My previous interview was with Abbi and Ilana where we discussed web series creation, collaborative team work, and the future of web series.

Today we learn from talented film director Johnny Blank.

1. What are the biggest challenges in creating a film, TV or web show?

Financing, financing, financing. We’re at a real turning point with the rapid rise of digital. Technology is now so cheap anyone can create it, so there’s more video content than ever before. Professional content creators are now fighting with a whole new influx of amateur content makers who are vying for audiences. Audiences are rapidly moving online and advertising dollars are drying up on TV. Then you also have the huge rise in illegal downloading which is crippling the film industry. Five years ago, digital was new and exciting and people were willing to invest in new web series and other video content development, now even that has dried up as investors can’t figure out how to successfully monetize online. What does this all mean? It means we’re currently stuck in an awkward transition phase. I attended MIPTV earlier this year, and all the broadcasters weren’t there to invest in new shows, they were there with repackaged old shows they were trying to sell to new markets to make local versions of these old shows! Things will definitely begin to change once convergence really happens between TV and online. The film industry is also beginning to learn some of the lessons from the music industry on finding new ways to monetize. I think we’ll begin to see some really new and exciting financing models emerge in the next few years. Sites such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are just the beginning.

2. Is collaboration between team members integral to the success of your production projects?

Absolutely, it is of paramount importance. Collaboration works on a number of levels: it is team building and encourages people to work together to make the best production possible. Everyone’s input is important to the process, and end result. There is also something quite magical about the collaboration process when people get together and bounce ideas off each other, often new and unexpected results occur that can really add to a production. Some of my best filmmaking experiences have occurred during the collaboration process when a discussion with a collaborator really sparked an idea that added to the narrative of a film, or added that special something to a scene. Great ideas are made even better and tremendously improved with great collaborators on board.

3. Is creativity perhaps the most important element in video production and content going forward?

It is certainly massively important. With the amount of video content set to rise exponentially (Cisco predicts that 90% of all internet traffic will be video by 2013) the main way for a video to stand out, is through creativity. I’d have to say though that technology will play an equally pivotal role in productions moving forward, it has already been a game changer in opening up filmmaking tools to just about anyone. With the advent of ARG’s, and innovative online distribution strategies, I think that creating ’story worlds’ rather than one-off videos or films will become the norm. Video’s that engage and allow an audience to interact on different levels will be the one’s that get the press and the audiences. I hasten to add though, that technology is often used in video now simply for the sake of it, but without creativity behind it, it falls flat.

4. Is film school needed in 2010 to become a star in the video or film industries?

No. Nor has film school ever been essential to becoming a star in the film industry. Many of the world’s greatest film directors never attended film school. Most of the new spate of online stars who are commanding millions of views per month never went to film school either. That being said, whether you attend film school or not is a choice about how you learn. For me personally, I’ve often found it easier to learn by doing rather than by sitting in a classroom. On the other hand, great film schools give you a fantastic grounding in the technicality and craft of filmmaking. In the end, making compelling work will make you a star in the film industry, no matter whether you went to film school or not.

5. What will the video production landscape look like in 2015, and how will it evolve from its current state today?

Hopefully it will be extremely exciting and true convergence will finally be upon us! I think we will see a lot of new and innovative ways to fund production that we haven’t thought of yet. I think we’ll also see a lot more of the trend toward transmedia. For example, making whole ’story worlds’ that include gaming and social elements, ARG’s, etc. With the rise of hybrid DSLR style camcorders we’ll also see a shift toward better and better production values at less cost. The number of new web series will be off the charts!

My only hope is that the 3D fad disappears until such a time when technology can deliver true gobsmacking 3D without the need for ridiculous glasses! And yes, I know there are already 3D TV’s that don’t require glasses, but they are still awful.

I thank Johnny for the interview, for his insights, time, and kindness. If you aren’t already, be sure to have our future interviews and posts delivered to your email inbox, or get them through your favorite RSS reader.

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I recently tweeted out via Spidvid’s Twitter account that we were looking for talented web series creators and producers to do email interviews with. A few talented individuals fitting that description reached out and wanted to be part of the campaign.

My first interview was a collaboration with Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer, the creators behind the web series “Broad City”. I took each of their answers, mixed them up, and turned them into content for you to learn from. Enjoy the interview below.

