Forensic Animation

Forensic animation is a newer legal tool used in just about every type of legal suit imaginable. In murder cases forensic animation can be used to recreate a forensic crime scene. In car accident cases this legal video tool can be used to recreate the accident and to determine who was at fault. However, while this technology is very effective, before it can be used as evidence it needs to be evaluated by the court for its admissibility.

The admissibility of forensic animation depends on several factors. First of all the court is going to look at how objective the animation is. They are going to look for significant biasing of the animated footage, which can give one side an unjust advantage. Next the court is going to look at the data used in creating the animation. The data used must be verifiable and it must be supported by witness testimony or authoritative facts. Finally, the forensic animation must be easy to understand and be relevant to the case at hand.

Forensic animation, while intriguing and helpful, is not right for every type of case. It is expensive and it takes time to generate. For most average forensic animation presentations under 3 minute, you should expect a turn around time of between 1 and 3 months. You should also expect to pay $6,000 plus for a piece of forensic animation. The actual cost that you will incur is going to depend on how long the piece needs to be, the complexity of the animation used, how soon you need the piece by and what forensic animation company you use.

The cost of forensic animation mostly goes towards the labor costs. In fact, labor is going to make up about three quarters of the total cost of your animation presentation. Some of the labor costs that your project will incur include: consulting, model generation, camera animation and actor animation. Again the actual costs that you will be charged are going to depend greatly on the complexity of the animation that needs to be generated and the company that you work with.

A legal videographer is a video production specialist who is skilled at producing video evidence for legal cases. The services offered by this type of video specialist is in high demand and it pays a very generous salary. Being a professional digital videographer takes more than just knowledge of how to use a digital camcorder. It takes expertise in a variety of business, creative and technical subjects. There are a lot of videography equipment that videographers need including: cameras, tripods, editing software, video monitors, cases, lenses and mixing devices.

Spy Equipment for Everyone - Spyware for Surveillance, Security, Privacy, and Safety

I'm not very technological saavy and consider myself a dummy when it comes to gadgets.

Upon preparing to go overseas to film a few documentaries in some third world countries where human trafficking and drugs are a major problem, I endeavored to buy some spy equipment for videography. What I found was quite surprising and enlightening.

There is a wide disparity between types of spy equipment, companies who retail it, and the prices they charge to the unsuspecting consumer. Had I not done my homework I would have easily overspent $500 to $600 and I am working on a very small budget.

Websites are countless that offer this stuff, but when you try to phone them for technical support or to ask a few simple questions they usually never answer their telephones. That is the first sign you don't want to deal with that company. If you are anything like me and need tech support for the stuff you buy, then you don't want to buy from a company who is never available to help teach you how to use their spy equipment.

Secondly, if you can't ask questions before buying (and sadly this is often the case as most vendors just want to sell not educate the public lest their profit margins be jeopardized), then you very well might buy the wrong kind of equipment. Law enforcement agents have different reasons for buying than do videographers and filmmakers.

Hence the necessity to ask questions and talk to someone knowledgeable. I found finding this key special someone with a heart and degree of morality to be a daunting task. After many days of web searching, phone calling, and being put on hold (only to later be told little helpful info buy the phone rep) I stumbled upon a guy who provided outstanding service.

To fully appreciate how good the guy was who helped me, you'd have to have seen how the local store owner handled me. The guy in my town here in Orlando was rude, impatient, and condescending.

Thankfully I found a gem in a guy named Zeek, a sincere helpful gentleman who kindly spoke with me on the phone for nearly an hour and patiently endured all of my dumb questions.

Undoubtedly God favored me allowing me to find Zeek, who told me all I needed to know, kept me from buying the wrong stuff, and gave me a price well below the other crooks out there selling spy equipment.

His company website is outstanding, detailed, and professional. It was the customer service most of all that did it for me as I'm kind of clueless when it comes to technology and spyware. The beautiful thing is now I am living my dreams as a filmmaker doing documentaries overseas and helping humanity.

It just goes to show you we are all interconnected and need each other. Believe God and good things will come to you. Pray for divine appointments and connections with key people who can save you a lot of grief and frustration.

We got our spy equipment the next day drop shipped to us and tried it out that night. My video guy Chris was really surprised how well it worked and the image clarity when we put it on his computer to see if this might work for us in filmmaking.

We took the spy cam out to some clubs and got some great footage and hid all the gear in our cargo pants. It was an unforgettable adventure!

Next destination Indonesia!

Call my buddy Zeek for knowledgeable service, patient care, and wise advice on what spy equipment is ideal for you. For the red carpet treatment tell Zeek that Pastor Paul Davis from Orlando, FL referred you.

Don't overpay, buy the wrong equipment (remember most companies have a no return policy), or get mistreated by jerks out there. Go to http://www.startechoutlet.com but most importantly call Zeek to talk through what it is you're trying to accomplish, for what you are buying your spy equipment, and let him advise you what is most appropriate to buy.

Call Zeek directly at 512-670-1884 or toll free at 877-513-7076. Don't be discouraged if voice mail picks up, just leave a message and Zeek will promptly phone you right back.

To contact me or make a charitable contribution:
Paul Davis c/o
Dream-Maker Ministries
PO Box 684
Goldenrod, FL 32733

RevivingNations@yahoo.com
407-284-1705; 407-967-7553

www.CreativeCommunications.TV
http://www.DreamMakerMinistries.com

Quality and Creativity Come Together With a Professional Digital Camcorder

A professional digital camcorder allows for creativeness and quality to meet, and the price is more affordable than it was just a few years ago. Even back in the latter half of the 1990's the majority of professionals were utilizing Betamax professional quality analog recorders, although the professional digital camcorder was beginning to stand on its own back then.

In 1997 at a news conference in Roswell, New Mexico on the 50th anniversary of the historical alleged UFO crash journalists in the press room were completely shocked as a professional videographer strolled into the room holding a very little professional digital camcorder, for the first time many of them had seen one. It was a small fraction of the size of the really big Beta machines they were holding, and created a a great deal higher quality picture. The small-scale but very capable professional digital camcorder this newsman held rather honestly caused him to be the news much more than the speaker at the conference, at least amongst his companion journalists and other co-workers.

These days the vision of a pocket-sized professional digital camcorder does not induce as much of a splash that it did back then. As a matter of fact, the costs have been cut back so much that even unskilled videographers at times own professional digital camcorders, or they have a really high end consumer models that come very close, and are often known as "prosumer" since they are nearly a cross between a consumer type and a professional digital camcorder.

The Sky Is The Limit With A Professional Digital Camcorder

The next time you watch a TV news crew reporting a story, have a look at the equipment they are holding. There are numerous well liked quality makes that are used by professionals, but it is rather probable that if the TV station is resolved in regards to the news business the newsmen are using a professional digital camcorder instead of an aged analog camcorder. Being capable of recording directly to a digital format also gives the ability to the producers to edit the pictures a great deal faster than was done in the past.

With computers getting more and more powerful and as well as much more inexpensive and software heading in the same direction, the power to edit the images that you capture with a professional digital camcorder are not merely for pros any longer. Even competent amateurs can do a very good job at it. And for those thinking about a vocation in broadcasting, discovering how to use a professional digital camcorder at an early age is something that can be achieved through an internship or courses at a, community college, university or vocational school. The sky is really the limit with a professional digital camcorder.

Listen to Korbin Newlyn as he shares his insights as an expert author and an avid writer in the field of electronics. If you would like to learn more go to Camcorder Comparison and Review advice and at Digital Video Camcorder tips.

