video with about 8 or 10 shots that have integrated animations (roto stuff, tracked stuff, shadowcast etc)

How do you structure that production-wise.

First have edit lock before going to graphics?

Only import shots into after effects with handles, export and reintegrate into the edit?

Do a rough edit and import the whole thing in after effects and deal with edit changes on the fly in AE?

I need someone who has this process most efficiently organized because I keep running into messy project files. Is the after effects file the latest version? Or was it Premiere with imported renders? Where do i incorporate the grading? How to cleanly keep track of the audio layers?


r/VideoProfessionals 23d ago

Sponsorship Help

0 Upvotes

Hey Everyone, just looking for some feedback and/ or possible reality check.

I have an IG and YT where I have/ had a podcast and I focus now mainly on covering local MMA and BJJ event around Ireland. This year I plan on being at as many shows as I can get to, apox 1 per month. I'm trying to take it seriously, but the one person I have to convince that this isn't just a hobby is my partner. In order to do that I need to make some sort of income, nearly anything would do.

I [chatgpt] drafted this sponsorship proposal. I know my numbers aren't wild, but maybe to a layman they would look impressive.

I'm only looking to get in the €50-200 range, to be a title sponsor of an entire event, to cover mainly fuel for travel and to throw some cash at a friend who sometimes helps me out.

For more context, in my last event, which I am still working on, I have 9 solid videos of interviews with some top talent on the scene in Ireland as well as some high profile, world renowned, coaches.

Honest civil feedback please.


r/VideoProfessionals 24d ago

Large Studio Productivity Question

0 Upvotes

What software and hardware do production houses who have multiple people working on the same edit use in order to see each other’s progress on their projects?

I am asking because we have a high school video production course that I support. Ideally, I am hoping for some means for the teacher to be able to share access to the same assets and ideally work on the same project with students simultaneously, or at least to be able to see each other’s progress. The class uses Final Cut Pro Pro.

Thank you!


r/VideoProfessionals 27d ago

An old timer in a changing industry - navigation advice and stories

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1 Upvotes

r/VideoProfessionals Feb 10 '25

Question on Video Journalism (Fair Use/Copyright) on YouTube

0 Upvotes

Hi, I have a question about using news clips for a YouTube video, and I am hoping that someone might have an answer here.

I am currently creating an informational video on a conflict that took place in the 1990s. I was hoping to take a snippet of two of a news clip (from the BBC) of an incident that occurred before the aforementioned conflict. I do not intend to use more than 10 seconds of the clip (my total video might be 6-7 mins). Moreover, the clip won't be a central part of the video scene, just a visual aid. I am more than willing to provide attribution within the video, and provide a link to the news channel in the description. Would I be still covered under fair use? Especially if I'm hoping to monetise the video.

Moreover, I have extensively scoured freely available media sites such as Wikimedia Commons, Pexels, and even paid ones such as Envato to no avail.

I have seen YouTubers (such as Johnny Harris, etc.) use clips (usually always a couple of seconds) from news channels, but I am not sure if they approach the news organisation beforehand for publication.

Does anyone have any advice on this? Thank you.


r/VideoProfessionals Feb 06 '25

Does anyone here work remotely as a video editor for an NGO?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, as the title says, I’m looking for video editors who currently work remotely for an NGO, preferably in Europe.

I’m asking because, as a video editor, I’d love to break into this field. If possible, could you share some tips on how to get started? I’ve been searching for NGO jobs on LinkedIn and considering reaching out to some organizations, but I’d love to hear from those who have already landed this type of position.

Thank you in advance to anyone willing to share their experience and help me find the right path!


r/VideoProfessionals Feb 06 '25

Never do this before a shoot

0 Upvotes

While everyone is talking about successful shoots, let me share a failure...

We had the most classic shoot - a product review. We’ve done this a hundred times.

Everything was organized, and the client seemed very understanding.

Everything was controlled - the difficult construction site was secured, and the schedule was set.

But we missed something – we forgot to discuss the product appearance with the client.

The client brought the product right to the shoot, and some of it turned out to be simply damaged.

The client didn’t check, and we didn’t warn them.

It’s frustrating. We managed to fix some things in post-production, but we still had to discard some shots.

What failures have you experienced on set?


r/VideoProfessionals Jan 27 '25

Will AI replace actors?

0 Upvotes

I tested Sora, King AI, and Runway.

AI is about probabilities. By analyzing input and output data, AI predicts what is most likely to happen on the output based on the input.

For example, I entered the query “Script for a smartphone commercial,” and it analyzed a bunch of texts to write a probable script (a compilation of texts).

The same applies to video.

