I Want My Country Back! An Original Song

This is a video I shot for James Travis Davis over two years ago. It is a great original patriotic tune that will get stuck in your head. It is so relevant to today's political climate. I assembled the footage after my friend John Curren posted on his Face book that he wanted his country back! How appropriate that I had James Travis Davis original tune sitting on my hard drive. Share this song to everyone you know, James is a talented guy and the world should know about his music. Check out his site by clicking HERE!

Using Video to sell a house

The quick and easy way to turn your bedroom into a Jiu Jitsu studio

Notice the cargo bar holding up the mat

I just finished shooting a short YouTube tutorial on basic Brazilian Jiu Jitsu positions.  I needed quick and easy way to create the illusion of a jiu jitsu gym.  I chose our bedroom as the shooting location because the carpet would act as sound proofing, the rest of the house is tile which would cause a lot of echo.  My wife Jen made me promise to move all of the furniture back to its original position right after the video shoot.  We have two 4 x 10 gymnastics mats which we were going to use for the tutorial.  I got the idea to use only one on the ground and mount the other against the bedroom wall like they do a BJJ schools.  I held the mats flat against the wall with the help of two ratcheting cargo bars that I picked up at Harbor Freight for under 30 dollars.  I covered the adjacent wall with my chroma pop instant green/blue screen.  This actually conceled my closet door.  There was a little space in the corner of the room that was showing the exposed white wall.  As a solution, my daughter Logan just placed our jiu jitsu dummy in the corner and posed him upright.  Instant BJJ studio set up.  I placed my camera on the tripod and set up two unbrella lights....Quiet on the set!  Action!!!!  Check out the video on our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blog at  http://www.jiujitsufamily.com/



The Finished BJJ set



Consolidation

I am moving some of my articles from my Capes and Kids blog to the Documenting Life Studios blog in an effort to consolidate my articles.  I am currently writing eleven different blogs on different topics.  I am working full time as a broadcast engineer and training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, working out, participating in my son's Boy Scouts and busy being a Dad and a husband.  My time is limited but I want to still posts on this blog.  My wife and I are going to start focusing on our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) blog and start posting tons of content including articles, ebooks and videos covering training together as a family.  It is all about the lifestyle and encouraging families and females to start training BJJ.  I am going to use this blog to show some of the behind the scenes video production techniques and document what is going on in our life.

Not a Hero

Life can turn on a dime.  Fortunately for me, so can my broken down Saturn.  I usually take the I-95 express lane to work which is located in Miami.  The express lane charges toll is divided from the rest of the interstate with orange traffic markers about 4 foot tall.  There is one entrance in North Miami and you can not exit until you reach the down town area of Miami.  The regular highway is free but always congested so I opt to pay the toll.  Yesterday a black camaro lost control on I-95 and came across the traffic markers at a 90 degree angle hitting the car in front of me and continued at me head on.  I managed to hit the brakes a skid out of the way of the camaro as I drove through shattered glass and passed the car ahead of me which turnover due to the collision.  I immediately pulled over and ran back to help the people in the turned over vehicle.  I was surprised how many cars just kept going and did not stop to help.  Only one other guy, the one in the picture stopped to help.  A police officer on his way to work pulled over and turned on his lights and offered assistance until the Highway Patrol and rescue could arrive to check out the occupants of the vehicles.  Later, so one in my Jiu Jitsu class said I was a hero for rescuing the people in the flipped over vehicle.  I said I was not a hero, I just helped them out of the car.  They were dazed, but appeared OK.  It does not take a hero to stop and help, just a concerned citizen with compassion for his fellow man.  Maybe the people that kept driving thought some one else would take care of it or they were too scarred to get involved.  I will probably be inconvenienced and have to go to a deposition in the future since I witnessed the accident, but I could not just keep driving while some one might be hurt.  I just thank God that I could go home to my family that night.

Republished from my blog Capes and Kids Feb 15th, 2012 3:53pm

“You are her hero, you are Superman.”

