Video Production Resources - Best Ways to Keep Learning

Never stop learning, no matter what industry you're in. That's a given. Otherwise, you'll get old and stale really fast. Can't rest on your laurels, especially when it comes to technology. And just about everything nowadays has something to do with technology, whether you like it or not... but more importantly, whether you think so or not.

When it comes to video production, you're already dealing with a tech curve that is unavoidable. Digital video from A to Z requires you to know so many functions, knobs, switches, additional gear needs, software, file types, and even how natural things like the location of the sun or what someone's clothing is going to look like on footage to avoid post-production nightmares.

Luckily, there are people out there in cyberland who have made plenty of mistakes (and successes) for you to learn from. Or to share in their experience. One thing for sure, you can't be afraid of making these mistakes. It's the road to learning. If nothing else, it has forced me to find the best online information avenues to hook up with. And now I will share those with you.

Top spot on my list is Creative Cow, a magazine for media production professionals. When you go to their website, you'll see these categories listed: Forums, Tutorials, Magazine (their regular published articles), Training, Videos-Reels, Podcasts, Events, Services, Newsletter, News, Blogs. For the video professional or amateur/ enthusiast, this website is like being in a huge candy store, think tank, university, and geek heaven all in one place. The Forums section alone makes this site one of the best resources in the video production industry. You basically have every piece of pro gear and software topics listed, plus a variety of creative and marketing sections to peruse. Members range from broadcast company experts to independent videographers and editors, to filmmakers, to newbies of all disciplines dealing with multi-media and the industry.

Another great set of tools online to use is your manufacturers' websites - and in many cases, the makers of video gear and software apps offer forums and tutorials specifically aimed at helping their own community of customers. You'll see extensive information to gain knowledge from by the makers of Abobe, Final Cut Pro, Avid, Grass Valley and Sony Vegas, just to mention the biggest video editing software creators. (As an aside, Final Cut Pro's website is the least helpful to its user community, as typical of Apple/Mac products.)

Then there's Media College, which has free resources for film and digital media production, including user manuals, industry news, and also a forum. Other great forums to belong to are VideoMaker, DVInfo, and DVXUser. Tons of industry-related info can be found on Pro Cinematography's website.

Don't forget the easily-searched resources on places like YouTube and eHow. Sometimes, you can find exactly what you want through these UGC (User-Generated Content) video sites. These can be a pain if you're not specific in your search terms. But watching video tutorials is nice when you're too tired to read or if in a hurry for quick, easy answers. Just be aware that quick and easy is not always the best answer.

I will throw in these last couple links for good measure - especially for those who would like to find out more about learning on their own, how to go about it, and how to apply a little motivation to get off their butt, get creative, and get going with projects. One is a blog called Abundance Blog (not at all a kooky or salespitchy blog). The other is a book called Secrets of a Buccaneer-Scholar: How Self-Education and the Pursuit of Passion Can Lead to a Lifetime of Success by James Marcus Bach, son of Richard Bach, the author who wrote Jonathan Livingston Seagull.


Have a great day - and keep learning!!