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How to Make a Film in Dubai and the UAE

For those already within Dubai or wishing to travel to the UAE for filming, both the government and an evolving local film and media production industry are easing the process for aspiring filmmakers to get into the industry.

The past decade has seen the world's celluloid lens focus its attention on Dubai, the rapidly growing emirate of the UAE. From Tom Cruises' Mission Impossible 4 Ghost Protocol, to The Fast and the Furious 7, it is coming ever more apparent that Dubai is garnering the attention of Hollywood's elite. Many major and international media production houses are beginning to see the benefits both on and off the screen for using the UAE as a filming location: Year round sunshine, futuristic architecture and a traditional Arabian ambience all add to the location's appeal.

Consequently film festivals have been established here, with both Abu Dhabi and Dubai developing well-known movie gatherings. This is good news for local aspiring filmmakers; writers, scriptwriters and even actors, as a network of quality resources are growing. Furthermore, several locally run video production houses that would normally concentrate their technical and creative services on developing corporate videos or music videos are now taking the initiative to expand their scope of services to short movies, documentaries and other entertainment avenues in order to satiate a growing client base.

The process of developing an independent feature with a privately owned media production house in Dubai is usually the most quickest and efficient means of getting a film made, as they normally cover the steps needed for filming, such as obtaining the correct shooting permits etc.

However for any individual or organization brave enough to go at it alone, they should contact The Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC). This department works with other government entities such as the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Police, and the Roads and Transport Authority. However they will not provide filmmakers with the crew and talent needed for any feature to come to fruition.

Today in the UAE local media production houses are producing an unprecedented amount of creative entertainment media features. In 2013 alone 15 major productions have been officially announced and it is expected that as the local and international economy continues to grow, so will the industry. For any individual or organization wishing to get a foot into the door, many of these media production houses in addition to working through any bureaucracy will handle the technical aspects of your feature and a few can even help develop the creative content.

For foreigners wishing to film within the UAE, be aware that although this Gulf country is relatively liberal and open minded (especially Dubai), cultural sensitivity and tighter rules and regulations that one may not be accustomed to should be adhered to, respected and most of all culturally understood.

Abdullah Yahya is a UK born film director and producer from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a background in both the technical and creative aspects behind filmmaking his media production company 1971 Productions http://www.1971-productions.com is involved in a variety of entertainment and corporate projects. To learn more visit his site.

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What Should You Look For If You Want to Download Sound Effects?

Downloading sound effects vs making your own
Sound effects are cool additions to lots of different media projects - they may even be essential in many cases. It is said among video pro's that bad images are OK, as long as the sound is great - but there is no excuse for bad sound. In other words; what we hear is as important as what we see, when we watch a movie, play a game, etc.

So why not make some sounds of your own - for that vacation video or power point presentation you are making? I guess you could, but do you know how? Audio and sound design is a complex field of its own. Do you know how to use music synthesizers? Can you make a clean recording of a car horn, a slamming door, a cash register going "ka-ching"? Unless you feel you need to, you're usually better off downloading professionally made sounds - rather than attempting the DIY route.

Why do sound effects categories have those weird names?
So - you do a web search, you find a few web shops where you can buy sound effects. But what is the deal with all those strangely named categories? What's a "Whoosh"? A "Stinger"? "Walla"? It is a bit confusing at first, but yes - some categories do have weird names. The ones I just mentioned have their names from the film sound world; they are simply jargon words. "Walla", for instance, means a crowd mumbling something that sounds like random conversation, but in which the words are indistinguishable. This type of sound is often used in the background of many movie scenes.

Just browse around if you're not sure. Use the sounds any way you want - regardless of what film sound pros call them. There is no right or wrong here.

What is the difference between file formats?
File formats and file resolution are two points you need to pay attention to. Whether you need an mp3 for your power point presentation, or a Chinese gong sound for a quiz you're hosting at a family reunion, you need to know how to find the right file format. In both these instances, an mp3 may sound just fine, but note that there are several different possible quality settings within that format. Personally, I wouldn't go lower than 128kbps for mp3 - and even at that point, things like cymbals or quiet background sounds can have a strange, warbling sound to it. That is a limitation due to the compression algorithm used to reduce the size of the sound. Go for a slightly higher setting; like 192kbps or more. A bit longer to download, but sounds a lot better.