Digital Camcorder Accessory Bag - A Much Needed Component

A digital recorder accessory bag is an essential part of a digital camcorder's needed accessories, and is definitely required by anyone interested in pursuing a career in videography. In reality, the majority of professionals, whether their work is in photography or strictly video, wouldn't even imagine of going out into the field to work and not have some sort of digital camcorder accessory kit with them.

Some of the components that should be included in a digital camcorder accessory Kit would include some sort of bag, preferably having a shoulder strap, which is primarily designed to carry camera equipment and video as well. In most cases the manufacturer that you purchase your camcorder from will have a digital camcorder accessory bag that you can purchase that has been specifically made with your particular camcorder in mind.

Quite often these digital camcorder accessory bags will have foam or plastic cutouts to store your camcorder as well as various pockets on the side to store multiple items such as extra batteries, additional recording media such as DVDs, as well as a spot for pens and notebooks and other tools of the trade.

Make a Digital Camcorder Accessory Bag From An Old Bag

Very often when someone working in the industry of videography has devoted most of their available money purchasing in the highest quality camcorder they can possibly afford and basically can't afford purchase a good quality digital camcorder accessory bag straight from the beginning, and up converting older ones for their use. If that's the situation, keep in mind that old camera bags can most often be purchased for very little cash and sometimes are available for no charge from relatives who possibly collected many bags over the years and no longer have a need for them.

If you end up getting an older camera bag and make a decision to change it into a digital camcorder accessory bag, keep in mind to purchase some Styrofoam to use as padding. Doing so will help protect your camcorder from vibrations and rough treatment. Foam is an excellent way to protect it. Additionally making sure your bag has been waterproofed if it is constructed out of canvas is a smart idea and will be a good investment in the long run.

A Vest for All Occasions

An additional digital camcorder accessory that the majority of people both professional and amateur prefer to carry is that of a professional photographers vest. The color of these vests are usually a light canvas material in tone and in the back there is netting with many pockets for various uses.

Videographers and photographers clearly never have enough pockets and the photographer's vest may very well be one of the most valuable digital camcorder accessories that you can own. Using a vest like this removes the need to have to carry anything else except your camcorder and gives your hands the freedom they need to do what they do best, capture video images.

Korbin Newlyn is an expert in the field of electronics. If you would like to learn more go to Camcorder Reviews and at Digital Camcorder Rating

Take the Test - Are You Ready To Shoot a Wedding Video?

Have you volunteered or have you been recruited to shoot someone's wedding video? Take our test to see if you're ready to handle this important job.

1. The best time to meet with the bride and groom to discuss what they want captured (videotaped) at the wedding is

a) six months before the wedding
b) the day before the wedding
c) one to two months before the wedding

2. Which of the following pieces of equipment should you not be caught without at the wedding?

a) light kit
b) tripod
c) boom microphone
d) JumboTron

3. True or False? Its ok to skip the Wedding Rehearsal.

a) True
b) False

4. True or False? You should place your video camera as close to the minister, bride and groom as possible.

a) True
b) False

5. If you expect the wedding ceremony to last one (1) hour, how much videotape do you need to purchase

a) 60 minutes
b) 90 minutes
c) 120 minutes

6. True or False?: The still photographer is glad to see the videographer.

a) True
b) False

7. At the reception, what type of narration should you provide while you are taping?

a) announce the name of each person as they appear in your viewfinder.
b) announce the arrival of the bridal party
c) provide a play-by-play of the cake cutting ceremony
d) none

8. Which of the following are not important to capture (videotape) at the reception?

a) cake cutting ceremony
b) bouquet/garter toss
c) first dance
d) none of the above

9. Fill in the blanks: At the end of the day, you will know you have done well if you are _______ and _________.

a) dazed and confused
b) tired but satisfied
c) drunk and disorderly
d) sobbing like a little girl

10. When the wedding is over, what do you do with all the footage?

a) send it to America's Funniest Home Videos
b) present the newlyweds with the raw footage
c) edit the footage yourself
d) locate and hire a professional videotape editor

Answers
1. Correct answer: c - one to two months before the wedding

This is close enough to the wedding that the couple will have a good idea about the who, what, when, where and why of the wedding and what parts of it they want videotaped.

Six months before is too soon as the wedding plans have not come together enough that the couple will know what they want. If you wait until the day before you won't have time to gather necessary equipment and people will be too busy with final preparations to give you any direction.

2. Correct answer: b - tripod

A tripod is one of the most important pieces of equipment you will be using during the shooting of the wedding. A tripod ensures that your shots will be stable while giving you controlled flexibility to perform smooth and simple zooms and pans.

Most churches/wedding venues have sufficient light for videotaping so a light kit is not necessary. A boom microphone is overkill. And even though the church has an organ, this is not a hockey game, so forget the JumboTron.

3. Correct answer: false

It is very important for you to attend the rehearsal. This is your opportunity to scout camera positions, and check out all operating systems including cameras, lighting and audio before the actual event.

4. Correct answer: false

Before setting your camera up anywhere, introduce yourself to the minister and let him know where the camera(s) will be positioned and make sure that it meets with his approval. Its important that your presence at the altar doesn't interfere in any way with the ceremony or block the view of anyone sitting in the audience.

5. Correct answer: c - 120 minutes

Weddings tend to run long. You want to have enough videotape to cover twice the length of time you expect the event to be. This will also ensure that you have enough videotape to cover the reception.

6. Correct answer: false

It is a well known fact that wedding photographers grudgingly tolerate wedding videographers. So BEFORE the wedding starts, be sure to introduce yourself and any other videographers to the photographer and assure him that you will stay out of his way and not interfere with his job.

7. Correct answer: d - none

Resist any temptation to narrate as you are shooting the video. This is very unprofessional and you will regret hearing your off-camera comments when you view the raw footage.

8. Correct answer: d - none of the above

These are all part of the "must get" shots at the reception. If you miss any of them you could have an angry "Bridezilla" on your hands.

9. Correct answer: b

If you're tired but happy at the end of the wedding day, then you will know you've done well.

10. Correct answer: d or e are both correct

You can edit the footage yourself. Editing programs for PCs and Macs are becoming more and more commonplace. Even the more complex programs are user friendly.

You can also hire a professional editor. They can be located through the Yellow Pages or even through your local college or university.

Presenting the couple with raw footage is like having a wedding cake without the frosting or decorations. The cake batter may be baked but its definitely unfinished...and detracts from the elegance of the wedding.

Send the footage to America's Funniest Home Videos only if you have a $10,000 clip

How did you score?

8 - 10 Correct: Congratulations. You are ready to produce a professional-looking wedding video.
4 - 7 Correct: Expect some serious challenges. We recommend reviewing the questions that you got wrong.
0 -3 Correct: Yikes! You might want to rethink your role in the wedding. (see: flowergirl)

Olivia Romero is an independent video producer with over 15 years experience as a writer, producer, director and editor. Olivia and her partner, Tony Jones, help couples save money by producing their own professional-looking wedding video. To learn more, visit Wedding Video Secrets.

Ideas for Shooting a Memorable Wedding Video

There a lot of decisions that must be made when it comes to planning a wedding. For instance, a decision must be made on the venue of the ceremony. Decisions must also be made on the number of guests to invite and the food that would be served to them. Of course, decisions on important aspects such as the finances and the decorations must also be made.

