| With the powerful, yet easy to use video editing | | | | commercials, where each scene only lasts 3 |
| software on the market today, it's easy to just | | | | seconds. Some software will allow the program |
| shoot, drop it in the editor, and burn it to a disk. | | | | itself to break up any video file into several |
| What's even easier is ending up with mediocre | | | | scenes, either by a detection algorithm, or by a |
| results. With just a little more attention you can | | | | set time span. Most can do this automatically. |
| turn average into spectacular. Most standard video | | | | * Edit edit edit. Good film making results in a fairly |
| editors, such as the one that comes bundled into | | | | cluttered cutting room floor. Don't be afraid to |
| Windows, Microsoft's Movie Maker, have many | | | | edit out uncle Henry's silly dance. Consider editing |
| features that, if used with some restraint, can | | | | out any really noticeable camera shakes. The idea |
| help polish the finished product. With a little | | | | is communicate the overall event or experience, |
| planning and some time spent in planning before | | | | not to record every single detail. |
| compiling, you can make some memorable videos, | | | | * Visual presentations must sound right. If you |
| and enhance your memories and your video | | | | underestimate the power of sound, try watching |
| records. | | | | a movie without the sound. You probably won't |
| Here are some general rules that I like to follow: | | | | last five minutes. Most of us live in a world filled |
| * Keep it simple; a well-thought out five minute | | | | with sound, and your videos should pay as much |
| video is far more effective than a thirty-minute, | | | | attention to the sound as any other feature. You |
| no cuts, no-breaks-taken video. It's OK to think in | | | | should consider an audio editor program that will |
| terms of chapters and to make each one a | | | | allow you to do several things; you should be able |
| separate file. You can always combine them into | | | | to strip out the original sound; you should be able |
| longer works. | | | | to overdub, or add your voice to the recorded |
| * Keep everything simple; pick just a few | | | | video sound track; you should be able to enhance |
| transitions and reuse them sparingly; avoid the | | | | your voiceovers or the original sound. Video |
| temptation to apply all those radical filters. If you | | | | recorders are not the best sound recorders. |
| choose to use a special effect, use it once and | | | | *Titles, not family genealogies. Titles are a very |
| make it count. If you are using still images, a | | | | effective tool; they can set the mood, position |
| simple fade transition works best. | | | | the presentation, and focus attention. They should |
| * Choose a reasonable scene length. If you shoot | | | | be brief and this is one place where it's OK to get |
| ten minutes of video without pause, experiment | | | | a little crazy/creative. Slide in, fly out, different |
| with breaking it up into much shorter clips. Avoid | | | | colors, interesting typefaces, go for it. Just don't |
| the 3-second rule currently in vogue in | | | | overdo it. |