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There are so many ideas about how to make a viral video and as time progresses and it gets harder to go viral, those ideas are changing, but there are a few common trends.

People Plan

Not everyone takes the time to plan out exactly how they are going to execute a viral video. In fact, there is really no way to predict whether your video will successfully go viral, but as Karen Cheng (creator of the viral video Girl Learns to Dance in a Year) will tell you, planning makes going viral feasible. Think of the 5 “W”s you learned in elementary school – except we are modifying it to be 3 – who, what, and why. “Who” is the people you plan on contacting to get involved with making the video viral. That includes friends, family, businesses, and anyone else you think might give you some attention. “What” is the content of the video that makes it worth going viral. “Why” is the reason people will make it a viral success (more on this later). In addition to these questions, thinking about the length of the video will also influence its success. People don’t have the patience to watch extended videos anymore, they want the entertainment to come fast and end fast. As you plan out your video, asking yourself these questions will help point you in the right direction.

The Element of Surprise

This is the “what” and “why” of viral videos because, as Kissmetrics emphasizes, content is the key to success. “What” and “why” determine the nature of the video and the reason behind it going viral whether it’s because it’s completely stupid, a great ad, or practical advice. Whatever route your video takes, the most important element is surprise. Get creative and don’t let norms of what people expect to see block your thinking. Most likely you will have to go through some trial and error to figure out what is surprising to people and what is unimpressive, but keep trying. In the end all that matters to the viewer is that they are entertained (even if it is not for the reasons you thought they would be).

Garner Support

This goes back to the “who” question. Who are you going to contact to help make your video viral? Sharing with friends will do a lot. Individually contacting them and asking them to continue sharing will do even more. But that may not be enough no matter how popular you are. You have to tap into a much larger, well-known network for something to go viral. This is what Kevin Allocca, the YouTube trend manager, calls “tastemakers.” Essentially, gaining the support of one tastemaker, such as Ellen Degeneres, or any other celebrity for that matter, will make you a success because they have thousands if not millions of fans that hang on every word they say. One share from them and you have gone viral.

Remember that virality is not always by chance. You make it happen by planning out all the details from “who” to “why.” Making the content surprising in some way will increase your chances of going viral. Most importantly, there is no way you will be able to make a viral video on your own, so network and see how much attention you can generate.

We also think a really good way to start your video going viral is to start with sharing it with coworkers, friends, and family through Wispeo. You can test out clip ideas, piece together shots from several different people, or just let them watch your great video before everyone else. Check out Wispeo (now available in the App Store and from Google Play) to get started on the easiest way to share your video files.

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Bungy Jumping – If you have a fear of heights, this probably isn’t a great video to watch considering every jump is from the “world’s highest (fill in the blank).”

Water Sports – Flyboards are becoming an even bigger deal, and these guys make it look fun and easy (belly flopping on one of these things has got to be painful).

Zorb Balls – You know the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland that almost drops the ball on you, but you always manage to escape just in time? With this blow up toy, there’s no escaping once you’re in its path.

Mobile – If your average, everyday parkour isn’t exciting enough, put some wheels under yourself and see what happens (and don’t try this at home).

Assassin’s Creed – There are several Assassin’s Creed videos, and they’ve only grown in intricacy, size, and scope as Devinsupertramp’s fame has exploded.

Travel – Devinsupertramp is known mainly for his adventure and extreme sports videos, but he is a truly talented travel videographer. He’s been all over the world, and his videos share some of the cultures and sites he’s had the privilege of visiting.

Artistic – And then there’s Devinsupertramp’s artistic side. We wouldn’t exactly call dancing with fire on your ice skates safe, but what could go wrong with mixing fire and ice?

Be sure to check out the behind the scenes of all of these videos because seeing how they’re made is just as cool as the final result. What are your favorite Devinsupertramp videos? Share in the comments below!

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W: What was the inspiration behind “You Could Sunbathe in this Storm” (YCSITS)?

AD: YCSITS came about when I was experimenting with animation as an art form in the final year of my MA at the Royal College of Art. When making work for others, there is usually a certain way of doing things: you come up with the idea, you make an animatic, you make some changes that the client requests, you figure out how to make the film and then you make it. However, with this piece, I wanted to make a film that was lead by the making process and inspired by everyday feelings that evolved with each new day. I began by setting myself the challenge to shoot about 10 seconds of footage everyday, record some audio (conversations/news clips/interesting sounds), free-write, research, sketch and make props. I studied lots of philosophy and anthropology and had a lot of conversations with my fellow RCA students about the projects they were working on. As the process went on, I began to work with musicians as well – so the sound and music was created in the same way and not left to the end. It is a film that I hope encourages the viewer to contemplate the bigger picture.