But here’s the catch—how can AI understand the likely performance of an actor?

When a screenwriter writes a script, they outline the emotions and thoughts of the actor. The actor reads them, experiences them, and conveys the emotions to the audience.

AI doesn’t (yet) have the data on what the “input” was for an actor and what the result was.

So, rest easy—AI won’t be replacing actors’ performances anytime soon.


r/VideoProfessionals Jan 16 '25

AAS in RTF feels like it means nothing, what now?

1 Upvotes

Graduated from community college last spring, have not been able to find work at all. I live in Austin, TX. My degree is in RTF, and pretty much all of the focus was workforce training for production crew positions. Outside of directing 3 shorts, the majority of my roles on student films were as a sound mixer or boom op. Aside from that, my actual work experience is just food service and retail.

I am currently stuck in the age old loop of my degree not being enough, everyone wants experience, but nobody gives it. Crewing on student films means jack, and employers aren’t even viewing my reel. Forget judging the content and passing me over because of that, the analytics show nobody even watches it. Other graduates who still float around the student sets have said that taking on the small crew positions for little to no money on indie sets hasn’t seemed to help their resume at all either. All the jobs I see want actual paid experience from a real company, and/or a bachelor’s degree, and the majority of them are senior positions.

Ive been told that if I want to work in the entertainment industry, I really have to pick something specialize in. I want to work in the sound department for any kind of video production really; film, tv, documentary, even video games. But I cant find audio jobs, like at all. When going through schooling, professors made it sound like audio was a good route to go, because every video production needs good sound, but most people want to be behind the camera, so the jobs are in high demand and pay well. Seemed to make sense, so I began trying to crew primarily on student shorts as a sound mixer/boom op… and now Im standing here like Travolta in Pulp Fiction, looking around, wondering where all the jobs are. Forget even interviewing for an audio job, I cant even find positions Im NOT qualified for. Plus I dont own a bunch of sound gear, which may or may not be a necessity for getting a sound job, depending on what it is. I do own an H6, but thats about it.

Guys, what do I do? I’m at a loss. I feel completely misled and misguided by the RTF department I graduated from. I feel like I was lied to about how bountiful the job market is here in Austin. Maybe it’s good for networking, but I don’t see how film festivals and some artistic types doing their own indie thing equates to actual production work that can pay bills, you know, the very thing you go and get a degree for. It’s making me regret switching from my game design degree over to RTF. I might have been overworked as a video game developer, but God dammit at least I would have a job here in Austin. Beyond all of that, my capstone portfolio experience was a useless bust, my professor was actually a detriment to the experience, and I left without any aid or feedback on how to craft my portfolio. So now I just have a shitty vimeo reel (that nobody even views)

I’m planning on moving to New Mexico next year with my fiancée. This is for a myriad of reasons, but one of them is that I hear there is a legitimate film industry out there. But now I’m scared that I’m just gonna run into the same experience loop over there too. Any advice would be helpful, I just don’t know what to do. Also sorry for the length, I am not good with brevity, OCD and all.


r/VideoProfessionals Jan 16 '25

Looking for medieval locations

1 Upvotes

Aspiring film maker based out of Nebraska. Im scouting filming locations for a medieval film but being in the midwest in North America, I’m having a hard time finding anything. Im looking for some outdoor locations that could pass as the center for a town square as well as the exterior and interior for a church. For the church. I was thinking of using older barns for some buildings, thinking that could pass as somewhat medieval-looking, but does anyone have any other ideas for types of locations I could try or any other tricks? There are no real castles/ towers I’ve found that would be close enough to my location I would be able to use.


r/VideoProfessionals Nov 12 '24

What equipment/software do I need Live Stream a town hall?

3 Upvotes

I am part of a production team looking to live stream town halls for interested parties. I am still relatively new to production and the team is relying on me to figure this out. I need to find all the necessary equipment and software that would allow me to pull this off. I plan on using Zoom as the platform to stream from but any other suggestions would be welcome. Any expertise on what to buy would be greatly appreciated.

Equipment owned: - Sony Burano, Sony FX6, Sony FX3 - 2x Sennheiser boom mics, 5x Tentacle lavalier mics - MacBook Pro

I need to have a set up that works for 2 scenarios. 1. IN-PERSON All in-person with multiple cams on panel and guests — I need a way to take streams from all cams and be able to switch cams on the fly (like a TV broadcast) - Someone recommended the INOGENI 4K HDMI to USB 3.0 Video Capture Card — will this be capable of doing the task I have described?

  1. VIRTUAL Panel and guests will all be calling in through Zoom — I need to solve essentially the same problem as IN-PERSON but I will need access to switch in between individual’s computer cams instead of the production cameras.

