The holidays are in full swing! As a videographer, there’s no doubt you’ve made sure your camera is charged, stocked and ready to capture the holiday cheer. Unfortunately, your family members don’t share your movie-making enthusiasm. They duck and dodge, and do everything within their power to avoid being caught on tape. The normally rowdy children become strangely quiet and reserved. Luckily, there are ways to avoid another family video full of hand-covered faces and people frantically dodging out of frame.

First and foremost, Turn off the camera’s tally light! Though the little red light on your camera may remind you of Rudolph’s red nose, it’s reminding your family members that they’re being recorded. If you can’t turn your tally light off, place a small piece of black electrical tape over it. Also, having your camera on from the get-go will allow your family and guests plenty of time to relax and forget the camera is even there.

When videotaping children get down on their level. Take a knee (rather, two knees for proper handheld techniques), and not only will your camera seem less threatening, but you’ll also be able to capture the world from their perspective. Allow the children a chance to shoot some video of their own (under your supervision, of course). Once they see how much fun a camcorder can be they’ll be less likely to shy away when it’s pointed at them. Read the rest of this entry »

How many of us have received homemade gifts over the years and wondered why someone would take the time and effort to make THAT? I still have the hand-made “Santa’s Workshop Tissue Holder” I received a few years ago because I felt guilty disposing of it.

Here’s an idea, though, where your homemade gift can be the most appreciated gift of all: dub those old VHS tapes onto DVD  quickly and easily, and if you have time, even edit out the bad stuff.

SAVE IT!
Those memories are precious, you need to get moving to save them while you can. After all, those special memories are going to be memories only, if someone doesn’t save them. I’m quite passionate about this because I have had every photo, video, and treasure I owned and grew up with destroyed in a flash. My childhood memories and the memories of my son’s childhood are only that: memories. There is no video. There are no photos. Don’t let this happen to you!

Even if you have the video on VHS, how long with it last? Video quality degradation becomes apparent within a few years and videotape breaks down every time you play it. Older tapes lose their protective coating, which can flake off into your VCR every time its played, perhaps rendering the VCR unusable over time, too.
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