Merry Christmas iTunes!

December 31, 2006 by Kim · Leave a Comment 

Hitwise, an online competitive intelligence service, reported that Apple’s iTunes’ website visits jumped more than 400% on Christmas Day, compared to Christmas Day 2005. They attribute the rise in visits to all the new iPod owners trying to download the latest version of iTunes.

iTunes is a great place to grab music and podcasts for your iPod. However, it’s also a great place to get music for your home video scrapbooks. Please be aware that most of the music you download is copyrighted and you can only use it for personal use. For example, you should not put copyrighted music on your videos if you plan to sell them, create multiple copies, stream them on the internet, etc. Make sure you read and follow all the copyright rules when downloading and using music. You can easily find this information on the iTunes website.

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Example of iSight Time Lapse Feature

December 28, 2006 by Kim · 2 Comments 

I created a Christmas video using the iSight camera on my Apple iMac desktop. I then edited it in iMovie. It only took me about 30 minutes to edit this project.

Here’s how to create a time lapse video.

To record the video:

  1. Open iMovie.
  2. Click the camera icon (below the viewing area) and select Time Lapse.
  3. Click the Capture 1 Frame For Every ## Frames of Video check box.
  4. In the ## area, select the appropriate number. For my video, I selected 20
  5. Click OK.
  6. With the camera icon selected, select Record With iSight. The camera will start recording.
  7. When you are ready to stop recording, click Record With iSight again.

To add a title:

  1. Select the Editing button.
  2. In the top area, select the type of title you want to use.
  3. In the text area, type the text for your title.
  4. Click Add.

To add a voiceover:

  1. Go to the part of the video for which you want to add a voiceover.
  2. Click the Media button.
  3. To start recording, click the red circle.
  4. Start talking, singing, etc.
  5. To stop recording, click the red circle again.

The time lapse feature can be a lot of fun. Just use your imagination and you can come up with some great videos. You can set it up to record at your next party, sporting event, etc. If you have any more suggestions on how to use the time lapse feature, please leave a comment.

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Organizing Your MiniDV Tapes

December 26, 2006 by Kim · 1 Comment 

When my husband and I bought our first camcorder several years ago, we didn’t take time to label our miniDV tapes. This resulted in a huge drawer filled with miniDV tapes. We had no clue what was on each of them and were overwhelmed with the thought of having to go through all of them.

I decided that something had to be done about it or we would keep adding to the drawer and probably would never view these tapes again. So here’s what I did to start the huge organization task ahead of me.

Organize current tape(s)

First, I started with the tape that was currently in my camcorder. I labeled it S1 (for Source 1). I then bought a small notebook and created a log for my tapes. In the first column, I put the name of the tape (such as S1, S2, etc.). In the next column, I put the date/date range of the tape. In the next column I listed the contents of the tape and any special notes. I carry this notebook in my camera bag so I can update it when needed. I also created an Excel spreadsheet on my computer. Occasionally, I update this spreadsheet with the contents of the notebook for a backup.

Organize master tapes

When I finish editing a video on my computer, I always copy the video back to a master miniDV tape for safe storage. (I also create DVDs of the video for friends and family. However, it is best to archive the master on a miniDV tape.) I label these tapes M1, M2, etc. “M” stands for master copy. I created an Excel spreadsheet on my computer with the following columns so I know what is on each tape: Name (such as M1), Date(s), Contents of Tape, and Special Notes.

Organize old tapes

Next, I started organizing that overwhelming drawer full of tapes… which turned out to be a lot of fun. I enjoyed reminiscing about old times. I had almost forgotten how tiny my children were as babies. Before I labeled the tapes, I created an Excel spreadsheet with the following columns: Date(s), Contents, and Special Notes. As I watched each tape, I jotted down the appropriate information in each of the columns. Then, I labeled each tape according to the date it was created in the following format: 2002Jan-Feb. When I finished logging all the tapes, I was able to sort the columns based on date.

Storing tapes

Once I organized my tapes, I needed a safe place to store them. I also wanted them to be easily accessible if I ever needed to review them. I purchased a Bryco 50 Tape Mini DV Storage Rack

on Amazon that was perfect! It holds up to 50 tapes and you can easily view your labels on the spines of the tapes.

This storage rack easily fits in our home safe so I know my tapes are always safe from fire or water damage.

Do you have any tips?

If you have any other organization/storage tips you would like to share, please leave a comment. We would love to hear from you.