W: What filming techniques did you use to film the short?

AD: A combination of stop motion animation, time lapse photography, and live action footage composited together with After Effects.

W: What was the script writing process like?

AD: I did a lot of free-writing and then selected sections to include in the film. It was much more word heavy in earlier versions. I also used a section of ‘The old men admiring themselves in the water’ by W.B. Yeates.

W: How much prep time was required for this short? How many plaster pieces did you end up making?

AD: This was made over about 8 months, but the first four months were spent mulling over ideas for other films and experimenting with materials, so its hard to say really. Oh and I made hundreds of plaster shapes!

W: At about 3:00 it looks like growths start forming on the pyramids – was that CG or did you create models for every single phase of growth?

AD: They are not CG, they are real crystals growing out of the plaster shapes. I would dye the shapes with ink and then sit them in a special solution of chemicals that would absorb into the plaster and grow crystals out of the shapes over a period of about 24 hours. I would capture the growth using time lapse photography. It was a little tricky trying to position the camera and lighting on something that didn’t exist at the start of the shoot, but luckily it managed to work most of the time.

W: Your music video “Where to Go” has a similar look and feel. Do you feel like this defines your style?

AD: Perhaps. I think I am still developing my style, but I am certainly very interested in the use of chemicals and other concoctions to create organic looking movement that suggests life without being alive.

W: Did you go through the same creation process with “Where to Go” as you did with “You Could Sunbathe in this Storm?”

AD: No, ‘Where To Go’ is a music video, so the music inspired the idea. I co-directed it with Annlin Chao, and it had a lot more structure and planning to it as we had a production company (Blink), musician (Chris Morphitis) and Record label (Village Green) to please. However, a lot of the experiments and processes we used to make it inspired a lot of YCSITS.

W: Are you working on any projects right now?

AD: Yes, I am in the process of making a music video for Tom Rosenthal.

Connect with Alice and see more of her work here:

Website: www.alicedunseath.com

Twitter: @AliceDunseath

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Depth Rating. Depth rating refers to how far the drone can sink before it is no longer able to function properly. The lower the drone sinks, the more pressure there is on the casings of the drone. Before buying, have an understanding of how deep you’ll have to go to capture your footage, and make sure the depth rating fits your needs. In general, you’ll find that the cheaper the drone, the lower the depth rating – meaning there are drones that can go down 330 feet, but they’re thousands of dollars more than a drone that only sinks 150 feet.

Cable Length. ROVs don’t fly (or swim) unattached to you like air drones, which is probably a good thing because it’s hard enough controlling drones when you can see them in the air – it would be far more difficult when they’re a hundred feet underwater. The longer your cable, the deeper your drone can go, as long as it’s within the depth rating. Luckily, you won’t find a drone with a cable equal to or longer than the depth rating, so as long as you’re happy with your depth rating, you shouldn’t have to worry about cable length.

Video Features. There are two aspects of video you should check. First, does it have a live video feed? Or, do you just drive around and see the footage later? Second, how high is the quality of the video? Many cameras will capture footage in 720p, but they have the option of upgrading to higher resolutions, or you can start with an ROV with 1080p resolution.

Motors. The number of motors and their function makes a difference. The more motors you have, the faster you can travel through the water. Motors have two functions: thrusting and hovering. Some ROVs that don’t have hovering motors (they are also less expensive).

There are many other features you should look at when investing in an ROV, including battery life, Wi-Fi, and memory capacity, but the four mentioned are some of the main differences between ROVs.

After you’ve captured some awesome footage of a shark swimming straight at your ROV, wisp the footage to your friends, family, and clients (and us).

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W: How did you get your start shooting time lapses? What did you find interesting about them?

SP: Looking around the internet and seeing the increasing number of stunning time lapse productions on Vimeo and YouTube really got me inspired. For me, time lapse is an extension of my existing camera skills to this growing photography genre. It’s great to capture and see how the world around us behaves which we cannot normally see with the naked eye.

Time lapse photography has been around for a long time, but this was usually static and didn’t typically draw people in. What I found interesting was the use of new tools providing a range of motion that gives the final production a real dynamic edge to the finished work.

W: What gear do you use?

SP: I use a range of equipment from various suppliers, each having their own unique point of difference. These tools include intervalometers (a small programmable controller), a dolly (long rail), and motorized heads for panning and tilting the camera.

