AlMishkat Promo Video
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Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes
This is a video I made for a recent client. They are in the process of raising funds for this Islamic education initiative. Check out their website: http://www.almishkatinstitute.com
Some reflections:
- I took up this project a little over a month ago as a means of helping out this group of people whom I consider my friends and brothers and sisters in Islam. It was also a means for me to at the same time leave a job which wasn’t in line with my goals and passions.
- Taking lessons I’ve learned in filming, lighting, and editing from my past projects were all applied here and it came through real well. Considering that the Young Muslims promo video took me about six months to complete, being able to do this promo video in less than 1 month is a vast improvement.
Lessons to Share:
- Set Deadlines – When we start the production stage of the project, the was to get any and all filming done within a two week period. When you have tight schedule (which you will in any client job) Keep your schedule flexible to meet the clients needs. Some of the interviews were during the day on a work week. Others were in the evening at the masjid, some were early morning on the weekend.
- Have discipline – Post Production/Editing had a two week deadline. This meant all capturing, editing, sound sampling, research, and syncing had to be systematized to an efficient work flow, and I needed to be on top of myself in regards to distractions. Some days during editing I spent 18 hrs just editing and going through the footage to get what I needed, other days it was just 4-5 hrs. How much sleep I had the night before was directly propotional to how much work I was able to get done. Being is good physical shape helps your endurance. In the last stretch I spent close to 40 hrs straight editing.
- Following the 80/20 Principal – 20% of your time and effort will get you 80% there. Once you’re 80% there, GO! You’ll never get things perfect. Just make sure that you put your best-top 20% into what you’ve done.
My house is...
Yusuf Says: 30.09.07 at 5:40 am
Ma sha’Allah that so great. Was that your brother ahki?
ma salama
AlBaraa Says: 30.09.07 at 8:57 pm
If you’re talking about “Anwar”, he a brother but not my blood brother
MR Says: 30.09.07 at 9:38 pm
Good stuff, mashaAllah!
Randa Says: 30.09.07 at 9:46 pm
Amu Fikry is the epitome of cuteness!
waQas Says: 01.10.07 at 9:28 am
awsome video bro,
your stock footage is always amazing I was wondering where you get it from,
it would be a much help.
Jazakallah khair
AlBaraa Says: 01.10.07 at 11:00 am
I get the stock footage from corbismotion.com
you can also check out istockvideo.com
aarij Says: 01.10.07 at 5:34 pm
ma sha Allah, awesome…in particular, i love the recitation and the illustration of the meanings of the ayah using footage (that corn bit was pretty spectacular, alhamdulillah).
why is the top and bottom of the screen translucent during the interviews?
AlBaraa Says: 01.10.07 at 7:48 pm
“why is the top and bottom of the screen translucent during the interviews?”
It was creative look that I was trying to achieve. It makes it different from my other videos.
waQas Says: 02.10.07 at 2:07 pm
Salaam,
If you don’t mind can you share with us the budget aspect of this video how it was used, and also if you don’t mind tell us about your work schedual on this works.
Jazakallah khair, I have learned a lot from you site in very little time, and also it has become means of inspiration to me, May Allah Tallah reward you for your efforts.
waQas
AlBaraa Says: 02.10.07 at 2:53 pm
Jazakallahu khairun for your comments and du’aa. May Allah-swt reward you for your efforts and bestow his mercy upon you.
This project wasn’t your typical project in the sense that A budget was written up, proposal was sent, etc. The people running AlMishkat, I know some of the personally. They approached me with this project letting me know that they were pressed for time since Ramadan was about a month away at the time. I handed them a my client term/agreement form, which they read over and agreed to, and the project began.
When it came to doing the production aspect of the filming, there was a lot of cooperation on both sides. I had to keep my schedule flexible, meaning…id get a call that I have an interview with so-and-so that very day or the very next day.
I’ll post up some lessons which I did learn in respect to scheduleing. See original post.
mariya Says: 05.10.07 at 11:06 am
wooooooow!
illuminatingfaith Says: 12.10.07 at 11:20 pm
as salaamu alaikum
masha Allah this is a really beautiful video. especially the Qur’anic recitations and imagery that goes along with them… breathtaking!
txmusl Says: 27.10.07 at 12:00 am
MashaAllah! Ever since I found out about your site, I have visiting regularly to see if you have any new trailers, and really enjoy watching them. Actually, I was inspired to do a video promotion for our local Islamic school after watching your work. The promo would be used as a fundraising tool for the school and recruiting new students.
This will be my first shot at editing any video at all, but I am looking forward to the challenge, inshaAllah. In that regard, I was wondering if you had any general suggestions and tips. Also, specifically
– how did you achieve the ‘dreamy look’ in this promo
– what would you suggest as a soundtrack (nasheeds etc)? where can I get sound effects etc.
Really appreciate your help!
AlBaraa Says: 27.10.07 at 12:28 am
Jazakallahu Khairun for the comments TXMUSL. Its a good feelings knowing that someone’s been inspired to do some good work. Alhumdulillah
suggestions & tips – 1:
In production: lighting. in post-production: playing with the brightness/contrast as well as blurryness of the image in your editing program.
suggestions & tips – 2:
The “score” as they call it is there to emphasize and dramatize the point you’re getting across. Its about evoking the emotion that you’re trying to get. Also keep in mind that when you do the score, you want to ’sample’ the audio clips and peices as opposed to letting the entire nasheed play throughout.
Hope that helps inshaAllah. May Allah-swt put barakah in your project
When it comes to any sort of work, the motto is…ready…FIRE!!…aim.
— it don’t gotta be perfect, just gotta get going.
txmusl Says: 27.10.07 at 12:43 am
wa iyyakum for your tips! Just two other quick questions:
. Do you recommend any other editing tool or is this adequate?
- I plan to use Pinnacle Studio (it was on sale at Frys when I bought it
- You mentioned where you get some of your stock video footage. Where do you get some of the sound footage that you jhave used in other trailers (like drum beats etc)?
JazakAllah again for your help! I will keep in touch.
AlBaraa Says: 27.10.07 at 12:57 am
question 1:
Editing programs are a vehicle to get u from A to B. Some vehicles get you to point B faster than others. The three popular editing programs are:
- Avid (industry standard in corporate world) — This is the Ferrari of editing programs. personally i’m looking to get certified in this before 2009 if can get leechon films to pay for it inshaAllah. pray that business does well
- FinalCut pro (standard in small business world) — This is the BMW of editing programs. Ive done editing in it. Its a fine program. Used it a bit at the workplace.
- Adobe Premiere pro (taking final cut pro market share in small business world with new release of cs3) — This is the Honda of editing programs. i’ve been with premiere since 6.0 (2003), and am very comfortable with it.
- All other editing programs are at the level of kia/hundia in my humble opinnion.
question 2:
A lot of the beats i have i get via mixing different audios. beatboxing mixed with naat, mixed with nasheeds, etc. To be able to do this I’d recommend that you learn one of 3 programs for audio editing:
- ProTools — owned by avid. Industry standard
- Sound Forge — I’ve used this since 2003. Great program. Only recently they have added multi track editing.
- Audition — never used it, but have read on forums that its similar to sound forge in calibur
- Audicity — free program. Not as robust as the above, but still its free.
txmusl Says: 27.10.07 at 1:17 am
awesome! it really helps to get experienced feedback and saves time for a novice like me…
May Allah the Most High grant you success in your business and make easy your path to the certification!
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