Looking into hiring someone to do a wedding video is one of the items on most couples' to-do lists. The idea of a wedding video only really cropped up with the popularity of the home video camera, though it’s been standard for years for couples to hire professional photographers to shoot their wedding photographs. Making videos for weddings has eventually blossomed into a huge industry.

The first decision that a couple must make is whether they really need a wedding video. This decision will depend both on personal preferences and budget. There are a handful of things that need to be considered in addition to these two criteria. A couple has to decide on the length of the wedding video and the people who will watch it. Some couples content themselves with the photographs and the memories of the wedding, while some couples still opt for having a wedding video done to capture their special day.

You have to think about who you are going to hire to shoot the video if you do decide to get a wedding video done. Professional videographers often have samples of their work that you can view. This means that you will have the opportunity to decide if you like their styles or not. The problem with hiring professional videographers is that they are often expensive. A couple can easily end up paying as much as the photos by hiring a professional videographer.

Hiring a student from a local university or community college film class can also be a great option. Many of these students are quite talented but haven’t had a chance to flex their creative muscles. This muscle-flexing comes cheap, especially if they can use the video to fulfill a class requirement. However, you have to go over exactly what you want with the student beforehand, and make sure that the student knows what he or she is doing if you do opt for a student-produced wedding video.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Wedding Video. Visit our site for more helpful information about Wedding Video and other similar topics.

Writing Your Life Story - Tips And Techniques For Success

Once a luxury of the rich and famous, technology has, for the first time in history, made it possible for anyone to capture, share and preserve their most precious life stories. With the advent of computers, the Internet, digital photography, video, and audio, anyone can capture the richness and texture of their life stories. These personal histories will be appreciated by family, friends, and future generations.

Today it is possible to easily blend the art of traditional biography and memoir with powerful new technologies into a new form of individual life storytelling: the personal life history. Personal life histories are satisfying to create. And, because of the interactive multimedia possibilities inherent in computers and the web, a well-done personal life history can be rich and fully rounded in ways that are impossible to achieve in text-only memoir or biography. But most importantly, personal life histories preserve vital individual and family stories. And, when properly done, they will last for generations.

In this article you will discover how to use time-honored life story writing techniques along with the latest technologies to create a story that is uniquely "you."

The Art of Traditional Life-Story Formats

For anyone interested in creating their own autobiography, memoir or personal life history, it is important to understand the distinctions between these forms of telling one's own life story. To over-generalize for a moment, an autobiography is more fact-based, while a memoir is more emotion-based.

Autobiographies are written by the subject, sometimes with the collaboration of another writer. Autobiographical works take many forms, from intimate writings made during life that are not necessarily intended for publication (including letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, and reminiscences) to the formal autobiography. Interestingly, the autobiography format does not necessarily have to be true. It may also be a literary fictional tale.

Memoirs are a form of personal recollection that has grown enormously in popularity in recent times. Memoirs often focus on more subjective recollections such as memories, feelings, and emotions and are generally written from the first-person viewpoint. The memoir is often focused on capturing certain meaningful highlights or moments.

In his own Memoir, Palimpest, Gore Vidal writes that "a memoir is how one remembers one's own life, while an autobiography is history, requiring research, dates, facts double-checked."

Memoirs usually focus on a brief period of time or a series of connected events (an autobiography covers a longer time period). In a memoir, the writer is usually retrospective, and contemplating past events. Memoirs may incorporate the techniques of storytelling such as setting, plot, conflict, character development, foreshadowing, flashback, irony or symbolism. And lastly, writing one's memoir often has a therapeutic effect for the writer.

Oral History Recordings

An oral history is a verbatim transcription of an interview, left in the narrator's exact words. These are usually left in a question-and-answer style and are an economical way to preserve family stories. A recording system with a good-quality microphone and a quiet spot free from interruptions are all that is really needed to capture an oral history. It helps to have questions prepared in advance of the interview.

Oral histories are usually recorded using analog tape or digital recording equipment, but it is also possible to record directly into a personal computer. Oral histories are often transcribed (typed or word processed) into a document format. The conversational style is appealing for its easygoing informality.

Caveats: Recording formats and standards are constantly evolving and could become difficult or impossible to play back if the equipment becomes obsolete. Taped recordings decay over time.

Video History Recordings

Do-it-Yourself: At the basic level, it's easy and fun to create a basic video history. Camcorders are relatively inexpensive, and many computers today come with basic editing software. Capturing a good video history shares all of the same prerequisites as an audio recording: a quiet spot, with questions prepared in advance. Plus, you will want an uncluttered background, flattering lighting, and right clothing to improve the quality of the end product. White shirts, pants or dresses, for example don't show up well on video. Likewise, busy patterns can be distracting. Solid light-colored neutrals or pastels are usually safe.

Professional videographers: A large number of professional video companies specialize in the creation of life story productions. Productions may range from a 10 or 15 minute short to an hour or longer mini-movie, complete with titles, music, and other Hollywood-style effects. Naturally, you'll pay more for a professional production than a homegrown effort.

When selecting a professional use all the usual smart-consumer tips. Ask for references. Ask to see samples of prior work. Get all costs, production timetables and commitments in writing. It's delightful to have movies of an individual or family. When well-executed they often have entertainment value and are great for special occasions.

Caveat: As with audio recordings, formats change over time, and media can degrade, even with proper storage methods

The Integration of Art and Technology: Web-Based Personal Life Histories

Just in the last few years, the Web has emerged as a powerful new medium for creating and sharing life stories. On the web it is not only possible, it is enjoyable and easy to create a rich multimedia story with text, photos, audio and video. This is the new format of the personal life history.

Web-based personal life histories enjoy several advantages over paper-based publishing, audio, video, or even CD life stories. Specifically, Web-based publication is updateable-one can add new information at any time. It is easily shareable among friends or family. The most advanced sites offer choices of privacy and security protection. The web is also multimedia, meaning you can add text, photos, audio, and video. Photos, audio, video are never lost, damaged destroyed. An finally, many sites offer print-on-demand, allowing you to create instant books. The books may be printed on your home printer, or sent out to small-run publishers. If you choose the small-run option, be sure to specify archival quality paper.

One of the biggest advantages of web publishing is the ability to build community around similar interests, occupations, backgrounds or life events. For example, a WWII veteran pilot who posts his story to the Web and makes it available to the public may be contacted by long-lost friends, other veterans, students, historians, museum personnel, or others interested in this pivotal chapter in American history.

Why Create Your Personal Life History?

Mark Twain once said: "There was never yet an uninteresting life. Such a thing is impossibility. Inside everyone, there is a drama, a comedy, a tragedy."

A personal life history can be as short as a few pages, or several volumes in length. Whatever the length or medium, it requires thoughtfulness and sometimes quite a bit of work to accomplish. But the work is worthwhile because it has the ability to influence generations ahead. Your personal life history may leave a legacy for your children and grandchildren. As with memoir, writing a personal history allows you to examine and reflect on your life up to the present day. It lets you add your story to the larger historical record of your family, city, and country. And lastly, if you don't do it, who will?

Start with a Timeline of Life Chapters

How does one start to tell the story of a life that may cover 60, 70, 80 years or more? Often it's helpful to create a chronological timeline of major events in your life. It helps to jot down a few notes around key phases in your life. In fact, you may already be thinking of your life as a book, with separate, distinct chapters built around important life episodes.

