How to Make Great Home Videos

When most people try to capture a moment on video, they simply grab the camera and hit “record.” Sometimes, they’ll manage to create a video that will be treasured as long as it exists, but when they don’t take any precautions, they risk being left with nothing more than bad footage that’s hardly worth watching. Thankfully, there are things you can do to ensure that your family and friends have a true gem to watch for generations to come.

You can prepare yourself for making a great home video by making sure you are familiar with the operation of your camcorder including the main controls you will commonly use. Flip through the manual and then practice filming if you have never done so before.

When the moment comes that you find yourself frantically trying to capture that perfect moment, calm yourself and begin filming. Take notice of the surroundings including lighting and external noises. If possible, try to create a good setting for filming. Since you’re familiar with your camera, decide if there are any settings that could be changed to enhance the shot given the conditions. Generally speaking, the eyepiece will give you a much better view of what you’re filming than the flip screen, so use this when adjusting settings.

As you film, try to hold every shot for at least ten seconds. It might feel unnatural at first, but when you watch the footage back, you’ll thank yourself. It’s much more engaging to be able to watch people’s expressions and get a feel for the surroundings than to be bombarded with rapid fire sequences of quick moving shots with seemingly no connection. A carefully-filmed home video retells the story of the moment for generations.