1. What are the biggest challenges in creating a web series?

Abbi – For one, it’s challenging to create a web series with no budget! I think the most difficult thing is figuring out the relationships between the characters, and how to maintain them in various situations. Being confident that you have a story worth telling is key to getting everyone on the same page.  Any collaboration can be difficult, and figuring out our process as a team has been both interesting and tricky over the last nine months. What roles do each of us have, and how do we brainstorm ideas and execute them to complete the end product.

Ilana – I think the biggest challenge was finding the right director and editor to round out our team. The series started as just the two of us, and so we decided to make the most of the situation by trying out as many directors and editors as we could, kind of like how Six Feet Under rotates directors. This was of course not optimal, but we learned a lot from that experience, and it led us to our third member, Rob Hugel. As much as we wanted to keep it purely us two and our own dynamic, we learned that shit is going to change. In fact, that’s still something we’re learning about, enabling us to focus on the core tasks we’re good at, and letting others do what we’re not quite as skilled at.

2. Was collaboration between team members integral to the success of your production projects?

Abbi and Ilana – Absolutely, collaboration is the project. This process started out as a conversation in a pizza shop by just bouncing ideas off of each other. Creating that dynamic between these two ‘characters’ was something we had figure out by spending a ridiculous amount of time together. About half way through, we changed the way the series is produced. We now meet about 2 times a week to go over ideas about future projects, and how we can reach more people with our story. We have worked with a bunch of different directors, cast and crew, and found those collaborations to be refreshing to the show by bringing in different perspectives. The last couple months have been very interesting, and our team is working better and better together to constantly improve the show with each episode.

3. Is finding talent which bodes well for web series hard to find?

Abbi and Ilana – I would assume that for the average web series creator it would be challenging to find the right talent to work with, but we are fortunate to be based in the middle of the most talented pool of actors and production crew in New York City. If anything, it has been hard for us to narrow down the list of who we want on our team, as we adore and admire lots of skilled people.

4. Is film school needed to become a star in the video or film industries?

Abbi and Ilana – Completely unnecessary, you don’t even need your own camera! However, film school may help with grooming students to understand the importance of telling interesting stories that viewers want to watch. The created content and delivery is most important, so not everyone involved necessarily has to go to film school. Every team needs some technical knowledge and experience though, so whether that comes from a formal education or not is up to the individual.

5. What will the web series landscape look like in 2015, and how will it evolve from its current state today?

Abbi -I think web series exposure will only grow from here, and more and more valuable platforms will become available for creators and producers to leverage. The challenging part is competing for viewer attention against the plethora of new web series released now and in the future. And with everyone’s attention spans increasingly diminishing, that’s another challenging element to take into consideration.

Ilana – I have NO IDEA. Actually, I think that mankind will be wiped out in 2012. If it isn’t though, then I think that 90% of all content on TV will have originally existed on the Internet first.

I thank Abbi and Ilana for the interview, for their insights, time, and kindness. If you aren’t already, be sure to have our future interviews and posts delivered to your email inbox, or get them through your favorite RSS reader.

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This is a guest post by a remarkable video script writer friend of mine, Jerry. Jerry offers tips for what to look for in a video production school, and tells his own personal story based on his experience.

I went to college for video production, much to the dismay of my family. They were sure I was making a huge mistake, and they let me know that they thought I should reconsider my choice. This went on for months leading up to me going to college, but I didn’t pay their remarks or worries any heed. In the end, I didn’t end up with a job in video production, but I can’t say that I regret my decision. Life tends to take you where it wants you to go not matter what you think. I learned a lot more than video production at college, and these things have become handy in my current career as a writer.

I attended The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and I learned both audio and video production there. I went at a bad time however, because they revamped the course while I was in the middle of it. It used to be strictly by their itinerary, and I just took the classes they gave me. In the middle of my education there, they switched it to electives, and you could major in audio or video production, and take more specialized classes. Because I was half way done with my education at this point, this did nothing to help me. In fact, I missed out on quite a few classes because of it.

Though my video production dreams didn’t pan out, I’m happy to say a friend of mine now has a great job, and has a great career ahead of her. She works in video production for a company that does a lot of high profile work for large corporations and even a few sports teams. I also have a lot of friends who were successful in concert production jobs, and I have run into a few of them at concerts I have attended in recent years.

