AVC Articles

In their March 2008 article Webcasting Weddings, Bay Area videographers Chuck and Jewel Savadelis wrote an article about a wedding they’d done in which they not only shot the wedding and produced a DVD, but they also streamed it live. The mother of the bride had been hospitalized and was not able to attend her [...]

As part of the digital television transition that started last year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allocated frequencies to public safety organizations and broadband providers. That spectrum includes the 700MHz band where many UHF microphones transmit. If your wireless mics operate on any frequencies between 698MHz and 806MHz, you may be breaking the law. This [...]

You may have been in this scenario when you were filming a wedding reception: A guest asks you questions about your camera, about editing, and about website encoding. Then, he tells you he’s thinking of making a video for his company and wants to know which camera and software are the best for him. Sure, you’ll [...]

Last month, in Street Legal, Part 1, we told the story of a photographer who was sued and was able to protect himself with Errors and Omissions (E&O) insurance. We also discussed how to protect your copyright for your productions, and we explained the efforts of the emerging Zoom program for obtaining the rights to [...]

Article ©2009 by Stuart Sweetow originally published in EventDV Magazine. MURPHY’S LAW: ANYTHING THAT CAN GO WRONG, WILL GO WRONG. Mean Mr. Murphy lurks in the dark and tries to take the spark out of your production. He puts the spark at the electrical plug next to the oily rags, causing your set to dramatically [...]

We’ve written about producing videos for corporations, but there are loads of small, locally owned, entrepreneurial companies that want to expand and need your help. Many have turned to websites to market themselves, but few are savvy enough to leverage the opportunities in internet marketing. Now that online video has been shown to help boost the Google PageRank for websites, video producers have a new market for their services.

In this first of a two-part article, Stu Sweetow discusses music, copyrights, and intellectual property rights. By Stu Sweetow – Posted Sep 1, 2008 – September 2008 Issue Page 1of 1 For years, some videographers feared they would become fugitives from the law if they used popular music in their productions, hired a freelancer rather [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2008 Originally published in Event DV Magazine Some recent advances in mobile media could provide opportunities for video producers to market and distribute their work. Hollywood and TV broadcasters are starting to cash in on the mobile video market. According to a 2007 Telephia/Nielsen Mobile report, mobile [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2008 Originally published in Event DV Magazine Website videos are a natural for event videographers. We use them to demonstrate our work to prospective clients, and they have proven to be a vital marketing medium to showcase our range of products. We might even post short video [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2007 Originally published in Event DV Magazine As a videographer, you can expect to be approached by people with great ideas for a video. They are certain that Blockbuster will want to stock it and that their local PBS affiliates will want to air it. The video [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants ©2007 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Camcorders continue to improve, and manufacturers continue to add features to consumer camcorders that even some broadcasters wish they had. In addition to point and shoot, most camcorders have manual overrides so you can get capture the full golden [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants ©2007 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Camcorders are forever changing; with new models and formats it’s almost hard to keep up. However, the technology for microphones, tripods and other support tools pretty much remains the same. That’s a good thing, because you will be able [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2007 Originally published in Event DV Magazine User-generated content (UGC) sites such as YouTube and MySpace can provide distribution channels for videographers and help videographers market their services. Most of the sites let you post videos at no charge, and they allow you to include your company [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2007 Originally published in Event DV Magazine For years, videographers have wanted better access to distribution channels for our work. Television networks and the Hollywood film industry have long dominated the distribution business. Filmmakers with connections or TV producers with advertisers have been the major players in [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2006 Originally published in Event DV Magazine Baseball has been very, very good to a very, very small number of young men. But however remote the chances of eventual major league stardom may be, the dream of playing college ball is very much alive for high school [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2006 Originally published in Event DV Magazine High school sports is a market niche well worth exploring. Parents use DVDs to help their college-bound kids get athletic scholarships. Coaches appreciate videographers who get them clear shots they can use for game analysis. And many schools’ booster-club coffers [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2007 Originally published in Event DV Magazine In the November 2006 issue of EventDV, we reported on the art and business of producing high school football videos for teams to show at end-of-season parties and for parents to send to college recruiters. With scholarships providing upwards of [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2007 Originally published in Event DV Magazine At his WEVA Expo seminar on multicamera shooting, Minneapolis videographer Ron Schmidt claimed an unofficial (and possibly uncontested) world record: 45 seconds to deliver a three-camera wedding video. How did he do it? Using remote-controlled cameras and live switching.

