Producing a website home page video
Working as a London based videographer YouTube video production is one of my specialities. In this case study, I explain the process behind the production of a YouTube video that would be embedded into the home page of a local charities website.
Joy of Sound YouTube video production
Joy of Sound is a volunteer-based inclusive art and music project that enables groups of people of all abilities to make music together. Specially made bespoke and customised musical instruments are provided for people with different levels of physical ability. I was moved by the dedication of their group leader and all the volunteers and witnessed the inspiring workshops that they provide to a wide range of people and to any visitors who happen to be passing their way.
Volunteering my services
After taking part in one of their sessions for a short time, I decided to check out Joy of Sound’s website and I thought a short promo video may help their work to reach a wider audience. So I contacted the group’s founder, William E. Longden, to ask if I could volunteer my services to make a promotional video for them.
Planning a video production
I had a great telephone chat with William and together we devised a plan to move the video production forward. William agreed to manage the filming permission from St. Peters Church and also to obtain any permissions required from those that would be filmed taking part. I also planned to film an interview with William talking about the ethos of Joy of Sound. I envisaged that his interview would form the body of the audio interlinked with associated visuals from a music session.
Filming a workshop
William and I met at the church on filming day. I took all my filming and sound recording kit inside to set up nice and early. I set up one camera to film a locked off wide so that I could make a time-lapse of the workshop area being set up. William was joined by some of the Joy of Sound volunteers who started to lay out the area and tune all the musical instruments ready for the session. While this was happening, I took the opportunity to film some extra shots with my second camera.
Recording sound
To ensure a good sound recording, I fitted William with a radio microphone. I connected that and a stand mounted Omnidirectional microphone to my Tascam DR60 4 track digital audio recorder. This set up would then enable me to sync up with the two camera recordings in post-production later. The activities of the workshops are naturally all quite fluid, so I did my best to capture the spontaneity with the best shots from all the people taking part throughout.
Variable lighting conditions
The light available in the church was quite challenging, as the weather outside was sunny and bright with lots of clouds. This meant that sometimes the sun was streaming through the church’s stained glass windows and sometimes it was not. So I had to make big adjustments to the camera’s manual exposure during filming. It can be difficult filming in highly variable light conditions but, with my many years of editing experience, I know that I can always make a selection of the best shots and sound from the available footage to make the edit work.
Filming the interview
The following week, I went to William’s home to film his interview which all went very well. I always think it’s a good idea to allow plenty of time to film interviews so that the interviewee can relax and take their time without any other distractions. This also provides the opportunity for several different takes if required.
Editing the YouTube video production
The first job was to sync the external audio recording to the video files. Once these were synced, I started editing down William’s interview. As with all filmed interviews, I watch and listen throughout the interviews many times, removing the less important content and then making a new copy of each edited sequence each time. Over time, I ended up with a much shorter sequence with the best of the interview audio. Then, with the body of the interview edited I edit in the best cutaway shots filmed at the workshop.
YouTube video production delivery
Once I was satisfied that I had edited in all the best shots, I uploaded the final edit to Vimeo so that I could send it to William for a private viewing and feedback. After sharing it with the Joy of Sound team, William let me know that everyone was completely happy with my video. I really enjoyed making this YouTube video production for Joy of Sound’s website. I have also now uploaded it to my YouTube channel so that it can be shared online. If you would like an introduction video made for your website please get in touch. More examples of my work can be viewed on my video portfolio.
