THE ART

I consider video production an art and a science. The art comes through the creative process of choosing what story-telling elements to use and how to use them. The artist video producer asks these kinds of questions:

• Will a voice-over narrative be effective or should you rely on dialogue and natural sound?
• Do you want to hide faces for dramatic effect?
• What kind of sound effects would increase viewer emotional response?
• What kind of music will be appropriate?
• Should you use a hyper fast pace?
• Could you use the sound of one action yet show a different action?
• Would graphics make your audience understand more easily?

THE SCIENCE
The science comes in when you master the technological aspects of the cameras, editing systems, sound systems and the million and one other fun gadgets that make it possible to turn your vision into something tangible for others to see.

Fortunately, to produce quality video you don't have to understand complex junk like chroma enhancement waveforms, but it helps to not be afraid of cables and connectors and buttons on machines that make things blink.

In other words, unless you get into inventing or fixing video equipment, the science is for dummies!

ANYTHING GOES!
One of the beautiful things about video production is that almost anything goes. Yes, I stress quality, but believe it or not, sometimes bad is good. Are you familiar with those silly commercials for "HEAD-ON," some kind of rub-on pain reliever?

"HEAD-ON, apply directly to the forehead. HEAD-ON, apply directly to the forehead….repeat, repeat."

Now, those commercials are HORRIBLE in every way that video can possibly be horrible. And precisely because they stink so badly, people remember them. Comedians poke fun at them, generating all kinds of free publicity.

"Grease-bomb burger, apply directly to the butt…Grease-bomb burger, apply directly to the…."

A LUCKY IDIOT?
Sales for Head-On skyrocketed once those dopey ads hit the airwaves. You have to wonder whether the sales manager for Head-On is a marketing genius or a lucky idiot.
My point is that there are few hard and fast rules when it comes to video production because under the right circumstances, just about anything will work.
Contrast those obnoxious Head-On commercials with lots of other commercials which are beautifully shot by masters of the trade but don't contain anything memorable. Such commercials often quietly blend into the noisy, ad saturated background. If you were looking for improved sales, which ad would you want?
WHO LIKES RULES? NOT ME!
Having said all that, this website dedicates itself to educating you about the rules, techniques and formats of visual story-telling. But this TV Teacher thinks all those rules were made to be broken.
Rules and formats are usually the best way to go, but not always. If the producers of the Blair Witch Project had turned their work into a film school professor they probably would have received an F-. Tell that to the millions of viewers who turned the film into a million-dollar cult classic.
Enough said.
Video production is incredibly flexible and only you can decide which style to adopt for your project.
Have fun!?

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