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Permalink Reply by Graeme Sacks on March 8, 2012 at 2:35am

For us we have no budget! Our first videos were just slideshows made using Picassa.

Here's an example: http://youtu.be/tS4JqVCyhuo

Then we found someone to make a video for us for $5 on the site www.fiverr.com

http://youtu.be/u50FmeYpKEo

We made our latest video ourselves using a great iPad app called Animation HD

It looks like this: http://youtu.be/OLGfgy-W6wU

How did you get yours done? Looks like it was a green screen done in studio? Was it expensive? 

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Permalink Reply by Patricia Shih on March 8, 2012 at 6:29am

We too make videos on a small budget.  We bought an inexpensive Flip-like camera and a green screen, our biggest expenses.  Then we learned Final Cut Express (now FC Pro7) and do all our own shooting and editing.  Other than that, our only expenses are costumes, props and paying kid actors, dancers and singers.  The other adult characters are our friends!

Here are our videos in the order we made them.  You can see the progression from still images to animation to live action :

This is my very first music video, using still images.

My 99 Neighbors - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjSopnggSlM

This is my first (and only so far!) animation.  We paid a college student to do this.

Really Bad Day - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0EZVP2OJes

This was our very first "live action" video, for my husband/accompanist Stephen Fricker

Twelve Days - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuutFpiOoAU

This is my first live-action music video combined with stills.

The Power of One - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtvXxxQl59Y

This is my first fully live-action music video.

Home Again - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-18DeQEF7c

And this is my latest but it's an old TV show we were hosts for, "Tell Me A Story":

The Abacus - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKpT1k8L_8c

If anyone wants to call me about any of this, I'd be happy to talk and help!  (631) 549-2332 or email me at patricia@patriciashih.com.  I LOVE MAKING MUSIC VIDEOS!  It's the most fun I've ever had!!!

 

 

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Graeme Sacks on March 8, 2012 at 6:41am

I love that idea! Your own green screen. I'm going to look into that.

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Permalink Reply by Patricia Shih on March 8, 2012 at 8:09am

@ Graeme,

We bought a very large (10' x 12') muslin green screen on Amazon that cost about $35, but the banner stand we hang it on was over $125 (but we also use it to hang our show's banner on while performing, so it does double duty).  I know you can get smaller screens for less, and a friend bought bright green poster board for pennies and it worked well.

Caveat--the fabric screen has to be wrinkle- and shadow-free when you film or it will be hard to get rid of in editing.  Lighting is crucial!!!!!  Also storage becomes an issue with a large screen.  We bought a 6' PVC pipe and roll ours.

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Permalink Reply by Graeme Sacks on March 8, 2012 at 8:40am

Thanks for the advice. 

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Permalink Reply by The Fuzzy Lemons on March 11, 2012 at 11:30am

We bought some cheap flannel sheets from Bed, Bath and Beyond and pinned 'em up to the walls. They have to be pinned tightly, no wrinkles. But they seemed to do the trick as a homemade green screen. Plus, when you're done, you have comfy bedsheets. 

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