Ready, and... ACTION!

The next time you shoot a video of something – make it count.

Home movies can be really boring – but you don’t have to be a cinematographer to make them look great. Producer and director Steve Stockman, author of “How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck,” has a few simple tricks:

• Think in shots. Instead of just letting the camera roll, shoot the action – such as Grandma blowing out the candles – then hit stop. The next shot should be another action – such as Grandma opening a present.

• Keep it a short film. Two minutes of quick shots is a lot more entertaining and tells a better story than reliving it in real time.

• Treat your video camera like a still camera. Point, shoot, stop, repeat. Excessive zooming or moving the camera around is hard to watch. It’s better to shoot up close when possible instead of using a zoom feature.

• “Cut!” Try to keep each shot about 10 seconds – then move on to your next shot. You will notice most TV and film shots are rarely longer than 10 seconds.