Video Production Articles, Tips and Tutorials

The Best FREE Photoshop Templates

21st June 2024 |

What are Photoshop templates? Photoshop templates are like pre-made design blueprints created in Adobe Photoshop. Think of them as a head start on your project, whether it’s a flyer, business card, social media post, or anything else you need to design. These templates come with all the essential elements already laid out, including layers, placeholders for images, text areas, and sometimes even guidelines to help you keep everything in order. They’re usually in the .PSDT file format, which you can easily open and edit in Photoshop. Using these templates is a fantastic way to save time and ensure your designs look professional, even if you’re not a graphic design or image manipulation expert. How to use Photoshop templates To get started with a Photoshop template, simply open the .PSD (or .PSDT) file in Adobe Photoshop. You’ll see different layers for each part of the design. You can customize these layers… read more

How to add background images in PowerPoint

14th May 2024 |

Simon Brough|

Adding a background image to your PowerPoint slides can make your presentation visually engaging and memorable. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it, using Microsoft PowerPoint (versions may vary slightly, but these steps should guide most recent versions): Step 1: Open Your Presentation Step 2: Select the Slide Step 3: Access the Background Settings Step 4: Insert the Background Image Step 5: Adjust the Image Options Step 6: Apply to All Slides (Optional) Step 7: Check and Modify Step 8: Save Your Presentation Additional Tips By following these steps, you can effectively enhance your PowerPoint presentations with custom background images, making your slides visually appealing and engaging. Need some free background images for PowerPoint? Look no further! We have some free cool, abstract images perfect for PowerPoint slides. Create your own backgrounds for PowerPoint with Adobe Firefly Fancy creating your very own PowerPoint background images quickly and easily?… read more

How to Export MP4 Video from Premiere Pro

2nd May 2024 |

Simon Brough|

Premiere Pro

Exporting Video Sequences from Premiere Pro So, you’ve finished your amazing video and need to send it the client or upload to YouTube – but how to keep the file size down whilst maintaining quality? Easy, just export in MP4 format. Thankfully, Adobe has made it easy to export MP4 video directly from Premiere Pro, without the need for additional software. This short and simple video tutorial by Adobe in a Minute explains how to export a video in Premiere Pro. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ycfaspPMWk Here’s how to export your Premiere Pro video as an MP4: Step 1 – Go to File > Export Access the Export menu in Adobe Premiere Pro by going to File > Export > Media, or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+M (Windows) or Command+M (Mac). Ensure the format is set to H.264 to save the file as an MP4, which is widely used and compatible across various platforms…. read more

10 Free Bokeh Overlay Videos

24th November 2023 |

Simon Brough|

Video Editing

A selection of beautiful bokeh light leak overlays to download for free from Adobe Stock. Perfect for Christmas holiday videos and adding a touch of glamor to your productions. Available in up to 4K resolution. The bokeh light effect is a mesmerizing and aesthetically pleasing phenomenon in photography, characterized by the out-of-focus areas in an image. Derived from the Japanese word “boke,” meaning blur or haze, bokeh is achieved when a camera lens creates a soft, defocused background, turning distant lights into beautifully blurred, glowing orbs. These free bokeh video effects from Adobe Stock will work in all major video editing software including Premiere Pro, Final Cut, After Effects, and iMovie. Bokeh overlay free downloads Click on the images to download these free bokeh light leak video clips from Adobe Stock: How to use these overlays Whilst the clips won’t have transparency you can use blending modes to make sure they combine… read more

A Beginner’s Guide to Camera Shots and Angles

22nd November 2023 |

Simon Brough|

Close-up or medium shot? High angle or POV shot? What type of camera angle is best? We break down the basic camera shot types so you can storyboard your video or animation sequence with confidence! For video makers, film directors and animators using the correct, conventional camera terminology is key to giving the impression that you know what you’re doing! One of the basics is learning how to describe the framing of your subject matter to other people. This is where you’ll want to brush up on the language (or grammar) of camera shots. Of course, you can simply disregard all of the tried and tested findings from a hundred years of cinema, and develop your own unique style of communicating! But, it’s important to know the rules before you break them. Bear in mind everyone in the television and film industry will be using the same lingo, so don’t… read more

SMPTE Color Bars

22nd November 2023 |

Simon Brough|

Video Editing

HD SMPTE Color Bars With Tone – Free Download I quickly generated this color bars test pattern for a recent video project. It may not be 100% accurate but it looks professional enough! Feel free to download it using the link at the bottom of this page. Originating in the 1970s, the SMPTE color bars is a standard test pattern, utilised by video engineers, to conform multiple sources of video content to a single specification. The pattern can also be used to calibrate chroma and luminance values on video monitors. Understanding the SMPTE Color Bars: A Guide to Video Calibration In the world of video production, quality and accuracy are paramount. Ensuring that the colors, tones, and levels in your video are calibrated correctly is crucial for delivering a professional and visually appealing product. One tool that has been a staple in video calibration for decades is the SMPTE color bars. What… read more