On January 21st 2012 the world lost a hero. His name was Ernesto Custodio, and he was my good friend and mentor. Ernesto had a heart of gold, always in a good mood and always ready to go to work. He was one of the smartest men I have ever known. He was a broadcast engineer and at the top of his game when it came to high power radio transmitters. Ernesto was from the Dominican Republic and he built radio stations and transmitter sites in Florida, Puerto Rico, South America and the Caribbean. Ernesto’s real strength was improvisation, I used to call him the Dominican Macgyver. Working in poorer countries or stuck in a transmitter site on the top of a mountain, he learned to use what he had at his disposal. I worked with Ernesto over the past 13 years at Clear Channel Broadcasting and Univision Radio. I learned so much following him around and assisting him on radio studio buildouts and transmitter installations. Our boss Max would always joke that Ernesto was like a slave driver cracking his whip for me to climb up a ladder to run wires through the ceiling. He was a work horse, we even continued working on 911 when the rest of the world stopped to stare at the TV as planes crashed into the Trade Centers. “Dom, (his thick accent when he said Tom) it makes me too sad to watch this, lets keep on going on our project senor.” So why am I talking about this guy on a blog dedicated to super heroes? Because he was one. Ernesto’s personality and stature was like Ben Grimm the ever lovin blue eyed Thing from the Fantastic Four. His heart was just as pure, sure he had his faults…quite a lot of them. He could be very impulsive, greedy, wrathful and gluttonous. He even hooked up his fair share of pirate radio stations and illegal DirectTV systems. But he had a profound wisdom that helped him raise four exceptional children and solve almost any crisis. He was Mr. Fixit. The guy who came up with a solution for any problem. He was also very inventive, we would come up with ideas for all sorts of stuff on our long drives to our transmitter site locations. He was strong, I have seen Ernesto man handle transmitters weighing hundreds of pounds. He battled cancer for three years and refused to retire. Most people would have thrown in the towel after the regime of treatments he had to endure. Not Ernesto, he would show up the day after Chemotherapy and be lifting heavy equipment and installing it in the transmitter site. He was inspirational. Years ago when my Daughter Logan was around 4 years old I remember the words he told me. “You are her hero, you are Superman. Every thing you do she will emulate. She will look up to you. So you must always be at your very best.” He was right. I could not ask for a more responsible, intelligent, compassionate kid, Logan is now 15 and is a straight A Kid taking all honors classes and has won tons of awards for her academic achievements and athletic ability (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Champion). Wise words coming from the guy who at the time was installing my pirated DirectTV system. Even heroes have their flaws. Rest in Peace my friend, I miss you.


Republish from my blog Capes and Kids Feb 2nd, 2012 11:47pm

Becoming One With The Force

A few months ago one of our family dogs passed away from a heart attack. Her name was Love. She was a hundred and twenty pounds of pure mischief mixed with as her name implies…love. She was the watchdog of the family, the alpha dog that dominated the yard and kept strangers and creatures from invading our sanctuary. The UPS driver feared her so much that he would toss our packages over the front gate and run back to his truck as she ripped the outer package to shreds. People walking down the street were startled with fear as she ran growling towards our front gate with her wing man Rocket in tow. Two black labs protecting our lair as effectively as the dynamic duo. She was responsible for the untimely demise of several cats and multiple squirrels, hamsters, rats, snakes, birds, iguanas, and her favorite snack lizards. She was a holy terror to creatures large and small and even bit her buddy Rocket a few times that ended in expensive vet bills. I used to call her Darth Love because she would sit at the front door with her nose pressed against it, smelling an intruder on her turf and inhaling so loud that she sounded like the Dark Lord of the Sith. But this chubby puppy had a soft side and that was when she was with the kids. She was fiercely protective of them and never ever was aggressive with them. She had always been around as longer as they can remember. She was 11 years old when she passed and was an integral part of our kids childhoods. She passed away at Midnight on a Sunday. My wife and I loaded her into our truck and took her to the emergency animal hospital while Grandma watched the sleeping children. We did not tell the kids before school because we knew how devastating that would of been. I got home early from work that day so I could break the news. They were heart broken. Especially Hunter who is only 8 years old. I could not calm him down until I found a way to explain death in a way he could understand. Star Wars, Hunter loves Star Wars. Whose wisdom other than Yoda’s would be better to apply to the situation? After hugging him for a long long time, I sat him down and repeated these words to him. “Death is a natural part of life. Rejoice for those who transform into the Force. Mourn them do not. Miss them do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is.“ Hunter recognized the words belonging to his hero Yoda. He calmed down like any good Jedi would and we discussed what it means to lose someone we love. A green muppet was able to bridge the gap and connect with his young mind in a way that I could not. Our fatty patty dog Love has now become one with the force.


