Why to Sublet Your HD Video Production
Video is the new journalism. A dramatic 69% of today’s online users prefers video over print media! As a print media photojournalist and book author/illustrator for over three decades, I launched 4WD Mechanix Magazine in 2010 and plunged headlong into the world of HD video production.
Enthusiasm quickly settled into the complexities of filming and post-production editing. A career of over 16,000 published photos, taken under every kind of lighting imaginable, made video filming easier: Video is the fluid form of photography with the camera accounting for 24, 30 or 60 frames per second of movement—smoothly and without interruptions.
Rebuilding a Jeep AX15 or Toyota A150 transmission requires careful sequences and tolerance checks. A step-by-step video is available at Vimeo-On-Demand: www.vimeo.com/ondemand/ax15rebuild. Resealing and rebuilding the popular Saginaw 800-series steering gear is among the hundreds of detailed technical videos available at 4WD Mechanix Magazine. The steering gear overhaul video features unique “motion stills” editing and is over one hour of detailed coverage, click here to view.
Staging and video camera movements drew from decades of live action off-road motorsports, how-to, feature vehicle and event photography. In both mediums, the camera must be in the right place at the right time! The “trick” for video filming is to pan slowly, keeping in mind the cinematic formulas: It takes approximately 30 seconds to swing 180-degrees from full left to right—otherwise focus on the fast moving subject, creating a blurred background and foreground that look natural to the viewer.
Learning post-production editing is a humbling process. A user friendly, “prosumer” editing software is one place to start. Perseverance pays off on the path to professional audio and video editing skills. Ultimately, time spent wisely will be well worth it.
Since 2010, the magazine has devoted its coverage to video product reviews, corporate presentations, how-to installations, technical vlogs, off-road racing and major event coverage for our valued sponsors. HD video filming and productions now exceed 400 features.
Years of instructing and drafting curriculum for welding and automotive technologies are apparent in my how-to and training videos. Vlogs follow the kind of detail found in my seven books covering Jeep®, Ford F-truck, G.M. truck, Toyota 4×4 and Harley-Davidson Evolution® V-twin motorcycles. Technical how-to videos, video installation instructions and remote training media can be tailored for your company’s technical training programs, documentaries, marketing media or a technical school’s shop courses and labs.
4WD Mechanix Magazine has now expanded from online video journalism to commercial video services. In early 2015, Capstone Turbine Corporation requested my work, including scripts, filming and the editing of how-to troubleshooting videos for the company’s proprietary technical library. Filming work performed by highly skilled technical staff led to a 27-video series of leading edge how-to and troubleshooting training modules. That 2015/2016 project utilized skills acquired from years of filming and editing of the magazine’s how-to HD video productions.
The success of the Capstone project proved that training and educational HD video media is clearly more impacting than print books, printed instructions and traditional print training manuals. HD videos can rival the best workshops and in-house training courses. Video is also highly effective for distance learning classes.
As a career magazine journalist, photographer and the author of the bestselling Jeep® Owner’s Bible and six other Bentley Publishers titles, I am convinced that high definition video and quality post-production editing offer the best information delivery method for today’s businesses and technical colleges. How-to with detailed step-by-step instructional media has become the marketing and training tool of choice for leading edge companies. The latest development is “chapter” segmenting that enables quick navigation back-and-forth within technical and training videos. Step-by-step training procedures reach a new level of viewing with this chapter bookmarking.
In a rapidly growing field of global creative talent, my video work now includes commercial assignments for major corporations and an expanding library of Vimeo On Demand training/how-to features. If your company, corporation or training institution needs detailed, professional HD video production services, contact us to discuss your video projects.
