Videobooks for dummies. By Scott Cleverdon.

Much of what is to follow is my opinion. During classes I am often asked about videobooks. When I begin to edit for an actor there are certain things I need. This little faq is not designed to be definitive, nor the absolute truth on videobooks. Instead it is a common-sense look at why we need them, what they are really for, what we need to make one and a little bit of the logic and creativity necessary to make one that can be effective. It’s simpler than you think.

• Why do I need a videobook?

  Well, the answer may seem obvious but there is a great deal more to it than something to send to a casting director.

  First of all, the majority of agents these days not only ask for photos and a CV but demand a videobook.

  In the good old days, dedicated agents would go to every play and actively seek out actors from schools and theatre groups. Those days have past it seems and with the majority of an actor’s viable income coming from film and television agents need to not only see the actor on screen but see the potential they may have for future projects and be inspired to sell the actor to producers and casting directors. The rest is down to the actor.

  Another reason for the videobook and probably the most obvious is that it completes the actors toolbox. To succeed and get that break the actor needs good photos, a well formatted and easy-to-read CV and finally a videobook.

  This final stage is something that most actors lack and most actors know they have to either make one or improve the one they already have if they are going to be able to answer the requirements of agents and casting directors in the 21st century. It makes the actor feel they are ready, more confident if they’re videobook is good because there’s basically one less thing to prove and that is they know what they’re doing on camera and look good doing it.

  But how am I supposed to do it if I haven’t done a ton of movies and tv shows?

  It’s an intimidating prospect when you look at it all at once, so let’s break it down.

• What do I need to make a videobook?

  Well the first thing you’re going to need is of course material. This can be from short movies, tv, film, commercials, music videos, corporate or industrial videos and pretty much anywhere where someone has actually pointed a camera at you and hit the record button.

  Many actors have worked on tv, film or short movies but don’t have the material.

  You must get your hands on it. It is your right. You probably worked for free in the case of a short movie and it’s the least they can do for you. Contact the director if you can, if not the editor, if it was with a school go directly through the schools administration. They should have a copy or at least know how to get one.

  Do not be afraid of being a pest. Be professional, but be firm. You will get nothing if you do not ask. And often you will need to ask more than once. Remember this material is your right and the people who made the film know that. You need to collect all this material before you start to edit. You want a videobook? Get that material. No one will judge you for asking for it.

  No te preocupes por ser insistente. Hazlo con profesionalidad, pero siempre sé firme. No conseguirás nada si no lo intentas. Quizás a veces tendrás que pedirlo más de una vez, pero nunca olvides que el material que pides es tu derecho como actor y el equipo que ha hecho el corto o la peli lo saben de sobra. Tienes que recopilar todo el material antes de comenzar a editar. ¿Quieres un videobook? Pues consigue todo tu material. Nadie te juzgará porque lo pidas.

  Don’t worry if you’re on screen for 10 seconds or an hour, a good editor will be able to find something useful. Editing is about connecting disparate images to make a coherent story or emotion in the viewer.

  If you have only worked in theatre or simply have none, think about doing an on-camera course where you would be able to generate videobook friendly material. If you have a doubt ask fellow actors or seek out material generated by acting courses. Common sense will tell you if it’s good enough.

  I know because one of the reasons we here at First Team work so hard to give the most professional results. I specifically shoot things that I know are useful in editing, allowing the actor to be seen in a professionally lit environment specifically for them, creating moments and dynamic interaction with the camera that allows other registers to be shown and different aspects of the actor not necessarily seen. Many actors have created videobooks just from material from our courses, it’s a great way to start and kills a lot of birds with one stone.

  So with that in mind I would suggest that with material from acting courses ask yourself the following:

  • Do I look good?
  • Do I sound good?
  • Does this look professional?
  • Am I happy with my performance?
  • Would I be proud to show this to someone?

  If the answer is yes to all of the above the material is worthy.
  If the answer is no to any of the above you may have to find another way to use the material or forget about it altogether. But I’ll get to that later.

• What video format can be edited with?

  Okay, so now I’m going to get a little technical but the thing to bear in mind is that we are always trying to create something with the highest quality possible. A good looking videobook looks professional, sounds professional and creates the desire to see more in the person watching it.

  Modern editing software works with more or less the same types of files across all platforms. Unless you are editing yourself, you don’t have to worry about this but you do have to be concerned with format of the material you bring to the editing process. I don’t want to bore you with details of file formats but I will give a brief outline of the sort of material that is and isn’t viable. Fortunately it is now easier than ever to get reasonably high quality copies of our material. The preferred formats are the following:

  Original unedited material on mini DV tape.
  (These are the tapes that were in the camera during the shoot. As you would imagine, this is usually almost impossible to get).

  Mini DV tape of short film/tv show etc. taken directly from the editing computer to tape.
  (The editor has the short film etc. on his computer in front of him. He basically plays it and records it. You will usually need to speak directly to the editor of the material for this one, ironically it is faster to do than make a dvd and the quality will be better than a DVD because there will be no compression).

