This post covers three excellent online resources for learning how to make videos:Â Videomaker.com, which publishes a magazine, resources an online learning community, and conducts on-site workshops; CreativeCow.net, “a peer-to-peer support community for media production professionals;” and StreamingLearningCenter.com, addressing the technical and aesthetic challenges of streaming video on the internet.
But before I get to those great online resources, let me say that you can probably locate some techies in your own community who would be willing to help you learn video making. If there’s a community college nearby, see whether it offers continuing education courses along this line. Check whether your community has a local independent filmmakers group, like the Delaware Independent Filmmakers in my area. And finally, get to know some local photographers. Often the ones who shoot events are into video as well. Look for a mentor among them, or ask for a referral.
But let’s say you live in a small town far removed from the kinds of resources just mentioned. You can still connect with online communities of people like yourself who are eager to learn and willing to share what they know.
CreativeCow.net is actually a hub for several such support communities specializing in video production, broadcasting, motion graphics, special effects, and film. If you’re new to video editing you’ll want to check out the huge library of video tutorials at CreativeCow for a host of software applications. Got a question? Ask it in a CreativeCow forum. Subscribe to the CreativeCow newsletter or magazine. And have a look at their workshop offerings, both in the U.S. and abroad.
Videomaker.com also produces a magazine, hosts forums, and conducts workshops. I’ve learned a lot from the video tips in their free eNews. Although Videomaker.com offers a wide variety of educational resources, I find them strongest in shooting techniques and equipment reviews.
The Streaming Learning Center is a boon to those bewildered about the best ways to compress video for the internet, and how to deploy video on various devices. Video produced for the web requires slightly different shooting and lighting techniques. So, do check out the link, “Shooting for Streaming.” And of course, the link, “Encoding Your Video,” will help answer many questions about how to make your video stream clearly and smoothly.