Of course, not everyone's life follows an identical chronological sequence, but here are a few ideas for chapter headings for your book or story. GreatLifeStories.com uses the following "chapters" to organize life stories:

• Your Beginnings
• In Your Neighborhood
• School Days
• Off to Work
• Romance and Marriage
• War and Peace
• Triumphs and Tragedies
• Words of Wisdom
• Humor
• Words of Gratitude

The chapter system is very flexible. For example, you don't have to start your life story with the days of your birth and youth. Perhaps you had a fascinating experience during the war. As with a movie, you might open your life story with that "scene," then tell the story how you got there.

Once you've got an idea for the "flow," of your story, here are some more specific guidelines to help add color, texture, and authenticity:

1. Just start writing! Do a mind dump. Get it out of your head and down on paper, the computer, the tape recorder, wherever. Don't worry about how it sounds. Just write. Resist the temptation to edit yourself; there will be time for editing later.
2. Be yourself. Don't worry if your grammar or spelling isn't perfect. Write it as you would say it.
3. Honesty is everything. The best writing tells it like it happened.
4. Include humor. Favorite jokes, stories, anecdotes
5. Detail, detail, detail. What kind of floor did the kitchen have? What color was the scarf she wore when you first met?
6. Go at a comfortable pace. Don't try to capture an entire lifetime in a single session of furious writing. Write, allow time to reflect, and return again to writing.
7. Consult others. Family members and friends can be invaluable sources of facts and interpretation.
8. Use photos to jog your memory. Tip: Set out photos in a timeline of your life, starting from your very youngest days, and moving through current times. Write or record to your visual storyboard
9. Look for themes in your life. Themes are broad ideas that are central to your life. Did you always want to be a pilot? A preacher? Own a restaurant? Be a farmer? Tell the story of how you met your goal, or how the goal changed to something else totally unexpected.

Here are just a few other thematic life story possibilities: a. The Spiritual quest b. The Confession c. The Travelogue d. The Portrait e. The Complaint f. Humor g. The Family history h. The Road to Recovery i. War Story j. Romance

Another Option: Hire a Professional

Most of this article has been focused on creating the do-it-yourself personal life history. There is, of course, the option of working with a professional. The right professional writer or videographer is a highly skilled interviewer and has the proper tools and equipment. And, believe it or not, it is sometimes easier for someone to open up in front of a stranger rather than in front of a family member.

There are many approaches to working with writers or videographers. However, there are a number of similarities in common. The writer/videographer often:

1) Meets with you to determine the scope and cost of the project.
2) Usually sets up taped interview sessions. Depending on your objectives, these may be an hour or two, or 10, 20 hours or more.
3) The recording is transcribed and edited with your input and guidance
4) Once a final manuscript/movie is agreed upon, it may be sent out for printing or duplication.
5) For books, personal history professionals recommend archival bindings and acid-free paper for longevity
6) You receive the number of books/movies agreed upon in your contract.
7) Be sure to discuss services, fees and end products in advance, and get all agreements in writing.

Thanks to high technology, the art of capturing and preserving the stories from one's own life is now open to more people and easier than ever before. A new genre of personal storytelling is emerging that draws on the literary traditions of the autobiography and memoir, while adding audio, video, and web technology to create personal life histories. On the Web, these personal stories personal life histories are multimedia, collaborative, shareable, and instantly updateable.

Enjoy capturing your life story!

References and Further Reading

Web Sites:

http://www.greatlifestories.com

Associations:

The Association of Personal Historians is a 600+ member organization of professional personal historians who create life stories in all formats: text, audio, video. http://www.personalhistorians.org

How-to Books:

There are many good books filled with different approaches and tips for writing a personal life history. Here are just a few:

Daniel, Lios, How to Write Your Own Life Story

Rainer, Tristine, Your Life as Story Books

Roorbach, Bill, Writing Life Stories

Mike Brozda is one of the founding members of the GreatLifeStories team. A veteran journalist, he has more than 30 years experience writing for national and international publications. He has also created more than 150 personal life histories for people across the US, Canada, and Mexico. Contact him at mike.brozda@yahoo.com

How Do You Save Money On Your Wedding Videographer?

You may think that a wedding videographer is a cost that you could do without and you could end up spending thousands on something that you may only watch a few times. Lots of times will be straight after the wedding , you will take it religiously to all of your friends and family, then it will get packed away. The next time could be when the children want to have a laugh and then again at your tenth wedding anniversary. All that said having a video of your wedding could be one of the most important reminders of your special day, so you need to get it right but not spend a fortune.

The first thing that you need to remember is quality is important. It doesn't matter how cheap the deal is, if it is terrible you will be upset and if the record button was forgotton to be pressed by a well-meaning relative you could be devastated.

Whoever you employ for the services of wedding videographer make sure you see previous work and samples, both edited and raw footage.

The cheapest wedding videographer will be a friend or relative who is willing to do it for free but take into account the above points. Whoever it is check their previous work!

Another cheaper option is to hire a film student, check out your local college and see if there are any students wanting to film your wedding. They may be needing to increase their portfolio and so this is a win-win situation.

Hiring a professional does take away any of the amateur worries you may have with the above suggestions but they can charge a lot.

Shop around and not just in your own town, I have heard of videographers from the otherside of the country being hired as they were the cheapest. And that includes travel and accommodation. In other words if you live in an expensive city try looking at more rural based wedding videographers. Sounds mad but it's true!

The more videographers, hours of filming and level of editing is what will increase the price. Think, when is it important for the filming? Maybe just have the ceremony filmed, stipulate just one videographer and maybe ask for the raw footage. That will minimise your costs and do you or your guests want a videographer filming their best dance moves late in the night? The evening and late night shots always seem to be best on the friend's camera, as you get all of their commentary at the time.

You also want to find a videographer who will give you the rights to your own proofs, otherwise you will get charged for all the copies you need for all of your relatives. Another expense to avoid.

Some videographers and photographers work together and if you hire them both the overall cost will be reduced from individual contracts. This will also mean that they will work together rather than trying to get in each others way. Another stress to avoid!

Follow the above tips and you could be the proud owners of one of the best wedding videos that you will want to keep watching again and again.

Suzanne Daykin is owner of http://www.cheap-wedding-solutions.com

Suzanne has spent the last 12 years working in the Hospitality Industry as a wedding planner and event manager. Organising thousands of functions from small personal parties to large corporate product launches in the UK and Europe. Currently a work at home mum, Suzanne set up her own event company in 2006 and now looks to help future brides and grooms save money when they are planning their wedding.

Make it look like you spent thousands with simple Cheap Wedding Solutions http://www.cheap-wedding-solutions.com

Tips When Choosing Your Wedding Photography Videography

A marriage is a whirlwind of activity, and that's why there is one aspect to consider in wedding photography: Videography.

By having professional wedding photographers commemorate your special day on film, you will be able to relax after all the activity is over and watch your special day unfold again.

A marriage video will let you see all the little things that happened while you and your new spouse were being the perfect hosts to a reception hall full of guests.

Many couples choose a wedding photography studio that offers wedding photography/videography packaged together. It is often much more financially viable to purchase both elements as part of a package rather than separately.

However, you must be sure that the studio's videographers are competent and experienced in the unique medium of film. Some less-reputable studios have begun simply sticking camcorders in the hands of staff photographers in an effort to cash in on the videography market.

When selecting your videographer, it is very important to view examples of his or her previous work. As anyone who has taken video of a vacation or kids at play knows, wedding photography videography is not easy.

It takes special talent and training to produce professional quality video. Additionally, viewing the videographer's work will give you a feel for his or her overall style as well as the elements on which the videographer chooses to focus.