  Exported video file directly from the editing computer and stored on a data DVD.
  (That’s right, the actual file in it’s full format, an editor will be able to just drop this into his project and start editing immediately, no need to capture. You will save the editor a lot of time, and time is of course money. You would need to get this file recorded onto disk by the original editor of the piece. Remember, when you’re shooting, make friends. People like to help out people they like).

  DVD
  (everyone thinks that DVDs are the best quality known to man. After VHS this would appear to be true, however, DVD is a ‘compressed’ format and often information can be lost causing a degradation of the image. The actual size of the full quality video is greater than you can fit on a single dvd. So the image files are made smaller and your dvd player decodes the sound and picture in real time. It is still probably the easiest thing to ask for cheapest thing to get made and most stable medium to store your material).

  To be avoided:

  VHS tapes
  (The quality compared to current digital formats degrades almost immediately and many editors these days have no way to capture directly from vhs they would have to copy it to mini DV tape and capture from that instead).

  VCD: Video CD
  (These are an old format from the 1990s only really playable on pcs and cheap dvd players. The quality is by necessity low because instead of fitting video on the 4.8Gigabytes of a DVD they have to compress the files to fit onto a 700Megabyte CD. Remember, we need to make a DVD that is as compatible as possible).

  Other formats:

  U-matic Tapes
  Digi Beta
  Betacam
  And other professional formats.
  Why don’t you want these? Well, unless you want to pay 120 Euros an hour in a fully equipped editing suite with an editor I would recommend you have transfers of tapes such as these made to miniDV tapes.
  The machines that are needed to even play these tapes cost around 45,000 euros and are outside the needs of most digital filmmakers these days.
  These formats continue to be used because of their stability, robustness and overall reliability.

  This may all sound very complicated, and it can be. However, your editor will advise you on what kind of material that he can work with. If you’re in doubt, ask someone who edits, they’ll usually be pleased to talk about what they know about.

• What should I avoid using in my videobook?

  I recommend that you steer clear of videotaped theatrical performances unless it was done at a professional level or specifically for the camera. The sound is usually terrible and the lighting is almost always entirely inappropriate for the camera.

  Homemade video material is also to be avoided for a number of reasons. Firstly the sound is terrible and secondly there will be little or no camera friendly lighting. Use your judgement and don’t just try to use it because you have it. It will do more harm than good.

  And finally avoid videos from your wedding/baptism/birthday party. We are trying to give the impression that we are professionals here not desperate amateurs in search of a break.

  However, remember, even bad quality images or seemingly inappropriate things can add something interesting to a montage. For that you’ll need imagination or at least someone imaginative enough to create an emotional response in the viewer. Which leads us to…

• Okay, so I’ve got all my material what now?

  Congratulations, that wasn’t easy was it. Now just remember that everything you do in future as an actor you have a copy of it, because you’ll be wanting to begin to add to the videobook you’re about to make.

  Fortunately now, in the 21st century video editing is no longer something that only tv networks and movie producers can do. Every Macintosh computer comes bundled with a simple intuitive editing program called iMovie which is easy to use and can create quite startling professional results. PCs I believe attempt the same with something called MovieMaker. However simple these programs are you’re either going to have to learn how to use them yourself or find someone who knows what they’re doing. The majority of people who edit part or full-time will use more complex professional programs that allow a greater degree of control and finesse…

  The first thing I recommend is that you watch as many videobooks as you can. There are many on youtube, vimeo and other video sites on the internet. If you find someone advertising their services for videobooks ask if you can see examples.

• How do I work with the editor?

  Okay, so you’re not editing it yourself and you’re going to be giving all your material to someone to do it for you. How do you work with them?

  Well, this really depends. Either you’re the sort of person who has a very clear idea of what they want and how they’re going to do it, or you have no idea and you’re just going to give the responsibility to the editor.

  Most actors tend to fall into the latter category and are just happy to say ‘yes’ when someone asks them if they have a videobook.

  Chat to your editor about what things you think are good and the sort of things you’d like to see. You must remember however, that the editor has the task of making sense out of a whole lot of things that have no connection. He or she will need to capture your material and review it multiple times before even starting to edit… I can’t speak for all editors, but for me, I can take days looking for music appropriate to the actor for whom I’m editing. I need to try to find some kind of synergy between the material, the music, the performance and who the actor really is. It has been said that some of my videobooks seem like loveletters to the actors for whom I am editing. I think that it’s impossible to edit an actor’s videobook and not find out what’s loveable in them. This may sound a little pretentious but it really is at the core of all editing for short subjects; trailers, advertising, music videos. We need to engage the viewer on an intellectual and emotional level.

  This is why it is difficult to edit our own material. We are sometimes incapable of seeing ourselves as others see us and thus are condemned to judge negatively every frame and see only our weakness and be blind to our strengths.

  If your not happy with it after it’s edited tell the editor the changes you’d like made. Remember, the majority of the editor’s work is in creating sense with different images. The actual job of cutting is relatively fast. If you have a concrete idea, he will normally be more than happy to do exactly what you say. Be patient, be complimentary, be positive but be firm.

