Viewfinder: Deriving More Value from Your Video Gear

You have likely invested quite a lot of time and money in making video. Beginning with the purchase of a camcorder, right down to the blank media and lens cloths, you have plenty of money invested in your gear. You have probably also invested countless hours of time into learning video production skills. With all of this investment behind you, you likely would like to derive a return. You want to get more value from your equipment and your talent. There are several ways to get more value from your investments into your video hobby. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

1 - Make More Video
Making video is very time consuming. You can increase your productivity by becoming a better time manager. Develop a schedule for an additional video project and dedicate a portion of your weekly schedule to this end. The most basic way to increase the payback from your investment is to increase your output.

2 - Make Better Video
Increasing the quality of your video work is another approach that can bring you more fulfillment and value. To some people, increasing quality can only be achieved by increasing production value; including things like better shot composition, higher quality audio, superior timing of your edits and improved lighting. These are great things to strive for. However, I encourage you to consider simple goals like achieving a technique that you've never tried …