Secrets to Great Interviews from iPhones to Pros
Whether you’re producing a documentary, doing an oral history, making a video of a parent or grand parent, creating your video blog, interviewing your family on vacation, or making a home video, shooting with your iPhone or Android, I can show you how to get a good interview. Here are some first steps that can transform your film. Chris Mak emailed a great question about interviewing, then posted it on our Facebook page: ”I am just wondering, every Ken Burns film, and all the Films Mr.Sherman has made, have amazing interviews. I am trying to get such a loose but DEEP meaning...
Read More60 Minutes’ Steve Croft FAILS Interviewing 101 – so do too many TV journalists
Steve Croft’s interview last Sunday with President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton itself became news. All the networks talked about the interview, but it was only in the Twittesrphere and online sites that Croft was taken to task. As someone who conducts interviews for a living, I thought it was a sadly missed opportunity that speaks poorly for broadcast journalism today. Croft lead his piece by saying he was given just a half hour of their time. So why ask questions that he knew wouldn’t be answered in any kind of insightful way? It didn’t take much insight...
Read MoreWatch the Video Introduction to the Book
This is the video introduction to my book. Shot at a street fair in New York City, it describes how Ready, Steady, Shoot can help you shoot better home movies, videos that your friends and family will want to see, not run away from. Make better videos of your vacations, your kids’ activities, family barbecues, or a night out with friends. The intro outlines the easy learning system I invented called The 10 Shot Video. I hope you’ll watch the ones that I shot in many different circumstances in order to give you ideas for your own home movies. I’m continually shooting...
Read MoreHow to Make A Thanksgiving Video and NOT Bore Your Family
Family gatherings are wonderful times. Great moments can be captured on video. The trap is most people shoot so much nobody wants to watch it afterwards. The secret is to shoot short shots, not too many. Here’s my Thanksgiving video; it’s just 10 Shots. I hope it gives you some ideas for shooting yours. TIPS: Wait for good moments. You might shoot a few shots of people arriving. A few more of having drinks and appetizers. Serving and eating turkey. A toast or two. You know who will be funny and cool and who will put you all to sleep. So, don’t record every one. And,...
Read MoreNational Geographic Traveler feature story
I’m pleased to share this story written by Christopher Elliott. He looked at my 10 Shot Videos® and decided to highlight ”Poilane Bakery,” in Paris. It’s a storyboard of the video shots designed to give readers a sense of how to tell a story. Christopher is NatGeo Traveler’s reader advocate and a nationally syndicated columnist through Tribune Media Services, which distributes his columns to publications from the Seattle Times to the Miami Herald. He writes a weekly column for The Washington Post and is a personal finance blogger at...
Read MoreThe Lighting Secret for Close-Ups when Blogging/Vlogging – Food, Toys, Product Shots
The number one secret to making the best close up videos (or stills) of food, toys, or any product shots, whether blogging or vlogging, is working in natural light. Take the plate, pan, platter, or toy over to a window where it can be lit naturally. Soft is what your looking for. Avoid direct sunlight. Take a few test shots to see if it’s too bright, or too dim. Do I need to move away from the window to get a softer look? Or find a brighter window or go outside? If you’re doing a product shot, a black background often works great. It makes the subject POP and avoids any distraction. Buy a...
Read MoreOnly $7.99 — Buy it today!
Finally, a book to teach you how to shoot videos that your friends and family will actually want to watch. Download the eBook for just $6.50 or we'll ship you a paper edition for only $7.99. Get your copy now!
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