Interview prospective marriage videographers just as carefully as you would potential professional wedding photographers. Presented here is a list of suggested questions. You may have additional questions based on your individual circumstances.

1. Will you be the actual videographer for my special day? As with photographers, some studios employ staff videographers. You want to meet with the actual person who will film your marriage.

A corollary question is whether the sample video you view was recorded on the same type of equipment that will be used at your wedding.

2. What extra fees might I incur? Discuss available packages and extras that you might need. Negotiate all fees; even those that you think will not apply such as overtime.

Try to get the videographer to work certain extras into your package price. Affordable wedding photography/videography is available but you may need to enter into careful negotiations.

3. What format of equipment do you use and what is your experience level with that format? As with photography, the digital versus film debate rages in videography as well. Both formats have their own advantages and disadvantages.

Whichever format you select, be sure that the videographer is comfortable and experienced with that format.

4. What type of backup equipment do you carry and how does the backup compare to the original? Your special day is a one-time event. If the videographer's equipment fails, it is crucial that he or she can switch quickly and seamlessly to a backup.

However, some backup equipment is older and crude by today's standards. Be sure that the backup equipment is of acceptable quality.

5. How much control will I have over the elements that are included in the video? Many couples give little thought to their marriage video, instead turning full control over to the videographer.

Yet the video is your living record of your carefully planned special day. Choose a videography professional who will work with you to help you decide which events should be covered and how the final video should be edited.

While it's great to have traditional marriage photography, wedding photography videography can enhance your experience. Why stop at still photographs when you can get the full experience of sight and sound to go with those images?

If you have your heart set on filming your special day, and your marriage photography studio doesn't offer that option, ask the photographer in charge if he can refer someone to you.

Take your time and shop for the right person to do the job, and you won't be disappointed.

Wedding photography can give you some great moments to treasure. Learn more about wedding photography videography at Mike Selvon portal. While you are there leave is a comment at our professional wedding photography blog, and receive your FREE gift.

Capture Your Wedding Day In High Definition Even On A Budget

Congratulations, you have just gotten engaged! You and your fiancé are thrilled and cannot wait to start planning the wedding. Then reality sets in. As you begin researching wedding videographers, you realize they are a lot more expensive than you expected. Typical wedding videographers can easily cost $1000 or more and they often only include one camera and cover only the ceremony and a portion of the reception. Full coverage including pre-ceremony preparation, additional cameras or hours can easily run several thousand dollars. Currently many videographers do not shoot in high definition and if they do, they charge much higher rates.

If you and your fiancé have your hearts set on capturing your special day on video, it's important to know that there are other options available. You can rent a camera and ask a friend or relative to record the wedding. There are companies that now offer high definition cameras for rent that are small and very easy to use so even an amateur can get great footage. For a few hundred dollars or less, you can have access to a high-definition 1080i camcorder to record all those memories. Even if you plan on hiring a professional videographer, have a friend use the rented camera to capture those special moments traditional videographers often miss: pre-ceremony preparations like the bride and groom getting ready, pre-ceremony music, or guests arriving at the venue. If your videographer is only using one camera, a friend with a rented camera can provide great supplemental coverage of the ceremony as well as those candid moments at the reception. Some rental companies will take care of transferring all the footage to DVD or Blu-ray disc for you. Often they offer additional services such as making a professional edited home movie for you, complete with music and titles of your choosing. Imagine receiving a professional edited DVD or Blu-ray disc of your wedding for a fraction of the price you would have paid a traditional videographer.

Here's another added bonus of renting a video camera: after the wedding, take the video camera with you on your honeymoon. Many video camera rental packages include a full two-week rental so you have plenty of time to capture a lot of great memories. Remember those special honeymoon moments like basking on the beach with your new spouse or sharing your first breakfast as husband and wife.

Renting a video camera for your wedding and/or honeymoon is a practical and money-saving option. Just think, you can put the money you save toward furnishing your first home or spending a few extra days on your honeymoon!

Amy Webb co-founded Esyncrony Inc. Esyncrony focuses on providing high quality video and still cameras to consumers by renting them at a fraction of the price to purchase. They provide advice on using cameras and take the hassle out of transferring video and photos to the computer or multimedia such as DVD and Blu-ray disc.

For more information, visit:

http://esyncrony.com/

Keys to Finding the Best Videography or Videographer for Your Wedding

By the time you finish reading this article you will be armed with the information needed to select a quality videographer for you wedding. Most brides are not familiar with the video Here are a couple things to look for when hiring a videographer for your wedding:

1 – Meet the people

Nothing beats the feeling you get from meeting people face to face. On your wedding day you need to be comfortable with the people who are around you. Not to mention, how people conduct themselves in life is usually an insight into how they will conduct their work.

2 – SEE THEIR WORK

Ask to see finished videos and final DVD’s. Make sure the work is quality work and you like their style. Make sure they have completed weddings to show you.

Ask if it is a full time job for them or if it is a hobbie. You will find that some people with open weekends, a high quality camera and a Mac computer call themselves wedding videographers.

Some companies may have sample DVD’s and a few will have samples to view online like at www.weddingsamples.com

You definitely do not want to be the first customer to a new guy starting a business. Let him find someone else to be the guinea pig. You want someone with experience. Weddings are a live event. Filming a wedding is more difficult than a stage shoot. There are no retakes on the vows. You need to get it right the first time, because there is only one shot. This means you need people with experience.

An amateur will have the following problems with the footage:

- Framing. Do they cut off heads? Do they have artistic shots or is it lifeless filming? A creative experienced videographer will have creative shots and entertain the audience.

- Focus. If they are inexperienced they will loose focus on a shot and not be able to get the focus back quickly.

- Bad Audio. When you are filming a wedding there are no “re-takes” the audio needs to be captured right the first time. This is especially key during the ceremony and toasts. It is important to have a videographer who knows how to handle sound at your wedding or you may wind up with inaudible vows, which has been done to many weddings by amateurs.

- Camera movements. The shots should be steady and fluid. You should have no attention on camera shakes if you are watching a good video. You will notice the inexperienced videographers because of the shaky camera work or quick zoom in, zoom out shots.

Quality videographers will have tripods and steady camera equipment to avoid these camera shakes. During receptions and other times it may be appropriate to hand hold the camera for a more stylistic shooting.

- Lighting. A good videographer will adapt his equipment to handle low light or extreme light. The footage will not be too dark or blown out with white glares in the footage. The opposite is of course true of the bad videographers.

Some of the “rules” are broken intentionally from time to time to create certain effects. But you will be able to notice the difference.

They will also have lighting equipment or a camera mount light for times when the standard room lighting or candle light is not adequate.

3 – Ask good questions

There are some things you should find out about the videographers you are interviewing:

- How many weddings have you done?

- Will you be filming and editing the wedding or will it be done by someone else?

- What will my final DVD look like? Do you have a demo reel or sample wedding to show me?

- Do you have good microphones and wireless mics for the sound, especially during the ceremony?

The answers to these questions will give you a better idea about the company you are dealing with.

4 – Don’t skimp on the important things

There are some things you can bargain on but photography, videography and the wedding rings are not the things to skimp on. Why? Because these are the things you take with you FOREVER! and

You will get what you pay for in videography. If you have a company willing to offer you unlimited hours and a full edited wedding DVD for $1500 - RUN! I’ll tell you why. Anyone with skills in video filming and editing can make much more than that doing anything in the video world.

