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DVcreators.net has been known as the world leader in Final Cut Pro training since the day Final Cut Pro 1.0 was released.

Shooting Awesome Video is the world’s best complete beginning course on shooting high quality video.

If your video footage looks like “Blair Witch” or “Cloverfield”, and you wish it looked more like “Amelie” or “Hero”, Shooting Awesome Video is the perfect learning experience. It is like a complete “consumer film school” for anyone who wants to dramatically improve the quality of the video footage they shoot.

Shooting Awesome Video is not meant for professionals. It was created for novices who wish to learn Hollywood secrets of camera operation, composition, lighting and location sound in a fun, family-friendly, fast-paced course. However, Shooting Awesome Video is such an excellent complete introduction to production it is the perfect prerequisite to more professional-level courses such as our DV Enlightenment lighting course.

Shooting Awesome Video was originally released on CD-ROM, and has already helped thousands of hobbyists, teachers, students, and budding filmmakers learn the essentials of shooting great-looking and great-sounding footage. The American Film Institute chose Shooting Awesome Video as the world’s best beginning production course for a program to teach Los Angeles District high school teachers about shooting digital video.

No one should learn alone. Each screen includes an ”Ask a Question” button that will post your question on our forums for us and thousands of other digital video creators to answer. You are always welcome to join us to ask questions, offer advice, and share tips with other students and your instructor.

What will I learn in this course?

Preproduction

This section covers tips on planning your project.

  • brainstorming
  • choosing a “model”
  • outline
  • script
  • storyboard

Camera Operation

This section focuses on setting up your camcorder to get the best results in a variety of situations.

  • zoom
  • auto/manual modes
  • focus
  • exposure
  • shutter speed
  • progressive scan
  • white balance
  • filters
  • preroll/postroll
  • timecode

Camera Aesthetics

This section focuses on the art of shooting awesome looking video.

  • rule of thirds
  • face space
  • high, low and dutch angles
  • background considerations
  • getting coverage of a scene
  • shooting for the web
  • shooting tips
  • accessories

Lighting

This section focuses on using existing lighting, professional lights and ideas for low cost, high quality lights available from a local home improvement store to create magically beautiful footage.

  • 3 point lighting
  • key light
  • fill
  • backlight
  • background light
  • the final lighting setup
  • shooting outside
  • making your own light kit
  • using foamcore
  • making a backdrop

Location Sound

In Hollywood, they say “sound is half the picture”. Yet poor sound is the hallmark of hobbyist video footage. This section covers ways to capture quality location sound, from effective ways to use the built-in mic to showing the use of inexpensive lavalier, wireless lavalier, and shotgun mics.

  • using the built-in mic
  • lapel mics
  • shotgun mics
  • handheld mics
  • audio examples for all mics

The Shoot

This section shows a “behind-the-scenes” shoot that demonstrates the techniques shown in the rest of the course.

You’ll see a complete shoot for a short comedic film, watch the director direct the actors, show shots being captured in location order, see a disappearing special effect being shot two different ways, with cool picture-in-picture views of the main camera, and the finished edit of the shoot.

Price: $19.95
Click here to ask a question about this course or production in general.

Available for Mac OS X, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7