Videomaker - Basic Hand-Held Shooting Tips

[lesaymortay1]

wow great tips thanks lol i feel like i was watching a geography video in class at 4:48 looks good

[videomaker]

@lesaymortay1 Thanks!

Cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[HddtSmz]

1:15 - I don't believe it was shot handheld.

[videomaker]

@HddtSmz Impressive what you can do with a little practice.

cheers,

The Videomaker Team

[DraculaTeeth333]

What you need is a well designed camera stabilizer. I've been using the Cam Caddie Scorpion with great success getting smooth shots. It was pretty inexpensive check it out.

[cubrick2001]

Thanks for the tips. It is good to have those in mind when shooting. :)

[Smilesignature]

Thank you for the tips. It`s always something new to learn :-)

Greetings from Sweden

[ADAMKTN]

PoPo at 3:11, best part 

[oggerocker]

What camera are they using?

[jrpg0630]

u guys should make videos in HD...

[videomaker]

@jrpg0630

HD versions of all our tips are available on our website. Cheers.

[theTHANEshow]

I have better methods. Either get a newer camera with video stabilization or use a tripod.

[TheDailyNewsPost]

@theTHANEshow Even the Best Vido Stabilazation in the world won't always help.

[TheDailyNewsPost]

I have a question, what method/name do you call when you hold onto the handle of a pro camcorder? And record at the waist?

[lancashireyps]

@TheDailyNewsPost

It's called "shooting from the hip"

[kbomb25]

This video's theme: "Let me see you do it and then I'll point out how ineffective you are and how amazing I am."

[familybc146]

Or just get a Sony CX-550 and set it to active mode stabilization :-).

[60spaure]

even better you get a tripod

[hkulow]

I really liked your basic shot.I was doing kind wedding things for your presentation I learned a lot

[MommyReporter]

Very helpful and useful info!! Thanks for the tips!!

[PalaysiaProductions]

thanks for the tips. one more tip if you own a really small cam like the sanyo xacti I have: buy a gorilla-pod. it gives you much more stability when handheld.

[kcrusher101]

thank you for this ive not made a vid yet so i need to know just about everything thats basic

[forsakenbear]

hey can you create a video about camera movements? like the circle-the-body shots? or some sort of? im seeing other people make those without using dolly? how can i achieve that.. smoothly. thnks

[FTLOSM]

Great tips thank you!

[Dado93]

Nice job girls. I've been trying to make my first music video. This surely helped me alot .

[karedward]

me too..

[RoyHessey]

Excellent Video Tutorial. Should be mandatory for all those newbies that buy their first video camera. Thankyou

[barbaralaketahoe]

Melissa, where is your video?? I really liked what I saw at the end of this video! Do you have full video on YOUTUBE??

[barbaralaketahoe]

Once again Videomaker puts out more great info - the Best Tutorials!

You got to join their forum (great place to ask questions with people that know) & their newsletter.

I love Videomaker, you can learn so much!! Thanks guys.

barbaralaketahoe

[apodo360]

nice tutorial

thanks a bunch~

[maximcamera]

i have learn from you guys

[geribi]

thanks!

[WierdmanProductions]

they should have used gamma adjust to make the color better

[pdot617]

great!!! thanks

[REDSUSHANTSINGH]

nery nice

[BGIFilms]

What camera did melissa use?

[Woreyel]

she is using a sony HVR-A1U, I think, look it up.

[superportal]

Thanks.

[nealjohnson99]

What camera were you using?

[wolfangdigital]

I've been shooting videos professionally for years. You need to shoot 'zoomed in' mode to get a shallow depth of field. A shallow depth of field will make your video look better than an amateur's. Do more research, Jennifer!

[ConcorX]

what do you mean?Zoom in instead of walking right up to get a good effect?

[wolfangdigital]

A shallow depth of field is an effect sought after by all professional videographers when shooting portraits and products.

Walking right up to a subject allows you to use a short focal length (wide angle) but the subject and the background will remain in sharp focus.

By zooming into the subject from a distance and maintaining focus on the subject, you will get a nice shallow depth of field (the background is blurred while the subject is sharp)

[ConcorX]

ohhh i did know about that but i did not know what it was called. But ya it helps alot to seperate your actor from your background. Especially in outdoor scenes.

[ConcorX]

thanks

[Peace7Maker]

even if you have a bigger aperture at wide angle?

[LeslieMoniqueTV]

That was nice. I should do something like that.

[digglatin1234]

or you could GET A TRIPOD

[SRNF]

@digglatin1234 you just pwned this video

[digglatin1234]

@SRNF haha i posted that comment a year ago. i honestly dont even remeber posting it lol.

[TheDailyNewsPost]

@digglatin1234 and modd it a bit to amke a steady cam

[TheGuyThatPowns]

@digglatin1234 lol

[mcdguy789]

4:31 = WATCH OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[seanmaj]

Any occupational hazards in kneeling that close to the road to get a shot? ha

[kanaalillegaalTV]

any tutorials on the dolly zoom shot?

[kanaalillegaalTV]

how do you get a ling-bar-image-thingy at the top of your description?

