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| Take videos like a professional |
| Priyanka Joshi / Mumbai May 24, 2010, 00:16 IST |
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There are so many reasons for one to own a camcorder today: Relive your memories later; or share your adventures with friends online; or simply show-off your expensive holiday abroad.
Today, thanks to digital video cameras and video conversion software, you can make a holiday video that will leave a big impression and permanent memories down the road — all with just a small camcorder. But you need to ensure the quality of the visuals too. Here’s how:
Invest in a good digital camcorder
The new breed of compact digital camcorders is excellent and extremely affordable, starting at Rs 6,000. Buy a high-definition video camera for capturing the best visual quality, but be sure to get ample storage in the form of memory cards (Rs 1,000 onwards), so that you don’t run out of space while recording your vacation. Spare some time to read the manuals carefully so that you fully understand the features the camcorder offers. It is advisable to keep an extra pack of batteries handy while vacationing and remember to charge the camcorder every night. Also, remember to carry the necessary cables that will help you upload the videos to sharing portals online or transfer to a laptop or an external hard drive.
Don’t overdo the zoom/pan
Amateurs often overuse thezoom feature while shooting. The end result can be extremely distracting for viewers (it also drains the battery faster). If you must zoom, first put the camcorder on pause, zoom in, turn the camcorder on, and turn it off again when you switch to another scene. Similarly, panning should be done in slow motion. New videographers are tempted to pan because they now have a 360-degree view of the room, rather than a limited still picture format. But, they tend to pan much too quickly. If you must pan, it is advised that you do it slowly, keeping your camcorder steady.
Stay well-lit
Indoor shoots have big problems with backlighting and shadows. So, film outside as much as possible. Many cameras offer settings that can be used in low-light situations. This is where knowing your camera’s features comes in handy, especially when you are forced to shoot in low or poorly-lit situations. Always look at how the light is falling on your subject, and set up the shot for an optimum look. Be aware of shadows and dark spaces.
Convert video to compact files
Convert holiday videos to FLVs (Flash Videos) — if your camcorder does not do it automatically — as these are easily distributable, have a fast loading speed and play smoothly. FLV is the standard format for online videos now. So, if you plan to show your holiday videos on YouTube, Facebook or on personal blogs, it will be better if you convert them to the FLV format.
Edit videos for a smooth finish
There are several free video editors that can be used, like Wax, Avid FreeDV, WinDVD Creator, etc, besides the pre-loaded ones for Windows PC (Microsoft Movie Maker) and Apple computers (Apple iMovie). Usually, the same software that you use to edit your home video will also allow you to add a DVD menu to the finished production. What you do is just add the video file to the background and the DVD menu creator will then create a menu for that particular video segment. It treats each video segment as a ‘chapter’. Some programs actually have an automatic menu creation feature. It attempts to detect chapters in your movie by looking for pauses in your video and then creates chapters for these video segments.
Many cameras, and most recent ones, have a ‘flying erase head’, which means you can start recording, hit stop, and then start recording again at will. When you watch the tape, you will see seamless cuts rather than a fuzzy glitch every time you stopped and started the machine. These flying erase heads make it possible for you to actually “edit” your videos on the fly during filming itself.
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