Game Movie Making 101

So... You wanna make a movie? Here some tips on getting started.

Programs

FILMING: How to get the rough stuff

FRAPS http://www.fraps.com/download.php

You can use fraps for free, but it only records 30 seconds at a time. You can do a lot with 30 seconds, you'd be amazed. It's $37 if you want to buy it and record as long as you like. TIP: Start FRAPS before you start SRO and it will work. If you try to start it after you load the game, then it wont record because GG blocks it for some reason.

Gamecam http://www.planetgamecam.com/?locid=download

Lesser known but prolly just as good. I havent ever personally used it, but I know many people who have. Cheaper than FRAPS, you can buy the full version for $24.95 or a Lite version for $9.95 which can be upgraded whenever you wanna. I cant tell if it has a trial period, but Im sure it does. Has a cool watermark that can be added to vids.

ZD Soft Came Recorder http://www.zdsoft.com/game-recorder/

Purported to not lag like the first two, this is an even lesser known program. Many FPS users seem to like it. It's the most expensive at $39 but like I said, its supposed to have the least impact on your gaming while using it.

CamStudio http://www.camstudio.org/

OMG IT'S FREE. Yes ppl, free. Thanks to Eukanuba for giving me this link to include in this tut. It appears to work quite well!


EDITING: Putting it all together

Windows Movie Maker

Look in Accessories in your start menu and you probably already have this basic tool. Its not fancy but it will get the job done and who knows? You might hate movie making! No sense in buying something straight off. This will edit and compress your movie for upload and is great for any beginner.

There are many, many, MANY editing programs to choose from. http://video-editing-software-review.toptenreviews.com/ This site lists the top ones and links to buy them. Its all a matter of preference. If anyone has good ideas about free ones, feel free to post them.

Sharing

COMPRESSION: OMG IT'S HUGE!

DivX http://www.divx.com/

Prolly the best codec for compression. When you save your vid in whatever program you use, there should be an option as to what type of compression you want. Ppl may disagree, Im not as knowledgeable on this part of the process, but I use DivX and it generally makes it small enough with good quality.

UPLOADING: Share it with the world

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/

Easily the most widely used vid sharing site with a handy link from SilkRoad Online's main site to give added exposure. You can make your own little movie sharing site with a semi customizable URL even. www.youtube.com/nightbloomingvids This is mine and the possibilities are endless. All videos uploaded to YouTube have a 100MB file size limit. The longer the video is, the more compression will be required to fit it into that size. For that reason, most videos on YouTube are under five minutes long and there is a 10-minute length limit for all videos. You can apply for Directors' account and get a bigger upload size, but there really isnt a need IMO.

Google Video http://video.google.com/

Has a bigger screen size as default but no where near as widely used. The site isnt very user friendly OR informational, I couldnt even find their vid size requirements!

Stage6 http://stage6.divx.com/

Put out by DivX, its probably the best kept secret vid site there is. Unlimited time and size means you can upload your vid in its original, high quality form and lose nothing. Unfortunately, its not as commercially viewed as youtube and its longevity is questionable. They force you to watch other vids in order to alter your channel visually on a points system so if you are a serial movie maker purist, this is your site.


TIPS: I got film, I got editing software....

https://www.youtube.com/t/studio_article_14

This is a great little article that gives the basics on how to make a movie look good. I have learned from trial and error myself. =) Just push a lot of buttons, dont be afraid to try things and see what they do. My first movies were SO BAD.

In-game tips

Film in the highest possible vid setting. You dont want that fuzzy look when you upload because the compression is gonna take away a lot of your quality, so start right with high settings. Most in-game recorders give you the option to turn off sound and cursor, dont forget this. In game sounds suck. lol So does seeing the cursor. Most movies use music as the BG sounds anyways which you can add when editing.

Last and final tip: ALMOST ALL PVP/PVE MOVIES ARE BORING!

Ppl.. please. No one wants to watch you train or fight noobs. If I start a movie and the first thing I see is someone buffing, bye bye. Try to find a REASON to make a movie, explore the available vids and see what other ppl have done before you and let that inspire you! http://www.silkroadtavern.com/strategy/guide/632