Create an Animated Map with Magnets
Attractions
Want to animate an object on a map, say an airplane or automobile? I draw a picture of my vehicle on white cardboard, cut it out, and glue a little "pot holder" magnet to the bottom. I make my map on cardboard or Bristol board. When I put the cardboard vehicle over the map and another magnet behind the map, the two magnets attract each other. When I move the one in back, the vehicle moves along the map surface. I tape a yardstick to the back as a guide and people gasp at my perfect animation.
Sidney Laverents
Bonita, California
On The Beat
Videos with a musical soundtrack will look better if edited in time with the music. Here's a simple idea which lets you "see" the tempo of a song and will help you edit if your VCR can do insert editing. Arrange your camcorder to shoot part of a flat work surface. Cable your VCR so it will record live video from the camcorder and sound from a music source. Start recording the music and keep time by tapping your finger in front of the camcorder. When it's time to edit in picture, use only the frames where your finger hits the surface as edit points.
Franco Camorali
Parma, Italy
Oh, My Aching Back
Here's a way to prevent straining eye, neck, and back muscles during extended shooting periods when using your camcorder on a tripod. Find a six-inch length of two-inch diameter cardboard mailing tube. Work one end of the tube into a square shape. With your viewfinder flipped up place the squared end against the end of the viewfinder. You may need some tape to make it stay in place. Now you can stand back in a normal position while viewing through the tube to keep your subject centered without getting cramps.
Richard Klimesh
Livermore, Colorado
Slide Solution
Often, I will get some very small photos to shoot for editing into the start of a wedding video. If you get photos that are smaller than 3 x 5 inches, have them transferred to slides. Then you can project the slide onto a screen at any size you want. This allows you to zoom in or out, pan or tilt, or even crop the slide the way you want.
B. Vigna
Yeadon, Pennsylvania
Red Eyes
Camcorders and video cameras can see infrared radiation that is invisible to the human eye. To capitalize on this ability, Hoya makes an infrared filter. Called the model number RM90, the filter actually appears black in color. I tried fitting this filter to my camcorder and got astonishing results. Sky and water turned black and clouds, trees, and grass turned white. Truly a striking effect.
Lou Juliana
Baltimore, Maryland
Sound Layers
If you have a VCR with audio dub, you can add an additional layer of sound while still keeping the original track. First, copy your original tape. Put your original in the camcorder and your copy in a VCR hooked to a speaker. Try to synchronize them as closely as possible. Start both machines at exactly the same time from the pause mode (with the camcorder in audio dub only). Now the camcorder mike will pick up the original sound plus any additional commentary or music you wish to add.
Frank Kirkwood
Wexford, Pennsylvania