[naiproductions]

Awesome! What kind of camera & tape was used?

[guitareirik]

I don't think Jennifer knows what she is talking about... at around 1:45 you tell her it's better to use a short focal length and move close to your subject, than to zoom in (like she did). You got to be joking, right? Ofcourse, since you are using a shorter focal length, the shaking is less noticable, but since you move closer to the subject, the shaking will increase with the same amount. You gain absolutely NOTHING by moving close to your subject in a situation like that!

[guitareirik]

In fact, it's better to zoom in like Melissa did, because of the shallow depth of field. The background is all blured out. It's obvious that you don't know what you are talking about...

[piratechickalltheway]

how do they do the focus thing at 5:08??

[VideomakersJennifer]

The technique is called a "Rack Focus". Your camcorder needs manual focus abilities to do this. Frame both subjects you wish to focus on in the scene, at a good distance from each other so that one is in focus and the other is blurred. While shooting you "rack" the focal point from one to the other. This technique is best done using a tripod, as camera shake can spoil the effect. A few people said that we should be using a tripod, which we know, but this vidcast is on handheld shooting tips.

[piratechickalltheway]

thanks so much :D

[sonniethecrip]

to do the "rack focus" do u have to move your camera slightly over or what? please respond, ive been loooking everywhere for this effect.

[VideomakersJennifer]

You don't move the camera only adjust the focus. Place both subjects in the frame, one on the left, the other on the right with one subject several yards away from the other. Like the close up of the front grill of a car on the left, and a full shot of another car down the road on the right. Focus on the distant car, then slowly "rack" the focus to bring the close up grill in focus. Watch soap operas, they use this trick a lot between people talking. Using ND filters to open the iris helps, too.

[nobleatelier]

oops. My comment was @ homerthompsonman "Yes, indeed, a good tip."

ANyway, I learned some good technique from this. I'm a newbie and this information is helpful.

[johnnyrunt]

the video is called Basic Hand-Held Shooting Tips not Basic tripod shooting tips , duh !!

[xTurnipTimex]

wow when she shot it she prbabaly used a tripod its impossible to do it that straight

[VideomakersJennifer]

No, actually, I did shoot that handheld. My one shooting skill is being very steady at handheld shooting.

[destinedxforxglory]

If you want steady shot purchase a shoulder mounted camera or a tripod. Or if you've got the money you an get a steadycam harness for about $500 (on the cheap end).

[s1wq]

To all you Tripodians, out there; I went to Jessops, in Oxford Street, on Saturday - a non-metal tripod is £200.00.

.

Giant bean bag is much better idea.

.

Cheers.

from,

del-boy.

[homerthompsonman]

Here's a tip: buy a tripod, and then concentrate on Pacing (the combination of various lengths of shots that will draw the viewer in).

[nobleatelier]

Yes, indeed, a good tip.

[chazta555]

there is something called a tripod?!

[youmovie08]

yea thats what i use

[piratechickalltheway]

yeah. they are very useful

:D

Thats what i use whenever im in a scene.

[BarsaDeMierda]

use a fuc**ng tripod

[SerjayPD]

Or you can use a tripod?

every thought of that? :P lol

[TheaLeigh]

Poor Melissa...

Thanks for all the advice- really good tips!

[vantagepointfilm]

its best to use the tripod :)

[vantagepointfilm]

its best to use the tripod :)

[OpdavisO]

Montage: Editing out of the rack focus, you should have stayed on the medium shot of the trees, then dissolved to a wider shot. Instead you CUT to a wider shot after only staying on the medium shot of the trees for only a second. Very awkward and considered a jump cut.

You guys might want to watch one of your videos on basic editing techniques. ;)

[OpdavisO]

LOL! "How's that?"

How can you ask that question after watching that shaky mess you just videotaped. Thank god you have Ms. O'Rourke there with you.

[anuclearfamily]

no, this isn't the internet circa 1995.

[blynsay]

Thanks, it helped me a lot

[NewlifeArcade]

lol sounds like she said "hand heald shitting tips"

[videomaker]

Well, I'm not sure that she did, but it is a little slurred.... Boy that would be a whole different video, wouldn't it? Cheers.

[TheGuyThatPowns]

@NewlifeArcade hahahahaha!!!!!

[pogochamp113]

thanks helped

[SlickCat57]

I did my Homework for Digital Video.

_Tony

[campkillyourself8365]

it helps a little

[MohamedHusain]

ِAwesome, loved it

[sowandpigs]

Thank You

[Raiden4900]

I learned nothing new :O

[thtoneguy94]

boring

[SanitySource]

wow my comment was removed, well i said this episode wasnt all that great, you ddnt follow a few of your own rules, like shooting out doors and reflecting light onto subjects.

I learnt some good tips though, thanks

[spankmeyer]

Nice clip! useful

[SambaDisaWinner]

woah great tips!!

[ilove2snowboard]

"a little bit easier and smoother with out it being so shaky" That seems repedative, but thanks for the video

[chaosmage9]

this helps a ton!

[spunkycomics]

Wonderful tips! Thx videomaker!

[Oakkiller77]

great tips