skills video - harder than i thought

[slingnit]

2 things I see. 45 seconds before any actual footage, cut down the intro. You did a good job, clean and informative just needs to be shorter. And the shots where the camera is on the ground. Too wide of a shot to get good clear video. my 2 cents, but she looked really good! good luck

 

[29dad]

And the shots where the camera is on the ground. Too wide of a shot to get good clear video.

I totally agree. She hit one ball deep into the parking lot, but it's impossible to see. Thanks for the feedback and the kind words.

 

[RichK]

Here's a trick I've used. START the video with three short clips with rapid cuts, the three best things she does. Maybe a swing, a dive for a ball, or her pitching motion. Cut, cut, cut. Just a few seconds each. Then a very brief verbal intro that shows her poise and personality : ) Then go into the longer (30-60 second) sections of whatever skills you want to highlight.

I think the immediate high-impact action shots can catch attention, "introduce" the player visually right off the bat and solve the problem of the slow start someone mentioned earlier.

 

[RichK]

Also, I really don't think coaches are looking for results (ie, a hit to the parking lot). They know that could have taken all day to produce that result. They want to see mechanics, athleticism and how the player handles themselves. I think the video is a quick sort for the coach. Ie, pile 1, no way. Pile 2, keep them on the radar. Pile 3, rare, call them right now, we have a stud on our hands.

 

[cmustangsfp]

Also pick up some good video editing software. I use Corel Visual Studio Pro X5. Got it at best buy for $70 on sale. I produced the videos for my DD basketball games, since I wasn't the coach and I needed something to do. I provided copies for film study to the coaches (of course that was after we had our own private film study with my DD's). Haven't had much time to do it for softball because of being the head coach, but I have used it during tryouts to record the girls so that my memory would match up with what really happened.

I did one promo video for an older boy in our basketball program so he could use it for college recruiting. Here's what I learned:
1) Keep it under 5 min. Any longer and you lose their interest.
2) No music, just clips of the player. I actually muted the whole track.
3) I grouped it into sections, that way the coaches could see one skill at a time, instead of trying to look at one skill and then having to jump to another.
4) No slow motion effects. While they are cool in highlight reels, they do not show the athlete in full speed which can make them actually appear slower. I can see some exceptions if you were trying to show beating out a throw or making an exceptional catch/tag for an out, but use it sparingly.
5) if the video is large (which it likely will be) consider posting it to a private channel on youtube and then share out the link. The player I was working with wanted to email it to various coaches, not understanding that the video's size prevented that. Emailing the direct link to it, helped out a bunch. I also provided 20 copies of it on DVD's to carry with him when he went to showcase tournaments. That way he would be prepared if he was approached or if another opportunity presented itself.
6) If providing game footage, the use of a highlight dot/arrow/circle/etc helps focus the coaches eye on the athlete you want them to see (if it is a multiple player scenario). Even if only a still shot with an arrow on it for 3 seconds. The eye will then naturally follow the person it was just pointing to.
7) Prepare this BEFORE you need it. I ran into a lot of conversion issues, uploading issues and some video quality loss issues. If I had been in a "I gotta have this in 2 days" issue, it could have become problematic. It helped that I had been shooting video for 2 years so I have learned a thing or two (You can NEVER have too many batteries or empty SD cards!!!!!).
8) Most coaches will want to see a highlight video and at least 1 full game video so be prepared with a copy of a full game also. The reason for this is that anyone can string enough good shots to make someone seem like a superstar. Having game footage allows the coach to see the player in real time and also pick up how he/she normally acts and reacts to other things. Even if you cherry pick and select their best game at least the coaches know what the athlete is capable of.

 

[CoogansBluff]

Nicely done, IMO. I'm sure there are ways to improve it, but I liked it and think it does the job. I assume that a coach just wants to get a general sense of the player, and I got that. I'd hire you to do my DD's now that you've learned through trial and error. We were just talking about doing one yesterday.

btw, I like that your DD has a stride and gains a little ground. Not saying hitters need to bat that way, but my DD's style is similar, and I find that coaches will try to coach it out of them.

 

[JAD]

Good editing skills are the key to a great skills video!!! LOL

 

[Indiana]

It IS hard. I've helped out with a few videos, and even after doing a bunch and having a script of sorts, it takes about two hours per player.

29 - I like your DD's poise! I also like how you accomplished a close-up of fielding followed by a wide angle to show off the throw. I agree that you might want to condense the intro into one page, maybe with a simple, bold font. We've had good luck filming the hitting in the early morning - the light at that time of day does a good job of picking up the ball.

 

[Rocketburke5]

Getting a good skills video is difficult! especially because the wrong angle of a hit or fielding play can be misleading or just hard to see. Personally as a college player, I think skills videos are great, but that is not what got me playing in college. Mine was more based on contacting coaches, and getting them to come to my games. I also did a lot of camps and that was also a GREAT way to get seen. Sometimes I felt that I was being baggy in regards to contacting coaches, but every one that I talked to said that it made me sound eager and that it was important to let the coaches know you were still interested. My advice to you and your daughter is to definitely follow through with making and editing your video, but also don't forget to do the important part of contacting coaches and inviting them to games. Because any girl can edit a video or pay someone to do that to make them seem to be at a very high level, but when it comes to games it is a different effort or situation. Hope that helps!

 

[riseball]

Remember why you are doing this. The purpose of the video is to showcase basic skills so the coach can see her mechanics and decide if it is worth their while to look at her in person. It is the softball equivalent of an elevator speech. I have seen hundreds of these and the best videos had 5 - 7 swings edited very tightly and the entire video was not more than 3 -4 minutes. Do not need to see her walk to the plate, get the signal, step into box... Remember the coach is probably looking at dozens of these and in the words of the late great Clara Peller "Where's the meat?". If the intro is longer than 15 - 20 seconds it is too long. And by all means no music and I would even kill the crowd noise on live footage. Think about what you would want to see if you were the coach and you will make a fine video.