Manuals. In a word: read. Both the camcorder manual and the editing program's help files. Not reading at this point is step one in separating those who know what they are doing from those who do not.

Yes, I know it is boring and time-consuming. Especially when you are eager to actually use your new purchases. But the first ceiling on your potential is determined by your mastery of the manufacturers' how-to info. 

You really do want to know what all those icons are for.

Tip: If your camcorder has built in special effects, ignore them. Add special effects at the post-shooting, editing stage, instead. Camcorder special effects end up on tape and can't be undone later should you change your mind. Edited-in special effects can always be edited out later, when (not if) you change your mind.

Handle the camcorder as much as you like. After all, the goal is to make it seem comfortable, a natural fit. Try holding it and reaching for specific buttons, menus, etc. with your eyes closed. Then test how well you have mastered the new device by giving your spouse a lesson on how to use it. If you can't teach it, can't answer your spouse's questions, try studying some more.

Tape. Many beginners believe that once they have firewired their videos from their camcorder to their PC's hard disk, the tape itself has no further value and can be discarded or recycled for shooting the next video. That is extremely short-sighted.

DV tape cassettes are cheap. Buy lots. Never discard or recycle. Build a library of your old tapes. It is, after all, your original footage in prisine condition. You will eventually want to recycle much of your old footage.

One example: After shooting your child's birthday parties year after year, you will eventually want to compile a 'highlight' reel to show the growth that has occured. 

Another example. You interviewed Granny about her childhood memories before she passed away. Now someone else has a genuine desire to have a copy. But you want to omit the section you feel is for family-only consumption, like when she said "that little Johnny was such a stinker."

Yet a third example: You were never really happy with the way one video worked out because you did not have something [the skills, the old photograph, whatever] required. Now you do have that missing component and really want to produce an enhanced "director's cut."

Shall we try for a fourth: The average lifespan of a video editing program is about a year. You will eventually upgrade, because the new and improved version offers advantages you want.

Last example: you shot something for a local service club, church group, or whatever. Now, months or years later, your "client" has dreamed up a new use for the footage -- "with tweaks" such as replacing the now former group president with a new video clip of her replacement.

Organizing Your Tape Library. Busy video makers'  collections of used tapes can grow quickly. Do yourself a favor and adopt my video organizing strategy at least until you develop one that works better for you. 

DV tape cassettes are small and easy to misplace. Get yourself a shoebox or some such, and religiously file them there. Step one in finding the old tape you want is having them all together before you start your search.

Each individual DV cassette (the cassette itself, not the small plastic case it comes in) should be labeled with two pieces of information: a sequential number -- "This is tape 001, that is tape 002, etc" -- and the date you started recording it.

Once cassettes have been numbered, open your favorite data tacking program (word processor, spreadsheet or database) and develop a list of shots on the tape in sequence.

This system allows you to review the word processor (or whatever) file to determine which tape holds the footage you want, which in turn allows you to go to the shoebox and quickly find the cassette you need.

Read the manuals and help files. Keep your tape library organized. Keep a spare tape and a spare charged battery on hand, and you should be ready to roll, and less likely to shoot yourself in the foot..
 

Copyright 2006-2007 John Cardiff