Be prepared for shooting
Before you get to your shooting location, check to see whether you have all the necessary accessories; tape, cables, extra battery, tripod. The next part of the process is thinking about what to shoot and how to go about it.
Zooming and panning
Practice a zoom or panning shot before pressing the record button. Set the camcorder on a tripod or a steady surface. Work out where the movement will start and end. This gives the shot a self-contained feel and makes editing a lot easier.
Handheld shooting
When taking hand-held shots of fast-moving action, hold the camcorder rigidly and keep your elbows tucked into your sides.
Getting close-up
If you're shooting a scene for which you know you'll need a very quick cutaway, try to monitor the recording with one-eye and survey cutaway possibilities with the other.
Shooting cutaways
You should not have any loss if your home movie was in the digital format, mini DV, or digital 8, however, if the movie was in an analog format, there may be a slight loss, which is hardly noticeable, once it is digitizes and author to DVD.
Over the shoulder shoots
When shooting over the shoulder of people, it's vital that you don't attempt to zoom around while recording. A static shot allows the scene to develop naturally.
Point of view shots
When taking a pov, it's not absolutely necessary for you to be in exactly the same position as the people doing the observing, it helps with the illusion.
Composition shoots
When composing shots of people, avoid cutting off at the elbow. Get the entire person from head to toe.
Sound recording
When recording speech with only your camcorder's built-in microphone, get as close as you can to your subject. Sound quality deteriorates rapidly after moving away only a few feet.
Organizing your tapes
Write a unique index number to every videotape, tape case and index in order to make searches easier. You can also record this in front of the tape like a clapperboard.
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