The company that I work for is wanting me to make customized safety videos. I honestly haven't had any experience in this but my summer/fall intern (a high school student) has. He has entered videos he has created in IMovie into contests this past year and really enjoys that kind of stuff (more then print based media that I create). The timing couldn't be better or so I thought!

We run all PCs here in my office and I can't find the IMovie software to be compatible on PC platform. Is it? If not, what is comparable as far as how the IMovie program is setup, features, and cost that will work on a PC platform.

XP has a basic video editor that I believe is simialr to imovie, try that first. As for other editors, expect to pay 50 quid up with pro standard editors around 400 quid. I guess your associate will be happy with a low end prog but I think the quality of the work you produce will be enhanced if they get to grips with a 'real' editor.

Many can be d loaded free as a trial, lokee here, http://www.videoforums.co.uk/reviews...16_sectionid/3

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Lowering the tone of video since 2004.

www.zaskarfilms.com You tube channel 'zaskarfilms'
JVC DV5001e (big cam), Sony PC6E (tiny cam), Vinten pro5, PAG light, SM58, Sony ECM50, Sony C-76, 0.5x convertors for sony, Rode video mic, Vegas 7.

Are you planning on making just one video or are you planning on turning out a few every year for the next few years? If it's only going to be one or two then a basic editor will do, even a 30 day trial piece should cover you but if your long term ambitions are to turn out a few every year (video capture/editing can become very addictive) and put a professional look to them, then look at some of the more expensive pieces of software that will cover capture, editing and output to various formats, including tape, DVD and onto the company website.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

I believe the more we get into it the more that we can do. I'm the first one in the company to do a lot of things. It's one of those things where if they realize you can do it, then you get nominated to do it all the time. It's our VP's son that is my intern this summer so I got the approval from him to buy iMovie. But since I just found out that iMovie is a Mac platform software package only, I'm looking for alternative software that have the same or more features and ease of use to propose to the VP.

I know there is a built in software in XP called Windows Movie Maker and I bought the software Pinnacle 10 for personal use a few months ago, but I have never used it.

I'm also looking at purchasing a video camcorder. I've seen one camcorder from Sony on a commercial about a month ago, that they had a mic (that you could purchase separately) to bring out the volume of the narrator.

Does anyone by chance know what model this camcorder is or if there is a better (but reasonable) that would better suit the safety movie use?

Nearly all dv cams can accept a mic. Get a short shotgun to focus on the area the camera is looking at.

There are a few around 100 quid, spending less may be unwise.

Check out rode, sennhieser;

http://www.rode.com.au/?pagename=Pro...oduct=VideoMic

http://www.sennheiser.co.uk/uk/icm.nsf/root/03171

I have the rode but it was an impulse buy and I couldnt afford the 50 quid more for the senn that month, on reflection I would go for the senn but the rode is perfectly acceptable and suprisingly close to my 800 quid sony s gun.

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Lowering the tone of video since 2004.

www.zaskarfilms.com You tube channel 'zaskarfilms'
JVC DV5001e (big cam), Sony PC6E (tiny cam), Vinten pro5, PAG light, SM58, Sony ECM50, Sony C-76, 0.5x convertors for sony, Rode video mic, Vegas 7.

Forget about using Windows Movie Maker if you're going to make safety videos, you need a fully fledged editor that will allow you do to all the things you need to in order to produce what you want. Pinnacle is good, just start using it and find out beforehand that you are comfortable with it and it can do everything you want before the 'real' work begins.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

On the interview front, do you know at this stage how many people you will be interviewing in these videos? Will you be using a professional interviewer lets say from a local tv station or a local radio station? Hiring someone from a local radio or tv station, even just for a few hours, who has years of experience interviewing can give your production a real professional finish, compared to someone who ums and ahs a lot, and doesn't know to stay quiet when the interviewee is talking, but then again it depends on your budget. Also remember to record 'noddies' and OTS or Over The Shoulder shots, so you can cut the interviews down to size at the editing stage and avoid jump cuts.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

And finally... CUTAWAYS, CUTAWAYS, CUTAWAYS record plenty of these especially if your interviewee(s) are describing something.

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...