If you want to go into video production, do your homework first. Find a bunch of possible schools, and have a good look at what classes they offer. Find out how much hands-on training they offer, and see if they have an internship program. There are quite a few schools for video production, but you don’t want to waste your money on the wrong one. Visit each school before you decide, if you can that is, and ask about graduate success stores and job assistance after graduation.

If you are attending a video production or film college and are looking to start a project, or find a project to collaborate on with others, why not grab a free Spidvid account and get started today.

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Quick mention: First off, extremely happy to announce that our hacked servers from late last week have been 100% restored, and everything is back to normal once again. So you can again feel safe visiting and using our platform, and reading our blog. Now onto the topic of the day which is giving you five video editing tips you can use for your future production projects.

Since the mid-1990’s, video production has undergone vast changes due to technological improvements in video equipment and software, distribution options, funding avenues, and barriers to entry have been virtually eliminated.

Once you film and record an entertaining video, you or someone on your team needs to edit it down to its core to tell viewers an engaging story.

Here are five video editing tips:

1. Always use a tripod if possible. Tripods have been created for one reason, steady shots. Earthquake-like effects are sometimes desired, but you don’t want your audience to sit through an entire shaky video. In fact, they won’t anyways. Let the tripod do it’s job. When it comes to video editing, steady shots will help you make clean edits.

2. Use instrumental background music. That way the lyrics or vocals from the artist don’t clash with someone speaking on-camera. You can safely use vocals for parts of your video where there is no dialogue. Also, try to edit to the beat of the music, meaning change your shots on each beat.

3. Normalize your audio when editing. This means that all of your sound levels should peak in the middle of your audio meter bar. This bar is an area of your video editing software that quickly moves up and down when a video is playing. You don’t want audio that is too low to hear, or too loud which hurts viewer’s ears.

4. Don’t use too many video effects. This is a rookie mistake, and I’m sure you don’t want to look like a rookie even if you are one. Find one or two good transitions which fit the video’s format and stick with them, but don’t use them for every little scene. Also, use only one or two good filters, which are effects that make the entire screen change or look different. At times a nice effect is to start your video black and white and let it gradually dissolve to color. Experiment with video effects as they can make your video more entertaining, and deliver additional production value to your viewers.

5. Be patient. It takes lots of time to become a good editor. Use your editing software help section, read related blog articles, and tap into community knowledge on video editing forums. Forums are fantastic places to invest your time, and there are likely many thousands of people using the exact software you are. They know the pros and cons of your software, and any issues you are having they have likely experienced similar ones also. Some useful forums are CreativeCow.net, Videomaker.com, and Videoguys.com.

And most importantly remember to have fun, because if you aren’t having fun editing videos then perhaps partnering with a quality editor may make more sense to your projects.

If you have any other video editing advice, be sure to post it in the comments below.

Jeremy Campbell Lists, resources edit, editing, editing skills, editing software, film editing, how to, information, learn, list, software, talent, tips, video editing, video editor, video production

Steve Garfield has been named “the godfather of video blogging” as he’s been creating this type of content before the term vlog was even invented. Steve has learned a lot throughout his online video journey, and recently released the book Get Seen: Online Video Secrets to Building Your Business.

The book includes valuable information and resources such as: choosing a camera, lighting and sound, making videos without a camera (say what?!), recording and shooting, editing, uploading, broadcasting live, the art of video blogging, interesting interviews, and other golden tidbits of knowledge to make your videos the best they can be.

Since the book has been blessed by so many video creators and other individuals within the video production industry, I thought it would be a good idea to give away books to our Spidvid production community. So if you have wanted Steve’s book but are too cheap to buy a copy, or if you just learned about the book right now, here is the perfect opportunity to get a copy on us.

So here’s what you need to do to get your very own copy of Get Seen

1. Get a free Spidvid account and create a profile.

2. Either post a project and form a collaborative production team, or bid on a project and join a team.

3. Create a unique and entertaining video or short film with your team, and upload it via our platform.

Each team member who participates will get a free complimentary copy of Get Seen mailed to them directly. You have until Sunday July 11th (one month) to get your team’s project completed and video or film uploaded for distribution. So if you want a book it’s time to stop reading this post to assemble your team and get creating.

Jeremy Campbell Give Aways, community book, free, Get Seen, gift, give away, how to, information, learn, online video, prize, read, resources, reward, secrets, Steve Garfield, video creation, video production, vlog, web video