Posted by Brian Huether on 12/25/06 00:25

"Richard Crowley" <rcrowley@xpr7t.net> wrote in message
news:12ou4u2m1iups8e@corp.supernews.com...
> "Brian Huether" wrote ...
>>I am looking for a digital video camera that I can use to make
>>instructional
>> guitar DVDs. I am wondering if there are any for less than $1000 that can
>> be
>> used to achieve very good results for this purpose.
>>
>> Also, I am brand new to video production. I am a guitarist with decent
>> sound
>> enginering skills, but clueless about video. Basically, I am trying to
>> create instructional DVDs that are of suitable enough quality to sell
>> (and
>> guitarists aren't too picky about video quality - they mainly want good
>> lessons!), but I don't have thousands to spend.
>>
>> If someone can describe the basic process (camera placement and lighting)
>> and describe a realistic budget I would be very grateful! Or if you can
>> point me to a tutorial online that would be great too.
>
> I think the first thing to consider is whether you can
> reaslistically do this with a single camera? Assuming
> that you want your video to look reasonably professional
> and not like home movies.
>
> Normally, one would do this with 2 or even 3 cameras,
> where one is a wide shot, including your head/face so
> you can address the viewer. And then the other camera(s)
> available to "insert" close-up details of what you are doing
> with your hands (presumably the prime content of your
> instructional videos).
>
> You COULD shoot this "film-style" with one camera where
> you shot all the close-up inserts separately and then edited
> them together. But I would think that it would be somewhat
> problematic (if not outfight difficult) to match the action
> between the "master" shot and the close-up inserts. Do you
> have any friends with decent camcorders? If you shot two
> cameras concurrently, you could "switch" between them in
> editing, etc.
>
> Of course, lighting and sound (for both the guitar and for
> your voice) are both crucial for professinonal results. And
> these are not trivial in cases where you need tight shots
> of what your hands are doing without mics in the way,
> and without distracting shadows, etc.

What I was thinking of doing was having one camera that always is capturing
a somewhat wide angle of me and then I could zoom in digitally after the
fact to doclose up hand shots. But I don't plan on doing a lot of closeups.
I was planning on having the camera be showing my waist up for the majority
of time which would show enough detail in the hands/fretboard I think. But
that could just be my naiveity...

thanks,

brian

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