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