A lot of people want information about making videos about games. So here are some resources and information.
FILMING: How to get the rough stuffWeGameBy far my highest recommendation. I have been using WeGame since it started almost and have always been impressed with their quality and functionality. Not only can you film in HD quality, but they have a downloadable recorder that rivals anyone elses. They combine recorder and hosting site to perfection.
XFireI have it, but I dont use it. (user name: nightbloom) You can record movies and upload them in high quality along with social features such as live chat, screenshots, etc... You can only upload XFire videos tho, so I put it below WeGame as far as functionality goes.
FRAPSYou 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.
GamecamLesser 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 Game RecorderPurported 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.
CamStudioOMG IT'S FREE. Yes ppl, free. This is the most basic recording software there is. It isnt tied to a site, doesnt need special software, has no watermarks, is just a nice basic program.
EDITING: Putting it all togetherWindows Movie MakerLook 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.
Sony VegasThis is a paid program but it is the high end where Movie Maker is the freebie low end. Its complicated to learn at first but there are a lot of tuts out there to help you out. Its worth the time because it makes some lovely movies in the hands of creative ppl.
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.
COMPRESSION: OMG IT'S HUGE!DivXProlly 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 worldYouTubeEasily 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. [url="http://www.youtube.com/nightbloomingvids"]www.youtube.com/nightbloomingvids[/url] 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.
Google VideoHas 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!
WeGameAgain, easy to use. You can upload your videos from the recorder directly to this site without a problem. Their limits are 1 GB and/or 20 minutes so there is a large base to work from being twice the size of YouTube. They also specialize in machinima and HD vids.
I got film, I got editing software....
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 tipsFilm 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: 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!
