| So you have bought a camcorder and have shot | | | | has no idea what everyday life in your world is like. |
| some footage, but truthfully you don't much like the | | | | Perhaps instead of a pen-pal on the other side of the |
| results. Maybe I can help. My advice is based on ten | | | | world, you need to imagine that grandchildren 50 years |
| years of looking over people's shoulders at my | | | | from now will be watching and enjoying your footage |
| business, the Video Kitchen in Louisville Kentucky, | | | | -- they need to see more than this year's Christmas |
| where people transfer old home movies, duplicate | | | | tree or a collage of unidentified faces all wedged |
| video tapes they've shot, and edit their raw footage. | | | | together at the end of a table.If traveling and touring |
| My staff and I see a lot of mistakes being made. | | | | about, consider being rebellious -- don't shoot a video |
| Other times we see exciting footage shot by an | | | | that the travel industry would want to buy, don't try to |
| amateur who claims to have no education in the art of | | | | outdo the shots on the picture postcards, don't come |
| videography. What makes the difference? Lots of | | | | back with hours of footage of old churches and great |
| things. I'll cover a few of the biggest issues here.Let's | | | | overlooks. Instead, shoot the little things that are |
| start with a test: What's the easiest thing to teach a | | | | different: the tacky, the elegant, the ugly, the glamorous. |
| kid to do? Is it to feed itself, to go to the bathroom in | | | | Get kids at play, beggars on the sidewalk, strange |
| the toilet, to walk, to talk? . . . No, none of those | | | | trucks, painted front doors, signs that tell you that you |
| answers are the one I am looking for. Here's a clue: | | | | are "going to hell . . ."In other words, take great care in |
| What do most kids do for more than 20-hours each | | | | capturing what the trade calls "establishing shots" of a |
| week? Sleeping doesn't count. OK, here's the answer | | | | time and place. Get a picture of the neighborhood, the |
| I'm looking for: The easiest thing to teach a kid to do is | | | | house, the rooms you know and live in. Capture shots |
| watch TV. As the kid grows up, how much time to we | | | | of things that wear out and become obsolete: cars, |
| spend teaching him or her to create TV? How much | | | | telephones, stoves, TVs, clothes, shopping areas, |
| time was spent teaching you how to create TV? Not | | | | airplanes, you name it.Break away from your friends |
| much.Many years ago, when I first started taking home | | | | and family and get shots that put them in a time and |
| movies, the firms, such as Kodak, that sold film came | | | | place. I remember one morning looking at a home |
| with instructions how to make good movies. Then, | | | | movie shot in the hills of Kentucky at a family funeral, |
| when you got your film back from the processing lab, | | | | probably 60 years ago. There were white frame |
| you might find the dreaded "It's not my fault" note telling | | | | houses, the family all dressed in black, old square cars, |
| you how you screwed up with advice how to do | | | | a white frame church and spectacular shots of a |
| better next time. Not so with today's video equipment | | | | cemetery on the side of a hill on a green and golden |
| -- you're on your own. Maybe a family member will | | | | fall day. I didn't know are care about the family faces |
| suggest your video is lacking, but most likely everyone | | | | but the cameraman had so captured a time and place |
| will watch in stunned silence and politely thank you for | | | | that I couldn't take my eyes off of it. It was a glimpse |
| the experience as they excuse themselves to get | | | | into an era that no longer exists, and it was caught |
| some fresh air or go get a drink.The learning curve for | | | | very simply by a novice family member with movie |
| shooting video is similar to learning how to cook -- | | | | camera in hand.However, you and most of your |
| rarely does a beginner produce a gourmet meal, but | | | | audience will care about the family faces in your video, |
| we all know what tastes dreadful and what is truly | | | | and this is where you really have to go to work. Some |
| gourmet. This makes learning how to "cook up" great | | | | of the best shots occur when you behave like a fly on |
| videos intellectually exciting. What looks trivial -- just | | | | the wall -- the actors in your video no longer care or |
| push the red button -- really isn't. There is much more | | | | know that you are there. It's actually a lot of work. You |
| to it than that, just as getting a great meal out without | | | | need to shoot, or look like you are shooting so much |
| burning half of it and serving the other half cold and | | | | that everyone starts to ignore you. You aren't asking |
| undercooked can be a huge challenge for the beginner | | | | them to smile or say cheese. You aren't interviewing |
| (and even some of us who have been doing it for | | | | them. You are simply making a fool of yourself |
| years).Fortunately for the rebellious souls among us, | | | | standing on a chair in the corner, crawling on the floor |
| the rules for shooting great videos are not cast in | | | | chasing the cat, pushing in on the stove while someone |
| stone -- you can do rude things and your audience | | | | tries to stir a pot, eavesdropping in on every |