If you're doing video editing, and you have a fast computer and a fast internet connection, you might want 16bit/48kHz wav files - or perhaps even 24bit/96kHz. These are professional sound qualities, and they sound very good indeed. But they also take up a lot of space and can be hard work for a computer - especially if you have several channels of audio, along with HD video.

How can I tell if I'm getting quality sounds?
A well recorded and well mastered sound effect will have little-to no noise. You should be able to see from the title and the description what sounds are in the file, meaning that a sound file labeled "Rain", should not contain audible birdsong, traffic noises, etc - if these are not mentioned somewhere in the sales text. The main sound should have a little "empty" space around it - you don't want the sound of a slamming door with too much of the reverb tail cut off. That would sound unnatural. And of course - you should be able to tell, just by glancing at the title, if a sound might contain what you are looking for.

I hope this little write-up has armed you a little better in your search for great sound for your projects.

Christian Coriolis writes about film sound, game sound and music production, for http://www.hzandbits.com - where you can also download sound effects in professional quality for your projects.

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7 Things You Must Know When Making Your First Music Video

Making your first music video could be one of the most enriching experiences of your life. Right from the time when you start thinking of a concept, visualising the content and treatment, to every further stage of planning (props, people, location) and to the filming and editing of the final cut; you'd feel like preparing your own spell of magic.

Even though dreaming is easy, doing the bit is always hard! Isn't that what we always hear? Well, for those of you who haven't made a music video before, here are our expert tips to guide you along.

We will talk about the importance of key elements involved in:

• Teamwork
• Ideas
• Treatment
• Budget
• Planning
• Direction
• Editing and reviewing

Teamwork

At the heart of any good film-making lies teamwork. Even though there is just one Director, all successful shoots have a healthy and amicable work environment on the set with plenty of laughs. Remember that no one wants to feel left out, so talk to your team and keep them on the same page. Explain your thoughts and be receptive of theirs.

Ideas

Take your time in picking the one best idea from among many mediocre ones. Think about the song, what is the message behind it and also about who would be watching it. Think what they would feel after watching your video and listening to the music. Also, think about your identity as a band. You don't always need to do a M.I.A., even a simple performance video that's shot beautifully could be enough.

Treatment

It involves the words and pictures that would describe the actions. You don't have to depict every second of the video, but just some key frames to get the idea across. You would need an artist to do this for you, however, even an image mood board could be as effective.

Budget

How much can you pump in the project is always an important consideration. Even though everyone may have a budget, they don't necessarily have a great idea. Build on your ideas first and then look at your budget, sometimes imagination and a little common sense will surprise you.

Planning

The keywords here are Common sense, Charm and Imagination. Be a realist. Plan only for what you can actually do. If you are on a low budget, ask for favours - You might be able to shoot in an office space at the end of the day or on a weekend, instead of renting it for an entire day.

Also, conduct meetings with your team at every important stage. You can't always do this in person, so use the phone!

Prepare a check-list of things you need to do in advance and keep adding to it. Be clear in your directions, if you need someone to fetch an equipment, then state clearly what you need (model number, make, etc.).

Direction

Choose your Director carefully as they would have their signature impact on the final feel and look of the video. Communicate your vision with them clearly as they would have their own thoughts about the video. However, if you are directing it yourself, then you will need to work even harder on Teamwork.

Editing and reviewing

One of the most overlooked aspect that slips consideration of many is Editing. But the fact is that your Editor and Director need to work together to give the video it's desired feel. You will find that a lot of Directors have their own favourite Editors that they like to work with. You should review their show reel work and then decide on who's best for you.

An average editing process involves:

• Logging of data.
• Assembly edit - arranging the footage in order like that of the storyboard. Basically, it's the desired flow of the video.
• A few more review stages.

The final stage before your video is ready involves a reviewing the edits. Here's what you should look to do:

• Look at it as a team
• Watch it at least thrice before you start discussing it. Watch it at full screen, with sound turned off and also with sound on and a screen size it would normally be watched at (like on YouTube).
• Write down the first reactions and then compare them when you watch a second and third time.
• You shouldn't normally have any big surprises if everybody has done their job well. However, in case there is something that is left out or needs to be re-done, then discuss it over with the team.

After all that work, what you should really strive for is completing your video. Even though you may not be a 100% satisfied with the results, you would be accumulating a lot of experience for the next one.

EPIK Music Videos offers Professional Music Video Production Services. Out of all the Music Video Production London Companies we stand out for quality of service and sheer creativity. See our Music Videos on our Website Epik Music Videos

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