Republished from my blog Capes and Kids Jan 4th, 2012 3:58pm

Powerless

Yesterday 3PM.  The Broward Sheriff’s helicopter was repeatedly circling around my neighborhood.  That usually means a bad guy is on the loose and they are trying to locate him.  I anxiously awaited for the arrival of my 15 year old daughter Logan who would shortly be dropped off by the school bus.  I used the remote clicker to open our electronic gate to make it easier for her to get into the yard.  My wife Jennifer and son Hunter arrived home from his elementary school at the same moment as my daughter.  Relieved, we went inside and locked the door behind us.  Shortly, we received an automated call from the Broward Sheriff’s Office informing us an 11 year old Hispanic girl is missing and to please check our yard.  Jen went outside and was really concerned stating the girl is only a few years older than our 8 year old boy and the girl’s parents must be freaking out.  The address of the missing girl was also just a few blocks away.  A friend of ours called on Jen’s cell phone and broke the bad news.  “Tom!  It is Ashley!  Ashley from church!  That is who is missing!”  It struck.  The sense of urgency and panic.  My wife and kids started to cry immediately.  This is a child, a small child that we have known for years and is part of our circle.  The youngest child from a loving family with 4 girls, the father runs the parents group Jen attends every Sunday.  We see them every week, we work the church fair with them, we celebrate holidays with them.  Ashley is an A student, she has received awards for perfect FCAT scores and for playing the violin.  Ashley went out of her house around 1 PM to check the mail and never returned.  “How do we help?  Jen cried!  We immediately jumped in our truck and went to their house.  The street was filled with vehicles from the Sheriff’s office.  The father was crying as he walked with the officers and their blood hounds as they went door to door looking for Ashley.  Ashley’s mom started crying as soon as she hugged Hunter, which triggered my boy to also break out in tears.  Ashley’s older sister printed out a recent picture of her and we hit the road in search for the little girl.  We went to the closest store which was a supermarket and made copies of the picture to hang there and all the local businesses.  We scoured the neighborhood looking for her and showed everyone the flyer.  What would Batman do?  We printed out the addresses of every sex offender in the neighborhood and slowly drove by every one of their houses with eyes wide open and ears listening for anything unusual.  We got flashlights and searched a local canal, checked the local community pool, and a nearby go kart track.  The powerless feeling set in when it got dark about 3 hours later.  A cold front was moving in and temperatures were beginning to dip into the 40’s.  We really began to suspect foul play and our hopes of finding her turned into a prayer vigil.  We dropped off the kids with grandma and returned to our friends house to offer support.  Around 11 PM we went home fearing the worst, that some one has abducted her.  There were 3 sexual predators listed in the immediate area and about a dozen sexual offenders.  3 of them lived less than a block from Ashley’s house and one lived right across the street.  I began having flash backs from my child hood when we lost the neighborhood boy Adam Walsh; who later showed up decapitated in a canal.  Adam’s father went on to Washington to fight for victims rights and became the point man on America’s Most Wanted.  I always tell my family that he became a real life Batman.  Click here http://www.documenting-life.com/ for my videography blog discussing Adams story titled The Real Batman.  My kids were so scared last night that they both slept in our bed, I told them that I really wish I had super powers so I could find Ashley.  I tossed and turned.  Like a helpless child, I tried foolishly to reach out with my mind like the Martin Manhunter.  Like J’onn J’onzz using his telepathic ability I tried desperately to sense her whereabouts.  You will try anything in desperate situations.  Suddenly, the phone rang.  Ashley had been found walking in the parking lot of the local library about a mile from her house.  She was lost, cold and dehydrated but she was alright.  A good friend of ours Jenny and her daughter Julie did one last search before calling it a night.  God led them to that parking lot that had been searched multiple times before.  A place we had checked only a few hours earlier.  According to the Sun Sentinel, Ashley wandered off and disappeared, something she’s never done. Distrustful of strangers, Ashley didn’t approach anyone for help.  Instead, the girl tried to return home on her own and was lost.  This was a good lesson for all of us.  I think my kids realize what could of happened to Ashley and will take stranger danger a little more seriously.  They also shared the sense of community and love that our Church Saint Maurice brought to the family while going through those anxiety ridden hours.  Our kids were part of the team of parishioners that immediately came to the family’s aid and began the search.  Any one can make a difference, even without super powers.

