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New at BWT Videos are AI Avatars. Picked up a subscription to Talking Photos.ai today. This is my first video using the platform. I couldn't think of anything to say until I tried it out. Here's what I found. An Ai driven video creation machine. A good one too, so far that is.

AI avatar video generation is now online with this tool. Character generation is by prompt or upload a photo for reference. Making it possible to make AI avatars of yourself.

The next generation text to speech generator brings the characters to life. Add features like hand gestures, body language and emotional inflection.

Here's how it works. ! Create an Avatar. 2. Write or supply a script. 3. Select features like gestures, emotions and size, 4. Prompt the AI engine to render. 5. Wait for it.

Are you looking to promote your business, brand, product or service, at a low cost? Consider a 3d AI avatar spokesperson video. AI Avatar videos are a great way to get your message out in a fun, and engaging way. We have over 80 animated spokespersons to choose from. And a suite of animation tools to work with. What do you think? Is there an AI generated avatar in your future?

SMC Clutch Rebuild Part 2 video is here. In this video we reassemble a 4 disc SMC road racing enduro clutch. We demonstrate tips and Tricks TeamKoen Racing's Tim Koen uses to build in some whoopass to a road racing clutch. Check it out...

SMC Clutch Rebuild Part 2

Website tips for this post are:

• Define the purpose of your video. Before you begin it is a good idea to consider the aim the video should accomplish. Be it for educating, entertaining or persuading clearly defining the ourpose (at least to yourself) will shape your production.

  For instance in "SMC Clutch Rebuild" the focus is teaching people how to disasemble, clean and reassemble a SMC 4 disc road racing clutch.

• Use good lighting and sound equipment. Poor quality visuals and audio will ruin your ratings. Even great content can be overshadowed by weak lighting, bad framing and terrible audio quality.

  I once told a client "nothing makes up for poor lighting." And "take your time with lighting and sound before you roll camera. It will make a big difference in the final quality of the whole video." Then I told him "I can fix almost anything in post except poor viduals and bad audio to start with."

  In this video I mic'd the talent (myself) with a wireless lapel microphone. Sometimes mistakenly called a "Lavalier." However, Lavalier is a brand name for a wireless lapel microphone.

  In "SMC Clutch" I used 8 lighting fixtures. And hid them all from the camera. I even tried to locate the reflections so that action on camera would hide them. I think I did a good job at that.

• Capture attention with a hook. Make a statement about the purpose of your video in the first few seconds. This will get the viewer focused on your message. Try to solve their problem, which you may have tell them what that is.

  Blow this and say goodbye. Get it right and say hello to followers, new friends and interested collegues. At the end of this video I included a "Like and Subscribe" reminder for the viewers. Did you see it?

• Strategiically place your video(s). Publish your video on web pages that make sense. For instance on a Tutorials page, or a How-To videos page, or social media like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and your own website.

  Stagger you release. Don't publish everywhere all at once. Doing that floods the Internet with duplicate content that can penalize your search engine optimization efforts.

  For this video I published part 1 days ago but waited to publish Part 2 till now. My hope is that sume buzz was created for it's anticipated release. Plus I am hoping to improve my web presence instead of hampering it by flooding the Interent too fast.

Follow these tips and your videos will teach, entertain and persuade viewers to do what you want. At least that is a good theory to work from. Looking to get your footage edited and/or color graded? Give BWT Videos a try. Find out how...

Hi all, Tim here. Spent the last 2 weeks working on a new masterpiece video tutorial, "SMC Clutch Rebuild Part 1" and "Part 2." Truth be spoken is, I wanted to figure out how to make a How To tutorial from an overhead perspective. I used a rebuilding a SMC enduro road racing go-kart clutch as my subject. This is the first video of 2 about the subject...

SMC Clutch Rebuild Part 1

Website tips for this post are:

• Get a ball head Ubangi. I know, a strange term, "Ball Head Ubangi" what is it? Well, a "Ubangi" is a slang term for an extension arm for a camera tripod. A "ball head" is a type of tripod camera head. Which is what I used to create the overhead shots in this video.

  I wanted to have an over the shoulder look as I rebuilt a clutch on a workbench. To create this look I used a tripod extension arm with a ball head tripod camera mount.

• Add chapters to your videos I used DaVinci Resolve 19 to edit this footage and checked on the "add chapters from markers" option when I uploded the video to YouTube. Now the YouTube version has clickable chapters. Which can be used to review different areas of the tutorial. And helps add some search engine optimization.
• Split your content when you have a lot. I made this tutorial in 2 parts but it was an afterthought. My original version was 30 minutes long. And I thought that was way to long. So I split the video into parts 1 and 2. Now, instead of one piece of content creation I have 2. So, stay tuned Part 2 will be out soon.

Looking to get your footage edited and/or color graded? Give BWT Videos a try. Find out how on the next page...

Well, until recently I never thought the average online retailer could sell Microsoft 365. But, now fiverr.com has partnered with Microsoft to offer it's 365 office tools.

Office is now MicroSoft 365 with all your favorite computer apps. Get Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint and Exchange starting at $7.20/mo. Comes with all those apps plus a custom business email address, Chat, Call and Video Confrenceing.

As Low As $7.20/month

MicroSoft 365 Apps

Includes 1TB cloud storage space, automatic spam and malware filtering and 24/7 phone and web support. Identity user management for up to 50 employees.