I mainly use gear supplied by Dynamic Perception based in Michigan, USA. I believe they’re the most innovative in this field and their gear is evolving to meet the changing demands of time lapse photographers. I also use software programs like LRTimelapse specifically designed for editing and producing time lapse, and Adobe Lightroom, After Effects, and Premiere Pro.

W: Can you walk us through the process of shooting a time lapse from setup to final editing?

SP: Every time lapse photographer has a different workflow, but there are common threads to producing a great movie. There is a greater amount of time spent on the production using a fast computer than actually sitting behind the lens. My workflow centres on these basic steps:

1. Think as a still photographer and choose a compelling scene that has great compositional aspects, ideally something that shows some form of change over time;
2. Set up your gear and choose an appropriate interval between each shot. Always shoot in raw mode to allow better editing. Allow a moderate range of movement from start to end;
3. Load and categorise the images onto your hard drive;
4. Import the images using a photo editing program. Adjust the image for exposure, colour, highlights and tones. Apply these edits across all frames. Export them as finished images;
5. Render a high resolution clip of the finished images in a program like Adobe After Effects. Make any time-based changes using key frames, i.e. points along the way where things might change such as exposure and changing light.

The workflow could end here for a single sequence and then be uploaded onto movie sharing websites or social media. For a production, further steps in the workflow might include:

6. Importing the individual clips into a finishing program like Adobe Premiere Pro and sequence them on a theme to your own desire.
7. Find an appropriate piece of music that fits the scenes. Edit the clips to keep the best bits of each time lapse, and speed up or slow down the individual clips to match the music.
8. Test the movie by showing to others. Make any adjustments.
9. Upload to movie channel sites and share on social media

W: How do you choose locations to shoot?

SP: Photographers are always looking at the work of others, whether that be from photo websites or from a book. I do the same. I do lots of research on locations, but don’t usually shoot the same as everyone else. Some locations are overdone. I like to find my scenes by exploring with my own two feet and stopping when something catches my eye. Then I evaluate compositional aspects.

W: Do you have a favorite type of landscape you like to shoot?

SP: I like to look for interesting land formations. This might include rock shapes, the way a stream flows through the land, or an interesting sky. Colour is another compositional aspect I like to bring into my landscapes.

W: What challenges do you face when shooting time lapses? Is lighting a challenge?

SP: There are many challenges, from lighting to technical issues such as familiarity with the gear, batteries, weather, such as rain drops or condensation building up on a lens, and in some cases, sand flies. One common issue for time lapse photographers including myself is flicker. This is where the aperture inside the lens doesn’t always rest in the same position after each exposure. This causes uneven changes in light. This is easily overcome however using camera techniques or software. Lighting can be a challenge too. Sometimes the sky and light just don’t deliver.

In my recent Mainland New Zealand time lapse, I had issues with some scenes that were ‘blown out’, i.e., the bright highlights had left out some of the detail.

W: What do you take into consideration when choosing music for your time lapses?

SP: A good question and one I often struggle with. It’s been said by many that imagery and sound must compliment each other to keep us glued to the screen. A final production can look great visually, but the effect is easily lost when the music doesn’t match. I’ve seen this a number of times. When making my productions, I listen to hundreds of tracks and visualise the scenes in my mind. You know it when you hear it. I like to consider the change in tempo and beat of the track and this is great to link something from the clip, such as the peaking of the sun over the mountain on a sunrise, or a scene transition. Generally speaking, landscapes and city scenes often demand different music genre.

W: What do you have to do differently when creating  a Hyperlapse?

SP: This is a technique that requires a lot of patience, and effort can be wasted if the technique is not properly followed. Hyperlapse requires careful measuring out of the ground, a camera that’s level on the horizontal, a frame every ten seconds, and an eye focused on a central point of each shot. After that, lots of post production on the PC is required using a good program that has a good stablilisation feature.

W: Whose time lapse work inspires you most?

SP: I’m inspired by time lapse photographers including Bevan Percival who lives here in New Zealand, Enrique Pacheco and Eric Hines. Their work and knowledge of time lapse comes from hours of dedication. I have a lot more to learn to get to this level.

See more of Stephen’s work at the following websites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephenPatiencePhotography

Website: http://patience.co.nz

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W: How did you get your start in this area?
DM: As a VFX artist and a big fan of the art, the Harry Potter series always amazed me with the special effects, from flying broomsticks to talking animals each thing was special in that movie. But one effect always used to catch the eye, “moving photos.” I always wanted to make something like that, but being in wedding photography, I never got a real chance to work on VFX.

Earlier this year, the idea struck me, why not use the effect on wedding pictures and make them even more expressive? So the concept of 3D wedding pictures came up.

