Monkeys and Penguins, Oh My!

Here's a short piece from our visit to the Saginaw Zoo. I thought I would try a POV(point of view) shot. Basically, it's when you show viewers what's happening from the perspective of the subject. In this, it's the shot coming across a fun little bridge at the zoo that shakes and wobbles as you cross it. I added a little extra camera movement to emphasize it. Perhaps, a bit much. Oh well, it's all about learning from our mistakes.

The trouble with tridges

So......here's a quick look at the Tridge in Midland, Michigan. It's a unique three-pronged bridge spanning two rivers. To help your vacation video, feel free to do a little narration behind your video. Just grab some tourist brochures to give you the information and then record a little video as you read it. You can then strip the audio our or, if you look better on-camera than I do, treat it as an opportunity for a little screen time.

Vacation Video:Dow Gardens

Here's a short piece from our visit to Dow Gardens in Midland,Michigan. Today's tip involves the length of individual shots within the piece. It's a simple tip. Keep the shots short, a few seconds at most unless you have something really dramatic to show. Doing so will move the video along much better but will require you to shoot a greater variety of shots while in the field.

Tawas Lighthouse

Yes.....time for more vacation video. Here's a brief look at the lighthouse in Tawas, Michigan. Pretty cool and only two dollars to enter. The view from the top is great. When shooting something like this, shoot wide shots(overalls), tight shots(details) and try to different pans and zooms, since your subject is static. For audio, have someone at the attraction describe it(you can strip the audio out), or, if you get lazy like I did, just whip something out in Garage Band. What's a "home vacation movie" without a cheesy soundtrack?

Vacation Video Tips 1

So, since I'm on vacation, and shooting video, I thought I would offer some simple advice to make your vacation videos better. The previous post talked about keeping it simple. You're on vacation, not making "Citizen Kane". So don't go too crazy.....except in the editing process. Keep your videos simple, themed and short. No more than 2-3 minutes. Here's a small example from the 2009 Bavarian Festival parade. It features a few of the many different musical performances......everything from fife and drum to calliope music.Look for more later this week.

Vacation Video

Here's a little video, shot with the Flip, from Frankenmuth, Michigan. The Flip is great when traveling because you don't draw unnecessary attention with a big, high-speed camera.

Stitches of Comfort

We often find ourselves at awards presentations that are important because they recognize good people doing good for others. However, the visuals at these are often, well, less than enthralling. So, why not get video/stills of the people doing what earned them the recognition? I know, not an original concept. But one that is increasingly being overlooked with tighter schedules and leaner staffing. Shoot video at both and weave the two together to tell the story. Here's my first attempt.

Let them Eat.....PIE!!!!!!!!

What's a little serving of egg good for if you can't follow it up with dessert. So, time for a little pie in the face. Not everything we do at the paper would qualify as "journalism". Sometimes, it's just fun. Fortunately, I found a great subject who provided great audio that helps move the piece along quite nicely. Enjoy

Jittery Joe's Video Cafe

A quick word of advice. Forget the venti latte if you're planning shooting video within a few hours. The video is a wee bit wobbly......but hey, how often do you get a chance to see someone getting egged.

"Say hello to my little friend"

Just a quick post to introduce "my little friend." It's a FLIP Ultra video camera. I've posted a little video I shot from a local skateboard park and edited in iMovie. All in all, it's a very simple process.If you have one, just remember not to use the zoom. It's a digital(not optical) zoom and thuse not very high quality. Just get closer to your subject. Forgive me for not posting in a while. It was a crazy fall, filled with short-staffing and long days. But, I have returned.