Republished from my blog Capes and Kids Jan 3rd, 2012 4:13pm

She is no push over

This is a video promoting our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teams Mixed Martial Arts program for kids. My daughter Logan is being put through the paces by our coach Marcelo.

Notice how I use a shooting technique called WALLDO. Wide shot, Angle shot, Low shot, Linking shot, Depth of Field Shot and Opposite. It is a great acronym to remember for shooting video or photography. The wide shot can be used to establish the scene. An angled shot is more interesting than a straight forward view. Low shot gives a unique perspective while the linking shots establish your local and prevents jump cuts during editing. Depth of field is shooting with an opject in the foreground such as the fence in this video. Opposite would be used to provide the subjects point of view. Example, while shooting a concert that focuses on the stage, also grab shots from the bands perspective looking into the audience.

Back From Hiatus

It has been awhile since I last posted here. I recently terminated my website where I hosted my blog. I decided to keep the url and use this blog as my new vehicle to discuss all things video related. New content is coming and I hope to cross promote my families Brazilian Jiu Jitsu blog and how our BJJ school has used video to help market our team. I also plan to make more tutorials to help you create your own video productions for fun and profit.

Thanks for visiting,

Tom

The Real Batman

Today I attended a Get Motivated Seminar in Fort Lauderdale. The speakers were Rudy Giuliani, Zig Ziglar, Gen. Colin Powell, DR. Robert Schuller, Dwyane Wade, Dan Marino and John Walsh. They were all great motivators but the one who I connected with the best was John Walsh from the TV show “America’s Most Wanted”. John has always been a personal hero of mine. I always tell my kids that he is the real life version of Batman. In 1981, John’s six year old son was abducted and murdered by a drifter in Hollywood, Florida. His son Adam was in the Sear’s toy department watching some older boys play Colecovision and Atari video games. A teenage security guard kicked the rowdy boys out of the store along the six year old Adam who was waiting for his mom while she picked out a lamp. That was the moment that serial killer Ottis Toole capitalized on. No one knew that Adam was thrown out of the store. That was information that was just released last year by the Hollywood Police Dept. At the time there was no system in place to help locate missing children. No tracking system of known pedophiles or communications between police organizations and morgues. John and his wife Reve fought to change that. They helped bring about the Missing Children’s Assistance Act and help form the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. John was approached by the newly created Fox Network to host a reality show AMW that would track down criminals. He reluctantly agreed to host the Pilot since it’s focus was a child serial killer.

I have always felt a connection to this case. As a twelve year old boy, I played the video games daily at the Sears Mall where Adam was abducted. Except that day. I was even on the local News playing the very same games the next day. I thought that carrying a pocket knife would protect me from any one who would want to harm me. I remember the posters for Adam all over Hollywood. The freedom to go out and play was lost. Parents were terrified that their kids would be next. How a once vibrant neighborhood became almost vacant around Halloween. Everyone was scared, it took awhile before the murderer was caught. John is one guy who turned a horrible situation into an opportunity to make the world a better place to live. He has helped capture over 1000 fugitives…and that was done with video.



Reenactments to tell a story, that is how America’s Most Wanted is able to relay the information in a gripping format that requires a call to action from it’s viewers. You too can use reenactments in your own video biographies to tell a visual story. Stock footage is readily available on the Internet and entire low cost libraries can be purchased off websites like www.digitaljuice.com. Old historical film can be downloaded for free from www.archive.org. These clips can help move along a narration and help illustrate the subjects recollections of their lives.

Social Networking Hero

Faster than a speeding…facebook? On February 27, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile. Amy Morgan, a 23 year old American was visiting Santiago and on her way to see friends in Concepcion. Amy is my wife’s, cousin’s daughter. Her parents feared the worst, they could not get in touch with her for days and she was smack in the middle of the area of the earthquake. They registered her name with the Red Cross and the State department but the time started to pass with out any indication that she was ok. My Brother in Law started contacting Rotary Clubs in Chile and digging up information on the web. He emailed all of her facebook friends her picture and asked if they knew any information. Within a few hours, they received this:
Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

Paulina sent you a message.

