Video Help from Videographers

After trying stickers, markers and other methods, we found that the easiest way to know the status of our batteries is to use inexpensive sandwich bags. Our rule is, "If it's in the bag, it's hot (charged); if it's out of the bag, it's not." Bags can be re-used many times; our company's total price for one year's baggies was $1.49.

Rudy Casper
Naples, Florida

Have you ever had any problems keeping audio sync between two sources while performing A/B-roll transitions? Try this: route audio from source A to your recording VCR (you'll be monitoring this audio on your TV set). Route audio from source B to a small instrument amplifier (you won't be recording this audio). This makes it much easier to keep sync between sources by ear; that way, you'll know right away if you've lost sync.

Jorge Torres
Mexico City, Mexico

If you're like me, you've often cursed those almost invisible arrows on S-video cables (the ones that indicate which side is up). Here's a simple solution: first, take a small drill bit (1/16 will do) and drill a hole in the black rubber casing of the plug just behind the arrow. After removing any plastic shavings, fill the hole with a very tiny amount of white silicon or white epoxy. Wipe it clean and you have a permanent reference mark that's easy to see; no more squinting or searching for a bright light.

Paul Gross
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

Recently, I was able to put an old retired wall mirror to good use during a late winter shoot. We needed to get a shot of a north-facing storefront while including the large sign at the edge of the parking lot. This dark green sign was low to the ground, so in order to include the store in the background, we had to shoot facing the south (and therefore sunward in our northern region). Scheduling the shoot for the early morning hours, we managed to limit the sun to the far left of our camera angle, but the sign was still in shadow. Using the mirror to reflect the early morning sun onto the sign, we were able to adjust the angle and tilt of the light so that no edges or shadows were present. The result worked extremely well, and we used it as an opening shot on a TV commercial.

Warren Gile
Port Angeles, Washington

If you want to add excitement to the audio track of your videos but you don't want to use expensive digital effects equipment, try using a simple guitarist's stomp box (foot switch). Great effects like reverb, delay, flange and even pitch shifting can be found at any music store or pawn shop for about $50. You'll need two RCA-to-1/4-inch adapters to cram the effects into your setup, but you'll get great results.

Rob Ring
Saint Catharine's, Ontario, Canada

Much of my video work involves interviewing senior citizens for a family video history company. In the studio, I use clip-on wired lavalier microphones. Unfortunately, many of my subjects are camera shy, and to relieve their uneasiness, they play with the microphone cables. In spite of my firm suggestions that they suppress this nervous behavior (at least for the duration of the interview), the problem continued.

I have since purchased a small variety of palm-sized worry stones from which I let the interviewees choose to hold and fiddle with during the interview. My microphone cables are now much happier, and the stones even seem to put the interviewee at ease in front of the camera, vastly improving the quality of our taping session.

Bryan Konefsky
Albuquerque, New Mexico