We guarantee your satisfaction or your money back. We offer a secure environment so you can shop with knowledge that your personal information is safe and secure. Take A look...

What's New in Camtasia 2025 Audio AI noise removal, Cursor Elevate, Motion Blur and Kinetic effects, and fixed some bugs.

Audio AI Noise Removal - a voice isolation algorithm that uses AI to precisely identify voices and filter out unwanted noise. I can't wait to try this one. My recording studio is right next to my HVAC room. This will make voice over recording much clearer and keep your voice crisp.

This next video demonstrates some of those new special effects. So, pay attention, there might be a quiz after. Not...

Video Editing Mockup 2025

New Camtasia Effects

• AI Noise Removal (audio only) is a voice isolation algorithm that does an excellent job of filtering abstract noises from voice. I tried it and found it will erase wanted sound effects too. Like footsteps and office chair sqeeks. It would be wise to place your sound effects on a separate track from your voice track.
• Cursor Elevate - moves the cursor to the top layer. Makes sure the cursor is always visible. This ensure the cursor isn't hidden by an element on a higher layer than your screen element. This effect will make you screencast tutorials a little more interesting and widen the usable cursor reach in multi-layer video productions.
  Editors Note: I didn't see this update in my copy of Camtasia 2025. Maybe it is not released yet or maybe I don't have the right subscription.
• Cusor Motion Blur - adds a blurring effect during movement. Has an attension grabbing aspect that is common in nature. Makes your cursor more dynamic and interesting.
• Kinetic Effects adds a soft swing motion when cursor starts or stops moving. If you move the mouse it grabs the viewers attention. Very nice for focusing attention to a specific screen location.

These effects along with others can spiffy up your on screen cursor movement, as seen in the video above. You did scrutinize the video, right? Well, just in case you didn't I did. The difference between plain and treated is significant and does a nice job of emphasizing cursor movement. Want to learn more about us? Click the link below...

Before starting a video or film project, having a solid plan is essential. A well-prepared cinematographers checklist can make all the difference in ensuring a smooth and successful production. Cinematographers checklist could be reviewed before starting any video or film shoot. It is essential to have a well-thought-out plan in place to achieve high quality production values.

There are 3 basic phases of video production. They are 1. pre-production. 2. production. 3. post-production. In each phase there are different tasks to be performed. Being aware of, and prepared for what to expect can be accomplished with a pre-organized checklist. Let's dive into the key points, but don't forget to check out the full article for more details!

Pre-production includes organizing, checking and packaging your equipment. This is essential if your shoot is at a remote location. The pre-production checklist can be seen in the full article.

During production communication is key. Make sure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities, and brief the cast and crew on the shots planned for the day. A small gesture like providing coffee and pastries can go a long way in keeping the team energized. Continuously check your equipment, do test recordings, and monitor audio levels to ensure everything is captured correctly. See article for full list.

Post-production use high quality editing software to compile and edit the footage. Send a rough cut to your colorist for grading. Adjust the timing and pace, sync sound, and add any necessary titles or subtitles. Read full article for post production checklist. The cinematographers checklist should help you stay organized and ensure a smooth production process. Happy shooting!

If you want to check out the full checklis. Read the full article...

I always wanted to get a turntable to do some product beauty shots. So, I picked up a this Flyrivergo 16.5" photography turntable from Amazon.

This turntable features 5 cover pads of different colors, A remote control with forward, reverse and 4 step functions. Step functions can be 1deg, 45deg, 90deg and 180deg rotations. And it can be indexed to a home position.

There are a few versions to choose from including a 13.5" turntable and with USB power. I chose this one because it can hold up to 220lbs, is big enough and has a smooth motor to avoid shake and stuttering. It has a speed range from 22 to 60 seconds per revolution.

It claims to be fairly quiet but isn't completely silent. No problem if you are shooting product because you can fix that in post. I was able to isolate the motor noise and eliminate it with noise reduction in DaVinci Resolve Studio.

This next video shows what can be done with a turntable. Check it out...

IAME KA100 Motor On A Turntable

Website tips for this post are:

• When selecting a turntable ensure it is capable for what you want to display. Meaning has a sufficient weight limit and is big enough for your product.
• The turntable will need to be powered. I selected 120v AC version as opposed to a USB powered device because I have it available at no extra cost. Whereas a USB powered verion is more expensive and unneccessary.
• Lighting a beauty shot on a photography turntable is extremely important. You should pay extra attention to light and shadow. On this shoot I used level and high angle lights on both sides of the motor. I wanted to illuminate the space between the fins.

  I used 5000k daylight lamps for a stark neutral look. Sometimes color filtered light makes for an unbelieveable look. For instance, once I was shooting a tan colored car. The lighting director added a purple filter to the lighting in one spot. The car looked like it was punched out and bruised. Oops, he didn't ask me if that was okay.

  Being the video engineer I was in a control room away from the set. I tried to color correct out the bruise. To no avail. The rest of the lighting fell apart and the carefully crafted look was gone.

  I went to the set to see the lighting director and pointed out the issue. It took 20 minutes of haggling to fix. 20 minutes the Producer lost and tried to blame me for. I told him next time I would keep it a secret and he could do a reshoot or order a post production color correction session. Either way was good for me.

So, the moral of that story is; lighting beauty shots takes some planning. Now who wants to scope out some photography turntables...

More Website Tips: January 2025 « 

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