15 years ago, when I started shooting for a television news affiliate in Southern Illinois, if you wanted to shoot home movies, your options were pretty simple. You'd go out and get either an 8mm camcorder if you had the money, or if you wanted to go on the cheap, you'd have a VHS camcorder in your hands.
My, how times have changed.
With the staggering explosion of devices like the iPhone and many other cellphones with the ability to record video with clearer images by the day, every person on the planet's now got the ability to record video anywhere, anytime.
And with sites like YouTube available to all, the ability to shoot and post what you've recorded in mere minutes can turn anyone into an instant videographer.
But with the instant accessibility and platforms on which to display the vast amount ot video comes a price. And I don't mean in the pocketbook. I'm talking about the ABILITY to shoot effectively, concisely, and with a purpose.
The overall quality of composition, lighting, and content of video in the last decade's gone by the wayside in favor of the quickness, ease of use, and well, just having the ability to shoot video with your phone. The standards by which we used to somewhat adhere to have really lapsed in this YouTube era.
But it doesn't have to. Just because you can shoot a video of your kids having a meal at iHop and post it to the web in 3 minutes, you really need to think about whether or not you want to become one of those people who shoot everything and in essence, capture nothing.
Now I'm probably a bit overboard when it comes to shooting video of my kids, as I currently have over 50 hours of video of everything they've done in their lives, from birthdays and outdoor fun to dance recitals, baseball games, and Christmas. But where I differ from the mass of video hounds out there is by choosing to edit what I shoot BEFORE I release it to the world, instead of posting all the raw footage first and numbing my parents with hours of video that's not as cute after the first half hour.
The one motto I adhere to by far over all others is "Quality Over Quantity". People will remember your excellent video-making skills if you first put in the time to edit your video to where it's watchable for everyone and not just you.
Now yes, there are times when speed should win out over conciseness. If it's very time-important, like a news item or something clearly pf that nature, then the usual standards of quality over quantity can be overlooked. But a clear majority of the time, if you've got that time to edit your work, polish it, and make it shine, your audience will love you so much better for it.
My, how times have changed.
With the staggering explosion of devices like the iPhone and many other cellphones with the ability to record video with clearer images by the day, every person on the planet's now got the ability to record video anywhere, anytime.
And with sites like YouTube available to all, the ability to shoot and post what you've recorded in mere minutes can turn anyone into an instant videographer.
But with the instant accessibility and platforms on which to display the vast amount ot video comes a price. And I don't mean in the pocketbook. I'm talking about the ABILITY to shoot effectively, concisely, and with a purpose.
The overall quality of composition, lighting, and content of video in the last decade's gone by the wayside in favor of the quickness, ease of use, and well, just having the ability to shoot video with your phone. The standards by which we used to somewhat adhere to have really lapsed in this YouTube era.
But it doesn't have to. Just because you can shoot a video of your kids having a meal at iHop and post it to the web in 3 minutes, you really need to think about whether or not you want to become one of those people who shoot everything and in essence, capture nothing.
Now I'm probably a bit overboard when it comes to shooting video of my kids, as I currently have over 50 hours of video of everything they've done in their lives, from birthdays and outdoor fun to dance recitals, baseball games, and Christmas. But where I differ from the mass of video hounds out there is by choosing to edit what I shoot BEFORE I release it to the world, instead of posting all the raw footage first and numbing my parents with hours of video that's not as cute after the first half hour.
The one motto I adhere to by far over all others is "Quality Over Quantity". People will remember your excellent video-making skills if you first put in the time to edit your video to where it's watchable for everyone and not just you.
Now yes, there are times when speed should win out over conciseness. If it's very time-important, like a news item or something clearly pf that nature, then the usual standards of quality over quantity can be overlooked. But a clear majority of the time, if you've got that time to edit your work, polish it, and make it shine, your audience will love you so much better for it.
