Are you a member of a club or church group and want to record all the fun moments you share in the group? Take your camcorder on the next field trip or outing with your group - with the right shots you will be able to capture all the fun for those that participated and those that weren't able to come along. If you follow these short tips you'll create a lasting memory that everyone can enjoy:
1. All aboard
Memorable videography is less about outstanding technique than it is about storytelling. Take 3 minutes to think about what kind of story you want to capture. If you're going on a road trip, start the story with some initial shots of your church, club house or school. Show the bus pulling into the parking lot and everyone boarding the bus or the train. Take some close-ups of all the bags piled up.
2. Road movie style
While the train/bus/plane is moving, take some shots of the landscape zipping by. Try to choose a stretch of rail or road that is not too bumpy to take this footage. Also capture the atmosphere inside the bus or plane. Are your members singing along to a guitar, playing games or just sleeping? All of those moments captured will be excellent ways to convey the mood of your story.
3. Final destination
When you get to your destination, make sure you're one of the first people off of the bus. Record everyone getting off and filing into your camp/hotel/lodgings. On this blog, I'm always preaching about getting those "establishing shots" since amateur videographers so often miss them. It makes our job as editors much harder. Therefore, remember to take video of the surroundings of your lodgings and good, stable shoots of the hotel/camp itself. Always count backwards from 5 at each shot so that you have enough footage to edit into.