W: What do you have to do while shooting to make them work for the style of photo?
DM: A lot of pre-planning is involved in shooting to create this effect. We always keep in mind taking a few pictures during a shoot to create this effect later.

It involves capturing the background without the subject first so that we use it in depth (having a background with less distractions or a plain sky is better, as it helps in cloning later).

Then we add our couples in the same frame.

Having several layers of depth is a must for this effect to work.

W: What happens during editing to make them move?

DM: A person needs to have Photoshop and After Effects knowledge to create such effects, even other 3D software can be used.

So to start, you need to keep each subject (foreground, mid ground, and background) in different layers.

Then, by adding them to 3D space in After Effects, you can create depth and effects to it.

Adding rain, smoke, and other effects comes as the last part.

W: Do couples request to have it done or is it something you started doing extra?

DM: We always wanted to do something innovative in our work, and got a chance to do this 3D effect for the first time, but we are sure as these are more interactive and appealing than photographs, couples will certainly request for it.

The second video to the series would be out soon, on our FB page: facebook.com/weddingrams

If you’d like to see more from Weddingrams, visit their website: weddingrams.com

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• The participants must have at least some dancing skill, so it isn’t completely terrible
• Apache (Jump On It) should not be part of the music mix (or any other cliché dance song for that matter) – quite honestly one could argue there’s too much Michael Jackson in these dances, but then again, you can never get enough MJ
• There has to be a lot of audience engagement, otherwise it’s just awkward

You’ll notice that we made exceptions to these rules to include some dances that we thought were worth the exception. So without further ado, here are our top ten wedding dances:

There’s one more thing that makes the majority of these wedding dances great. Almost all of them had professional videographers to capture the fun memories. There’s no replacement for sharing videos in the highest quality, and Wispeo is here to help you do just that.

What dances were your favorites? Have any that didn’t get included on the list? Leave the link below, or wisp us your own wedding dance video to social@wispeo.com!

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Sometimes Souls Collide

W: How did you get your start in photography?

LS: Growing up, my parents always took lots of family pictures, and they got my sister and me cameras when we were quite young. This is where my interest in photography started, though it was only a hobby back then, and not one I did on a regular basis. Flash forward many, many years, to the age of about 35. I had been working at a job where I did Medicare billing, and so I was on the computer typing all day long every day. I developed carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis in the shoulders and arms, and, worst of all, my neck was just killing me, which turned out to be because I had three herniated discs in my neck, cervical spinal stenosis, bone spurs, and a couple of other problems in my neck. I had continued working through the pain for years, but it finally got to a point where I just couldn’t do it any longer.

So I left my job, and I knew that I had to find something else to take up some of my time, something meaningful to focus on, and something that could bring me some joy as I went through lots of different therapies, appointments, and a couple of surgeries – otherwise I would go insane. I immediately thought about photography, and before too long, I started taking classes, first at a local photography school, and then through New York Institute of Photography, which was a correspondence course. And I just totally and completely fell in love with it and dedicated myself to learning all I could!

I started (nervously) posting photos on a photo website I’d found (jpgmag.com), and was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful encouragement I got there. Before too long, I’d found somewhere online that listed “calls for art,” and eventually decided to submit some photos to one that was looking for photos to include in a small photography show held in a restaurant. And my photos got accepted!! From there I continued getting my work accepted into photography shows and art galleries, won contests, and got published!

I’ve Got Arms to Hold You

W: Have you always been based in San Francisco? Or did you begin shooting in other locations?

LS: I actually live about 40 miles outside of the city, but yes, I’ve always been based here in this area. I also spend a lot of time down in the Southern California desert and have shot there pretty extensively. And I love traveling as much as possible and photographing new places!

Ever Changing

W: Do you have a specific subject matter that you seem to be drawn to?

LS: I most love shooting landscapes and nature. But to narrow it down even further, I am totally in love with oak trees and clouds! A landscape is always more interesting and beautiful if the sky is full of gorgeous clouds! And oak trees….I just love their gnarled branches and amazing character! They so often remind me of people….wise old people full of stories.

But I Still Need You

W: How do you decide whether or not an image will be black and white? 

LS: That is always a tough decision for me! Sometimes an image immediately calls out to be black and white. Certain scenes just seem to be made for it. Definitely if I want to convey a more dramatic or possibly somber mood, I will go for black and white. But a lot of the time, I’m not sure if I’m going to go with color or black and white. And then it simply becomes a matter of trying an image both ways. I do love color, so if the color is particularly pleasing to me in an image, then I have to go with that.  I seem to be pretty selective in what gets done in black and white, though those also tend to be some of my most popular images!

