| So you have bought a camcorder and have shot | | | | years from now will be watching and enjoying |
| some footage, but truthfully you don't much | | | | your footage -- they need to see more than |
| like the results. Maybe I can help. My advice | | | | this year's Christmas tree or a collage of |
| is based on ten years of looking over | | | | unidentified faces all wedged together at the |
| people's shoulders at my business, the Video | | | | end of a table.If traveling and touring |
| Kitchen in Louisville Kentucky, where people | | | | about, consider being rebellious -- don't |
| transfer old home movies, duplicate video | | | | shoot a video that the travel industry would |
| tapes they've shot, and edit their raw | | | | want to buy, don't try to outdo the shots on |
| footage. My staff and I see a lot of mistakes | | | | the picture postcards, don't come back with |
| being made. Other times we see exciting | | | | hours of footage of old churches and great |
| footage shot by an amateur who claims to have | | | | overlooks. Instead, shoot the little things |
| no education in the art of videography. What | | | | that are different: the tacky, the elegant, |
| makes the difference? Lots of things. I'll | | | | the ugly, the glamorous. Get kids at play, |
| cover a few of the biggest issues here.Let's | | | | beggars on the sidewalk, strange trucks, |
| start with a test: What's the easiest thing | | | | painted front doors, signs that tell you that |
| to teach a kid to do? Is it to feed itself, | | | | you are "going to hell . . ."In other words, |
| to go to the bathroom in the toilet, to walk, | | | | take great care in capturing what the trade |
| to talk? . . . No, none of those answers are | | | | calls "establishing shots" of a time and |
| the one I am looking for. Here's a clue: What | | | | place. Get a picture of the neighborhood, the |
| do most kids do for more than 20-hours each | | | | house, the rooms you know and live in. |
| week? Sleeping doesn't count. OK, here's the | | | | Capture shots of things that wear out and |
| answer I'm looking for: The easiest thing to | | | | become obsolete: cars, telephones, stoves, |
| teach a kid to do is watch TV. As the kid | | | | TVs, clothes, shopping areas, airplanes, you |
| grows up, how much time to we spend teaching | | | | name it.Break away from your friends and |
| him or her to create TV? How much time was | | | | family and get shots that put them in a time |
| spent teaching you how to create TV? Not | | | | and place. I remember one morning looking at |
| much.Many years ago, when I first started | | | | a home movie shot in the hills of Kentucky at |
| taking home movies, the firms, such as Kodak, | | | | a family funeral, probably 60 years ago. |
| that sold film came with instructions how to | | | | There were white frame houses, the family all |
| make good movies. Then, when you got your | | | | dressed in black, old square cars, a white |
| film back from the processing lab, you might | | | | frame church and spectacular shots of a |
| find the dreaded "It's not my fault" note | | | | cemetery on the side of a hill on a green and |
| telling you how you screwed up with advice | | | | golden fall day. I didn't know are care about |
| how to do better next time. Not so with | | | | the family faces but the cameraman had so |
| today's video equipment -- you're on your | | | | captured a time and place that I couldn't |
| own. Maybe a family member will suggest your | | | | take my eyes off of it. It was a glimpse into |
| video is lacking, but most likely everyone | | | | an era that no longer exists, and it was |
| will watch in stunned silence and politely | | | | caught very simply by a novice family member |
| thank you for the experience as they excuse | | | | with movie camera in hand.However, you and |
| themselves to get some fresh air or go get a | | | | most of your audience will care about the |
| drink.The learning curve for shooting video | | | | family faces in your video, and this is where |
| is similar to learning how to cook -- rarely | | | | you really have to go to work. Some of the |
| does a beginner produce a gourmet meal, but | | | | best shots occur when you behave like a fly |
| we all know what tastes dreadful and what is | | | | on the wall -- the actors in your video no |
| truly gourmet. This makes learning how to | | | | longer care or know that you are there. It's |
| "cook up" great videos intellectually | | | | actually a lot of work. You need to shoot, or |
| exciting. What looks trivial -- just push the | | | | look like you are shooting so much that |
| red button -- really isn't. There is much | | | | everyone starts to ignore you. You aren't |
| more to it than that, just as getting a great | | | | asking them to smile or say cheese. You |
| meal out without burning half of it and | | | | aren't interviewing them. You are simply |
| serving the other half cold and undercooked | | | | making a fool of yourself standing on a chair |
| can be a huge challenge for the beginner (and | | | | in the corner, crawling on the floor chasing |
| even some of us who have been doing it for | | | | the cat, pushing in on the stove while |
| years).Fortunately for the rebellious souls | | | | someone tries to stir a pot, eavesdropping in |
| among us, the rules for shooting great videos | | | | on every conversation. You tell everyone to |
| are not cast in stone -- you can do rude | | | | not worry, that you'll probably throw 90% of |
| things and your audience may love it, just as | | | | what you shoot away, and you well might.With |
