Putting the You inYouTube: Video Production for Master Gardeners How to shoot, edit and post your garden videos!

1. Putting the YOU in
Master Gardener Video Production
Victor Villegas, ECTU
Jeff Hino, EESC

2. ...it’s all about
DIY
(Do It Yourself)

3. It’s all about storytelling.

4. Examples of Gardening
Videos on YouTube
What do you think?

5. The Camera..er... phone?
• Do you already have a sufficient camera?
• Practice with your camera app...get to know it well.
• Other apps might be available...and have more features

6. Camera Models
• Smartphones, i.e., iPhone (4, 4S, 5, 6 etc.)
• Kodak ZI8 and Flip (HD) - available for checkout at ECTU
• Canon PowerShot series
• Panasonic Lumix
• DSLRs

7. Camera Accessories
• Additional lens: zoom, wide, macro
• Tripods

8. Getting Good Video
• Beware of camera movement and zooms
– Avoid zooming altogether…
• Video is always more interesting when the action takes place
in the frame rather than when the frame is moving around the
action.
• Break the “eye-level” habit. Get Creative!!
• Keep your story firmly in mind as you shoot
• Be creative!

9. Composition
• Before recording, make sure your shot is framed
nicely.
• 'Rule of Thirds’

10. Lighting
• Make the best of natural lighting
• Shoot in a well-lit area
• Avoid bright light (sun) behind a subject
• Gardeners often wear baseball caps which shades their face.
Avoid this...and sunglasses (Mr. Evil.)
• Plan for appropriate lighting in your production planning. How
will pm or am light affect your video piece? Overcast days are
the best!

11. Camera Movement in Video
• Do you NEED to?
• Pan very slowly—& have a reason for it!
• Avoid zooming; video quality is poor
• Take a shot, leave it on subject for 10-20 seconds. To move
to another location, stop the recording, move the camera,
and then take the other shot.

12. Getting Good “B-Roll”
What is it and why?
Needed for editing
Helps to tell the story
Identify shots related to story or action
Shoot sequences
Be creative in shots

13. Getting Good Video
The U.S. Army Video Method

14. • Establish

15. • Establish
• Medium shot

16. • Establish
• Medium shot
• Closeup

17. • Establish
• Medium shot
• Closeup
• Re-establish

18. The U.S. Army Video Method
• Establish
• Medium shot
• Closeup
• Re-establish

19. Audio Problems
• Poor quality microphone
• Subject not close enough
• Too much background noise

20. Audio Solutions
• Capture audio separate from video
• Shoot audio in protected location
• Use an external microphone

21. Interviews
• Use voice over? Or do you need to hear the story
from the interviewee?
• Draft good interview questions
• Make them comfortable
• Get name with spelling, and location/title on audio
• Composition of a talking head - off-axis;
backgrounds
• Common issues --too long of an answer! No context

22. Interviews (cont.)
• Interviewers don’t need to be in the shot, stand next to the
camera.
• Remember to leave plenty of space in the shot to allow
interviewee to move naturally and nod...so they won't slip out
of the shot.
• Ask speaker to pause between ideas
• Start shooting a few seconds before talking and leave a few
seconds of dead air after.

23. It’s Your Turn!
Time to Make Your YouTube
• Editing demo from Jeff & Victor
• Upload your video to YouTube
• Brown Bag View & Critique

24. Editing
Using iMovie...a demonstration.

25. Uploading To
All posts to Lane MG YouTube channel must
be approved prior to going public.
• Submit to LMG YouTube as “Private”
• Once approved, it will be changed to
“Public”

26. Uploading to YouTube
...another demonstration.

27. It’s Your Turn!
Time to Make Your YouTube
• Break into groups of 3-4
• Decide on a simple gardening topic
• Plan for your video shoot
– Goal ---what one thing should viewers recall?
– Shot list ---think visual storytelling
– Simple on-camera dialog and/or interview

28. It’s Your Turn!
Time to Make Your YouTube
• Determine site, tools, props needed
• Assign roles:
– camera person
– on-camera talent
– director
• Shoot in sequence to minimize editing

29. If You Remember Nothing Else...
• Avoid unnecessary camera movement
• Get good sound
• Get close to the action
• Vary angles and distances
• Always think “STORY”
• Give proper credit

30. Homework
• Get to know your app
• Film someone talking
– Test out your camera's microphone:
– film someone talking at different distances
• Film moving footage
• Film something still by panning
• Watch how they shoot & edit tv shows
• Make a video and upload it to your YouTube account!