Hostages is a (very) short film I wrote and directed last semester for my Previsualization & Digital Workflow class. No dialogue was allowed and we had lots of previz, including animated storyboards. I'll be revealing those, the script, overhead diagrams, and some behind the scenes photos and things I learned in a "Making of" episode next week.
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Twitter Feed: http://www.twitter.com/frugalfilmmaker
Universal iPhone tripod mount - $2.19
http://tinyurl.com/7nzoffm
2.7" LCD camcorder hood
http://tinyurl.com/6m5zb9l
Alternative Zoom H1 hard case
http://tinyurl.com/8yldph7
Donald Wren's double shoulder rig
http://tinyurl.com/82vfcox
Donald Wren's Camera Jib / Crane
http://tinyurl.com/7o7oj74
Zoom H4n Handy Portable Digital Recorder - $272
http://tinyurl.com/7q73g2v
ART USB Dual Pre 2 Channel Preamp - $79
http://tinyurl.com/82zvqx7
Work lights from Lowe's with PVC extensions
http://tinyurl.com/7h2lz9z
Gentrit Bajrami's paintball camera mount
http://tinyurl.com/7h2lz9z
James DeRuvo's refurb Canon camcorder on PVC FigRig
http://tinyurl.com/7rm6vp6
James DeRuvo finds PVC FigRig stand
http://tinyurl.com/88rrzpb
G-rar Vdb's PVC stabilizer rig
http://tinyurl.com/6oh94gg
Best time to publish videos to YouTube
http://tinyurl.com/84o969x
Free sound effects
http://tinyurl.com/7u35p6g
David Curtis' chromakey test
http://tinyurl.com/7nxhe7o
Growing Your YouTube Channel
http://tinyurl.com/888lpac
David Stembridge's DIY Steadicam (in progress)
http://tinyurl.com/89bg5gr
DIY Squib - Making a bullet blast effect
http://tinyurl.com/74trm3w
Joseph Puente's inexpensive gels
http://tinyurl.com/7k2gqot
DIY DSLR viewfinder
http://tinyurl.com/7gxx2md
Gip Gippie's DIY follow focus
http://tinyurl.com/7pokl5m
Henry Feige's PVC shoulder rig
http://tinyurl.com/7h6473g
24" paper lantern for cheap soft light - $7
http://tinyurl.com/7w9a9l4
Sean Scarfo's DIY slider
http://tinyurl.com/7o9urrw
Gip Gippie's DIY LCD viewfinder
http://tinyurl.com/7ftjuk4
David Curtis' DIY lav mic windscreen
http://tinyurl.com/7budkbx
Since this was one of the few times I've actually written a script for my video voiceover, I thought I would just publish the entire thing for your perusal.
The first thing you need to do is come up with a good brand name. This name should be clear and to the point, completely explaining what your content is about. It’s very important that you get this right, as once your brand name is out there, it won’t be easy to take it back. I liked The Frugal Filmmaker because it clearly says that this content will be about microbudget filmmaking. YouTube will let you search for names to see what is available. “Frugal Filmmaker” was taken, so I added “the” on the front, and I had a channel.
Next, I set up a mini distribution network to launch different forms of media. This network is a group of free websites that each provide a specific service. I have a YouTube channel for video, a Blogger blog for written posts, a Facebook group to invite members to and share links I find from around the web, and Twitter to repeat those links and microblog about filmmaking tidbits. The most important thing about this network is that it constantly refers to itself, making it grow.
When I create a video, I post it on YouTube. I then embed the video on my blog. I post a link to the blog post on Facebook and Twitter. At the end of the week I take all the links that have accumulated on Facebook and publish the list on the blog and in the description of the weekly Q&A video. It constantly comes full circle.
A word about the Facebook Group. When I first set it up, the purpose of the group was to post links and promote my videos and blog posts. Now the thing has taken on a life of its own and has become a thriving forum. There, links, advice, answers to questions and video critiques are commonplace and the responses quick. The members are knowledgeable and friendly and there is a ton of great information constantly changing hands. It’s become totally self-sufficient.
Anyway, back to YouTube. The question everyone wants answered is: how do I get more views and subscribers? While there is no “magic bullet” that will guarantee you anything, you can be sure of one thing: content is king. Make good content and people will follow you. Know your niche and make videos people are searching for.
YouTube is the number two search engine in the world and you should know what your audience wants. In DIY filmmaking, terms such as dslr, crane, jib, dolly, slider, stabilizer, and shoulder rig are all hot search words. If you can, try to do something first. If it’s been done, do it better or add a unique spin. Separate yourself from the pack.
My most watched video is the PVC stabilizer build. There was nothing like it on YouTube at the time I posted it. Now that design is everywhere. Even on topics that may be well covered, your fans will want your take anyway, and you should give it to them. I’ve learned this lesson over and over.
Remember to tag properly. When you upload your video, you have four places to optimize your search results. These are the video file name, the YouTube title, the description and the tags. Fill these boxes with lots of hot terms so people will find you. Only use terms that apply to your channel’s theme, however, or the video itself. Don’t use generic hot terms so you’ll get lots of landings on your page. You don’t want disgruntled people spreading bad press about you.
Next, create a regular release schedule. This is one of the most powerful tools in audience growth, but also the hardest to pull off. I saw a doubling of my daily subscribers and views when I committed to a consistent release schedule, Mondays and Wednesdays. When you create anticipation, people will show up to watch. This takes a lot of work, so be prepared to work hard and put in full-time hours.