The average video is 2-3 hours preparation (meeting with the client, planning, etc.) 8-12 hours of filming plus travel time and 30-70 hours editing and mastering your DVD. If you have more than one videographer, they are paying a few hundred at least to the second videographer, equipment upkeep, supplies, etc. You get my point. A person who will do all this for what ends up being $10-$20 per hour is probably not who you want.

You will get what you pay for.

You can get good quality coverage and a nicely edited DVD for $2000-$3000 and add extras from there. These extras include multiple videographers, love stories, photo montages, extended hours of video coverage, etc. You can pick and choose what is most important to you and what you can afford within your wedding budget.

Armed with this information you can make good decisions and ensure you have a wedding video to view with your husband and family for decades of anniversaries to come!

If you have any questions regarding videography or how to choose a videographer feel free to email cinemaweddings@cox.net.

Call 800-625-8817 or 949-340-7428 for information on wedding day videography services offered in Orange County, Los Angeles County and San Diego County, CA. Some vendors will travel to destination weddings.

IMPORTANT TIPS TO PLANNING YOUR WEDDING:

- Meet with all your vendors, interview them and ask a lot of questions

- Make sure you are comfortable with the vendors you choose. It is important to have people around you on your wedding day that you not only like their work, best trust and feel comfortable around.

- Search www.cashunclaimed.com to see if you have unclaimed money owed to you that can add extra money to your wedding budget.

- Call or email to confirm with your vendors the details of the service they are providing one week prior to the wedding.

- Make an itinerary for all vendors and send it to all. The itinerary should have where you and your groom will be during the wedding with times and addresses. For example Susie (bride) 949-500-8888 Cellular will be getting ready 12:30-2:30pm at the Westin 1000 Main St., Newport Beach, CA 92663 in the Presidential Suite.

- Create a contact form that list the bride, groom, bridal party, parents of the bride and groom, and all vendors with names and phone numbers for everyone.

- Enjoy every part of the wedding including the planning and most of all HAVE FUN!

Nicole Anderson offers information about unclaimed money at http://www.cashunclaimed.com. Cash Unclaimed’s database covers all state and federal databases to ensure any money owed to you is found and offers unlimited name searches to members. Click on http://www.cashunclaimed.com for a free money search and locate your missing money today!

Becoming a Videographer

The steps needed to become a videographer are going to vary based on the type of videography services that you plan on delivering. If you plan on offering very basic video services like filming weddings and special events, then chances are you can get by with little formal training. However, if you plan on offering extensive editing and professional video production services, then it is in your best interest to take formal courses in videography, editing and business management.

The first step in becoming a videographer is to determine what type of videographer you plan on becoming. There are a lot of video specialties that you can focus your business on. There are wedding videographers, independent film producers, studio film producers, documentary videographers and legal videographers, just to name a few.

The next step in becoming a videographer is to uncover what education and training you will need to run your video business. People interested in offering wedding filming services will most likely only need basic instructions on how to use a video camera, how to use editing software and how to compose and mix soundtracks for video productions. On the other hand, if you plan on offering more complex video production services then you may want to complete a more comprehensive itinerary of courses. An example of the type of curriculum you may want to cover in your video education include: film producing, film editing, film aesthetics, screenwriting, music composition and editing, after effects, audio mixing, DVD compression, web compression and courses in the use of common filmmaking software programs like DVD Studio Pro and Final Cut Pro.

The third step in becoming a videographer is to acquire the equipment that you will need for your business. To get all of the equipment that you need you will need to have some money set aside to invest. Some of the equipment that you will need include: a computer with multi-media components, digital storage devices and hardware, camera equipment, editing equipment, sound equipment and lighting equipment.

Once you have your video production studio set up, your next step will be to design and implement an advertising campaign. This campaign needs to focus on getting the word out about your services. The marketing devices that you will want to design include: brochures, business cards, price lists and flyers. Finally you may want to put together a demo reel to show potential customers what you can do.

A legal videographer is a video production specialist who is skilled at producing video evidence for legal cases. The services offered by this type of video specialist is in high demand and it pays a very generous salary. Being a professional digital videographer takes more than just knowledge of how to use a digital camcorder. It takes expertise in a variety of business, creative and technical subjects. There are a lot of videography equipment that videographers need including: cameras, tripods, editing software, video monitors, cases, lenses and mixing devices.

Wedding Videographer Checklist - 25 Questions To Ask Wedding Videographers

Wedding video production brings you as close to reliving your wedding as possible. Many couples choose to have their wedding captured on film because they want to be able to look back on their wedding and not only see pictures, but relive the sight, sounds and emotions of their wedding. The best way to select your wedding videographer is to see demos of their work. You may want to select several videographers in your area, from the least expensive to the most expensive and compare the styles and quality of video they produce. You may find that an average cost videographer is on par with the most expensive, or that an inexpensive videographer will work just fine for what you had in mind for your wedding video. Keep in mind that companies who have several videographers often will showcase their best work, but will assign someone else to your wedding.

Once you have narrowed down your selection of wedding videographers, you should ask them several questions before making a final decision. Here are is a list of questions you may want to consider asking the wedding videographers before signing on the dotted line.

Name and Location of Videographer:

Contact Person and Telephone Number:

1. How many years of experience do you have as a videographer?
2. Approximately how many wedding videos have you videotaped?
3. What is your style of video production? Documentary or cinematic?
4. What type of packages do you offer?
5. How much will it cost for the package I am interested in?
6. Can you add in a photo montage, if so, what is the cost?
7. Does the package include titles for the video, if not, can it be added, and at what cost?
8. How many hours does this package include?
9. How is overtime calculated?
10. How much are additional copies?
11. Do you edit the video after the event?
12. Who keeps the raw footage?
13. How long after the wedding does it take to receive the final product?
14. Are you the person who will be videotaping my wedding?
15. Will you have an assistant or other videographer with you on the day of my wedding?
16. Are you familiar with our ceremony and reception location?
17. (If No to above) Do you visit the ceremony and reception sites before the actual wedding date?
18. What type of equipment do you use?
19. Do you bring back up equipment with you to the wedding?
20. What format do you use?
21. Do you have a wireless microphone?
22. What is your payment policy?
23. What is your cancellation policy
24. Do you offer a money back guarantee?
25. Do you have liability insurance?

Erica Tevis is the owner of Little Things Wedding Favors Visit them on the web and check out their large supply of wedding favors, themed favors, invitations, and wedding accessories.

A Costly Mistake for Videographers

All videographers should be familiar with the headaches that go with recording audio. The list of possible disasters seems to get longer each time I conduct an interview, record an event or performance, or mix vocal recordings with music.

It is essential, therefore, to use headphones on the job while recording audio in any form. In December of 2005 I conducted an outdoor interview but I forgot to include my headphones in my audio case. The site was secluded so I took the chance that the recordings would come out even though I couldn’t hear what was actually being recorded.

Imagine my frustration as I listened to the playback. Vehicles on the highway were all over the soundtrack. While the voice was still clear, it was cut by loud diesel engines and a struggling sedan that couldn’t have been worth more than $500 in spare parts.

Lesson: Never record on-site audio without headphones.

Not even the advanced audio filters included in Final Cut Pro 4 could save me from this one. I cut one frequency after another but the vocals seemed too closely aligned with the background noise. There was simply no way of saving the track as it stood.

