You finally got out of work on time to make it to your child's first soccer game! Don't miss this special photo and video opp. Andrea Allen, senior content + community manager at Vimeo, shares how to capture the winning goal. 

A clean lens is a happy lens. Make sure to clean your lens to get rid of any smudges. It would be a shame if a video clip of a memorable moment of your child was ruined because you forgot to perform the simple task of wiping clean your camera’s lens!

Think in "shots" Think about the final product and what you want your video to look like. One idea is to think of it as a highlights reel— perhaps do a little interview with them before the game or performance to get their thoughts on how they will do!

Slow and steady wins the race. Nothing can doom a video more than a shaky hand, so try to brace yourself by taking a nice wide stance, spreading your feet apart and resting your elbows against your chest. For even more support, lean against a surface, such as a wall or tree, to steady yourself.

The shorter the better. There is no need to film your child’s entire game or activity! Try shooting short highlights, as shorter clips are easier to edit and sift through, making it a cinch to find the best clips.

Zoom ahead! Zooming while you are recording can be nauseating for viewers.  A better idea is to zoom in before you hit record and make sure the camera is really steady— like on a tripod or other solid surface— because any small movement is exaggerated when you are zoomed in. 

Juice up. Make sure you're fully charged and have enough free memory. You don’t want to run out of battery right before your child makes their winning goal or before they finish their inspirational speech!

Share and care alike. Upload your video to a high quality video sharing site like Vimeo.com to easily send your video to friends and family!

For additional tips, lessons and tutorials on how to capture better video, head over to the Video Vimeo School at http://vimeo.com/videoschool