“How to
Keep Your DO-IT-YOURSELF
VIDEO From Looking Like You
Did It Yourself”
By Jim Staylor
Have you ever tried to watch
a video with poor or
distracting production
values – clumsy camerawork,
fuzzy focus, funky framing,
lousy lighting, awful audio?
It’s hard to pay attention
to, let alone, understand
the content. When you find
yourself responsible for
making a video without being
in a position to hire
professionals, you will want
your videos to connect and
communicate rather than
annoy and aggravate.
Some people prefer books for
dummies or guides for
idiots. For those who might
appreciate learning video
through video, however,
consider this DVD, “How to
Keep Your DO-IT-YOURSELF
VIDEO From Looking Like You
Did It Yourself.” It could
be called, “Professional
video for non-professionals”
or “How to Think Like a
Producer”. This program
discusses and demonstrates
the basic knowledge and
skills -- camerawork,
lighting, and audio – needed
to create corporate,
non-profit, and other videos
that look and sound “better
than bad.” The DVD instructs
viewers on how to think like
a producer to increase both
efficiency and
effectiveness. This program
is hardware and software
neutral; It imparts concepts
and principles necessary to
do well with video using any
appropriate equipment.
“Introduction” contains a
philosophy of success and
defines good video. “Basic
Production Skills” covers
camerawork, lighting, and audio.
“Phases of Production” puts
videotaping into a larger
context of the entire production
process -- explaining what a pro
typically does before, during,
and after a shoot. “Roles and
Responsibilities” shares
insights about how real video
projects get done. Though you
may be the one wearing all the
hats, it will be helpful to know
what each hat covers.
“Additional Resources” lists
further learning available in
print, on tape, on disk, and on
the web. The index allows DVD
users to jump to any sub-section
for review. For example: what is
good video, camera
stabilization, framing and
composition, lighting outdoors,
microphone types, etc.
The producer and host, Jim
Staylor, presents the
information in an entertaining,
insightful, and respectful way.
He is a former TV magazine show
and game show host who has
spoken professionally around the
country about ways to improve
presentations through
entertainment values and how to
have fun at work. In addition to
completing Masters coursework in
Radio, Television and Film at
Cal State Fullerton, Staylor has
attended numerous workshops and
seminars through USC Film
School, UCLA, and the National
Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences. He is also an
instructional designer.
B-roll is used for
demonstrations, examples,
and text-rich lessons. Jim
Staylor is on-camera over an
animated background for
exposition, stories, and
sections where b-roll is
either inappropriate or
unavailable. A DVD-ROM
section contains an
assortment of articles,
templates and forms to
assist amateur videomakers
in their quest to move the
quality of their work to the
next level. The script
template alone would be a
$300 value compared to
existing scriptwriting
software. The video stuff
contained within this
program and on the disk
encompasses much of Jim
Staylor’s two decades of
experience in the school of
hard knock in the trenches
producing videos along with
the tens of thousands of
dollars he has invested in
continuing education.
This program sells at
Amazon.com or can be
purchased by contacting Jim
Staylor. “How to Keep Your
DO-IT-YOURSELF VIDEO From
Looking Like You Did It
Yourself” is available for
only $24.95. The DVD comes
with a money-back guarantee.
If you are not completely
convinced that this program
can save you at least $100,
let Jim Staylor know within
30 days of your purchase for
a full refund of the
purchase price. You can
order through PayPal by
e-mailing $24.95 plus $5.00
for S&H to
jim@staylor-made.com
with “DIYDVD” in the subject
line. Remember to include
your mailing address.
Jim Staylor is president of
Staylor-Made Communications,
Inc. based in San Diego,
California. He has performed
work for HP, Sony, JVC,
Toshiba, Hewlett-Packard,
Honda, Ford, Bank of
America, Taco Bell,
Jack-in-the Box, Petco, the
US Navy, and hundreds of
others. In his 20-plus years
as a video professional he
has received many national
awards for writing and
producing. He was named one
of America’s “Top-100
Producers” in A/V, Video,
Multimedia Producer Magazine
(Nov. 2000). To learn more,
visit
www.staylor-made.com
or call (858) 679-9303.
The same skills used to
improve business marketing
and training videos can
easily be used to make home
movies more enjoyable --
both to make and to watch. A
lot of people shoot family
videos and never do anything
with them. Maybe it’s
because they are afraid to
show anyone or are
intimidated by the daunting
task of finding the good
shots. Most new computers
now come with video editing
software built in and
included for free with
tutorials. Once you start
editing, you will become a
better shooter because you
will know what you need to
tell the story. This DVD
program, “How to Keep Your
DO-IT-YOURSELF VIDEO From
Looking Like You Did It
Yourself” will help
eliminate the excuse or
embarrassment around the
quality of the video. Once
you learn how to guide the
viewer’s eye through
appropriate planning and
good stabilized camera
techniques while paying
attention to lighting and
audio, the resulting video
should show a marked
improvement.
