Stand Out Shorts Book Review

"This is a wonderful guide for learning how to create, share and promote your internet and web videos!"

by Mark Shapiro

Stand-Out Shorts: Shooting and Sharing Your Films Online by Russell Evans

I have been waiting for a book about this subject for along time. In fact, I was considering writing it myself but now I don't have to. Russell Evans has done a great job of creating a guidebook for those who want to create, shoot and distribute Internet videos on the web.

No matter whether you are a video beginner or have been shooting and producing video for some time, you will find something to learn from this book Yes, there is a lot of detail about video shooting, editing and lighting basics but there is a lot of very practical real world experience about how to make your video work online, hoe to promote it using various social networks and hw to help make your web video go viral.

We have received permission to extract a few sample chapters - check out

How to Make Your Internet Video a Success - First You Need a Plan

How to Create a YouTube Hit Video - How to get a big audience for your YouTube Video and How to Make it Go Viral

The "Stand-Out Shorts" book covers the basics of writing, shooting, budgeting, crews, sound, and scripts. It is the only book that also gives equal coverage to using the Web to network, find resources, and distribute the video and make it climb the charts online. Concise, fun, and easy to read, Stand-Out Shorts omits lengthy chapters and delivers information in bite-size pieces of text, handy reference charts, and fun tools, e.g. schedules that can be used on 24-hour, 7-day, or even "slacker"-style shoots. Upbeat and full of hands-on activities, the emphasis is on getting out there and doing it.

The first few chapters cover the basics of how to pick out and use the most appropriate camcorder to shoot your internet masterpiece, how to handle scriptwriting, budgets and casting, location shooting, as well an intor to continuity, lighting and sound recording. It also includes some great info about how to edit both video and sound, as well as how to do foley and sound effects.

Section 4 - is the gem of the book - Share Online. This is how to create. compress, share, distribute and promote your online video movie. If you are an experienced video maker, these are the chapters you need to read.

The next section, section 5,is very fascinating and unique. Russ Evans breaks down the various genres of possible online videos and provides an in-depth discussion of how to shoot each kind of movie along with some examples, research and viewing tips, what gear you will need, and the best sites to upload that specific genre too. There is a lot of overlap here but it is interesting.

Quickly learn the basics of DV filmmaking without the need for any training with the short cuts found in this book. Featuring blueprints to help you structure and complete certain types of films, key cards that help explain the essential knowledge in a way that is readily accessible during shooting, and 200 easy-to-read tables packed with information, Russell Evans breaks down the art of digital video creation in a concise and fun format that makes it easy to pick up and start shooting. You'll learn how to do everything from script writing to sound recording, and before you know it, you'll be creating your own short films, music videos, school projects, or web videos.

* An accessible guide to getting started shooting shorts, promos, documentaries, web video, or any type of digital video project that you want to create
* Perfect for beginners - get the information you need now without long courses or stacks of textbooks
* Written in a down-to-Earth, jargon-free style that anyone can understand including direction on budgets, crews, sound, scripts, location shooting, lighting, and everything else that a new filmmaker would need to learn

About the Author

Russ Evans is a Film, Video and Multimedia Lecturer, internet broadcasting advisor and freelance writer on video production. Previously a graphic designer, Russ has a degree in fine art and multimedia. Currently he is involved in setting up an internet video site for students to broadcast their work.

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