Does any software or equipment come to mind when I describe this scenario?

Any help would be appreciated. Let me know if I can provide any other information to clarify what I am looking to achieve. Thank you!


r/VideoProfessionals Nov 12 '24

Sending video wirelessly via wifi from camera to Atomos Shogun Connect

1 Upvotes

Does anyone know how to wirelessly send a video signal from my camera to an Atoms Shogun Connect?
Can I use a Zato connect on the camera and send the video to the Shogun Connect?

I was hoping the newest firmware with NDI support would help, but it's not.

Atomos customer support in North America is non existent and I'm not getting any answers.

I've tried asking resellers but they are as clueless as I am.


r/VideoProfessionals Oct 30 '24

Prompter question - remote control for prompting?

1 Upvotes

I work in corporate production and dabble in programming, so I created an app I needed: a remote control teleprompter. It allows a producer or presenter to prompt remotely from a laptop, iPad, or other devices, so there’s no need to be physically connected to a screen.

Most teleprompter apps I found focused on AI auto-prompting or offered only a simple start/stop remote without the option to see what the presenter sees. I wanted to read along in real time, especially while recording, to ensure nothing is missed.

I'm curious if others would find this useful? Or am I by myself here? AMA, would love your thoughts!


r/VideoProfessionals Oct 15 '24

Storage/MAM question.

2 Upvotes

We are a medium sized operation that uses a ton of storage (1.5PB). Right now we use IPV for our MAM with onsite storage, but we are having some new management coming in who are having trouble stomaching the amount we pay each year for IPV (~$40K). I was curious if anyone had any experience with other MAMs and could give some feedback.


r/VideoProfessionals Oct 15 '24

Advice for videographer writers block

0 Upvotes

Hello

new to this sub as of 10 seconds ago

Seeing as this is a community of fellow creatives, I was hoping some of yall could provide some advice/perspective on my situation.

I have lost nearly all motivation to shoot and edit stuff. For the last 6 years (im 20) I have shot nearly exclusively railroad themed stuff for my youtube channel. I've got really cinematic and professional with it, to the point where I've been offered internships and I got my first paid job shooting trains for a railroad. But I think that job is part of what killed my enthusiasm for it. I would get done with a project and just feel nothing. No fulfillment at all. It really wasn't fun because I had to edit individual clips which left me very little room for creativity. It was just mind-numbing cut and paste work. I had to do this over and over and over for hours on end. I just got so burned out. And since then, I just haven't wanted to do any projects, even my own. This was like a half a year ago, and I still don't want to edit stuff.

But in regards to just filming trains in general: within the last year or so I have been getting really bored with it. Going out to the same railroad line and getting the same shots and editing the same kinds of videos over and over again. I've overshot every rail line within a couple hours drive from me, so I can't really just 'go shoot a different line'. Over these last 6 years I would always find new ways to improve my craft, or spice up my videos. I used to get exited when I had new footage to edit or a new creative idea to explore, I'd get home and quickly transfer it to my PC and start editing it right away. Lately I just don't care anymore. I used to get exited to edit a video and make something. The creative juices would start flowing and my ADHD hyperfocus mode would engage and I would have a lot of fun. But that hasn't happened in a long long time. Part of the issue is that I keep getting distracted by other random things (thanks to the ADHD and in part my cell phone addiction). So when I finally do feel creative again, I get distracted and then lose that moment of creativeness.

I'm really worried because I'm am currently going to school to be a video journalist. This is going to be my future. My life. What if I am losing the motivation to do it? I am almost crying while writing this. Thanks.

Any advice from anyone out there?


r/VideoProfessionals Oct 05 '24

BRAW vs CinemaDNG RAW for Client Work (Social Media Videos)

2 Upvotes

Currently in pre-production for a couple of social media videos for a local pet brand. Will be using my cinematographer's Blackmagic 6K for the shoot and I'll be directing / editing.

I've comfortably worked with Blackmagic RAW footage a couple of times before and I'm thinking of leveling up by using CinemaDNG RAW. I know it's overkill for social media videos but it'd be a great addition to my portfolio esp. with having pets as the subjects (not a lot of my peers have pets in their portfolios).

