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No matter how much money you pour into equipment purchases, and your
latest production, captivating your audience is still a long way off.
David Blundell takes a look at the often
lacking, but vital, presentation skills needed to capture and captivate your
audience.
Value added Movies
Many fine movies are ruined for the sake of a little extra fine tuning; both
in the final production stages, and during the actual presentation. Your
audience deserves as much tender loving care as that given to your production.
Great benefits can be achieved, at little cost, but providing tremendous
added value to your latest video. I say "video" because whilst I believe
that any showing of moving pictures deserves a high presentation standard,
it is the video maker who is usually the guilty party.
Those amongst us weaned on real filmstock (and film cement!) used the commercial
cinema as our presentation bench mark. Our aim was to be 'the cinema' - and
our film shows were normally well away from the 'Punch' cartoons of home
movies, with the sleeping family, and collapsing screen.
Audience Editing
The difference today is that your video productions are shown on the same
viewing device as the world's finest professional work - the cathode ray
tube in your lounge. Your video production is directly challenged by, and
judged against, the best that crosses the airwaves - and with the added "viewer
convenience" of an armchair remote control "off" switch.
Without the gentle purr of your favourite Elmo GS, along with the largest
screen your lounge has ever seen, your 'video audience' has no big picture
excitement to enthral them. (National Lottery winners and video projector
owners exempt here!) Your audience will view your latest video epic immediately
after seeing television pictures of perhaps a drama, fact or fiction, possibly
satellite transmitted from the other side of the world, on the same television
set.
However, electronic imaging (video in this instance) has brought the amateur
producer many benefits, as well as the above "challenges". For example: the
ability to copy and share your movie with as many groups of viewers as you
care to make video tape copies. All the more reason therefore to provide
that extra 'tender loving care'! When my Kodachrome originals were shown,
I usually projected them. Today, copies of my video productions are presented
by unseen hands, and VCRs.
The 'TLC' additives
Here is my hit list of things which most of us fail to achieve: are you guilty
too? They are in no specific order, they are all important!
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Create a "want to see" video tape case. Many books are bought on their visual
'cover' impact. Commercial video tapes are the same. Copy this! The invitation
to view is essential: and costs little. Here is where your presentation skills
are first experienced by the prospective viewer. Bad packaging looses sales
- and in our case lessens the desire to view. First of all buy a decent tape
case: discard the cardboard sleeve as purchased. At less than 30 pence (UK)
you can have the same case that Speilberg epics are distributed in ! Then
make a case label. Draw it, persuade a friend with a computer/printer, or
simply use a colour photo with a title made from rub down transfer lettering.
Your video admiration starts right here - and your audience hasn't yet viewed
your tape!
-
Your video tape receives no special treatment. Just "shoved" into the jaws
of the awaiting and yawning VCR. Did you clearly label your tape? Which audio
tracks are to be played? Is this a S-VHS recording? PAL or NTSC? A clear
label is the bare necessity, for ease of viewing.
-
How was your TV or monitor set-up? The optimum television or monitor set-up
is not always easily defined by eye. Video tapes viewed as ideal on any one
person's system may be wildly adrift from the industry standard. Provide
the viewer or presenter with a reference picture, before the main video.
The optimum image is a test chart or grey scale target. If all else fails,
or is not available, use a TV received Broadcast Test Chart - try BBC 1 in
the early hours - it is copyright, so don't sell a tape with this recorded
onto it! Replay a video tape that you have recorded, on your equipment, on
several different VCR/TV set-ups - don't trust just one other VCR/TV combination.
-
Cine film black leader was usually expensive, unexposed, processed film.
A video user can create as much "blacked tape" as needed: almost free! Put
the lens cap on your camcorder, and press 'Record' - ideally with no audio
input. All of your video tapes should commence with a solid 'black' section
before the 'intro' titles or sequence. VCR mechanisms are often quite unstable
at the beginning of a videotape. Ensure your recording has at least a 30
second 'blacked' and mute section at the start, and also at the end. Label
your tape with the exact start time (into the tape from zero in seconds)
for cue purposes, and if the intro screen ( point 2 - above ) is not to be
shown.
-
If your videotape copies are audio recorded in 'Hi-Fi' VHS/S-VHS or Hi-8
PCM audio formats - then erase the linear/standard audio tracks, when making
copies, to prevent "phasing" effects during soundtrack replay by other VCR
users. A clear label also helps! Tapes entered for competitions are prone
to be replayed incorrectly. Quite often, with so many tapes to view, the
'Playback VCR' being used is left set to the "Mix track" audio output selection.
-
Broadcast television has almost no "dark screen" time. Television audiences
are not tolerant people! Once your opening sequence, or titles, have hit
the screen, avoid long 'black' pauses without a good reason. Black screens
punctuate your movie - use, if at all, very carefully.
-
If you are the presenter, then you are the "cinema manager". Just because
your video maybe an impromptu show to friends or visitors - don't lose control!
Whilst modern televisions have a good picture performance, in terms of 1947
radar enhanced technology, make sure that the ambient room lighting is subdued,
and that your key guest is not seeing a bright reflection of your best Crystal,
reflected in the TV screen. Yes, I have been invited to that experience quite
often! ( and the Crystal was the best image I saw )
-
Quieten the AGC! To avoid an instant divorce, or the girl/boy friend leaving
for more peaceful places - check your replay sound levels, before your intended
audience views your masterpiece. Easy, if your are the presenter! The Aggravated
Gigantic Cerebrum noise syndrome (AGC) is just not typical of professional
sound mixes. Many of us use video equipment with no manual level control
of the audio recording levels. Each time a video tape is copied, for example
during editing, the AGC (real name Automatic Gain Control!) adjusts and flattens
out any intended changes of audio levels. This provides you with a reproduced
sound level quite different from broadcast TV. If you are stuck with AGC,
then check your replay sound levels, before presenting your masterpiece!
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Look and learn from the Broadcast sector. Television producers know that
to grab your attention ( the average TV viewer samples only 23 seconds before
channel switching ) their programmes need to appear instantly special. Ask
yourself "what does my video present in the first 30 seconds" - we are being
generous here - to grab the viewers attention? Like it or not, broadcast
television in the UK sets a standard of high production values. You will
be judged against these! TV commercials tell a story in less than 40 seconds
- aim for the same ideal, but try 40 seconds per sequence - you have the
technology, and everyone has an interesting story to tell. Go for it and
win!
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Create a viewing environment. Your movie is special. Make the viewing environment
comfortable. Welcome your guests - or invite a viewing experience to a remote
tape viewer with a decent tape package. Include production notes: other movie
makers are interested in the equipment and more importantly, the techniques
you have used, and the problems you may have encountered. Share them!
Don't settle for a passing glance at your work - make it special - we
are making movies with the technologies of our fathers dreams. Capturing
an audience involves two basic principles: packaging and presentation. Capture
your audience - then captivate them!
This article is a condensed translation from an article written by David
Blundell for VIDEOTECH published in Germany. No restrictions to publish,
as submitted, after January 1995 excepting: Writer credit must be
published/transmitted and this article must only be used complete.
Extracts/quotes forbidden.
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