| a great chef may burn and over-pepper a fish | | | | the fly-on-the-wall technique you are hoping |
| and sell it as "blackened" to an appreciative | | | | to capture real people in action. Twenty or |
| audience. But you really should know the | | | | thirty years from now you'll want to know |
| rules of the game before you start breaking | | | | what grandma sounded like as a young mother, |
| them -- you need to know how to use your | | | | your kids will laugh that their uncle still |
| tools and what happens when you push things | | | | walks just like he did when he was a kid, |
| to the limit.Put a video camera in the hands | | | | they'll be amazed at how playful all the old |
| of a teenage boy and one of the first things | | | | goats were back then. These reactions don't |
| he will do is shoot a bunch of footage in | | | | come if every shot is posed. A few interviews |
| near darkness. Put the same camera in the | | | | and testimonials may be good, but if they're |
| hands of his teenage sister and one of the | | | | bad, what do you do with them -- throw them |
| first things she will do is turn the camera | | | | on the floor and hurt someone's feelings?The |
| sideways and upside down. Such fun -- just | | | | fly-on-the-wall technique assumes you will |
| let me out of the room when we have to view | | | | follow up and edit out the junk and the |
| this junk -- it's roughly equivalent to a | | | | boring but you don't just want to leave the |
| child baking his or her first cake with it's | | | | camera running endlessly. You want to get |
| soggy middle and chocolate all over the | | | | shots from different angles. You want to grab |
| kitchen.Most of us struggled through 12 or | | | | snippets and move. You need to hit the red |
| more years of school where we were required | | | | button and stop the camera before you hunt |
| to create essays for evaluation by our | | | | for the next shot. Sentences have periods. |
| teachers. Back the papers would come with red | | | | Don't be guilty of taking run-on videos.If |
| marks all over them correcting grammar, | | | | your subjects get busy and decide to do |
| spelling and suggesting that we didn't really | | | | something interesting, grab the camera. Maybe |
| get our point across. A lot of years and a | | | | the guys will tear into a car or motorcycle, |
| lot of essays later we might feel comfortable | | | | maybe everyone will play a rousing game of |
| putting words on paper.This isn't the case | | | | Monopoly, perhaps the women will go shopping, |
| for creating video. Some schools offer a | | | | how about a pickup football or basketball |
| course or two but rarely have the poor | | | | game, and certainly get shots in the kitchen. |
| teachers been taught anything about the | | | | Get dad in his tool room, get mom picking |
| subject, so how are they supposed to pass | | | | flowers, film washing a favorite pet, capture |
| much knowledge on to their students? At best | | | | a stroll through the park.Let's look at |
| the system turns out budding newscasters, | | | | taking such videos from another angle. |
| great for TV stations who can pick the | | | | Suppose you find yourself with camera in hand |
| prettiest face from a huge oversupply of kids | | | | at a deadly event you'd rather missed filled |
| who want to chase policemen, but not really | | | | with boorish in-laws you really don't like. |
| useful for all the other commercial and | | | | Just for the fun of it you decided to record |
| artistic opportunities that are showing up as | | | | the event in the most hateful manner |
| video moves to hundreds of cable channels, | | | | possible. Here are a few ideas. Start by |
| shows up on PC's and soon will be everywhere | | | | shoving the camera in peoples' faces while |
| on the Internet. For examples, visit our web | | | | they are chewing on food and make them say |
| page at booklet is not for those who want to | | | | something. Then move everyone to a cramped |
| shoot video commercially. Most people (by a | | | | area and make them repeatedly say cheese. If |
| huge factor) simply want to create good | | | | possible, put a bright light in their eyes or |
| videos for fun and family just as many of us | | | | put them outside in the sunniest place you |
| who aspire to be great chefs have absolutely | | | | can find. Make the parents feel guilty for |
| no intention of ever darkening to door of the | | | | their kids that won't stand still and film |
| kitchen in a commercial restaurant. Unlike | | | | their anger and frustration.After that, hope |
| great or bad meals, however, a video will | | | | everyone slouches down in a couch with a beer |
| likely be around for many years and in some | | | | or too much dinner to watch a football game |
| cases will be viewed by generations of unborn | | | | on TV. Stand over them like a regal king and |
| grandchildren who may judge you unfairly if | | | | shoot down on them making them look as |
| your video-making skills are inferior.So now | | | | slovenly as possible. If you block their view |
| I've scared you a little, I don't want you to | | | | of the TV, maybe one of them will stick his |
| run from your video camera. Instead I hope | | | | tongue out, curse you or give you the finger, |
| you feel challenged to jump in and start to | | | | all of which you can happily record for |
| master the subject. Like any subject, your | | | | future generations. One of my favorite shots |
| skills improve with practice, practice, | | | | occurs when you burst into a bathroom while |
| practice. You are in control. You can (and | | | | someone is sitting on the pot. Wake someone |