Re: Amy Morgan & Jose Mario Basulto Coll

“They are all fine in Concepcion, without water and electricity but they are ok!”

Imagine the relief her parents must have had when they got the news. My Brother in Law David Erickson said it best “Social networking is the bomb. I am hooked on it. Especially when you can use it for something meaningful.”

How does this relate to video? It is all about the power of networking. I attended the South Florida Videographers Association meeting last week, which was on Social Networking. Some of the older guys scoffed at the idea of using facebook, twitter, linked in and YouTube to drum up business. They could not grasp the power of these sites to reach potential customers. Say you are a wedding videographer and you post a clip of a recent wedding you shot on your facebook. You share the link with the bride who in turns posts it on her page. Her friends and family share the link with others. Now a lot of potential customers get to see your work without ever stepping foot in the studio. There is a good chance the bride’s friends will be shopping for their own wedding videographer soon. She will remember seeing the clip of her friends wedding on her facebook, hopefully, she will inquire about your services.

Quality or convenience

Today my family and friends went on a bike tour of Shark Valley in the Everglades. The seven and half mile paved trail runs alongside a canal littered with alligators. I really wanted to take my professional video camera and gather some footage of the gators, but I opted for the small consumer video camera called the flip. The flip can fit in my back pocket and I would not have to worry about protecting it from the elements if a thunderstorm occurred (South Florida is known for sudden down pours).

Unfortunately, the trade off resulted in some ugly video. The flip is an auto focus fixed lens camera with digital zoom. The flip is great for close static shots with out a lot of movement. Once you add distance and movement, the video get very pixilated. The reason is a combination of auto focus and the digital zoom. First, the auto focus gets confused in an environment that has a lot of movement. I was trying to shoot video of a swimming alligator while saw grass and tree braches in the foreground and the background blew in the wind. The autofocus does not know on which subject it should focus, therefore, the camera attempts to focus on all of these moving elements resulting in blurry video. The second factor that can ruin good video shots is digital zoom. Let me explain the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom. Optical zoom uses the lens to bring the subject closer without a loss in quality, digital zoom simulates optical zoom by cropping the image and enlarging it electronically. This is just like zooming in on a picture in an image-editing program; the image gets pixilated the larger you make it.


The solution is to use a camera that has manual focus and optical zoom. Most consumer DV cameras allow you to focus manually. Here is how to focus correctly, first get as close as you can to your subject without losing the composition of your shot. Next zoom into the subject and adjust the lens until the object is in focus. Then zoom back out to where you framed your shot. I also could have moved closer to my subject, but alligators can run very fast for a short distance. In one of the shots, you can clearly hear my wife shouting at me as the alligator swam directly towards me only a few feet away.

Making a Difference

When our six year old son Hunter heard about the earthquake in Haiti he wanted to help. Hunter asked if we could set up a lemonade stand to raise for the people of Haiti. My wife Jennifer and I wanted to encourage this compassionate behavior and planned a yard sale with a lemonade and cookie booth with all the proceeds going to Haiti. Like most parents, I shoot alot of video of the kids. The problem is, most of the video tapes end up in a drawer and we never look at them. This was a defining moment in my son’s life and I was not about to let it slip away with out documenting the day. I encourage you to dust off your collection of tapes and suprise your family with a short video of a special occasion. I will give you one editing tip since this blog is about documenting your life with video. Pick one scene and let the second scenes audio be heard over the video from scene one before you cut to scene number two. You can see an example of it in this video as the scene of Jon hanging the sign transitions to the customers from the yard sale. This technique helps bring together a cut that would otherwise be too abrupt. Most nonlinear editors can perform this by unlinking the audio and video tracks which allows you to trim them individually.

KAPOW! Become a superhero by giving back.

