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March 2007

How to Make a Great Home Video

Sometimes it feels like your kids walk out the door to go to kindergarten and come back with a college degree. A great way to cherish every moment, capture memories and give you something to reminisce over is home videos. Camcorders also give you the power to create the perfect memories through different lighting, settings and subjects.

“Videos are a great way to show out-of-town friends and extended family how much your children have grown,” says Melissa Stanton, founder of Highlight Reel.

Here she shares some tips on how to make sure you get the most out of your video recorder:

• Light The Way. Be sure to get a good balance of natural light, but be sure that the light is positioned correctly—behind you (the videographer). Light behind your subject will make him/her appear dark with indistinguishable features.
  
  “Try to take your shots in the daytime hours outdoors or in rooms with lots of natural light… your footage will be cleaner and brighter and your camera will be able to auto-focus better,” says Melissa.

• To enhance the quality and overall watch-ability of the video, don’t move around too much while taping. Obviously it is important to get different angles, but press pause before shifting. When panning, move very slowly and steadily. Zooming in and out can make the footage more complex, but it must be done slowly as well—otherwise your footage will be choppy.
  
  “The key is before you start filming, practice zooming in and out slowly until you get the feel for it,” says Melissa.

• Another way to make the video more enjoyable and easier to watch is by taking it from the point of view of your kids.
  
  “It is best to tape at the eye level of your subject… The top of their heads are cute, but their sweet little faces are much cuter!” explains Melissa.

• Once you’ve got the hang of videography, it’s important to remember to save and organize your footage. Immediately save and label the tape and place a new tape in the camera for next time. In addition, try to get your kids on tape once a month, not just for big events such as birthdays and holidays, so that you film your kids as they grow.
  
  “At the end of a year of filming, you’ll have a collection of all the moments that have made the year great,” says Melissa.

To find out more about making home videos, and having a video or photo montage made, visit www.highlight-reel.com or e-mail Melissa at highlightreel@comcast.net.