EASILY SYNC YOUR AUDIO TO VIDEO WITH SONY VEGAS

When we record our videos, we usually just rely on the in-camera mic to pick up sound - which is fine, up to a point.  The problem is, (apart from the fact that most in-camera recording tends to be very poor quality), that it's very restrictive. The mic must stay with the camera, whether or not the sound source is close, or miles away.

To get good sound, we must do what the professionals do, and record our sound seperately, and with reasonably priced, high quality recorders like the Zoom H1 (much beloved by indie film makers) available, there's no reason not to.

Seperate recording however, does leave the problem of how to match the two files together afterwards? So, in this video, I take a video clip, and an audio recording from a Zoom H1 recorder and show how to synchronise them together in post production.

It's not complicated or difficult at all, but the difference in sound quality is very impressive - Try it yourself.

HOW TO MAKE GHOST EFFECT WITH SONY VEGAS PRO

The Ghost Effect is a staple of movie making and remains impressive despite being one of the easiest to create. In this tutorial you will see not only how to use Sony Vegas Pro to create the Ghost effect but also how to add some echo enhancement to the sound track for extra spookiness.

This really is an exceptionally simple effect to pull off and yet most satisfying to observe. Once you have understood how the effect works you will no doubt see endless possibilities for plenty of other similar effects that can be produced simply by tweaking the basic technique.

So, delay no further, Watch the video and try it for yourself - and you may find yourself creating Ghosts just for the fun of it :)

EASY DIY AUTOCUE/TELEPROMPTER

When doing a piece to camera, you can save yourself a lot of time, grief and video footage (not to mention the neccessity of learning lines), by using an autocue/teleprompter. "But aren't they massively expensive"?  I hear you cry!  Well professional ones certainly are, but if you own a smartphone or tablet computer, then there are apps available that will turn your device into something very similar to an autocue/teleprompter.

If when using these apps, you place your device just above the camera lens, the it is very difficult for your audience to detect that you are looking at the device and not at the camera. The problem, of course is, how do you get your device to hover in that sweet-spot above your camera lens?

This video will show you an easy an inexpensive solution to that problem. Build one yourself and never again be lost for words in front of a camera.

Sony Vegas Easy Effects - The Matte Effect

Ah the magic of the photgraphic Matte.  This technique allows filmmakers to literally build castles in the air.  In the old days, nary a film went by without some spectacular matte-ing taking place. In the days before CGI it was THE magic technique which could turn a tiny studio into a canyon or huge spaceship

In the old days, mattes were created by painting the scene or effect onto a pane of glass. The film would then be shot through the glass, making whatever was painted on it look like part of the scene. The mattes were painted by skilled artists who could match the tones and colours of their imaginary scenery almost perfectly with the surrounding area making for an almost undetectable blend.

These days of course, mattes can be created digitally by anyone who has a computer, an editor and a couple of hours to spare. This video will show you how to do that very technique for yourself. I use Sony Vegas Pro 10 in the tutorial, but the method should be the same for any of the Sony Vegas Pro series. It's not difficult and the results can be very impressive - Why not try it 
yourself?

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Sony Vegas Easy Effects - The Matte Effect

Ah the magic of the photgraphic Matte.  This technique allows filmmakers to literally build castles in the air.  In the old days, nary a film went by without some spectacular matte-ing taking place. In the days before CGI it was THE magic technique which could turn a tiny studio into a canyon or huge spaceship

In the old days, mattes were created by painting the scene or effect onto a pane of glass. The film would then be shot through the glass, making whatever was painted on it look like part of the scene. The mattes were painted by skilled artists who could match the tones and colours of their imaginary scenery almost perfectly with the surrounding area making for an almost undetectable blend.

These days of course, mattes can be created digitally by anyone who has a computer, an editor and a couple of hours to spare. This video will show you how to do that very technique for yourself. I use Sony Vegas Pro 10 in the tutorial, but the method should be the same for any of the Sony Vegas Pro series. It's not difficult and the results can be very impressive - Why not try it 
yourself?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you like this sort of thing, why not subscribe to the Meejah Youtube Channel - It's free!
SUBSCRIBE