Are you looking for some great Halloween sound effects for your video scrapbook? Look no further. I Love Wavs has a huge selection of music, sound effects, and midi files. There’s an annoying witch’s laugh, cat screech, chain rattling, ghost, door creak, evil laugh, ghost, owl hooting, scream, and a huge variety of other spooky sounds.
To download the file to your computer, simply right-click the link to the file you want, select Save Target As, and save it to the appropriate folder on your computer. If you are using a Mac, right-click the link and select Download Linked File.
Shoot from unusual angles. For example, stand on a chair and video down on your little ghosts and goblins. Or, get down low on the floor and video up.
To add an eerie effect, turn on a black light.
Place a flashlight or spotlight on the floor and angle it up on your ghosts and goblins. The lights will place some unnatural shadows on your subjects.
Use some dry ice to add the effect of fog. Make sure it’s not within reach of children because it can be dangerous. If you don’t have dry ice, some video editing software has a fog (or smoke) effect you can apply.
Get lots of footage. Don’t just get video of the trick-or-treating. You should also video them putting on their costumes, eating Halloween dinner, carving a pumpkin, enjoying a special family tradition, dumping out their candy on the floor, and enjoying their first piece of Halloween candy. To end your video, record them asleep in their beds.
Get some establishing shots, such as street signs, buildings, and decorations to put at the beginning of your video.
Eliminate any distracting sounds if possible. Turn off the tv or radio. You can add music later while editing.
If you’re planning on wearing a lot of makeup, place your camcorder on a tripod and use the time-lapse feature to video the process of putting on the makeup. You can also use the iSight if you have a Mac.
Make sure your camcorder and any extra batteries are fully charged.
Always record at least 5 seconds before and after the shot you want. That way, you will have room to edit later.
Llamas, and goats, and geese… oh my! Logan had a spooktacular trip to the pumpkin patch with his Kindergarten class. I easily created this spooktacular video scrapbook with the help of One True Media. No… I’m really not that creative. One True Media did all the work. All I did was upload my pictures. They did the rest. It only took me about 15 minutes. It’s so simple.
The best part is I didn’t have to pay a dime. It’s free to share on the web.
Celebrate life’s greatest moments with a One True Media video montage.
Video eats up your hard drive. Therefore, the best time to clean up your video files is right after you finish your project. This way all your files are still fresh on your mind and you’ll be able to make better decisions about what to do with them.
You have several options when it comes to archiving your files. Some include: creating DVDs, uploading your files to an online video storage service, moving your files to an external hard drive, and recording your master video on a miniDV tape.
DVD
Burn backup copies on DVD. I normally create three backup copies. I store one in my office file cabinet for quick reference if needed. I store one copy in my home safe. And, I store one copy at my parents’ house. Keeping a backup copy offsite is always a great idea.
Online Video Storage
If you use an online video storage service, you can upload your video there for safe keeping. Just be aware that you will be paying a monthly or yearly fee for that service. Plus, the more videos you store, the more it will cost.
External Hard Drive
A lot of times, I like to reuse some of the video footage I have captured. Therefore, I like to move that footage to an external hard drive for easy access later. I always use descriptive names so my files are easy to find.
MiniDV Tapes
Most video editing software allows you to record your finished video back onto a miniDV tape. Simply attach your camcorder to your computer via firewire, press record on your camcorder, and play your final video. Then, store your miniDV tape for safe keeping.
After you have archived your video files, you can delete them off your computer.
When you finish editing your video scrapbook, you’ll want to share your production with friends and family. There are numerous ways you can do this, both online and offline.
The method you select will determine which export options you select in your video editing software.
Share Your Video Online
Web. There are free video hosting services (YouTube, Google Video) and paid video hosting services (Neptune, mydeo) available on the web. If you use a free video hosting service, the quality of your video sometimes suffers. However, with paid services, you are allowed to upload higher-quality (larger files) videos.
Email. If you plan to email your video, make sure the file is compressed small enough so it will not fill up the recipient’s mailbox. Plus, make sure that your recipient has a high-speed internet connection. An alternative is to upload your video to a video hosting service and just email the link to your video.