Fortunately, my clients were forgiving and I was able to transcribe the spoken section of the original recording. Recording under tightly controlled circumstances, the new sound track was laid down beautifully. Since the words were not each equal and the speaking speed was different, I included several photographs as a montage to cover the areas where the new sound and the original video could not match.

There is a wide variety of headsets to choose from. On the surface it would not seem to make a difference which type of headset you use but on the job it makes a huge difference. I would never take a pair of those cheap iPod type earphones on the job for one thing. Those types don’t shield any background noise which makes it difficult to hear subtle differences during recording. The ideal set of headphones for recording live events needs to have sound-proofing elements in place. You know that fuzzy stuff on the head set? It is not just there to be soft on your ears. The primary function is to filter out the nearby noise and allow you to better hear what is coming through the cords.

The only brand I actually recommend is unquestionably the best. A real professional videographer will have a pair of Bose earphones. Bose products are worth every penny you spend on them, or better yet, invested. Consider purchasing Bose headphones an investment. Even the really dumb clients will recognize the quality of the brand name since it commands respect everywhere. If you show up with a weeny little pair of no name brand headphones, your clients will not feel inspired to trust you as a professional.

Quality of tools is one of a videographer's best signs of credibility. Where do you fit in?

Tyler Ellison is among utah wedding videographers as part of Ellison Video Productions ( http://www.ellisonvideo.com )

Your Online Video May Cost You Thousands

You’ve just gotten married, and are traveling the world with your new spouse on your honeymoon. A good friend who filmed the wedding and reception has just finished putting together the footage. He has posted it on YouTube so you both can relive your wedding day on your honeymoon.

The video is wonderful. It illuminates several moments you’d missed in the excitement of the day. Your friend has even included your song, Endless Love, as the background music for the video.

After the honeymoon, as you unpack the doorbell rings. Opening the door you find a man asking for your signature for a package. You think, "Which aunt or uncle must be sending money"? When the deliveryman smiles, hands you the package and says, "You’ve been served." you are surprise and horrified.

Confused, you tear the package open to find a lawsuit for $10,000 for copyright infringement. You wonder to yourself--could this be right? How did I infringe any copyrights? Out of curiosity you scan the pages of the lawsuit for a logical explanation. Then you find it: "the illegal use of Endless Love by Lionel Ritchie and Diana Ross in your wedding video posted on YouTube".

With all the attention YouTube has gotten from the Viacom lawsuit for $1 billion for unauthorized distribution and infringe of copyright laws, everyone has overlooked a possible next wave of lawsuits to come. Those are for the vast majority of online videos that are made by small home videographers who have included music in their videos that has not been licensed for use.

Typically music publishers and record labels have turned a blind eye to home and wedding videographers who produce their own work. Shared with an audience of usually less then 10 close personal friends and family, these home videographers have all but been ignored for years. This was before sites like You Tube, Google Video, ChickShack, AsSeenInVT and a handful of others began creating an outlet for anyone with a video camera. Now home videographers need to be warned. You may soon find yourself involved in lawsuits for illegal use of a copyrighted protected musical recording, the fines for which could be in excess of $15,000 per song.

Remember how fiercely the recording industry went after everyone from children to old ladies who downloaded songs from sites like Napster? It may be only a matter of time until they start going after videographers in the same manner.
Most home videographers are unaware of the limitations on using copyright protected music. The vast number of home Videographers wrongly assume that they can synchronize or place any music they want in their video production. In the past, a small home and wedding Videographer would usually get away with this. The problem is these wannabee Quentin Tarantino’s have now begun distributing their productions to more then just a few friends and family. A video loaded online has the potential market of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of viewers, and if you’ve created something popular using YouTube, you may be the next victim.

Local TV stations in America can pay tens of thousands of dollars for licensing music for their stations. This price can go into the millions if they desire to use popular artists songs.

For Videographers who have uploaded productions onto sites like YouTube and are now nervous, let me educate you a bit on how licensing works.

Simply put, copyright laws state that any music under copyright protection may not be used for any kind of video production, media presentation, websites, etc--that is, without approval from the copyright owner. Several types of licenses are usually required. These may include some or all of the following: Synchronization, Performance and Master licenses.

Now before you stress over the fact that no one will see your masterpiece or that big the bad RIAA is coming to get you -- there is a solution. First, you must remove the copyrighted music you have in your videos. Then you have the option to either write your own music for your video (most of us are not musically creative enough to go this route) - or license music from an Online Production Music Library.

Online Production Music Libraries typically lease music from their catalogs on either an individual per use basis, called a drop, or blanket licenses that will cover an entire project. The advantages of online production music libraries are the scope, depth and breadth of the catalogs. Pricing ranges greatly, depending on many variables.

Most production libraries do not create music specifically for amateur videographers, but Recently, an L.A. based production music library called TunEdge Music announced it would give special licensing for web distribution. TunEdge Music is providing access to their online catalog and for a reasonable fee their music can be licensed specifically for online creations.

This article was coauthored by Mike Bradbury and Joel Thatcher. Joel is a senior employee of Tunedge Production Music. Tunedge provides production music solutions for professionals and amateurs alike through an online interface. Mike is an analyst for Objectware, Inc, an Atlanta web design company.

Digital Videographer

Digital videographers are in high demand. They serve dozens of industries from the entertainment industry to the legal industry. This profession is lucrative, fun, exciting and rewarding.

Some of the equipment that you will need to familiarize yourself with if you intend on becoming a digital videographer include digital camera equipment, digital media storage and digital editing software and equipment. While this list may seem short, the amount of equipment that you will need to learn about is quite exhaustive, if you take into consideration all of the items that can be listed under each of these main equipment headings. For example, under the digital camera equipment heading alone you have: digital mini dv, digital optical zoom, digital still camera, digital batteries, digital camcorder and digital 8 mm camcorders.

Professional digital videographers need to be trained. This training can be obtained by going to a professional video or film school, it can obtained by taking advantage of online training programs or it can be obtained by signing up for film production seminars and workshops. The type of coursework taken needs to be based on what is currently expected by the digital videography customers and what type of digital video services you plan on offering.

There are three main categories of education that professional digital videographers need. The first category is business. There are several business courses that digital videographers can benefit from including budgeting, scheduling, managing and film law. The next category of education that professional digital videographers can benefit from is creative coursework. Under this category are the courses that deal directly with the production of a digital film.

Camera operation, lens selection, lighting, editing, directing and writing are all covered under this category. The final category of educational topics to be covered by a quality digital film program is technical concerns. This category covers the selection, operation and management of hardware and software needed for digital video productions.

Forensic animation can be a critical part of a criminal or civil court case. It uses the latest 3D animation software to recreate events, to clarify sequences of events and to identify flaws in testimony. Settlement documentaries can be a key factor in settling your personal injury or wrongful death case out-of-court. They can also be re-edited to be admitted as video evidence in the event your case goes to trial. Becoming a videographer is not always easy. However, because the demand for the services offered by videographers is so high, it is worth the work and effort to become one.

What is a Legal Videographer

A legal videographer is an important legal professional who can specialize in a wide variety of video related legal services. The main services offered by legal videographers include creating Day-in-the-Life videos, forensic animation productions, settlement documentaries and filming court proceedings. Other services offered by legal videographers include legal reporting, video evidence analysis and training new legal videographers.

The first service offered by legal videographers is the production of Day-in-the-Life videos. These videos are developed to be admitted as evidence in a court of law. Their purpose is to demonstrate how an accident or product malfunction has negatively impacted the life of the plaintiff. These video productions utilize many tricks of the trade, like somber music, depressed lighting and dramatic staging of the victim, in order to solicit sympathy for the case’s victim.

