Using Video

Videos help to give some extra information about a story. Just by watching somebody's face you can begin to see whether they are happy, sad, angry etc. and this helps to tell the story. You could also be recording some of your travels - the ferry crossing, people staying in your holiday village, your friends talking about how they are enjoying their holiday etc. - there is just so much to capture!

It can be quite tricky to take a good video sequence - again, sometimes it is about being in the right place at the right time, but sometimes you need to plan to make it happen.

When videoing you need to think about things such as using your equipment, lighting, framing your shots, recording audio and lots more.

• Lighting - make sure the subject is well-lit, preferably from behind the camera
• use a tripod if possible - carefully frame your shot in the viewfinder from the tripod before you start recording. Zoom in for a tight shot.
• If you are recording an interview, use an external microphone placed near the speaker's mouth. Connect the microphone to the microphone jack of the camcorder.
• Always start the camera recording at least 5 seconds before you start the action, and let it run for 5 seconds after you're done.
• A movie of a few minutes should be long enough to tell your story. This means planning and shooting brief clips. Make sure you have a fresh DV cartridge before you press the Record button. Make sure the camera battery is charged!

Good luck!