St. Francis of Assisi said "For it is in giving that we receive." I am a firm believer in this quote. I give back by using video to help others convey their messages. When a local nonprofit called KAPOW asked for a volunteer videographer, I leapt at the opportunity. I love kids and enjoy helping small nonprofits perform their missions. KAPOW (Kids And The Power Of Work) recruits local professionals to share their expertise and to help educate the children about the character traits necessary to be successful in a career. The professionals visit the children's classroom over the span of the school year and culminate the program with a field trip to the volunteer's workplace. The KAPOW visit I captured was at the Martin Luther King Elementary School in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Dinah Stephenson of Dwight Stephenson Construction (NFL Hall of Famer) and Angela Jones from the Jones Company of South Florida, were the professionals presenting the educational program. For more information on KAPOW, check out their webpage at: http://www.kapowlfs.org/1/Home.html

I thought it was important to blog about this particular visit in honor of the Martin Luther King holiday. Mrs Williams, the 2nd grade teacher said it best;"When I was growing up we didn't have role models like Mrs Jones and Mrs Stephenson, there was not even a black YWCA, not even black fireman. All we had was the teachers, doctors and a few postman."

I urge you to find a way to contribute. We all have something of value that we can use to help others. In these challenging times, we need to turn our attention off ourselves and focus on how we can make a difference. KAPOW!

If the video below says it is unavailable (a technical issue with blogger), check it out on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H2tdUvbFg4

Perseverance, Surviving the Winter

Perseverance, it is all I have left. Six months ago I got laid off from a good paying job that I had no passion for. I was a broadcast engineer, for ten years I did a job that left me numb inside. I am a creative person that was shoved into a very technical discipline. I saw the lay off as an opportunity to do what I really enjoy, creating videos that help others. I am not the best at what I do, but I continue to learn.

I am an avid martial artist, I do Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and used to do a Chinese style called Wing Chun. The most practical lesson I ever learned from my Sifu (teacher) was perseverance. He used to say the most important thing was consistency...just keep showing up. It was more important that strength, speed or other natural talents. I just competed in a Jiu Jitsu tournament, I ended up fighting three times. I lost every fight, I could have easily skipped out on my last fight which was in the absolute (no weight limit) division fighting a guy who out weighed me by forty pounds. If I beat him, I would have to fight a guy who was about 6 foot 5 and looked like Herman Munster. I am a lightweight, I had the disadvantage being the smallest guy in the division. I will tell you, I did not want to fight...but I also do not give up (perseverance). I would not have forgiven myself if I skipped out on that match.

Sifu also said that life is like the seasons, there is a springtime when everything is plentiful and things are going your way, and there is a winter when things are scarce and you have to struggle to survive. I am definitely in my winter, but it is the struggle that makes you a better human being. The struggle is what defines you as a person and determines what truly matters most. Perseverance will get you through the winter months and onto spring. To illustrate this and show you how this applies to videography, photography or any other discipline...watch this video. It is slow in the beginning but really hits home half way through. By the way, this guy used a crappy flip video camera to make this, but you would never have known that if i did not tell you. It is excellent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZYlQ4Wv8lE

Using video testimonials for your business

I just finished a contract job as an A/V technician at the South Florida chapter of NACE (National Association of Catering Executives). The seminar was presented by marketing expert Andy Ebon who is featured in the book "The Power of the Platform: Speakers On Success." Andy also writes the popular wedding marketing blog (weddingmarketing.net/blog). The subject of the presentation was how to use Facebook and LinkedIn to increase your business. One tip that Andy provided the audience was to use "video testimonials" to qualify your product or service. Video testimonials are short clips of your clients providing real feedback about your product, customer service, value etc... These video clips help potential customers make an educated decision about using your business based on the experience of your existing clientele. His suggestion was to purchase a FLIP video camera (which is small enough to carry in your pocket and stores an hour or two of web ready video), and after an event grab some impromptu interviews with your client. These interviews can be posted via Facebook, YouTube or your website. You might consider picking up the new Ipod Nano which is smaller than the flip and includes a built in video camera that holds up to 8 hours of video. I coincidentally had just finished producing a video testimonial for my own videography business. You can see my testimonial video here:

WEVA Expo 2009

A few years ago I began listening to a podcast I found on http://www.wedvidtalk.com/ that discusses wedding videography. I had no interest in wedding video but I was intriqued by some of the subject matter that covered basic videography principles and equipment reviews. At the time, my commute to work was about an hour and a half drive which I spent listening to podcasts on my ipod. This show became my favorite podcast and was so inspiring that it had me constantly pulling over to write down notes.