| may love it, just as a great chef may burn and | | | | conversation. You tell everyone to not worry, that you'll |
| over-pepper a fish and sell it as "blackened" to an | | | | probably throw 90% of what you shoot away, and |
| appreciative audience. But you really should know the | | | | you well might.With the fly-on-the-wall technique you |
| rules of the game before you start breaking them -- | | | | are hoping to capture real people in action. Twenty or |
| you need to know how to use your tools and what | | | | thirty years from now you'll want to know what |
| happens when you push things to the limit.Put a video | | | | grandma sounded like as a young mother, your kids will |
| camera in the hands of a teenage boy and one of the | | | | laugh that their uncle still walks just like he did when he |
| first things he will do is shoot a bunch of footage in | | | | was a kid, they'll be amazed at how playful all the old |
| near darkness. Put the same camera in the hands of | | | | goats were back then. These reactions don't come if |
| his teenage sister and one of the first things she will do | | | | every shot is posed. A few interviews and testimonials |
| is turn the camera sideways and upside down. Such | | | | may be good, but if they're bad, what do you do with |
| fun -- just let me out of the room when we have to | | | | them -- throw them on the floor and hurt someone's |
| view this junk -- it's roughly equivalent to a child baking | | | | feelings?The fly-on-the-wall technique assumes you |
| his or her first cake with it's soggy middle and | | | | will follow up and edit out the junk and the boring but |
| chocolate all over the kitchen.Most of us struggled | | | | you don't just want to leave the camera running |
| through 12 or more years of school where we were | | | | endlessly. You want to get shots from different angles. |
| required to create essays for evaluation by our | | | | You want to grab snippets and move. You need to hit |
| teachers. Back the papers would come with red | | | | the red button and stop the camera before you hunt |
| marks all over them correcting grammar, spelling and | | | | for the next shot. Sentences have periods. Don't be |
| suggesting that we didn't really get our point across. A | | | | guilty of taking run-on videos.If your subjects get busy |
| lot of years and a lot of essays later we might feel | | | | and decide to do something interesting, grab the |
| comfortable putting words on paper.This isn't the case | | | | camera. Maybe the guys will tear into a car or |
| for creating video. Some schools offer a course or | | | | motorcycle, maybe everyone will play a rousing game |
| two but rarely have the poor teachers been taught | | | | of Monopoly, perhaps the women will go shopping, |
| anything about the subject, so how are they supposed | | | | how about a pickup football or basketball game, and |
| to pass much knowledge on to their students? At best | | | | certainly get shots in the kitchen. Get dad in his tool |
| the system turns out budding newscasters, great for | | | | room, get mom picking flowers, film washing a favorite |
| TV stations who can pick the prettiest face from a | | | | pet, capture a stroll through the park.Let's look at taking |
| huge oversupply of kids who want to chase | | | | such videos from another angle. Suppose you find |
| policemen, but not really useful for all the other | | | | yourself with camera in hand at a deadly event you'd |
| commercial and artistic opportunities that are showing | | | | rather missed filled with boorish in-laws you really don't |
| up as video moves to hundreds of cable channels, | | | | like. Just for the fun of it you decided to record the |
| shows up on PC's and soon will be everywhere on | | | | event in the most hateful manner possible. Here are a |
| the Internet. For examples, visit our web page at | | | | few ideas. Start by shoving the camera in peoples' |
| booklet is not for those who want to shoot video | | | | faces while they are chewing on food and make them |
| commercially. Most people (by a huge factor) simply | | | | say something. Then move everyone to a cramped |
| want to create good videos for fun and family just as | | | | area and make them repeatedly say cheese. If |
| many of us who aspire to be great chefs have | | | | possible, put a bright light in their eyes or put them |
| absolutely no intention of ever darkening to door of the | | | | outside in the sunniest place you can find. Make the |
| kitchen in a commercial restaurant. Unlike great or bad | | | | parents feel guilty for their kids that won't stand still and |
| meals, however, a video will likely be around for many | | | | film their anger and frustration.After that, hope |
| years and in some cases will be viewed by | | | | everyone slouches down in a couch with a beer or |
| generations of unborn grandchildren who may judge | | | | too much dinner to watch a football game on TV. |
| you unfairly if your video-making skills are inferior.So | | | | Stand over them like a regal king and shoot down on |
| now I've scared you a little, I don't want you to run | | | | them making them look as slovenly as possible. If you |
| from your video camera. Instead I hope you feel | | | | block their view of the TV, maybe one of them will |
| challenged to jump in and start to master the subject. | | | | stick his tongue out, curse you or give you the finger, all |
| Like any subject, your skills improve with practice, | | | | of which you can happily record for future generations. |
