The Rise of the Short and Sweet Digital Video
You may have long-since given up on shooting what was once called home video.
These days home video is part of our daily lives. Smartphones make it easy to shoot and instantly share short video clips. Tiny point and shoot cameras can be used to create high quality videos as well as still photographs.
It’s easy for everyone
Videos have become a much bigger part of the communication process because they can take you into the action as it's happening. Get out of the mindset of epic home movies.
Small, capable tools
Smart phones are the tool of choice for short videos. Shoot a video on a smart phone and you can immediately send it to a friend or upload it to Facebook for all your friends to see.
Gone are the days when your video camera was such a big barge that you only hauled it out once or twice a year. Point and shoot cameras drop into your pocket or bag for instant use. You can upload your clips from your computer.
Easy to share
One popular outlet for all the video that's being produced is YouTube (YouTube.com).
Not only can you leapfrog all the trial-and-error annoyance by watching the right YouTube video, you can help other people do the same. If you have a bent toward pedagogy, you can create and upload your own YouTube videos to help people out.
The “big tools” are small too
The third leg of the consumer video triumvirate is the digital SLR.
The digital SLRs have much larger sensors and can be used with interchangeable lenses with narrower depth of field. This enables the videographer to isolate the subject from the background, make it stand out from everything else.
So, Shoot it – Show it – Send it. You don't have to belabor the editing unless you enjoy doing that. A compelling subject trumps mediocre video and lousy audio. Have a blast.
Tips for the novice
· Keep it simple.... read the entire story in the April May issue of Prime Times at http://issuu.com/coastalmags/docs/scpt_aprmay12