Though the Tides May Turn

W: It says in your bio that you love Photoshop. What tools on Photoshop do you use the most?

LS: The Photoshop tool I probably use the most is the Spot Healing Brush Tool to get rid of the spots that are from sensor dust and dirt!

Enchanted Evening

W: Do you have any special techniques you use either while shooting or during editing?

LS: I don’t really have any special techniques when out shooting. I just always try to remember to get most shots at a couple of different focal lengths, even if I only really “see” it one way. And I always take a LOT of pictures! The more the better! Having more to choose from can only be a good thing! When editing, I love using certain adjustment layers, as well as different Photoshop actions, to tweak the tones and color a bit. I also sometimes really like to layer textures over my images to help bring out a certain mood.

Sit With Me Here

W: Do you have a trademark shot?

LS: Yes, it would have to be “Sheltering Sky.” It’s a black and white image where I was looking up at an oak tree and the sky. That is by far my best selling image! And it’s funny….after I initially took that image, I couldn’t make it work to my liking, and it sat in my files for at least a year, maybe two! Then one day I pulled it back up to see if I could make anything of it, and I actually was able to see it differently that time and was really happy with the outcome! And it became my most popular image!

Sheltering Sky

W: How do you pick the titles for all your images?

LS: A lot of thought goes into most of my titles. I try to really tap into the mood and feeling of the image. Sometimes the way I’m feeling when editing leads me down a certain road. And I often use song lyrics as titles. I really like for the title to complement the image and for both together to tell a story of sorts. I’ve heard it said before that a good photo doesn’t need a title, and I agree; it doesn’t. But even if it doesn’t NEED it, in my opinion, a good title can only make a good photo better!

It Rolls Through

W: What is your inspiration?

LS: Given the right mood, almost anything can inspire me! I get inspiration from nature itself…. I can’t look at beautiful scenery, trees, or clouds without being totally inspired! Strong feelings really make me want to create, too, whether it’s love, heartache, despair, joy, etc. I feel a huge need to share them with the world somehow! Memories, music, movies, and other artists’ and photographers’ work are some other things that can really inspire me.

The Reclining Woman

W: What challenges do you face in the industry?

LS: It’s just an extremely competitive industry! That has to be the biggest challenge! And you need to realize that just because one person may not like your work, that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It’s just one person’s opinion, and art is very subjective! Tomorrow I may come across five people who absolutely love my work! So you need to keep your head about you as much as possible, have confidence in yourself and what you do, and never give up!

Connect with Laurie here:

Website: http://laurie-search.artistwebsites.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurieSearch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Laurie-Search-Fine-Art-Photography/592510690851765

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Eric Cheng of Make magazine compiled a list of unintentional water submersions, and after four quadcopter drownings he attached buoys to his drone. Luckily, he wrote that piece over a year ago, and since then, drones have advanced to the point of having decent water capabilities.

While we could provide you with a list of the top water compatible drones on the market, we thought it might be more helpful to list the most important features you’ll need if you intend to fly your drone over water:

Waterproof – Some drones completely encase all the electrical parts, including the camera. Others, you have to provide the waterproof casing for the camera, specifically in the case that you’re shooting with a gimbal and GoPro. Still others, like The Splash Drone, are made with waterproof wires and circuits.

Landing Gear – Can it take off and land in water? If you generally start shooting from land, you probably don’t need to worry about having water landing gear, but if you find yourself taking off from a boat frequently, having the ability to take off straight from water might be a helpful feature for you.

Underwater Footage – If you want to capture underwater footage, you need to consider where the camera sits on the drone. Some drones sit above water, while others are able to go a little below the surface and capture underwater activity. These options generally involve a gimbal and GoPro, so when the drone is floating on the water the GoPro is suspended underneath the water line.

Surface Footage – Some people need to shoot the water’s surface. Just as some drones hang the camera slightly below the water, other drones land with the camera just above the surface. The trick is finding a drone that will capture the surface while moving around to get every angle you need. Parrot recently released a drone that acts much like a speed boat, using an attached mini drone to propel itself around the water’s surface.

Inclement Weather Capabilities – If you’re filming around large bodies of water, storms are a reality you have to deal with frequently. Storms can also provide some of the most interesting and exciting footage, so it’s tempting to send a drone out in the middle of a storm. Usually that ends in disaster, but there’s at least one drone on the market claiming to be able to navigate rain. If you want to be the next storm chaser, the QuadH2O is your new best friend.

At the end of the day, no matter what kind of drone you have, use common sense when flying to keep your drone out of harm’s way. If you do, you’ll have great videos that you can then send to friends, family, colleagues, and clients using Wispeo.

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