It's Show Business Time
Dec 1, 2007 12:00 PM, Markkus Rovito
A lot of actors wish they were musicians and vice versa, but what everyone really wants to do is direct. The do-it-yourself video movement is almost out of control, so here's a little advice to stand out in the crowd: Try shooting in high definition (HD). Like music, it's generally accepted that it's better to create at the highest quality possible, and then compress afterward. Even if your video ends up on YouTube, you can achieve better colors and detail by recording HD and then compressing. And anyway, you should plan on doing it big. Better to have your videos look good now for that inevitable Blu-Ray release when you blow up worldwide.
Some brand new camcorders make shooting hi-def video fairly affordable, and the latest entry-level software is more sophisticated and user-friendly than ever. When it comes to camcorders, ditching tape is not just for audio anymore. DV tape camcorders went out of style along with hating Indian food and saying “bling, bling.” The Canon HG10 hard-disk camera records 15 hours of HD video in the latest AVCHD format and sells for around $1,299. It also captures 3.1-megapixel photos to a miniSD card and has a 2.7-inch widescreen viewing LCD. For a purely flash-based recording option, the Panasonic HDC-SD5 records full-HD video to SDHC/SD memory cards, also in the AVCHD format. It is even smaller than its successful predecessor, the HDC-SD1, so it's even more portable at a retail price of $995.
When it's edit time, Mac users should check out the new iMovie '08, which sells as part of Apple iLife '08 for $79 or comes installed on any new Mac computer. The software supports the AVCHD format and has been completely reprogrammed to provide the fastest and most intuitive Mac-movie editing yet. For Windows users, Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum ($129; www.sonycreativesoftware.com) is recommended. It also supports AVCHD and other HD formats, and with its user-friendly interface and new features, it's easily one of the most advanced yet manageable and affordable video-editing programs.
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