FAT32 Gotcha

It's very common to use an external firewire drive for video storage on a non-linear editing system. However, these drives are typically formatted FAT32 by drive manufacturers.

The FAT32 file system can create problems for video makers because it limits files sizes to no larger than 4 GB - about 17 minutes of DV video. (You can learn everything you ever wanted to know about FAT file systems by clicking here.)

The answer is to reformat using the NTFS file system the first time you connect the drive to your computer.

Important Note - Reformatting erases all data from the drive. If you have already stored data on your drive, you need to back up that data BEFORE reformatting.

Creative Camera Work

Here's a video on creative camera work from the folks at Digital Juice. The video points out some simple ways to create more interesting shots.

Adobe Premiere Keyboard Shortcut of the Week

In order to edit your video, you need to transfer or capture your footage to your hard drive. To launch Premiere's capture utility, press the "F5" key.

This shortcut works in Premiere Pro, Premiere Elements and earlier versions of Premiere.

Buyers Beware

In keeping with the spirit of Black Friday, here's an important tip for those considering the purchase of a new camcorder. A recent visit to the local consumer electronics store revealed the wide array of camcorders available this holiday season. Unfortunately there seems to be a serious disconnect between manufacturers and the needs of video makers.

While hi-definition camcorders abound, many lack the option to add an external microphone.

For those new to video making, audio can be as important or sometimes even more important than the image. Unfortunately, built-in camcorder mics are typically lame and completely unsuitable to create decent work. So while the picture quality of some of these cameras are truly impressive, those same cameras are virtually worthless due to the lack of an external mic jack.

Here is one model, the Canon ZR-800 mini-DV camcorder, which does include a mic jack. It's very affordable too - about $250.

Adobe Premiere Keyboard Shortcut of the Week

One way to boost your editing speed is to use keyboard shortcuts. There are a wide range available.

The letters, "J", "K" and "L" double as transport controls:

"J" - play backwards
"K" - pause
"L" - play forwards

You may download Essential Premiere Pro Shortcuts at Adobe's Genesis Project. While the document specifically references Premiere Pro CS3, many if not all of the the shortcuts will work in previous versions of Premiere and Premiere Pro.

Lighting For Video

Here's a link to an article from the B&H newsletter by Tom Kirkman on video lighting for interviews. While the lighting instruments he recommends are a bit pricey, cheaper lights may be substituted. Also the diagrams fail to indicate the position of the interviewer. Typically the interviewer is seated near the camera, between the camera and the main light (also referred to as the "key light").

Vortex Media also offers an excellent and affordable instructional DVD on video lighting, How To Setup, Light, & Shoot Great Looking Interviews (using a light kit that costs under $1500). You can check it out here.