Living Journal

Creating Home Videos

There are many aspects of creating memorable home videos. First off you need some equipment to get you started. A simple video camera will at least give you the option of recording and the accompanying software should allow for basic editing. One of the simplest ways to get some footage is to purchase one of those new handheld cameras. A Flip is a good example of a simple video camera and it gets a decent picture.

If you have a Mac then you can use iMovie or if you have a PC you can use Windows Movie Maker, but I would suggest an after market software like Adobe Premiere Elements to get a more professional look. Don’t be afraid to continue filming when something goes wrong. That is why we edit our personal history if we have an excess of footage that is not usable, like when you forget to turn your camera off so it is filming the back of your lens cap! As far as editing, always keep a backup of the source file on tape, DVD or on a hard drive. Then you can edit out all the stuff you want and create shorter clips that are more enjoyable to watch.

Have fun with your creation of DVDs and don’t be afraid to share them with your entire family regardless how well or not you think your editing and filming job is.