• What am I looking for?

  Quite simply pay attention to when you want to fast forward. If you can get to the end of the videobook without jumping forward or switching it off altogether you’ve got a good one.

  This should be a basic rule for when you come to either work on or view your own videobook. Watch it with other people, just having them present will also make you realize what you need to cut.

  You should be the protagonist of your own videobook avoids scenes where you appear to have a secondary role. You don’t want the casting director thinking “who’s the other actress in the scene she’s much prettier than the girl whose videobook this is”.

  But if you’re in a scene with Julia Roberts, don’t hesitate to add it. For all the obvious reasons.

• So how should a good videobook work?

  A videobook is not about displaying great acting, but if it’s there that’s certainly no bad thing.

  A videobook is not about showing someone everything you have done.

  A videobook is like a movie trailer for the actor. Just remember that movie trailers are made to make you want to see the film. The videobook should make the producer/agent/casting director excited about meeting/working with you…

  Videobooks can use the tiniest pieces of material in montage to create a great sense of variety and even poor quality clips can be doctored to be effective in a certain context.

  If your videobook moves you to tears or makes you laugh out loud, it might just do that for someone else.

  Remember your editor is not judging you as harshly as you would judge yourself, his is just trying to balance performance, dynamic, sense and emotion.

• How long should a videobook be?

  Agents and casting directors will always tell you different things. But the simple rule above still stands; if you can get to the end of it without wanting to fast-forward it has worked. Remember, a movie lasts for two hours. That’s not a rule, but it’s difficult to sustain an audiences interest for much longer. There are always exceptions.

  If I was pressured I would say that shorter the better. I have seen videobooks that have lasted 3 minutes and it felt like an hour and videobooks that have lasted 7 minutes and it felt like two.

  I would always consider keeping it as short and as dynamic as possible. This also will depend upon the material you have.

  You will know when it is too long after watching it 5 times.

  You will know it is too short because you will say to yourself “is that it?”

  You must try to trust your own instinct on this. Everyone will be critical of it, but you must have confidence in what you are producing.

• Final Output: DVD, youtube and beyond

  Nowadays there are many ways to get your material out to the world.

  Casting directors will always ask for DVDs in a DVD case with your photograph and contact information. You may want to add your CV to the back but remember, this will go out of date as soon as you work again. Hopefully your videobook will speak loudly enough for them to pick up that phone.

  This is also the reason I would avoid placing a CV on the DVD itself. These disks sit on casting director’s shelves for years sometimes, the material will still speak but the CV will actually be misrepresenting you.

  I would keep the DVD as simple as possible; you put it in the player and it works.

  I have seen disks with beautiful menus and options to watch whole short films or material in its entirety. Only do so if you think that this is really going to help you.

  With regards to youtube and other online sites, you should ask your editor about making files that are compatible so you can post them to the sites. The details of how to do this are too technical and complex to go into here but a decent editor should have an idea of the formats necessary.

  Youtube doesn’t have to be low quality and indeed there are ways of uploading better quality videos. Sites such as vimeo.com allow you to upload even better quality all the way to High Definition and are completely free.

  A WORD OF WARNING: Be very careful about adding personal information to online videos. I would recommend that you add only an email address for online material. The internet is not the place to be posting your mobile number. There are many predators out there and they don’t need to be encouraged.
  Use a gmail, yahoo or hotmail account specifically for it so you can track the responses from the online video, or just use internal message system for those sites.

• I thought you said this was going to simple? I can never do this!!

  Okay, so I lied. It appears to be quite complicated but just remember this:

  1. get all your material you can
  2. watch it, write down what you really like
  3. give it to an editor and tell them about it or decide to do it yourself
  4. review it and show it to other people- make changes
  5. make a dvd, put it on the web

  This is a many-stepped process, but one that is ultimately worthwhile and invaluable in the current climate.

  Apart from technical information I have supplied here I speak from my own experience as an actor, a teacher, a director and an editor. I have spoken to casting directors on this subject and eagerly watch every videobook that comes to me.

  I have developed a way of using an actor’s material that sells not only them as actors but also the person they happen to be.

  I can’t promise that every editor out there will intend to have that sensibility but I would hope they do.

  When I started doing this I knew nothing about editing or videobooks or sound mixing. Little by little I learned and while the actual act of editing became more efficient the time necessary to create something exciting, funny, moving, intriguing, seductive and dynamic remained the same. In some cases it takes even longer now than when I started.

  I want an actor to be proud of their work, proud to show it; proud of what they are and know that they can inspire others to understand they can be even more given the chance.

  Videobooks are at times more than just part of the actor’s toolbox, they are an affirmation of our past work and promise of our future endeavours.

  I hope this proves helpful. As with all complex goals make a plan, set yourself a time limit, be positive and just go for it.

  You won’t regret it. On the contrary, you’ll ask why you didn’t do it sooner.