Recording great-quality audio is no simple matter. Professional recording studios spend thousands (sometimes even millions) of dollars to set up acoustically superior sound rooms. I’m guessing you don’t have that kind of budgetary firepower handy,...

Each frame of video is identified using a number called a timecode. When you edit video on your computer, timecode identifies the exact places where you make edits. On your camcorder, a timecode indicator tells you how much video has been recorded...

Most camcorders have a handy zoom feature. A zoom lens is basically a lens with an adjustable focal length. A longer lens — also called a telephoto lens —makes far-away subjects appear closer. A shorter lens — also called a wide angle lens — allows...

Jennifer Dudley-NicholsonWEDDINGS, parties and anything worth remembering will be filmed this year in a revolution spawned by a flood of tiny, advanced and inexpensive camcorders.Even more camera makers are jumping on to the latest trend in video...

Moving the camera across a scene is called panning. You’ll often see home videos that are shot while the person holding the camcorder pans the camera back-and-forth and up-and-down, either to follow a moving subject or to show a lot of things that...

Once your camcorder is configured and set up the way you want it, it’s time to start shooting some video. Yay! One of the most important things you’ll want to work on as you shoot video is to keep the image as stable as possible. Your camcorder...

Perhaps the most important tip I can give you before you shoot your video is this: Know your camera. Even today’s least expensive digital camcorders are packed with features that were wildly advanced (and expensive) just a few years ago. Most digital...

Virtually all modern camcorders include automatic exposure and focus controls. Automation is really handy most of the time, but it’s not perfect. If you always rely on auto focus, you will inevitably see the lens “hunting” for the right setting...

Your camcorder can probably accept some lens filters which screw on in front of the lens. Filters can be used to improve various lighting situations. For example, if you are shooting outdoors in a brightly sunlit location, you may find that colors...

Among the most common lighting problems you’ll encounter when you shoot video are backlit situations. Backlit images occur when a relatively dark subject is shot against a relatively light background. The automatic exposure control in the camera...

Sometimes you may find that a light you’re using to illuminate a subject is too intense. This is especially common with key lights. If all you’re getting is a glaring white spot on your subject’s face, you can diffuse the light by putting something...

Shining a light directly on a subject is not necessarily the best way to illuminate it. You can often get a more diffuse, flattering effect by bouncing light off a reflective surface. You can make reflectors out of a variety of materials, depending...

Professional photographers and videographers typically use several different lights of varying type and intensity. Multiple light sources provide more control over shadows and image detail, and different kinds of lights have different affects. Lights...

My guess is that most of your video “shoots” will actually be pretty informal affairs, where you basically record an event that was scheduled to happen whether you brought your camcorder or not. Thus, you may have a hard time convincing everyone...

For the purposes of shooting video, light can be subdivided into two categories:good light and bad light. Good light allows you to see your subject, and it flatters your subject by exposing details you want shown. Good light doesn’t completely eliminate...

Like a photograph, a great video image must be thoughtfully composed. Start by evaluating the type of shot you plan to take. Does the shot include people, landscapes, or some other subject? Consider what kind of tone or feel you want to achieve....

If you’re like me, most of your video shoots will actually be pretty informal, so assigning a director, sound engineer, and key grip probably seems a little silly. Besides, people who are formally assigned to such jobs will want special T-shirts...