This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
There's a reason your friends groan when they have to sit and watch your home movies.
They're blurry, shaky, and did you really have to stick with that one long shot of your kid for the entire violin solo?
For a hapless audience, there's no escape. But for home-video filmmakers, trust us: You can make a better movie.
The holidays are coming up, and your entire family is ready for its close-up, Mr. DeMille. So you ought to be prepared, too.
If you're out shopping for a new video camera to capture precious holiday memories, here's what to look for. Plus, we've collected shooting tips to help amateur cinematographers be more like Spielberg.
There are three types of camcorders to shoot video:
Flip-style pocket cameras • Flip, Kodak and others produce pocket-sized camcorders that record video on built-in flash-based memory. The advantage to these new style of cameras is they're inexpensive (around $150), shoot in high definition and are easy to use. Everything's automated, and all the user has to do is press the button and aim. Some even come complete with editing software. But efficient size and price aside, these don't produce the best video and aren't the best under low-light situations.
Still cameras • The newest technology trend is video recording built into still compact cameras. Canon and Nikon are the top manufacturers, followed by Sony, Fuji, Minolta and Kodak cameras. These range in price from about $150 to $250 for 10- to 12-megapixel photographs, but they also produce excellent high-def video.
The downside is the sound is in mono, and they're only average in low-light conditions. Yet they're great all-in-one cameras that allow you to shoot pictures or video with the flip of a switch.
If you want better video quality, then you should splurge: A digital SLR camera from Canon or Nikon that also shoots video costs upwards of $1,000 or more. High-end SLR cameras — with interchangeable lenses — now are designed to shoot top-notch video and are being used by professionals for video productions.
Camcorders • Companies like Sony, Panasonic and Canon still make camcorders dedicated to shooting video. Instead of recording on videotape, they now use built-in hard drives, flash memory or SD cards.
The benefit is they work well in low light, though they lack the convenience of still cameras. You then can copy the video either to DVD or a computer, or upload the video to services like YouTube.
While shopping for a video camera, remember that the most important feature is how good is the sensor that captures the light. Bigger, more expensive cameras will have better sensors that can record more light.
Tips for shooting video • Getting a good camera is meaningless if you don't know how to handle it.
We collected some tips from professional videographers — Ryan Hinman of Salt Lake City-based Ryan Hinman Films, and Dustin Allen of Reflection Wedding Productions in Ogden — to keep you from making the next "Heaven's Gate."
• If you're planning to shoot an event, like a party, think about telling a story or presenting a theme. "Give it some kind of story that involves the viewer more than just rehashing the event," Hinman said.
• Whenever possible, use existing natural light. Know the lighting in the area you're filming and avoid shooting directly into any light source. Also avoid movie lights, which can make the scenes look flat.
• Avoid zooming in and out in a single shot, one of the most common problems with bad filming. If you want to get closer, start the shot zoomed in and pull out, but never back and forth. Also try walking toward the subject sometimes instead of zooming.
• Don't swing the camera from person to person, which can create a nauseating effect for the viewer, what Allen calls the "Bourne Identity" effect for that movie's use of the "shaky cam" technique. If you have time, stop recording and reposition yourself before shooting again instead of just swinging the camera from subject to subject.
• Most amateur filmmakers don't edit their footage after shooting it. If you're not planning to edit your footage later, then consider keeping each shot short or "editing in camera." Keep each shot anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds, unless you're filming a recital or performance in which you want to record everything. Longer shots tend to get boring quickly.
Putting it all together • To edit the raw footage afterward, Apple's iMovie software, included free with every Mac computer, does a complete job while keeping the functions simple. For more creativity, Final Cut Express ($200) offers more features.
For PC owners, Allen recommends Adobe's Premiere Elements, an $80 version of its professional editing software that's easy to use but full-featured. Most professionals recommend staying away from the Windows Movie Maker editing program built into the operating system.
vince@sltrib.com. Twitter: twitter.com/ohmytech.