{"id":136,"date":"2015-02-24T12:20:00","date_gmt":"2015-02-24T12:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/?p=136"},"modified":"2019-08-27T14:23:10","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T14:23:10","slug":"how-to-make-your-home-movies-look-more-professional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/2015\/02\/24\/how-to-make-your-home-movies-look-more-professional\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make Your Home Movies Look More Professional"},"content":{"rendered":"

Previously on this blog we looked at common mistakes that those shooting home movies sometimes make. You can check out our tips here<\/a> and here<\/a>. But there are a few things you can do to ensure that Bella and Ron\u2019s wedding is on par with A Clockwork Orange<\/em>. Even Darcie\u2019s 11th<\/sup> birthday party can achieve the same watchability as Saving Private Ryan<\/em>, so long as you shoot it right.<\/p>\n

So today we\u2019re going to check out a few ways to create an absolutely awesome home movie that even your next-door neighbour\u2019s sister\u2019s friend would want to watch.<\/p>\n

Prepare and Plan<\/span><\/p>\n

Planning is absolutely crucial if you want the best movie possible. There are key moments at any event that you\u2019ll want to capture, right? Walking down the aisle and cutting the cake at a wedding, for instance. Or the candles being blown out at that birthday party. So you want to be prepared for those moments ahead of time, getting into position and ready to film first time \u2013 the bride\u2019s not going to walk down the aisle twice just because you didn\u2019t manually focus the shot.<\/p>\n

Making It Up as You Go<\/span><\/p>\n

For all that planning, there are some moments you just can\u2019t account for \u2013 and you\u2019ll want to remember those too. Uncle Paul dancing like Baloo the Bear may not be on your roster, but you\u2019ll want to be ready to film it in a heartbeat \u2013 even if Uncle Paul may wish you hadn\u2019t! Keep your wits about you, and be prepared to capture anything your viewers may want to watch back again and again.<\/p>\n

Try a Tripod<\/span><\/p>\n

Hey, want to induce seasickness in some of your viewers? Then definitely don\u2019t use a tripod. If, on the other hand, you want your audience to enjoy the movie, you\u2019ll want to get one. The tripod will keep your shots steady and visually engaging. Better yet, it\u2019ll give your film a professional polish.<\/p>\n

Enlighten the Audience<\/span><\/p>\n

Lighting is one of those factors that people don\u2019t think they have much control over. And sure, if you\u2019re trying to stop the sun from setting until you\u2019ve got that<\/em> shot you know will make<\/em> your movie, you\u2019re probably not going to have much luck. But you can control factors such as where you\u2019re filming \u2013 for instance, don\u2019t have natural light coming in from behind the main players, because no-one wants to remember a silhouette which may or may not be Auntie Jan. If you\u2019re filming inside, whack on as many lights as possible, and whip open the curtains.<\/p>\n

You Aren\u2019t There<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of amateur home movie-makers forget that they\u2019re not the centre of attention. In fact, you shouldn\u2019t be centre of anything, but instead blend in like a wildlife documentary filmmaker. That way you\u2019ll capture real <\/em>moments, rather than shoving the camera into the face of a now-conscious and inhibited guest.<\/p>\n

Insert Shot Here<\/span><\/p>\n

You know what can be a real drag with home movies. The same long shot capturing absolutely everything for two or three hours. Hey, you\u2019re a movie-maker now, so be creative. Get as many different shots as you can. A long-shot of the birthday girl in front of the cake to set the scene, before a nice close-up of the candles being blown out, followed by reaction shots can really enliven those moments. That goes for angles too. A low-angle shot, followed by a towering overhead can make a home movie far more visually appealing.<\/p>\n

Can You Hear Me Now<\/span><\/p>\n

Sound can be a tricky thing to get right. Some camcorders can go all to hell when there\u2019s too much chatter. But if you have control over the ambient noise, then you should take advantage of that. Lowering the volume of the music, for instance, may make all the difference. Invest in a pair of headphones and hook them up to your camera \u2013 that way you\u2019ll know precisely how that sound\u2019s being caught on film.<\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve got your epic movie, it\u2019s time to share it. And what better way than to hold screenings on DVD? That\u2019s where we can help. Whatever format you\u2019ve filmed it on, we can convert it for you. We can even transfer 8mm film to DVD<\/a> if that\u2019s your bag. To get the scoop on how we can help you, simply contact us<\/a> on 0800 592 433 and our experienced team of technicians will be delighted to help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Previously on this blog we looked at common mistakes that those shooting home movies sometimes make. You can check out our tips here and here. But there are a few things you can do to ensure that Bella and Ron\u2019s wedding is on par with A Clockwork Orange. Even Darcie\u2019s 11th birthday party can achieve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[20],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1242,"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136\/revisions\/1242"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cine2dvdtransfers.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}