| practice, practice. You are in control. You can (and | | | | One of my favorite shots occurs when you burst into |
| should) throw away your junk footage. Plan on letting | | | | a bathroom while someone is sitting on the pot. Wake |
| the world see maybe as little as one-sixth of what you | | | | someone up who is taking a nap. With luck you can so |
| shoot and you'll have much more fun.If you were | | | | invade someone's territory while they are having a |
| making a Hollywood movie, you would need a script, | | | | serious discussion that they will stick the palm of their |
| professional actors, and a support team of dozens or | | | | hand out to block your lens just like a good communist |
| hundreds of people to manage everything from lighting | | | | policeman might have as he was beating up on a |
| and staging to snacks and insurance for the crew. If | | | | kid.Find the fat people and film them to show off their |
| you were shooting a documentary, you'd need a story | | | | large stomachs. Find the old and shriveled people and |
| line, a point of view, an argument that you'd want to | | | | go in tight on their bad skin. If one of the kids is a bully, |
| show and prove. Much the same can be said for | | | | film him persecuting his younger siblings. Capture |
| videos that sell, train or record for posterity a defined | | | | whining and temper tantrums if possible. Pray for a big |
| event or staged production. But here you are, you | | | | family argument that you can film surreptitiously.That's |
| have a camera, want to shoot video, but don't have | | | | just a few suggestions how to make people look |
| any of this working for you. What are you to do, leave | | | | awful -- it's very easy to do, and most subjects will |
| it in the closet? No, but you do need to go about your | | | | rise to the occasion without much prompting. In fact, if |
| task with some "do's and don'ts" in mind.When your | | | | you are not careful, you will accidentally capture lots of |
| job is to watch days and days of old home movies | | | | such footage without really trying. We see it all the |
| and family videos, you understand the comment of | | | | time at our shop.If you have any other questions, |
| one of my staff after a really busy period: "I think if I | | | | please visit our web page at: us at: |
| see one more Christmas tree, shots of kids at the | | | | 1917 Blankenbaker Parkway |
| beach, or a family eating a large Thanksgiving meal, I'll | | | | Louisville KY 40299 |
| throw up!" In the middle of this rush, a large order came | | | | Call us at: |
| in of 1940's footage shot in and around a family | | | | (502) 266-0905That's all for now. This is a work in |
| summer home that was a total show stopper for my | | | | progress and I've put the rough version up on the web |
| staff. My guys all said, "Wow, look at this!" and we did. | | | | hoping for some feedback. If there's interest, maybe |
| For me, it was a time warp -- return to a childhood era | | | | that will spur me on to finish it up.Video Kitchen was |
| I knew, but for my young staff born 30 years after the | | | | founded in 1992 as a place to "cook up a great video!" |
| footage was shot, it was completely fascinating too. | | | | Over the years over 25,000 customers have come |
| What had this long forgotten uncle done right that so | | | | through our doors to do everything from duplicating a |
| caught our eye, so interested us? Simple things, really, | | | | tape for their family to production of sophisticated |
| things that you and I can do with no great effort or | | | | broadcast-quality videos for businesses, organizations |
| planning.Here you stand, camera in hand, with no story | | | | and charities. We have grown from one to two closely |
| in mind. You don't know how the day is going to unfold, | | | | integrated operations in Louisville Kentucky. The original |
| nor do you expect anything unusual to occur. You | | | | operation is at 2323 Bardstown Road, Louisville KY, |
| don't even know who your audience might be if you | | | | 40205, a mile and a half north of I-264 in the middle of |
| roll the camera, but you want to capture the moment, | | | | the bustling Bardstown Road corridor. If you look at a |
| you want to play with your new toy. Where do you | | | | map of the Louisville metropolitan area, we are very |
| start? Here are some things to think about that may | | | | near the center of the map. In April 2004 Video |
| help.Be selfish: assume that you will be the ultimate | | | | Kitchen opened a second location to better serve you |
| audience -- that you are trapped in a nursing home | | | | at 1917 Blankenbaker Parkway, Louisville KY, 40299. |
| with hard floors and hard walls surrounded by | | | | This is in Louisville's east end, two traffic lights south of |
| strangers, lonely, and no longer interested in a world | | | | I-64 in the Blankenbaker Place Center.Not only do you |
| that is spinning away without you. What would you | | | | gain access to professional equipment, you'll find a |
| want to relive and enjoy?Create an imaginary pen-pal | | | | professional staff ready to help you create a superb |
| on the other side of the world: imagine you are | | | | video. If you need copies, one or thousands, we are |
| exchanging "this is my world" videos with that person | | | | the place to do that for you, six days a week. |
| -- someone you want to impress but whom you feel | | | | |