The hosts are a married couple from New Jersey named Al and Kathy Ritondo. Al is the technical guru and Kathy is the marketing pro. I learned more about running a video company from this show than I did from college. They always spoke about a trade show called the WEVA (Wedding and Event Videographers Association) EXPO and what a creative experience it was. I just joined WEVA and attended the 2009 Expo in Orlando which is a few hundred miles north of me. WOW! I spent 4 days surrounded by creative and inspirational film makers sharing their secrets and knowledge. Classes ran from 8 AM to 9:30 PM on all sorts of topics including biography and memorial videos. I have never been so charged about the videography industry than I am now. I sought out Kathy and AL while I was there just to let them know what an influence their show has been to me. I will be sharing some of the information I gleemed from the show in this blog over the next few weeks.

Memorial Videos

The memorial video is one of the most powerful productions you can create. The memorial is a tribute to a person who has passed away. The memorial is often displayed at the funeral home during the viewing, service or wake. Even a very simple production can evoke deep emotions in family and friends. I just finished such a project for a client, I had never met the deceased or his family before but by the end of the production I felt I knew them. Their life captured in photographs mirrored my own. The connection felt between the father and daughter was evident in the photos. Their life was celebrated in my own backyard, pictures of restaurants I eat in, fairs I take my kids to, and neighborhoods I routinely drive through. The hand written letters from his grandchildren wishing him peace in heaven reminded me of my own Daughter's letter left in my Father's casket.

From the technical standpoint, the memorial video should not be flashy. In my productions I tend to use only slow dissolves and fades for the transition between pictures. Avoid transitions that use diamonds, waves, puzzles, explosions, flips, rotations or similar cheesy effects. A well placed heart transition might work once in the entire production. Too many of these effects in any production steal the focus off the pictures and diminish the flow of the visual story. There are exceptions to this. One of my good friends "Bubba" passed away in the prime of his life. Bubba was a fun guy, youthful and passionate about his work at the radio station. I created a memorial for him while I was at the radio station using crude software and limited resources. Using some of those unorthodox transitions helped convey the youthfulness and fun loving attitude Bubba was famous for. His memorial can be seen on my website http://www.documenting-life.com/main/page_demos.html

The powerful effects you can use are video clips of clouds, sunsets, flowers or other peaceful elements of nature. Some memorials can have an underlying theme, example for a veteran you can incorporate the use of flags, eagles, or shadow boxes. Poems, quotes and bible verses can also be powerful additions to the memorial. I tend to use white writing on a black background for these. Keep the phrases short and make sure you leave the caption on the screen long enough for the audience to read it, 6 to 10 seconds should be long enough. Check out my YouTube sight for a sample memorial using these techniques. http://www.youtube.com/DocumentingLife

Letting the moment slip by

In my first post I described how I procrastinated making a video biography of my Father. I promised myself I would help others not make the same mistake I did. My Mom is always asking me if I have any video with my Dad talking. She longs to hear his voice since he passed away 6 years ago. Unfortunately, I have found very little footage of him speaking.

A few months ago I was cleaning out my storage shed and stumbled across an old radio shack micro cassette recorder. I was ready to toss the thing in the trash but for some reason I pressed the play button first. To my surprise this piece of antiquated equipment worked. The batteries must have been energizer batteries because this thing was stored for years in my garden shed in the hot and humid environment of South Florida. What surprised me even more was my Dad's voice was coming from this ancient device. I instantly got chills, it had been over six years since I heard him talking. Evidently he carried this little recorder and would make notes to himself about his business competitors. After he retired, he bought a coin laundry and would drive around to other laundries in the area and comment on their price, cleanliness, amount of customers etc.. It was not the most earth shaking commentary, but it was my Dad.

The point I want to make is this: Do not let the moment slip by!!! If you do not have a video camera, dig out an old cassette recorder or hook up a cheap computer microphone to your computer and get the interview with your loved ones. Afterwards you can save the audio as an mp3 and mix it into a slide show. In future posts, I will show you how. Suddenly, a little piece of crap recorder becomes a priceless treasure.