| should) throw away your junk footage. Plan on | | | | up who is taking a nap. With luck you can so |
| letting the world see maybe as little as | | | | invade someone's territory while they are |
| one-sixth of what you shoot and you'll have | | | | having a serious discussion that they will |
| much more fun.If you were making a Hollywood | | | | stick the palm of their hand out to block |
| movie, you would need a script, professional | | | | your lens just like a good communist |
| actors, and a support team of dozens or | | | | policeman might have as he was beating up on |
| hundreds of people to manage everything from | | | | a kid.Find the fat people and film them to |
| lighting and staging to snacks and insurance | | | | show off their large stomachs. Find the old |
| for the crew. If you were shooting a | | | | and shriveled people and go in tight on their |
| documentary, you'd need a story line, a point | | | | bad skin. If one of the kids is a bully, film |
| of view, an argument that you'd want to show | | | | him persecuting his younger siblings. Capture |
| and prove. Much the same can be said for | | | | whining and temper tantrums if possible. Pray |
| videos that sell, train or record for | | | | for a big family argument that you can film |
| posterity a defined event or staged | | | | surreptitiously.That's just a few suggestions |
| production. But here you are, you have a | | | | how to make people look awful -- it's very |
| camera, want to shoot video, but don't have | | | | easy to do, and most subjects will rise to |
| any of this working for you. What are you to | | | | the occasion without much prompting. In fact, |
| do, leave it in the closet? No, but you do | | | | if you are not careful, you will accidentally |
| need to go about your task with some "do's | | | | capture lots of such footage without really |
| and don'ts" in mind.When your job is to watch | | | | trying. We see it all the time at our shop.If |
| days and days of old home movies and family | | | | you have any other questions, please visit |
| videos, you understand the comment of one of | | | | our web page at: us at: |
| my staff after a really busy period: "I think | | | | |
| if I see one more Christmas tree, shots of | | | | 1917 Blankenbaker Parkway |
| kids at the beach, or a family eating a large | | | | |
| Thanksgiving meal, I'll throw up!" In the | | | | Louisville KY 40299 |
| middle of this rush, a large order came in of | | | | |
| 1940's footage shot in and around a family | | | | Call us at: |
| summer home that was a total show stopper for | | | | |
| my staff. My guys all said, "Wow, look at | | | | (502) 266-0905That's all for now. This is a |
| this!" and we did. For me, it was a time warp | | | | work in progress and I've put the rough |
| -- return to a childhood era I knew, but for | | | | version up on the web hoping for some |
| my young staff born 30 years after the | | | | feedback. If there's interest, maybe that |
| footage was shot, it was completely | | | | will spur me on to finish it up.Video Kitchen |
| fascinating too. What had this long forgotten | | | | was founded in 1992 as a place to "cook up a |
| uncle done right that so caught our eye, so | | | | great video!" Over the years over 25,000 |
| interested us? Simple things, really, things | | | | customers have come through our doors to do |
| that you and I can do with no great effort or | | | | everything from duplicating a tape for their |
| planning.Here you stand, camera in hand, with | | | | family to production of sophisticated |
| no story in mind. You don't know how the day | | | | broadcast-quality videos for businesses, |
| is going to unfold, nor do you expect | | | | organizations and charities. We have grown |
| anything unusual to occur. You don't even | | | | from one to two closely integrated operations |
| know who your audience might be if you roll | | | | in Louisville Kentucky. The original |
| the camera, but you want to capture the | | | | operation is at 2323 Bardstown Road, |
| moment, you want to play with your new toy. | | | | Louisville KY, 40205, a mile and a half north |
| Where do you start? Here are some things to | | | | of I-264 in the middle of the bustling |
| think about that may help.Be selfish: assume | | | | Bardstown Road corridor. If you look at a map |
| that you will be the ultimate audience -- | | | | of the Louisville metropolitan area, we are |
| that you are trapped in a nursing home with | | | | very near the center of the map. In April |
| hard floors and hard walls surrounded by | | | | 2004 Video Kitchen opened a second location |
| strangers, lonely, and no longer interested | | | | to better serve you at 1917 Blankenbaker |
| in a world that is spinning away without you. | | | | Parkway, Louisville KY, 40299. This is in |
| What would you want to relive and | | | | Louisville's east end, two traffic lights |
| enjoy?Create an imaginary pen-pal on the | | | | south of I-64 in the Blankenbaker Place |
| other side of the world: imagine you are | | | | Center.Not only do you gain access to |
| exchanging "this is my world" videos with | | | | professional equipment, you'll find a |
| that person -- someone you want to impress | | | | professional staff ready to help you create a |
| but whom you feel has no idea what everyday | | | | superb video. If you need copies, one or |
| life in your world is like. Perhaps instead | | | | thousands, we are the place to do that for |
| of a pen-pal on the other side of the world, | | | | you, six days a week. |
| you need to imagine that grandchildren 50 | | | | |