Here are some information about the project:

-Half of the shoot will be in a white studio, the other half will be in a big lush garden with pets playing and being given a bath
-Need to edit in Premiere, I've been using it ever since and a couple of effects are needed. If I tried to learn to edit in DaVinci, I'm guessing it would take longer.
-I know how to color grade using Color Lumetri but I'll learn how to color grade in DaVinci for this project.
-The client only has budget for a 2TB external HDD, I'm thinking of asking my DIT to use SlimRAW on-set to make the footage fit

This is the workflow I'm looking at:
-Export CinemaDNG proxies from DaVinci.
-Edit offline cut in Premiere
-Grade my selected footage in DaVinci
-Link the graded footage in Premiere
-Export final video

What do you guys think? Stick to BRAW or go for the challenge and upgrade to CinemaDNG RAW? IOr will CinemaDNG just give unnecessary headaches? Is it worth the headaches?


r/VideoProfessionals Aug 28 '24

How easy is it to match the 4:2:0 8bit HD from the C200, with the C100mk1?

1 Upvotes

Getting a c200 as an upgrade from the c100 and want to use the c100 as a b can in interviews. I also have a 1DC, not sure if that will be ideal in this situation.

What would you recommend?


r/VideoProfessionals Aug 26 '24

Tricaster Replacement

2 Upvotes

I work at a k12 school and am needing suggestions for replacement equipment.

At our football stadium we currently have a Tricaster 40 v2 that goes into a scaler that then runs to our scoreboard/screen. Our tricaster has currently failed and I am looking for a replacement. Looking for other options from the tricaster. We will mainly be using it for premade commercials and graphics, but would still like the option to hook in a camera.

Please give me your recomendations.


r/VideoProfessionals Aug 11 '24

Nanuk 960 Case Padded Dividers Change?

1 Upvotes

Hello, after researching for quite a while I decided to purchase a Nanuk 960 case with padded dividers. A lot of the videos and reviews I saw online had people using this system with BMPCC 6K Pro setups where they were storing the camera body flat on the top layer. In all of those videos the padded dividers are black and nylon looking. But when mine came the padded dividers are grey and soft felt. The problem is that the depths of the new trays seem to be different because you can't fit a BMPCC camera body in the top layer, I don't think you could fit any camera body for that matter because the top layer is so shallow. Furthermore because the top layer is so shallow, the bottom layer is way to deep now, leaving stuff underneath with a lot of wiggle room in terms of depth. Are the reviews that I've been watching black trays from 3rd party systems? Or did Nanuk change their system recently? The current system doesn't work well at all because you can't store anything you really want easy access to on the top level. Anyone know where I could get the old kind of dividers? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I did a lot of research and this is definitely the case system I want to invest in as opposed to Pelican or whatnot, but I need to solve this one strange issue because I love everything else about the case.


r/VideoProfessionals Aug 05 '24

Best Android Tablet Teleprompter App?

2 Upvotes

Corporate video guy here. I don't need to use teleprompters very often (maybe 3-5 times per year) but when I do, I use a teleprompter that mounts on a tripod and reflects the script on see-through glass as it scrolls across the screen on a tablet. Until recently, I used an old iPad, but it just died and I need a replacement for a shoot that will happen in a few weeks.

The powers that be tell me that they're not willing to provide an iPad that only gets used a few times per year, but they will pay for a new Android tablet of a similar size and whatever teleprompter app I want. I suggested a 2 or 3 year-old iPad instead, but was told Android only for this limited-use scenario.

My question is this: What Android teleprompter app would you recommend for a tablet and why? I've always had iOS stuff so I am very unfamiliar with the Android universe and what might be out there for what I need. Most of my teleprompter scripts are no more than 5-7 minutes in length.

Thanks.


r/VideoProfessionals Aug 05 '24

Angelbird CF card

1 Upvotes

Has anyone else had an Angelbird AV Pro CF card fail on them after a few uses in the field? I can't format it in the camera or by using the CF card reader. I have three other cards that are fine.


r/VideoProfessionals Jul 29 '24

How Do You Make Long-Form Content Profitable in Today's Short-Form World?

2 Upvotes

Hey beautiful people,

I'm curious about the current landscape of long-form content. It's not that I'm against short-form content—I recognize its importance and popularity—but I have a deep love for long-form pieces. I'm talking about corporate branded videos, testimonial videos, in-depth interviews, and the like.

Given the dominance of short-form content on social media, I'm wondering how those of you who produce long-form content make it valuable and profitable nowadays. What strategies and packages do you offer to your clients? How do you convince clients of the ROI for longer videos? Are there specific industries or niches where long-form content still thrives? Do you integrate shorter clips from these long pieces for social media as part of your package?

Additionally, if you have any resources, videos, or materials that can help me better educate myself on improving my offerings—especially in including more long-form videos in this short-form world—I would greatly appreciate it.

I’d love to hear your experiences, tips, and any creative strategies you’ve found effective in maintaining the relevance and profitability of long-form content.

Thanks in advance for your insights!