Taking the best video of your kids' after school activities

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Taking the best video of your kids' after school activities

Posted on September 23, 2011
related tags: Family Fun
Taking the best video of your kids' after school activities

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

 

 

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I've recently got hired at

spencerid's picture
by spencerid on January 28, 2013
I've recently got hired at the local university, so from now on I will teach at the university level. I never had enough time for my children and now I feel that I will see them only at night. I struggle every day to be present in their lives, to see a football match, to see them doing their homework and so on. I only hope to manage my time well.

These are great points! So

SammyStar's picture
by SammyStar on January 05, 2012
These are great points! So many moms are so aggressive to get their kids on camera that they ruin the video. Remember, the only person who is going to watch the video is you that day and then, possibly, your child years down the road. I couldn't agree with you more about the 'keeping it short' part. Get some action shots on camera, but stop recorded often. No one wants to watch an entire game that's long.I'd also like to add a couple points. I think moms need to either upgrade or downgrade their recording methods. You can use a cell phone to record moments such as birthdays. Or, upgrade and get a better camera that can shoot in HD. You'll appreciate it later. These small mid-range cameras are okay, but a little extra dough could be spent.Finally, I think parents should hire a pro for 'big' events. Don't try and record your child's musical performance or graduation ceremony by yourself. These moments should be handled with care. You can find someone to hire for a day on several sites. I know Angie's List has a list of videographers, listed by city. You could also ask friends at work for leads or even the neighbor kid down the street. So many kids these days are technically savvy.
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