PRINTLights, camera, travel
Capture the fleeting moments of fun
Illustration: Kaitlin Kuhl
March 13, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
The lake might have perfectly reflected the bright blue sky, but it was probably not the only story deserving the camera’s attention. Uncle Harvey sported his polka-dot trunks and shouted “Cannonball!” But if the camcorder is turned off too early, all that’s left is the same image found on every nearby postcard display. Here are a few tips from Vox on how to bring home a vacation video that won’t collect dust on your shelf.
You’re part of the story, too.
MacXprts co-owner Duane Burghard says the specifics depend on the software, but here is the basic process for creating a professional video:
Import the video and watch it.
Delete sections you don’t want.
Add transitions, titles, credits — whatever you want.
Play with the audio. Turn it down and play music over a scene.
Or try scrolling some dialogue over a blank screen.
Save, save, save. Posting it online? The file size should be small. Burning to a DVD? It needs to be bigger.
Understanding camera specs
Splurging on a camcorder but can’t understand the jargon on the box? Here are the basics of deciphering some important terms.
What’s in a chip: Three-chip cameras show colors sharper than single-chip cameras do. This helps avoids “dot crawl,” in which floating pixels create movement around the subjects or create lines between colors. Picture the nation’s flag swaying with pink lines between the red and white stripes.
Bring in the light: The larger the image sensors, the less light they need to perform well. One-third inch sensors perform well in both dark and light settings, which is handy for sudden twists in a vacation adventure. They also make the outer parts of the screen less grainy. One-sixth inch sensors will work in broad daylight.
Be still: Image stabilizers counter your unintended movements. If you move slightly in one direction, the stabilizer moves the same amount in the other. Basically, if you use these internal stabilizing mechanisms, you can leave the tripod at home.
--source: Carl Evans
- Packing to please
- Cross-continental cuisine
- Off the map
- Rounding the bases
- A day of big eats on the bayou
- Building the skyline of a city
- Far-out festivals
- Race to the coast
- White-water rush
- Rocking across North America
- Around the world in 80 minutes
- Walkin' the line in Tennesse
- Art Mecca of the West
- Stephens College Faculty Show
- Brooklyn, where New York starts
- Colombia’s walled city
- Literary Travel Writing
- Montreal rendez-vous
- Movie Travel Guide
- Social Networking
- Art break: Get out and walk around
- Couchsurfing
- Streetside Chatter
There’s usually one person in every group who needs to step out from behind the camera once in a while, says Beth Pike, local freelance television producer for programs such as Entertainment Tonight and NBC News. “Give the camera to someone else,” she says. “Someday somebody may want to see you on camera.”
Don’t make the viewer nauseated.
For the sake of the audience, Pike says to lay off the panning and zooming functions while recording: After a while, they’ll just get dizzy. Instead, zoom in and pan out before filming each shot.
Be prepared to use special features.
It pays to know every capability of a camera, such as the night-shot setting, says Carl Evans, assistant manager of camera sales at Columbia Photo. He says this setting enabled him to film a spirit orb, the energy of a spirit in a circular shape, while on a ghost tour in New Orleans. He keeps the images of the orb in an external hard drive in his pocket. The night-shot setting would fit other adventures such as hikes through dim caves.
Consider editing.
Using even basic software such as iMovie or Windows MovieMaker gives more control over the final product (See our steps to the right).
Don’t overuse the software.
Fade-ins, dissolves and other transitions edited into the video can help tell the story creatively, but only when used in moderation, says Duane Burghard, co-owner of The MacXprts Network, who films his own vacations. “What ends up happening is that your home movie project ends up becoming a technological demo of what your program can do,” he says.
Cast a wide net.
When the record button is on, keep it there. Kansas City filmmaker and wedding videographer Ty Jones says shoot as much as you can. Jones records nearly 10 hours of footage for each wedding and only uses 40 minutes of the best material. And don’t stop filming too early. “As the family is getting into the car, let people get into the car, shut the doors and then stop,” Jones suggests.
Mistakes are all right.
Evans recalls a time he told his viewers, “Look at this!” and then realized he forgot to remove his lens cap, which left his audience looking at a black screen and wondering what was so wonderful.
Even if a hovering spirit or rousing uncle isn’t part of your next vacation, keep the film rolling, step out from behind the camera and edit carefully for a memorable keepsake.
