Nick Griffin
Forum Replies Created
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[Brock Burwell] “So the entire video volume is very low and I have no idea what to do to fix that.”
Here’s a simple trick that I’ve had to employ when given footage with very low audio levels: Add one or perhaps more audio tracks. Then copy the audio that’s too low and paste it into the new track being sure to synch it perfectly with the original. Viola, you immediately have doubled the volume. Unfortunately you’ve also doubled the noise, but sometimes that’s acceptable to get intelligible audio.
Mark is right about an external/balanced line mixer. One that comes to mind especially for DSLR use is BeachTech (or is it Tek). Google it and/or look online at B&H Photo Video.
Having good audio levels for “talking heads” video is just one of the many skills you’ll want to develop. And, BTW, your wife is right. The music level is so low that it sounds unintentional or like noise. One simple thing you can do to enable the music to be louder without drowning out voices is to use the equalizer function to dip the music’s frequencies in the 500 to 2,000 hz range. That’s the range where most of the detail we hear in speech is so when you lower that part the lower and higher parts of the music can be mixed louder.
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Thanx! Sounds VERY helpful.
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Great, Peter. Now where do we find and/or purchase MDO? Can’t find it on Avid’s site and doesn’t seem discoverable on Google.
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My sentiments as well are summed up above. Especially the part about “Here’s to a profitable 2014.”
The COW’s extended community is one of the greatest assets we all share.
So Merry Merry and Happy Happy to all and to all a good night!
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Basically, yes to each of your proposed routes to sourcing video production. Those and many others. Bigger projects usually involve RFPs as Mark said, but not always. The best way to get business is by being known by the company’s key marketing/advertising/PR people and/or getting a direct referral from past satisfied customers.
For “cold calling” into companies the best approach is invariably one of offering information that your prospect will want. For example, work that you have done for similar businesses or examples of what they can get at certain price points. A lot of companies these days want to have video linked to their websites so a good pitch is “Can I show you some examples of just how inexpensive a high quality video for the web can be?”
And I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that these type of discussions are what the COW’s Business & Marketing forum is all about. Check it out and go back through the archives of that forum for a lot of great information about getting new business.
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I can HIGHLY recommend Matt Townley of MST Productions – Matt@MSTProductions.com
Very honest, straightforward and knowledgeable.
He is also a regular contributor to various COW forums.
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Gentlemen-
Thanks to you both for two excellent explanations. I had not thought of the audio controls in the context of a mix console where there is an input trim and a level fader. Makes perfect sense now. -
Thanx, Thomas. Great info for California. I wonder if it applies the same way in other states, though. My CPA has told me that if it’s a “product” it’s taxable. The electronic transfer aspect may be one way of getting around this, but I’ll have to ask. In our individual case, almost a moot point though as essentially everything we do is for out of state and international clients.
Personally I don’t see the trend towards taxing things coming from the internet, be they physical objects or electronic files, slowing down too much. If there’s money to be had states are going to find ways to get it.
Now perhaps you’ll need to give out instructions on how to download a digital file and turn it into a DVD. Too complicated for most people, but an option for some.
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[Michael Hancock] “When did you switch to Avid? I thought you were on Media100?”
About a year ago. M100 still used on simple and legacy things or when a job has to go between workstations but it simply doesn’t have the power and features of MC. Then again I wish Avid’s interface for audio was more like M100. As Steven Wright said “You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”
Thanx for your input on the other stuff, Michael.
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Ah, c’mon, Thomas. I don’t want to be a wet blanket, but I think we all know the answer here (even with me being 3,000 miles away on the opposite coast). It’s still a finished product and I’d bet you dollars to donuts that’s the way ANY tax authority will interpret a different form of delivery. Your only alternative is to provide a service that another business entity turns into a finished product and, without reading CA’s tax code, even that might not be enough to make what you do tax exempt. Sorry.