Category: Film

Fast Help Finding Perfect Camcorder (Pan SD9?)

Okay, this has been an ongoing problem for me for about 3 weeks now.  I have a week left before we start shooting our videos, and need help ASAP.

I’ve been researching camcorders to fit the following specifications:

  • Less than $600 (Prefer around 500)
  • 3CCD
  • Great Picture Quality
  • Editable in Premiere CS4
  • Records to SDHC Memory Cards

This is for a series of youth group videos, and I was thinking of getting 2 when I thought I could spend about $400/ea. but research has been more than confusing, as people generally have so many various views of great cameras, and in certain budgets they compare a $600 camera to an obviously superior $1100 camera.  (Duh, the higher priced camera is going to be better… it’s nearly twice the price!)

I’m not looking for anything TERRIBLY high as all the videos will end up on YouTube and perhaps DVDs to give to the kids after the summer.  I also want something that’s slightly future-proof.

Anything from Panasonic? Canon?

I found the Panasonic HDC-SD9 that seems to fit the specifications, some reviews I’ve found have scared me a little.

Sony uses their own super expensive MemoryStick Pro cards… don’t know if that’s really within budget.

Anyone have some insight?  What would you do?

You can either comment here, or at Videomaker.com, or at Amazon.com

Twila Paris – Where He Leads Me Music Video

Yesterday I put the finishing touches on this music video for Twila Paris’ 1995 song, “Where He Leads Me” from the album “My Utmost for His Highest.”

I was asked by Dr. David Denbraber to put together a video for the song, on Sunday evening.  I worked on it over three days with my only instructions being: use this song, he’ll be focusing on some key words from the song.

I spent some time looking through my pictures from World Youth Day (Sydney, Australia, 2008).  I started putting the pictures together, and then I worked on getting all of the lyrics in, and timed with the song.

I used Adobe After Effects CS3 for the entire project.

There are a few slight hiccups in the final video, but those are very miniscule and you’re probably not really paying as much attention to detail as I do.

Mission Trip to Juarez Promotional Video (Christmas 2007)

Back in late February or early March of this year, Deacon Ken Baldwin called me up.  He had herd that I can edit video pretty well, and wondered if I could give him a hand with something.  He wanted to make a video to promote the mission trips to Juarez, Mexico.  Now, what we had were a few CDs of pictures from two cameras.  One of those cameras wasn’t as high-definition as the other, so some of the pictures don’t look the best.  But the results, I am still happy with.

Video: Juarez, Mexico Mission Trip – Christmas 2007

Song: Come to the Water – Matt Maher

Narrated by: Deacon Ken Baldwin.

For more information on how you can get involved, contact Deacon Ken Baldwin at The Shrine of St. Francis Xavier and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Grand Rapids, MI.

Making Movies – Fight Scene

I am a filmmaker at heart, and a few years ago a friend and I put together this fight scene for a Mock-documentary that my friends and I were making.  I still have hope that we’ll finish it some day, but I’m not currently holding my breath.  We haven’t touched it in about five years.

The editing, cinematography and choreography are all original, and I added the laugh track because it really gave the whole thing some flavor.