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2006 Originally published in Digital Photographer Magazine The S3 IS retains the S2 features that contributed to the popularity of this semi-pro camera. These include the 12x zoom with three modes of optical stabilization, full manual control including focus and white balance, continuous shooting at 2.4 frames [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2003 Originally published in Digital Photographer Magazine While photo editing computer programs offer special effects filters, you don’t need a computer to create effects. You can purchase camera-mounted filters that screw or snap onto the lens of your camera. They are easy to use, and they produce [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2005 Originally published in Digital Photographer Magazine In the land of the 3.2 MP cameras, the Canon S1 IS was king. With its image stabilized 10x zoom lens and twist-open LCD screen it was a favorite in its category. Soon Panasonic, Kodak and Sony released 5 MP [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2005 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine The video recording function on most digital still cameras, until recently, was merely an added feature. Video clips were relegated to small screen sizes and choppy 15 frames per second. Video takes up a lot of memory, and [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2005 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine NewTek’s TriCaster is a TV studio in a box. It lets you perform live switching between three camcorders, it is a full-function editor and it lets you stream your video as a live webcast. TriCaster is a standalone [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2005 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine If you use your camcorder to tell a story or if you shoot events, instructional videos or documentaries, your viewers will be more engaged if you plan your shot sequences. Whether you are editing in the camera as [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants ©2006 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Digital camcorders are so advanced that individuals and organizations are using them to produce professional video programs. Good video needs good audio, and camcorder users now incorporate professional microphones – either wired or wireless into their equipment arsenal. We [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2003 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine The local cable TV channel was scheduled to videotape a school chorus, but cancelled the night before. So the school frantically tried to find a videographer and called WEV columnist Ed Wardyga. That was nine years ago and, [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2002 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Multi-year Creative Excellence Award-winner and frequent WEVA Expo speaker, Robert Allen Ehrlich only shoots single-cam. Known for what he calls the “30-Minute Edit,” Ehrlich produces short-form finished videos for his clients compact stories of the day, told through [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants ©2002 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine When a videographer gets an eye injury, he needs immediate medical attention. When that videographer is your employee, you need to take him to the hospital, help him fill out a Workers Compensation insurance claim, file a report yourself [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2002 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine The migration from event videography to corporate videography is easier than many people think. Corporate events, such as retirement parties and awards banquets are remarkably similar to wedding receptions. Event videographers might even have an edge over died-in-the-wool [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2002 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Do you feel the creative urge, but you can’t draw even a straight line? Do you have an eye for beauty, but have not yet found your own medium? Do you have access to a camcorder? With a [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2001 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Compact camcorders have brought video production to the masses. Small, lightweight and simple to use, you can slip one into a purse or briefcase– ready for any kind of action. You can document an outing to the park, [...]

by Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 1998 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine The ancient Greeks used the elements of composition to proportion their statues. Artists throughout the years have applied it to create aesthestically pleasing paintings. Now videographers can use composition to improve the look of their videos. What is [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2002 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Not only are hobbyists able to get sharp, beautiful pictures from Mini-DV camcorders, independent filmmakers have discovered that the high resolution images allow for clean transfer to film for theatrical distribution. In the May issue of C&CV we [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2003 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine If you are using computer editing equipment to merely assemble your program, you are missing out on the capabilities this remarkable tool has to enhance your creativity. You can try out different combinations of shots and experiment to [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2003 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine In the July issue of C&CV, Robert Irwin provided tips using lights with camcorders to fill in shadows and produce even illumination. He even suggested you use lights outside and explained how reflectors are used to bounce more [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2003 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine The next time you videotape an event, consider asking a buddy to join you with his camcorder. As a team, you’ll capture perspectives from different angles, and you will captivate your audience. Rather than risking boredom for the [...]

by Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2004 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine In the March 2004 issue of C and CV Mark Shapiro explained “How to Eliminate the Shakes.” He covered proper handholding techniques, use of your cam’s built-in image stabilizer and software that helps remove the shakes. In the [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2004 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Each year thousands of event videographers descend on Las Vegas for the Wedding and Event Videographers EXPO. Now in its 14th year, WEVA EXPO conducts over 60 seminars and workshops for event videographers, and the exhibit floor has [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2006 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Low-priced high-definition video—is that for real? The door to affordable hi-def cracked open about three years ago when JVC introduced the first high-definition camcorder to record in the HDV format. HDV was developed jointly by several manufacturers to [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2005 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine Have you ever tried moving your camcorder really close to your subject? I mean REALLY close. Most camcorders’ auto focus mechanisms adjust to provide sharp focus to within millimeters of your subject. This opens a whole world of [...]

By Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants © 2006 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine With camcorders getting better all the time, there is no reason you can’t shoot a movie with your camcorder. It may not be quickly optioned by Hollywood, but you can enter your digital film in the Sundance Film [...]

By Stuart Sweetow and Jara Queeto of Audio Visual Consultants ©2007 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine For many video producers, duplicating DVDs is usually a one-at a-time process. Insert a disc into the computer, and burn data onto it. Then put in another disc, and wait while it does the same thing. [...]

by Stuart Sweetow of Audio Visual Consultants ©2005 Originally published in Camcorder & Computer Video Magazine If you have two or more computers in your home or office, you can set up a simple network and have the computers share an external hard drive system. The external hard drives can back up or store those [...]