Share Your Video Offline
DVD. If you want to share a high quality video, then a DVD is the way to go. You can have fun creating chapters and a menu for your video.
CD. If you want to share your video on a computer, you can always convert video to a Windows Media or QuickTime file and burn it on the CD.
Video Player. If you want to take your videos on the go, then a video player (such as a Video iPod) is a great option. Simply upload your video to your video player and take it with you. You can show it off on the video player or connect it to a special cord and show it on TV. A 60 gig Video iPod can hold up to 70 hours of video.
Video Phone. One of the newest ways of taking your videos on the go is on a mobile phone with video capability.
VHS. If you know someone who hasn’t stepped into the age of digital media, you can still share your video with them on VHS tape. Of course, your quality will definitely suffer here because you will be converting from digital to analog. The VHS technology is way outdated. I wouldn’t recommend archiving your master files on this media… but it’s ok for sharing if all the other options won’t work for you.
After you decide how you want to share your video, you will need to make sure you pick the appropriate options in your video editing software. For example, to share the video on the web, you need to compress and convert it in the right format, such as Flash (.swf), Windows Media (.wmv), or QuickTime (.mov). Check the online help for your video editing software for specific information. Normally, compressing and converting is a simple process.
After you have planned and gathered everything you need for your video scrapbook, you are ready to import everything into your video editing software and have some fun editing. This step is commonly referred to as post production and includes the following steps.
Add Music
The simplest way to get started is to drop your music into the audio timeline so you will know how much time you have to work with.
Add & Trim Clips
Drop all your clips and photos onto the timeline in the order you want them to appear in the video. Then, trim your clips–ruthlessly. Your goal is to get the best possible story in the least amount of time. If there’s too much unnecessary footage, you risk boring your audience.
Add a Title
The title should introduce your video. For example, if your video is for a wedding anniversary, the title should read something like “Our 50th Wedding Anniversary”. You could also put a date on the title. The title can be placed on top of a video clip or photo or you can even create a slide with the title on it.
Add Captions and Other Titles
In some cases, you might want to add captions or other titles throughout your video. For instance, if you’re creating a vacation video, you might want to put a caption at the bottom of the video that tells where you are or what you are doing. You might also want to add more titles throughout the video, especially if it’s long, to break it up into smaller segments.
Add Transitions
A transition is an effect where one clip replaces another clip. The three most commonly used transitions include:
Dissolve (or cross-dissolve)—one clip slowly dissolves into another clip.
Fade in—a black screen dissolves into a clip.
Fade out—a clip fades out to a black screen
The dissolve, fade in, and fade out transitions flow so smoothly that viewers rarely notice that you even used them.
Most video editing software comes loaded with different transitions. All these wonderful transitions are so tempting to use. However, if you start using too many different transitions in one video, your viewers may start focusing on your transitions rather than your video. You don’t want your transitions to become your main attraction.
Add Special Effects
Special effects are filters that change the appearance of your video. For example, you can change the color of your video. You can also apply different effects that make it look like its raining or lightening. You can even apply an earthquake effect. You can speed up your video or slow it down or make it go backwards.
Before you start editing your video, you should play around with the different effects your software offers and come up with ideas of how you can use these effects.
Add Ending Credits
Make sure you include a proper ending in your video. You wouldn’t want to leave your viewers hanging. You can end your video with outtakes, a short message, poem, or Bible verse. You could even put an ending title page with the words “The End”.
When you are finished editing your video, you can share it with friends and family.
Once you have a plan for your video scrapbook, you are ready to move on to the gathering step. This step is normally called production. In this step, you will gather all items (video footage, photos, memorabilia, music, sound clips) you want to include, organize them, and put them on your computer.
Collect Video Footage
Shoot the video you want to include in your video scrapbook. Get lots of footage so you will have plenty to choose from. Take a series of shots that establishes the scene and the subjects you’re interested in. Then, capture the video into your computer.
If you already have footage on a miniDV tape, VHS tape, or 8mm tape, capture that footage as well.
