Video

Artist videos

Creating videos for SOS

Videos are easy ways to invite visitors to see your work, your workspace, and hear your thoughts about art and art making. For SOS 2021, consider recording a brief (3 minutes or less) video to upload to BoothCentral or to the SOS YouTube channel.

Your video can be as simple or as complicated as you wish! Talk about your process, laugh into the camera, do a short and strange art video (with your artwork in it!), or all of the above. See the sample questions and topics below for suggestions.

Recording your video

  • Video should be not more than 3 minutes long.
  • Save the video as an MP4 file (not MOV).
  • Use the best camera you have available, but any device will do (phone/tablet, computer, webcam, standard camera or videocamera).
  • Use a tripod or prop your camera on a table to keep the image steady.
  • If you’re talking to the camera:
    • Sit or stand far enough away to show yourself from the waist up. It’s more natural than focusing on your face, and more intimate than a full-length view.
    • You can sit or stand, whichever feels more comfortable. If you stand, try not to rock back and forth or pace – stand still or step deliberately over to your work to show it off.
    • Have your work on a table in front of you, or hanging behind/beside you if it’s large.
    • If you feel awkward just talking, ask a friend or family member to ask you some of the questions below. Make sure they stay off camera, this is all about YOU!
  • If you just want to show your work, you can either:
    • Use a handheld camera or your phone and do a live recording, showing off your work in your studio and talking about it.
    • Make a video of still images and record narration once it’s done.
  • Editing your video:
    • If you want to keep it fresh, record your video and don’t edit at all. That’s fine.
    • If you make a big mistake or want to trim it down, use the photo app on your phone or computer, or a free tool like Screencast-o-Matic. You don’t need fancy editing software.
    • If you want to record the video and add narration separately, Screencast-o-Matic will let you do that.
  • See the tutorial videos below for more on recording and editing.

Sample questions

If you’re not sure what to talk about, try answering some of these questions:

  • About you
    • What is your name, and what medium/media do you work in?
    • Where are you recording this video?
    • Are you working somewhere differently if you can’t be in your studio?
    • If you have a home studio, do you set aside time just for making art?
    • If you have a separate studio, when do you go?
    • Do you balance art-making with other parts of your life? How do you do this?
    • Who are your favorite artists out in the world? Here in Somerville?
  • About your art
    • Have you ever worked in a different medium?
    • What is your work about?
    • Where might someone have seen your work before?
    • What is the first piece that you made?
    • Why do you make art?
    • Does art run in your family?
    • What is the one thing you want me to know about you and your art?
  • Where can we find your work?
    • A website? Say the URL out loud and – if possible – have the text on the screen. You can write or paint it on a board and show that, too.
    • Can people buy your work online? Say which platform (Etsy, Ravelry, Craftsy, etc.) and what you’re listed under there.
    • Are you on social media? Say which platform and what your account name is.

Sharing files

If you want to use your video in BoothCentral, we’ll include instructions when we send out details about this event.

To send your videos to SOS for the YouTube channel:

  • Upload to Google Drive and share with sosvirtualgallery2020@gmail.com
    • If you are a gmail user, you can send the file directly to sosvirtualgallery2020@gmail.com. Google will prompt the message and send your video using Google Drive.
  • Send to sosvirtualgallery2020@gmail.com via WeTransfer
  • Upload to Dropbox and share with sosvirtualgallery2020@gmail.com
  • Upload to OneDrive and share with sosvirtualgallery2020@gmail.com

Tutorials

Tips on how best to record video with a mobile phone (Patrick Levar):

HITFILM EXPRESS (some other freeware for editing video from Patrick Levar):

iMovie Basics:

HITFILM Basics:

How to Record the Computer Screen and the Webcam using Quicktime on a Mac (Michael Kinney):

How to save video in MP4 format using iMovie