Video Recordings
Video is unbeatable at capturing the physical side of life: what the kids looked like when they were growing up, the sound of people’s voices and laughter, crazy fashion trends, etc.
Many of the videography best practices are the same as photography. Most importantly, relax, have fun and let your family and friends’ personalities shine through!
Tips
- Ask your subjects' permission to shoot them and only shoot in areas where everyone has granted it. That way, you'll avoid the distraction of people trying to step out of the way.
- Minimize the use of zooms. Visually, it is far more interesting to physically move the camera (smoothly) when trying to get closer or further away from a subject than to zoom.
- Pan very slowly to avoid the annoyance of "jumping" images. Remember, camera moves will seem exaggerated when viewed.
- Tape people when they are not aware of you. Posing is painfully obvious to the viewer.
- Add music and a "voice over," describing the action to transform amateur footage into an entertaining program — something you'll take pride in showing.