How to find great video footage
Many of the videos we make don’t involve screencasts. As a result, we need to find excellent illustrations for the editor to put together to make the final result.This document explains our process for finding great video footage fast:
Plan every clip you need by adding comments to your script on Coda.
Find and immediately download or capture clips.
Name them with incremental numbers to match the script.
The mindset to have when searching for footage
When searching for clips, you should be flexible and look for content that is good enough. Favor speed and efficiency over finding clips that perfectly match your plan.
Look for footage that is “good enough”
We have many videos to make, so we need to move fast.For most videos, having perfect visuals won’t matter as much as the script, thumbnail, and title.The role of the visuals is to keep the viewer engaged. You want the video to feel warm and dynamic and the visuals to support the content.Avoid things like:
Powerpoint presentations.
Only static images or boring static shots (e.g., a 10mn screencast of code only).
Do things like:
Use varied shots
Favor video clips over
Don’t waste time and space
When you find clips on websites like youtube, do a direct screen capture instead of downloading entire videos. Also, only capture for the required duration based on your script. If you need a clip for one sentence, capture only 10 to 15 seconds and only capture the part you want the editor to put in the final video. This will save you and the editor time.
Plan every clip you need first
The first step is to review your script, select sentences or groups of words, and add a comment regarding the visual you need. Use brief notes like “skyscrapers,” “street fighter punch,” or “demo of sword slash.”These notes are for you. They help you figure out all the clips you need in one pass and then focus on finding those clips. You’re a lot more productive when focusing on one task at a time.
Find and immediately download or capture clips
The second step is to review each comment sequentially and find suitable footage. A single good match per comment is all you need. You don’t want to waste time finding multiple alternative clips or gathering a bunch of B-roll footage (a pool of clips the editor can choose from). Though if you are unsure if a clip will work, you may capture a small number of alternatives and let the editor decide.
Capture the screen directly over downloading full videos
Often you will find footage directly on websites like YouTube. Never download full videos just to use a couple of seconds. The only exception is when using short videos like trailers. Directly record the video playing with OBS Studio, using settings for high-quality clips:
Record as MP4.
Always use a framerate of 60FPS.
Always set YouTube to play full HD and at 60FPS if possible.
Use the CRF or CQP encoding mode (encoding that aims for consistent visual quality) with a low value, around 18 (visually lossless result but with compressed footage).
You can use the same settings for screencasts. Example settings with an ATI graphics card’s encoding:
Example encoder settings with the x264 CPU-based encoder:
When using a CPU-based encoder, ensure that the recorded footage is extremely smooth. Avoid having many browser tabs and processes open when recording unless your computer is fast, as this is a performance-intensive task.
Ask teammates for help
When you don’t know what footage to use, ask your teammates for help.We made many Godot demos, you can’t have them all in mind, and it’s a waste of time to spend an hour browsing and opening them all just to see if there’s something you could use - a teammate will know instantly.
Use still images when it’s difficult to find videos you can use
You can use some still images when you can’t find better footage.
Name files with sequential numbers
Every file should start with a number, so the editor knows in which order to edit clips:
01 elden ring aim punch.mp4
02 too big.mp4
03 sf5.mp4
Aside from the number prefix, keep the names short and more or less descriptive.You may use a few words from the script, like 02 too big.mp4 above, as it helps the editor know what this clip is for. When you need to provide variations for a given clip, use two number prefixes, for example:
04 01 dead cells.mp4
04 02 dead cells.mp4
Where to find footage
You can find footage on:
Youtube or Vimeo.
Pixabay (royalty-free clips)
Unsplash (on top of Pixabay, for static pictures)
You may also capture your screen, Godot, demos you found online, and take screenshots of web pages (use firefox’s full-page screenshot feature for that). You can also occasionally use presentation tools like slides.com for short, relevant portions of videos. When you need animated text, the editor will take care of that.
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