Something else you can do to market yourself is to make alliances with other YouTubers who have similar numbers. Deejay of DSLR Film Noob came to me and wanted to network. He now posts a link to my channel in his videos and I post his videos on my blog. I do the same thing with Knoptop and his show Quick FX. We all have a similar audience, but none of us have the same show. It’s a mutually beneficial situation that lets us spread the word and grow our channels together.
It’s important to engage your viewers in conversation. All the venues I participate in allow for two-way conversations via commenting and emails. Take advantage of this. Respond as often as you can. Viewers appreciate it when you take time to answer their questions and make them feel like their voice is important, which it is. Eventually, you can make shows specifically for your fan faithful. The Recap Q&A is a perfect example of this. No one is searching for the content of that show, but people who like what I’m doing will tune in. It’s just one more way to connect.
Finally, use the analytic tools at your disposal to discover trends and important facts about your viewership. YouTube will not only give you numbers and demographics, but allows you to see inside each of your videos and find out which parts people are watching and when they are tuning out. Sites like Socialblade and VidStatsX let you look at trending subscriber numbers, views and projections of future numbers. All these tools can help you make adjustments to keep your channel growing or correct mistakes that may be setting you back. They are incredibly valuable—and free.
Also check out Freddie Wong's "The Secrets to YouTube Success". It should be considered mandatory reading on this topic.
After going AWOL for a few months, Deejay has returned to the YouTube airwaves and is back with a typically thorough review. This time he takes a good look at the Samson Airline Micro, a wireless lav system that costs $300. That's a lot of money (though much less than the Senneheiser model he compares it to) and though it sounded pretty good, I really didn't like the clunky way you were forced to program the transmitter/receiver combo. If I had to do some limited range wireless audio, I think I'd go with Deejay's bluetooth discovery he showed us awhile ago.
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Twitter Feed: http://tinyurl.com/7xgvan5
Raynox HD-6600 Pro 58 wide angle lens
http://tinyurl.com/7jputvf
Canon Powershot with video mode and manual features ($79)
http://tinyurl.com/7x4q6f2
Canon S100: Best P&S for video right now
http://tinyurl.com/7nlxjbb
Zoom H1 Handy Recorder
http://tinyurl.com/7t7z5bf
Tascam DR-05 Portable Digital Recorder
http://tinyurl.com/7od376g
Canon RF200 (mic input, manual audio, headphone) $289
http://tinyurl.com/84qnrqa
Sony Vegas product comparison
http://tinyurl.com/3mosumt
Canon EOS T2i (body only)
http://tinyurl.com/7pe8fsr
Dave Dugdale's DSLR lens picks
http://www.learningdslrvideo.com/gear/
Stu Maschwitz' DSLR lens picks
http://astore.amazon.com/prolost-20
Getting better as a director: gaining trust
http://tinyurl.com/73t9zm4
David Curtis finds a spring for the stabilizer rig
http://tinyurl.com/6sy4u6h
David Curtis' triple-camera rig
http://tinyurl.com/6m83kxy
Wayne Poe's PVC stabilizer rig with three lights
http://tinyurl.com/7w8jt4p
Karen Foster's PVC stabilizer w/Zoom H1 shockmount
http://tinyurl.com/83yutba
Color correction gels 4/$7
http://tinyurl.com/77an4y8
David Curtis and spotlight diffusion
http://tinyurl.com/7atjsxv
David Curtis' DIY steadicam test
http://tinyurl.com/6rhj986
Havard Nordgard's crane/jib mount
http://tinyurl.com/6uhpnad
Refurbished Canon Camcorders
http://tinyurl.com/7e92fb2
$1 Budget: cases and a headset, oh my!
http://tinyurl.com/8yn3bzs
Joseph Puente's FigRig
http://tinyurl.com/7u67fn4
Efrain Sabino's PVC stabilizer rig
http://tinyurl.com/7lj5wjl
Macro tubes: getting closer on the cheap
http://tinyurl.com/7l6t7z4
Gregory Cannon's Opteka LED light review
http://tinyurl.com/7n5sr6s
Importing AVCHD footagage into FCPX
http://tinyurl.com/7bqadyo
Adrian Cerchia's PVC steadycam test
http://tinyurl.com/6rkehqe
Sean Scarfo's cheapy follow focus
http://tinyurl.com/6lrrryf
Joel Thomas' PVC cap substitute
http://tinyurl.com/7uyyvsq
The proper use of jump cuts
http://tinyurl.com/77gxhjq
Alex Soares' PVC stabilizer rig
http://tinyurl.com/7db3afy
Adorama flash bracket vs generic flash bracket
http://tinyurl.com/6rlchsd
Sean Scarfo finds hand grip and shoulder pad material
http://tinyurl.com/89jdjcc
Samson Airline Micro wirless mic UHF system review
http://tinyurl.com/7ah2mgz
David Curtis' PVC table dolly
http://tinyurl.com/793ehjn
Sean Scarfo finds 150, 200, 300 watt equivalent CFL bulbs
http://tinyurl.com/7oxg652
http://tinyurl.com/723ww2e
Sean Scarfo finds 300w equivalent LED rechargeable work light
http://tinyurl.com/8xshqqj
Scott Davis' DIY shoulder rig tutorial
http://tinyurl.com/7ktsmuk
http://tinyurl.com/879qd3q