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Interview Techniques for your Video

December 24, 2006 by Kim · Leave a Comment 

Interviews are a great touch to most any video. For example, you can interview guests at a wedding, grandma or grandpa for your family reunion video, children at a birthday party, etc. This creates a special touch to your video presentation.

When interviewing people, try some of these techniques:

  • Never use the word interview because it tends to make the person nervous. Once you point a camera at them, they may lose their ability to talk.
  • Don’t make the person look into the camera. Instead place your camcorder on a tripod. Then, position yourself to the left or right of the camera and have the person talk to you. This is a technique that reporters use on television. The next time you watch the news, check it out.
  • Turn off the record light (LED) so it’s not a constant reminder that the person is being recorded. You can usually find this option in the menu of your camcorder.
  • Chat with the person to get them to relax. They will talk more naturally. You can always edit out the parts that you don’t want. It’s always better to get more video than you need if you can get them to relax.
  • Have a list of questions you want to ask. Work your questions into your conversation. You can always edit out your voice.
  • If possible, set up your camera prior to the interview and do a test run to make sure that the lighting and background look good on video.
  • Have fun! Your mood will set the tone for the video

    • If you have any other interview tips or comments you would like to share, please leave a comment.

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    A Special Announcement

    December 21, 2006 by Kim · 1 Comment 

    A friend of ours is a wedding videographer. He put this special video together to announce the upcoming arrival of his son. Check it out.

    Baby Announcement

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    Check out my new store!

    December 21, 2006 by Kim · Leave a Comment 

    I recently set up a new Video Scrapbooking store with product recommendations. Here you can find some great deals on computers, software, books, DVDs, and accessories for your Video Scrapbooking hobby. Check back often. I will continue to add new products weekly.

    To access, click here.

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    Easily Print Professional Looking CDs and DVDs

    December 18, 2006 by Kim · Leave a Comment 

    Throw out those awkward DVD labels. You can now print directly on DVDs with the Epson Stylus Photo R380 Inkjet Printer.

    I recently purchased this Epson printer and have had a blast printing directly on my DVDs. I used to get so frustrated printing my labels and then trying to apply them to my DVDs without wrinkling them. Plus, I always worried that the labels would come loose in my DVD player and ruin it. Well I’m not worried about that anymore.

    The Epson R380 comes with a special tray for your CDs and DVDs. You must use printable DVDs and CDs. This printer also prints beautiful photos.

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    Christmas 2006 Video Greetings from the Collins Family

    December 13, 2006 by Kim · Leave a Comment 

    I found the following Christmas Video Scrapbook on Google Video. This is a great example of how you can use title pages, music, transitions, photos, and video in your video scrapbook.

    This Video Scrapbook shows the behind the scenes footage of the Collins 2006 Christmas card. Great job Collins family!

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    Great Example of a Christmas Video Scrapbook

    December 11, 2006 by Kim · Leave a Comment 

    Have you thought about making a Christmas Video Greeting for your family and friends? Check out this video I found on Google Video. This video was created with 3D Photo Album and later edited with Pinnacle Studio software.

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    What is a Scene List?

    December 1, 2006 by Kim · Leave a Comment 

    Before you go on a video/photo shoot, take time to sketch a scene list to make sure you get all the footage you need. This process will save you time when you sit down to edit your video later on.

    For example, if you are going to create a Video Scrapbook of your child’s birthday party at McDonald’s, your scene list might look something like this:

    Need video and/or photos of this…

      • McDonald’s where the party will be held. You can use this photo at the beginning of your video scrapbook to show where the party was held.
      • Birthday boy or girl.
      • Birthday cake.
      • Balloons.
      • Child blowing out candles.
      • Child eating cake.
      • Child opening presents. Make sure you get those cute expressions!
      • Friends/family wishing the child a happy birthday. Briefly pull their friends aside and get them to say something special into the camera.
      • Children playing.
      • Ronald McDonald. If there’s a Ronald McDonald painted on the wall or if there’s a statue of him somewhere, make sure you get a photo or video of that. This will be a great filler for your video and will help set the scene.
      • Children leaving the party… which will be a great ending to the video.

        These are only a few suggestions to get you started. Be creative! The more you plan, the better the video will be.

        Also, think about what music you want to include in the Video Scrapbook prior to the event. Some of the lyrics of the song(s) might help you decide on different scenes.

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