Entries Tagged 'Thursday Thirteen' ↓

1. Epson Stylus Photo R380 Inkjet Printer
   This printer has to be one of the greatest inventions ever. Forget trying to use messy CD/DVD labels. This printer prints directly on CDs and DVDs. It includes a special tray that feeds CDs and DVDs into the printer. It also includes software where you can design whatever you want printed on the CD/DVD. You can even print photos on the CD/DVD.
2. Memorex DVD-R 16x 4.7GB 100 Pack Spindle Printable
   You can’t have the Epson printer without printable DVDs. I prefer Memorex DVD-R for all my projects.
3. The Little Digital Video Book
   This is a great little book for the video editing hobbyist. It provides lots of great tips for shooting and editing video. I seem to refer to my book a lot.
4. Canon ZR830 MiniDV Camcorder with 35x Optical Zoom
   I’ve had great luck with Canon camcorders. I’ve been using the Canon ZR80 for the past few years and it still works like a charm. So I’m sure the ZR830 has got to be even better than mine. This little consumer camcorder has gotten some great reviews.
5. Celestron Photo / Video Tripod
   If you shoot a lot of video, then you definitely need a tripod like this one. There’s a huge selection of tripods on the market. I have one similar to this one. I also have a smaller version of this one that easily folds up small enough to fit into my camera bag.
6. Canon PowerShot SD750 7.1MP Digital Elph Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)
   I bought this digital camera last month and have had so much fun with it. It’s very small and lightweight and takes some great pictures. When I’m out with my kids, I like to wear it around my neck or wrist so I don’t ever miss any photo opportunities. The zoom is not that great however. But I really don’t take many distant shots anyway. I usually take closeup shots of my kids. So it’s perfect for what I need it for.
7. Canon CanoScan 4400F Color Image Scanner (1306B002)
   This is a great little scanner that will scan your photos, 35 mm film, and slides.
8. Apple iMac Desktop with 20″ Display MA876LL/A (2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)
   I absolutey LOVE LOVE LOVE my iMac.
9. Apple iLife ‘06 (Mac DVD) [OLDER VERSION]
   Apple recently introduced iLife ‘08. However, I am not crazy about it because the completely revamped iMovie. iLife ‘06 includes the older version of iMovie which has lots of great themes and is so easy to use. With iLife ‘06, you also get iPhoto and iDVD.
10. Adobe Premiere Elements 4
    If you’re a PC user, then I recommend Adobe Premiere Elements for your video editing needs. I also have a copy of this on my laptop and have created some great home videos with it.
11. Videomaker Magazine
    This magazine is geared more towards the video professional. However, the video hobbyist can still get a lot of great information out of it. Oh how I wish someone would start a great magazine for the hobbyist…
12. Israel Hyman of Izzy Video
    Here you can find short, easy-to-understand video tutorials that show you how to shoot and edit better video.
13. YouTube
    Upload your videos for free and share them with friends and family around the world.

YouTube is by far the most popular video sharing service on the internet, followed by Google Video. But did you realize there are hundreds of other video sharing services out there? It seems like more and more pop up every day.

Here’s a list of 13 other video sharing services that I’ve discovered:

1. blip.tv
2. Clipshack
3. Crackle
4. Dabble
5. Dailymotion
6. Eyespot
7. Jumpcut
8. Ourmedia
9. Revver
10. Veoh
11. Videoegg
12. Vimeo
13. vSocial

If you have a favorite video sharing service that I have omitted, please leave a comment with a link to that site and tell us why you like that site.

1. Shoot from unusual angles. For example, stand on a chair and video down on your little ghosts and goblins. Or, get down low on the floor and video up.
2. To add an eerie effect, turn on a black light.
3. Place a flashlight or spotlight on the floor and angle it up on your ghosts and goblins. The lights will place some unnatural shadows on your subjects.
4. Use some dry ice to add the effect of fog. Make sure it’s not within reach of children because it can be dangerous. If you don’t have dry ice, some video editing software has a fog (or smoke) effect you can apply.
5. Get lots of footage. Don’t just get video of the trick-or-treating. You should also video them putting on their costumes, eating Halloween dinner, carving a pumpkin, enjoying a special family tradition, dumping out their candy on the floor, and enjoying their first piece of Halloween candy. To end your video, record them asleep in their beds.
6. Get some establishing shots, such as street signs, buildings, and decorations to put at the beginning of your video.
7. Eliminate any distracting sounds if possible. Turn off the tv or radio. You can add music later while editing.
8. Plan your video in advance so you will know what to shoot.
9. Use a tripod if you plan to zoom a lot.
10. If you’re planning on wearing a lot of makeup, place your camcorder on a tripod and use the time-lapse feature to video the process of putting on the makeup. You can also use the iSight if you have a Mac.
11. Make sure your camcorder and any extra batteries are fully charged.
12. Always record at least 5 seconds before and after the shot you want. That way, you will have room to edit later.
13. Read this great article about shooting video in the dark.