The second service offered by legal videographers is the production of forensic animation. These video productions are intended to be admitted as evidence in a court of law. Their purpose is to recreate an event to help clarify to the jury what happened and to clarify who was liable for the accident or for the wrongful death. This service takes time and money. Average forensic animation productions cost over $5,000 to produce and they can take upward of 3 months to complete.

The third service offered by legal videographers is the production of settlement documentaries. Unlike Day-in-the-Life films and forensic animation, settlement documentaries are not intended to be admitted as evidence during a trial. Instead, they are intended to encourage the defendant to settle out-of-court. In the event that an out-of-court settlement cannot be reached, these films can be edited to create very effective Day-in-the-Life films to be admitted as evidence and used to support the plaintiff’s case during their trial.

The fourth service offered by legal videographers is court room video documentation. This is a very basic service. What it entails is setting up a camera in a court room to film the proceedings of a court case in order to preserve it for posterity, public record or to be used by the jury when reviewing the case.

The final service offered by legal videographers is video analysis. There are several different analyses that legal videographers can offer. They can verify that a piece of video evidence has not been tampered with or hoaxed, they can identify anomalies in the video and they can also enhance the video or images to make them easier for the court to interpret.

The profession of legal videographer is diverse, interesting and important. These professionals are responsible for managing, creating and presenting video evidence. They are also used as expert witnesses and for training other junior members of the videography industry. Learn everything there is to know about being a legal videographer from forensic animation specialist to the learning what it takes to become a videographer.

Wedding Videographers (Some) Are Like Paparazzi

If your considering a wedding videographer, I'm going to share with you a dirty confession. For the last 10 years I've felt the fun and pain of filming a romantic wedding film. In fact, I made a lot of mistakes early on and from that I learned the hard way how to create a great video.

Thank the lord you don't need to be a victim of sloppy wedding videography. Let's take a look at some of the challenges brides encounter in choosing their video expert and more importantly what you should know to receive the very best.

#1. Competence - Making wedding documentaries requires immaculate detail, focus, a photographic background, and artistic style. Unlike filming on a television set where the environment is fixed wedding film making involves ingenuity and requires improvisation.

No scripts, no retakes, and the lighting and sound are in flux. You wouldn't put your wedding memories in the hands of an amateur. Picture in focus ? Audio distorted ? A demo reel is mandatory. Even better, ask for referrals.

#2. Personality - A great wedding requires a coordinated effort. It's a referral-based business and having an immature attitude can add a lot of drama for other vendors. Check with your photographer if he knows the videographer you've considered. This is a great way to prevent potential problems.

A pro videographer will stay clear of the photographer's space and vice versa. A great cameraman will work around the photographer's shooting area without disrupting the flow of the day.

#3. Personal Space - There's nothing worse than being followed by a bunch of paparazzi. Unless you crave the attention of a movie star you'll need a videographer that honors your personal space without shining a bright obnoxious light into your eyes. Yes, it's true on-camera lighting is a necessity for low lighting but a seasoned videographer will sprinkle a splash of soft light while preserving the mood.

As a rule of thumb I keep a safe distance of 5-8 feet from the bride and groom whenever filming. This allows for a personal experience of the romance, humor, and excitement without overstepping their comfort zone.

#4. Content is King - Search any bridal forum and you'll come across a bride saying, "The day goes by so fast I can't remember half of what I said." Whether it's the romantic seduction of your first dance or the hysterical slightly-embarrassing toast given by the best man brides need to be aware of what you bargained for. Never assume anything. Consult with your videographer and provide them a schedule and shot list. Even, better find out if they offer long-form (60mins) or short-form videos (30mins).

Depending on your specific tastes, one-hour videos tend to be more popular. However, it is not the quantity but the quality of the video that ultimately leads to your satisfaction.

Mark Pommett is a Las Vegas Wedding Videographer with over 10 yrs exp in wedding video documentaries. In addition, he's worked in production for several films including "Click" starring Adam Sandler. Click here for freewedding videography articles.You may run this article provided you run it with the bio box intact.

Professional Wedding Photographers and Videographers

These are both an art and a science. The Special moments of your Wedding, Birthday, Anniversary, Sweet Sixteen16, Graduation, Southeast Asian Indian Shaadi, Panjabi Punjabi Sikh Marriage, Muslim Nikah and Walima, Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah and other similar events can only be captured once. Making them last forever is the promise given by Professional Wedding Photographers and Videographers.

Professional Wedding Photographers and Videographers listen and pay attention to Bride and Groom, their culture and tradition and provide complete strangers with Beautiful Wedding Photos and Videos that outlast their memories and grace the walls of their homes. For this reason you should only entrust Professional Photographers and Videographers on your precious day. Nothing captures our gestures, our voices and our loved ones like Videos and Photos. Whether it is the classical style or the documentary story, Professional Photographers and Videographers are trained to capture both.

Indian Wedding Photographers and Videographers are specialized in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Southeast Asian Wedding, Shaadi, Marriages, Mehndi, Nikah, Walima and other events. Desi Indian Photographers and Videographers are very familiar with the cultures and traditions. Professional Photographers and Videographers capture the memories in high resolution Digital Photos. Satisfaction is paramount. Professional Photographers and Videographers make sure your Photography and Videography needs are fulfilled. Professional Photographers and Videographers establish a relationship based on trust and impeccable service.

Professional Wedding Photographers and Videographers really earn their fees.

Affordable Professional Wedding Photographers and Videographers:

Surinder Singh
Professional Wedding Photographers and Videographers
Tel: 917-304-9878
surinder@candlelightstudio.com
http://www.candlelightstudio.com

Legal Videographers

There are dozens of different professionals employed by the legal market. The legal professionals that most people are familiar with include lawyers, judges, police officers, legal secretaries and paralegals. However, there are also several other professionals that supplement the work done by these common legal business people, and they include forensic scientists, doctors, expert witness and legal videographers.

There are several different types of legal videographer specializations to choose from. Some of these specializations include: court videographers, video deposition specialists, contract videographers and legal reporters. Legal videographers can either be directly employed by a court, or they can be hired by an attorney.

While there currently isn’t a law requiring a legal videographer to be certified, it is definitely in the videographer’s best interest to obtain certification in the type of legal video services they plan to offer. There are several certifications available. A Certified Deposition Video Specialist videotapes depositions to be used for building court cases, a Certified Video Documentary Specialist creates video settlement presentations that are used to encourage court cases to settle out of court, a Certified Court Video Specialist films settlement documentaries and video depositions, a Certified Visual Presentation Specialist offers several services including CGI crime scene recreations, synchronize video evidence and present video evidence in courtrooms and a Certified Legal Video Instructor is a highly qualified legal videographer that is certified to teach legal videography courses and to certify other videographers.

Right now there is a shortage of legal videographers. The need for video specialists is especially high in California, New York, Florida and in high crime cities. If you are looking for a job in the film industry then you may want to consider applying for a legal videography employment opportunity.

Forensic animation can be a critical part of a criminal or civil court case. It uses the latest 3D animation software to recreate events, to clarify sequences of events and to identify flaws in testimony. Settlement documentaries can be a key factor in settling your personal injury or wrongful death case out-of-court. They can also be re-edited to be admitted as video evidence in the event your case goes to trial. Becoming a videographer is not always easy. However, because the demand for the services offered by videographers is so high, it is worth the work and effort to become one.