Collect Photographs
Collect old photos and organize them in the order you want them to appear in the video. Next, create a special folder on your computer for all the items in your project that you will scan. Number each in the order you want them to appear (001, 002, 003, etc.) If you find another photo you want to insert between two photos you have already numbered, just place the letter “b” after the number. For example, if you want to place a photo between 002 and 003, then number that photo 002b.
If your photos are digital and already on your computer, simply copy them into the appropriate folder and number them accordingly.
Collect Other Items
Some other items you might want to consider include old newspaper clippings, marriage certificates, diplomas, programs, ticket stubs, etc. Anything that can be scanned can be included. If it’s something that can’t be scanned, just take a picture and include that.
Select Music
Music is one of the most important elements of your video scrapbook because it sets the mood. Select music that’s meaningful to you or the person you are creating the video for. Are you “a little bit country” or a “little bit rock and roll”? Do you like classical music or more traditional music? If you want an upbeat video, then choose upbeat music. If you want a more relaxing video, then choose slower paced music.
Listen to the lyrics of the song you select. If there’s any particular photo or video clip you want to show during a specific lyric, write it down.
You are not limited to one song. Depending on the length of your video, you could choose multiple songs. You may even want to start your video with a fast song, then select a slower song for the middle, and then end it with another fast song or vice versa. You don’t even have to play the song in its entirety. Your video editing software should let you easily clip the music you want to play.
Make sure you’re not violating any copyright laws. There are many websites where you can download royalty free music.
Sound Clips
Occasionally, you might want to incorporate sound clips (wav files) into your project. For example, you might want to include a sound clip of a crowd cheering if you’re doing a sports video. Many video editing programs come with a limited number of wav files. There are also many great websites where you can download wav files.
Once you have gathered everything for your video scrapbook and copied them on your computer, you are ready to start editing.
Planning your video scrapbook well is the key to successful editing. If done well, you could save valuable time during the editing process. This step consists of everything that must be done before you start gathering items to include in your video. This step is commonly referred to as pre-production.
For Hollywood movies, this is a huge task that can take months or longer to complete. However, it is much simpler for a video scrapbook.
You can start by answering the following questions:
What type of video do you want to create? For example, will you be creating a graduation video, birthday video, memorial video, etc?
How long do you anticipate your video to be? Do you want it to be the length of a particular song or songs? Does it need to be a specific length, such as 5 or 10 minutes?
What title pages do you want to include?
What elements do you want to include? For example, do you want to include video footage, photos, memorabilia, music, narration, etc.?
Are you including video footage that you need to shoot? If so, write down what you want to shoot.
Make a list of things you want to include. You may even want to draw up a storyboard. However, for most small projects, this won’t be necessary. Once you have a plan, you can move on to the gathering step.
A video scrapbook is a fun way to share your life with friends and family. It’s also an excellent way of preserving your family history. There are numerous types of video scrapbooks. Some types include: adoption, anniversary, baby’s first year, bar mitzvah, birth announcement, birthday, Christmas, family reunion, graduation, memorial/tribute, Mother’s Day, quinceanera, retirement, school recitals/performances, sports, vacation, and wedding.
Your options are endless. Once you learn the basics of video scrapbooking and start creating your own little works of art, you’ll become addicted.
Today, October 15, is Blog Action Day. Today bloggers around the world are uniting to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind—the environment. If each of us does our own small part, we will have a cleaner and healthier environment to live in.
Here’s a list of the top 10 ways I’ve helped Scrapbooks Alive go green:
Replaced my desktop with a laptop.
Set my screen saver to blank when not in use.
Work with my lights off during the day and open my blinds for natural light.
Use fluorescent lights when lights are needed.
Turn on my ceiling fan and turn off the A/C.
Use recycled paper.
Recycle old ink catridges.
Recyle my aluminum Coke cans. (That’s right. I’m an admitted Coke-a-holic. Who needs coffee when you can drink Coke!)
Save my emails in appropriate folders rather than printing and filing them.
Pay bills (ugggh!) online.
Many of my Mom Masterminds friends are also participating. Check them out:
