So you have created a Spidvid profile but you don’t know what to do next. We’ve created a list of tips that will help you get the most out of your experience using our new media platform, and leveraging our community for video projects.

5 tips for getting the most out of your Spidvid profile:

1. Fill Out All of Your Profile Info – Tell your story and showcase your portfolio with your Spidvid profile. Embed your top videos and/or demo reel so others can watch what you’re up to, not just read about it. Include important links such as your website, blog, Twitter and Facebook profiles, IMDB page, etc.

2. Upload a High Quality Head Shot – A good first impression makes all the difference in getting your project bids accepted, and looking the part is half the job for some roles. So if you’re an actor, VFX artist, or graphic designer, expect other members to be highly critical of how you present yourself in our community. Also, if you can’t take the time to upload your picture, how will a producer trust you’ll play your part on the project?!

3. Actively Bid on Projects – The only way you’re going to get noticed and invited to participate in projects is if you start reaching out to video creators, and earn feedback from collaborating on projects. We’ve recently had several great opportunities arise for members to get involved in all aspects of some amazing video projects. From writing, to acting, to production, to promotion and beyond, no matter what part of the process you’re involved with there is a team and project waiting for you to be part of. So head over to our projects section and see if something interests you right now. If there is nothing right now that catches your eye then perhaps there will be in the near future, so subscribe to the Spidvid projects feed to stay updated going forward.

4. Participate in the Forums - The Spidvid Forums is the spot where you can start conversations about video projects, production, ideas to improve the Spidvid platform, or anything else on your mind. Create a thread about your project, post a link to it in your project description to let interested people ask questions, provide advice, give recommendations, and offer feedback to help you move forward and get your project off the ground. Additionally, the forums feature daily filmmaking and production tips, alongside a conversation section where you can connect to others in the Spidvid community.

5. STAY CONNECTED - Subscribe to our blog and monthly newsletter and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Connecting with us via e-mail and through phone conversations is the best way to build a direct relationship with us. Our YouTube channel features several videos that demo our Spidvid platform and visually show first hand the project work flow process.

We hope you find these tips helpful for making the most out of your Spidvid experience. If a question just came to mind leave it below with a comment, or email us. Don’t be shy, we would LOVE to hear from you!

Jeremy Campbell Lists, community collaborate, collaboration, community, connect, connected, create, entertainment, forums, hints, how to, members, new media, new video, platform, portfolio, produce, production, profile, projects, spidvid, talent, tips, video entertainment

I recently had the opportunity of interviewing Adrian Pedrin Valencia, who is an award winning director from Big Road Media. This is the final part of the three part series. You can read part one here, and here is part two.

11. How much time should be allocated to each of these project states? pre-production, the shoot, post-production

It all pretty much depends on your budget and on the time frame you are given, there is no golden rule here.  You should invest time into finding a quality location to shoot, figure out your lighting strategy, and catering options to take care of crew members. You will more than likely spend very little time shooting the video, but a good amount on pre-production and post-production. You will want to have talented post-production individuals on your team to help make up for any unexpected mistakes or issues experienced during the shoot.

12. What are the biggest challenges to deal with on a typical video production shoot?

Budget, it all comes down to budget, the more complex or professional you want your shoot the more its going to cost. Even looking at lighting expenses you can get 1000-2000 watts of light from regular power outlets, but if your shoot requires 4,000+ watts you are going to have problems with blowing the breakers. So then you need a power generator, and lots of gas to run the generator. Be sure to have lighting well planned out because it can drag the entire team down if the shoot doesn’t go relatively smoothly. Also, making sure the location is well secured, and free from public traffic and distracting sounds is an absolute must for getting everything done on schedule.

13. What do you think of crowdsourcing funding platforms like IndieGoGo.com for producing videos and films?

To me it sounds like a very good idea because its another option for independent low budget productions to leverage, and tap into. I mean not everyone has the connections to raise $50,000 dollars for a project, and even if you just raise $10,000 or so using a crowdsourced model, you can still do some remarkable things by being scrappy on that budget.

14. What is the most interesting/innovative video production product on the market today?

Well, I’m a camera guy so RED and Arri Alexa cameras are producing some remarkable content for creators out there. RED has changed the way teams do shoots to get crisp resolution results, and using prime lenses is pure enjoyment for me. Low cost special effects like the web series Film Riot teaches, is also a great how-to resource for innovators in the space playing around and experimenting.

15. Are film schools doing a good job educating young students about how to create videos for the year 2010 and beyond?

That’s kind of a hard question because we are still young into the era where people can essentially do whatever they want to without enrolling into film and production schools. I think we will realize the answer to this question in a few years because only time will tell. But the bottom line is that if you love video or film production and have a passion for the art of doing it, then that trumps someone who went a formal film school and has lots of knowledge but lacks the passion needed long-term. Whether you went to film school or not just give a 110% effort, and success will come in time.

Enjoy this post? Stay updated on all our future ones via email or through your favorite blog reader via RSS. Or if you prefer social media, follow us on Twitter, and fan us up on Facebook.

Jeremy Campbell Lists, resources adrain pedrin valencia, answers, hints, how to, interview, online video, production, production hints, q & a, questions, tips, video production

I recently had the opportunity of interviewing Adrian Pedrin Valencia, who is an award winning director from Big Road Media. This is part two of a three part series. If you missed part one here it is.

6. As video cameras get to be of higher quality and exist in all smart phones, will we see more polished and entertaining videos as a result?

I really like this question because I’m a big fan of having all the tools possible for every shoot. There are some low cost cameras that can yield more than decent results, and smart phones are nicely evolving to bring some very good video capabilities. Use them for what they are because they are just small portable cameras, and experiment by mixing smart phone content with some HD footage so you can end up with some quality video content as a result. The important thing is to always keep an open mind because you can’t always carry around big and awkward cameras, so when you are just out and about your smart phone camera is a very good shooting option. And keep in mind that the filming quality is increasing with every new version released, so it won’t be long before every smart phone has HD quality baked in. As a filmmaker that’s very exciting to think about.

7. Does someone need to go to film school, or an art type of school to break into the video production industry?

Yes and no, let me explain. One time a wise man told me that you don’t go to film school to learn, you go to film school to build a network. Film school is a good place to see if video production and filmmaking is your passion or not, and it buys you some time to map out your career. Film school is a good place to learn new things and develop new skills, but the same information is now online so you have to figure out what type of learner you are. If you can self teach yourself then film school may not make sense for you.

Film school is also good for gaining access to equipment that you may not otherwise have the funds to play around with. One of my best friends in the business didn’t go to school, and just last year he edited video for the CW, TNT, and ABC Promos so he has built up an impressive portfolio without a formal education. Attending film school used to be mandatory to work in the production industry, but now in today’s new media world that is no longer true.

8. Do you think we will see production teams get more global as location requirements are getting less relevant and necessary?

Absolutely because video production used to be about local teams, so to have team members located in another country or another continent was unheard of. Now thanks to the ability to connect with other like-minded individuals online, there is no question that global video production teams will get more and more common.

9. What editing software do you use to create and produce video content?

Eight years ago I started using Adobe Premier but after a year I switched over to Final Cut Pro on the Mac, and I haven’t looked back since. All that ultimately matters is finding the software which you are most comfortable working with. All of the freelancing work I have done in LA has been done using Final Cut Studio.

10. What do you think the video production landscape will look like 5 years from now?

Wow, I’m not much for predictions but think we will have affordable 3D Cameras in the next couple years, and quality HD cameras are getting more and more inexpensive. So I would say that we will see more 3D productions, and more quality productions from independent sources.

Enjoy this post? Stay updated on all our future ones via email or through your favorite blog reader via RSS. Or if you prefer social media, follow us on Twitter, and fan us up on Facebook.

Jeremy Campbell Lists, resources adrain pedrin valencia, answers, film production, hints, how to, interview, online video, production, production hints, q & a, questions, tips, video production

I recently had the opportunity of interviewing Adrian Pedrin Valencia, who is an award winning director from Big Road Media. This is part one of a three part series.

1. How is video production evolving in this new media world?

Production is evolving faster than ever before, and is getting pretty fun too. Right now there are so many options for every type of budget using multiple techniques, every day we are getting a wider selection of cameras to experiment with, and better quality compression codec’s to utilize. The key to cameras is to figure out their strengths and weaknesses so you can choose the optimum tools for your projects. We now even have a 3D camera for 21,000 dollars on the way, and to think that just a few years back you needed at least two $100,000 cameras side by side to get even a little bit of that effect. 3D cameras are changing the production world as we know it, and it won’t be long before the average video creator can afford to purchase one.

2. How does access to low cost tools, equipment, and software make video production easier?

They make creating your vision on screen very easy and affordable, it also makes experimenting easier due to the fact that you can figure out cost effectively what a camera can do or can’t do without spending a fortune. The video production business is getting a lot more accessible to many more people, and the business economics are opening up new possibilities and opportunities.

3. How important is collaboration to video production going forward?

It’s key, because I believe that if everyone does their job and concentrate all their energy on their specific responsibilities, the team will get a much better result collectively. Most importantly collaborating helps you network, and no matter how much you know in this business or how much equipment you own, you are nothing without connecting to others. Networking gets you new project opportunities, and when done effectively collaborating makes everyone’s life easier throughout the entire production process.

4. Is creating videos becoming more of a hobby than it used to be?

Yes, going back to the reality of ever more affordable tools and software, you can buy a decent HD camera for roughly 600 dollars, buy a Mac mini for another 600 dollars, and that’s all you really need to make decent video content as a hobby. Good editing software comes pre-installed on the Mac, and software for editing also comes on standard PC’s too. The technology practically comes free, and these free pieces of software make it very easy for anyone to edit and output polished videos to please all types of audiences.

5. If a video production team only has $100 to spend on their short film, how should they allocate those very limited funds?

That is a tough question because every project has different needs, so I’m going to answer this question the way I would spend $100 on one of my shoots. I would rent lighting equipment because lighting equipment is, apart from audio, one of the most important aspects of video production to make it look as professional as possible. That’s just me, but someone else may say to use the funds on props for their shoot, or rent costumes, it all depends on what the project specs and end goals are.

Enjoy this post? Stay updated on all our future ones via email or through your favorite blog reader via RSS. Or if you prefer social media, follow us on Twitter, and fan us up on Facebook.

Jeremy Campbell Lists, resources adrain pedrin valencia, answers, hints, how to, interview, online video, production, production hints, q & a, questions, tips, video production