How to Make Your Own Webshow

Creating web shows has become the hottest online trend since the invention of the blog. There is an abundance of webshows on the internet for anyone to watch, ranging from one time skits to long running series. It can be a great deal of fun to make a webshow of your own, not to mention highly entertaining for those who watch your show. If you’ve ever wanted to be a tv star, then this is the next best thing, and something you have got to try for yourself in order to see just how much fun it can be. It’s probably much easier than you thought, so keep reading to learn how to make your own webshow.

Things You'll Need

• Idea for thewebshow
• Cast members
• Setting/location
• Recording equipment
• Editing software

Instructions

1. Decide what type of webshow you would like to make. Some people like to do one time sketch comedy videos, while others like to make long running series made up of multiple episodes, called webisodes. Some people simply like to use their webshow as a video blog of sorts, referred to as a vlog. You should decide what format your show will use in advance so that you will have a clear direction and know how things should progress.

2. Write a script for your show, or in the case of a long running series, for the particular webisode you will be filming for your webshow. Your script should include a setting, a cast of characters, a plot, a climax to the plot and an ending. This is where your creativity is key. Many people find it helpful to have friends help them work on the script, resulting in more ideas than you could normally think of on your own.

3. Cast the roles for your webshow. Get your family and friends to play the parts of the characters involved in your webshow. If your webshow will consist of multiple webisodes, make sure that the person will be able to play the role of their assigned character on an ongoing basis. It is also possible to have one person play multiple roles, although this becomes more difficult in situations where both characters are in a scene together.

4. Find a good setting for your webshow. The location of your webshow could be a simple position in front of your computer web cam, a scene at the park, in an apartment or any number of locations. The options are really limited only by the scope of your imagination. The main thing to keep in mind is that the setting should be a good fit to the script that you wrote in Step 2. If you wrote a script in an airport setting, for example, then you should at least attempt to simulate an airport setting, rather than filming in your back yard.

5. Record your webshow. Assuming that you are not building elaborate sets for your webshow, this is the only step that requires any significant amount of investment, as you will need some kind of recording equipment for your show. If you are simply making a video blog as your show, then a cheap webcam for your computer is good enough to get by. If you need to travel to a location, then you will need some form of video recorder. A digital video recorder that can be connected to your PC to download the footage is ideal. You can also use a simple VHS camcorder, so long as you have a converter to convert the tape to a digital feed. It is also a good idea to use multiple cameras if possible, so that you can capture the scene from different angles and piece them together during editing.

6. Transfer the raw footage to your computer. If you are putting a lot of effort into the production of your webshow, you may wish to purchase a special computer just for editing. Many people like to use an Apple G4 computer with Final Cut Pro installed. If you are not in the need of a special computer, just loading the raw footage into your PC is good enough. This allows you to edit your raw footage down into a finished product.

7. Edit your footage. You will need to have some form of video editing software in order to edit the footage. For basic editing, Windows PCs come with MovieMaker installed as a standard component, and Apples come equipped with iMovie. For more sophisticated editing, you will probably want to obtain a product similar to Final Cut Pro, which is used by professional production companies. You can also use something similar to Adobe After Effects to add special effects to your videos. When it comes down to it, your software needs to at least be able to perform three basic functions: split apart video segments, splice segments together and lay down background music tracks.

8. Upload your completed webshow to your own web site or blog, and to as many video sharing websites as possible. In addition to YouTube, MetaCafe and Google Video, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos sharing websites where you can upload your webshow to share it with the world.

Tips & Warnings

• It is always fun to have a Premier Party for the release of your webshow, inviting the cast and other close friends to be the first ones to view the finished product.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish