Holiday Lights 2007 - Christmas Radio/Music/Videos/etc. Read Only. No more posting. - PlanetChristmas! Forums. Read Only. We've moved to http://talk.planetchristmas.com - The Forums of PlanetChristmas have moved to http://talk.PlanetChristmas.com
In order to produce high quality video which can be displayed on large screen television (in contrast to the quality of video often displayed on the internet), as well as be submitted to the media; those submitting their displays for Holiday Lights 2007 need to meet several requirements. They may seem restrictive, but they are there to ensure your display look its best! For those that have purchased past productions of Holiday Lights (2004, 2005, and 2006) you are aware of the quality we are referring to. If you have not viewed these, you might want to purchase a copy, to give you some ideas of how others have filmed their displays...
To simplify things, these will be presented as requirements that involve everyone who submit, followed by separate requirements based on whether the submitters have a static or synchronized display.
General requirements:
1) A tripod must be used for all shots. No free hand video will be used (due to jitter that is magnified on large screens). No exceptions.
2) The time/date “stamp” that appears often appears on video must be turned off. Instructions on how to turn this off can be found in your video camera manual.
3) We require high bandwidth media for submissions. We can not accept compressed video, such as DVDs, digital sticks, etc. We will only accept submissions done in a tape format. The preferred format is mini-dv, or digital 8, but we will also accept hi-8, regular 8, VHS, SVHS, or VHS-C.
4) All submissions become the property of G Young Productions, and will be discarded at the end of the production, unless submitters send a return receipt mailer, with appropriate postage affixed.
Static display requirements:
1) You do not need to record any audio for your display’s submission, as we will be dubbing royalty free music for your submission.
2) We will need between 6 and 9 minutes of video, to edit your submission properly. You need to film what you want included, in that timeframe. We will not view any more than 9 minutes of video from any submission, even if you send us an hour long video! Bottom line is you need to take some time filming what you think best represents your display, and include it in that time frame.
Synchronized display requirements:
1) We will need to hear your display’s background audio to overdub your musical selections to, or you will loose the benefit of having a display synchronized to music! Make sure you can hear it on your tape, before you submit it.
2) Video your display, including 3 or 4 full songs, so we have something to easily time the overdubbing to. If these songs run a little longer than 9 minutes total, that’s fine, as we will use only small segments of each song in the final production, to avoid copyright issues.
3) Include a CD with the 3 or 4 musical selections you are using in either wav (preferred) or mp3 format. That ensures an exact match for sequencing. We can not supply any non royalty free music to overdub for your display.
General tips for the best video (these are not requirements):
1) Turn off the auto focus on your camera. Zoom in fully, get a good focus on your scene, then zoom out and shoot your video. Repeat this as you change locations for another shot. The auto focus on most consumer cameras is easily fooled by high contrast scenes (i.e. holiday lights against a dark background)! We can improve many parameters (color, contrast, hue, etc, etc) but focus is one we can not improve. Bottom line is to shoot your scene in focus to begin with!
2) If your camera allows, turn the automatic white balance off, and set it for incandescent (yes even for LEDs!). Automatic white balancing has a tough time figuring out a good balance with multiply-colored lights against a black background.
3) If you camera allows, turn off the automatic exposure, and manually set it for one in which the colors are not washed out. If you shoot it a little underexposed (dark), we can add the necessary contrast, brightness, color, etc later. If you shoot it overexposed (too bright, with washed out colors), there is not much we can do.
4) If your camera will not allow #2 and #3, we have a work around for you. Shoot at dusk, while there is still ambient (background) light. (i.e. the sky is still lit enough that you can make out clouds, etc.). You may think that shooting when it is totally dark makes for a better video, but actually shooting near dusk is much easier for today’s auto-everything cameras, and gives much better shots. We can always darken the scene a bit later in the process.
5) I would suggest you print this note, so you can re-read it, and refer to it, as you plan your video. You will find, as others have, that if you follow these rules, (and tips), you will get a much better quality video that flatters your display, rather than one that denigrates it.
A little time in planning can make the difference between a quality video, and a poor one. You do not need any special skills, or abilities to video tape your display, just a little advanced planning!
After all, you have spent many hours designing, building, and then setting up your display, so why not make it look the best it can?
As we have done in the past, a copy of the production will be sent to certain national media, who have requested we continue to provide them a copy. Your display, may very well wind up on their radar screens for future media productions!
Greg
I almost forgot, once you have your video, etc ready to submit, mail them to:
3) We require high bandwidth media for submissions. We can not accept compressed video, such as DVDs, digital sticks, etc. We will only accept submissions done in a tape format. The preferred format is mini-dv, or digital 8, but we will also accept hi-8, regular 8, VHS, SVHS, or VHS-C.
Hey Greg,
Ouf of Curiosity why wouldn't an .avi (640x480) created with a Digital Camera be accepted?
Cheers
Evan
Greg Young wrote: Deadline forreceipt is 12/31/07.
I missed that the first time I looked over the post. I believe that this is earlier than previous years. Just to make sure everyone caught that.
Is the quality that the new hard drive type cameras produce too low a quality? I was looking at getting a new camera and was wondering if I should stay away from them. Is a tape type camera always the best way to go?
I missed that the first time I looked over the post. I believe that this is earlier than previous years. Just to make sure everyone caught that.
Is the quality that the new hard drive type cameras produce too low a quality? I was looking at getting a new camera and was wondering if I should stay away from them. Is a tape type camera always the best way to go?
Chris
Chris, I work with only commercial gear, and am not up on consumer products. Even for hi-def (which my gear does not currently support), most commercial/prosumer lines use a tape format, for a number of reasons.
Folks, I am in the middle of a couple of video projects now, so I won't be able to check in or comment too much, the next 30 days or so.
As to the deadline, yes it was moved up 7 days (from Jan 7th to December 31st). The reasons are: 1) last year it overlapped my school productions that start to take off at the end of January, 2) folks should film earlier in the display "season", as later in the season there are more issues with burned out bulbs, etc., which last year caused several not to submit at the last minute, and 3) no matter what date I choose some will procrastinate until the last possible minute.
I look forward to seeing all of your great ideas, displays and submissions, and putting together a super collection for 2007!
Brad Caudill wrote: I had the tripod. Just misplaced the piece that screwed onto the tripod. I found it later somewhere but can't recall where now lol.
Brad... I'll let you borrow mine.
Holiday Lights is a DVD series featuring many of our displays that Greg does a terriffic job putting together. Read the top of the thread for all the submission rules.
snowman wrote: Greg do split the profit with those that send you their displays to put on the dvd?
Ugh. Let's don't even go down this road. With the investment that Greg has in both time and equipment he's not making anything at all. He put's way more in than he gets out.
If you are looking for money for your submission, then maybe this isn't the production for you.
Thanks Jeremy and Brian, I appreciate the kind words!
There are still ample slots available for folks that would like to have their holiday display included in this year's Holiday lights DVD set!
If you would like to share your display with others around the world, using a video medium that really makes the display you spent hours on shine (as opposed to web sharing of video that involves quite a bit of compression and a significant loss of video quality), then I think you will want to submit for this year's DVD.
Submitters will be the first to receive the DVDs, and will again receive an approximately 20% off the price of the DVDs.
If you would like to submit, please read all of the rules at the top of this thread. The rules insure you will have top quality video of your display (and others) to watch when the production is complete.
There are still slots available for Holiday Lights 2007, so if you are panning to submit a video of your display, now's a very time to drop me a note, requesting one!
We are finalizing arrangements to add someone very special to this year's production, one who has never been involved in the series before.
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