Chapter 1. Start Here

Chapter 1. Start Here

These days, anybody with a video camcorder and a PC manufactured in the past few years can create high-quality video productions . As the cost of required hardware and software drops , two things happen:

1. More and more video content is available for independent movies, instructional videos, home videos, event videos (for occasions such as birthdays and weddings), and just about anything you can imagine.

2. The overall quality decreases as the quantity increases !

That last statement might be slightly cynical , but it does contain lots of truth. Entire college courses are available for photographers and videographers . Bookstores contain shelf after shelf of books about shooting quality video (although none are as good as this book!). Several magazines are devoted to video and still-image photography. The Web contains scores of related sites. These courses, books, magazines, and Web sites exist to turn a newcomer with a video camcorder into a skilled videographer.

KEY TERM

Videographers ” People who understand the fundamentals of making an effective video that an audience can enjoy.

The existence of these materials proves that owning a camera is not enough to know what to do. It's not elitist to state that anyone can shoot videos, but without knowledge of some fundamentals related to lighting, focus, motion, exposure, and so forth, the videos are never as good as they are after the camera owner learns the basics.

In the world of video moviemaking, a little knowledge can be valuable . By understanding the basics of shooting video ”the basics you'll learn right here in the next two jam-packed chapters ”you'll rise above the crowd and begin creating much improved videos.

NOTE

The quality of equipment is far less important than the quality of the videographer.