If you use a tripod with a tilt and pan fluid head then this a great tip. A lot of the cheaper tripods which you might want to use with your Flip Camera don’t offer the smoothest of rides! So It’s really hard to get a nice gentle pan or tilt.
Watch the video to see how a rubber band can come to the rescue!
I normally feature good videos on this blog, but for a change I thought I’d do the opposite! A little provocative I know, but I’m wondering if you can learn to make good videos from watching problem videos? What do you think?
There are a few issues here:
The sound is poor as the kitchen acoustics aren’t great and as the Son is quiet. I recommend investing in a seperate Audio recorder to capture the audio and buying a clip on Mic. One mic placed on the right hand lapel of Mum would also be close enough to the Kid to pick him up too. Getting the Mic in close will lose some of the thin sound quality that comes when you use an in-built Mic at distance.
I advise using a shaving/make-up mirror positioned behind the camera so you can see the composition and avoid edging out of frame.
My main issue about this video is a lack of cutaways. I really want to see the food close up, after all that’s the main subject. So after shooting the wide shot, get the camera in closer on a tripod and just shoot the food in hand shots again on a medium close up to edit in seemlessly later. (Always note which hand is used when you shoot the first take!) Read the rest of this entry »
I’ve just been looking over a bunch of family videos I’ve shot over the past couple of months. Most aren’t artistic or prize winners they are just good memories. Three birthdays including my own yesterday (!) and many visits to the park with the Kids.
Many of these videos I’m never going to edit, there isn’t enough time to edit everything. Instead I have, as the phrase goes, tried to ‘edit in camera’. This means being selective of what you shoot and knowing when to start and when to stop.
So you don’t hit record until things really start happening in front of the Camera, no wastage by shooting the floor or before your subjects are ready. Then not letting the footage drag on, once you’ve got your Kids coming down the slide a couple of times, do you really need to see it six more times? Read the rest of this entry »
A quick Flip Video filming tip for you. If you are shooting Video with the intention of editing then don’t be too hasty with the Record button.
Often shots need a few seconds (a handle) of spare footage at start an end to breathe on screen and to get the viewer used to what is on screen.
In some cases, like cutting fast to music, you need the option of cutting tight on the shot or to leave it a little longer on screen at top or tail.
So hit Record, leave running, count to 5, now you are getting the killer shots then when you think you’ve got the footage, count to 5 (or 10 is better if you have time) then stop recording.
Doing this gives yourself options in the Edit.
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What’s a Wii strap doing on a Flip blog? Thanks to Neil Williams for this tip.
If you’re brave enough to let your Kids shoot with your Flip Video Camera then you might want to invest in a Nintendo Wii wrist strap. Unlike the regular Flip strap the Wii strap can be tightened around your Kids’ wrist to stop the poor Flip from smashing to the floor.
I spotted these 2 videos about how to shoot with a Flip Video and How to upload Flip Video to Youtube. I’m sharing them as much for the cool use of animation as the content.
There are some useful tips included. I would make one modification though. When shooting with the Flip I don’t recommend shooting one handed. I advise holding out both your arms, grip the Flip in one hand and use your second hand clasped around your wrist to act like a steadicam. Also lock your elbows to your waist by resting them on you abs!
Flip Video cameras can be seen here at Amazon UK
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