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Beat the dull family footage curse with tips from Sony Australia
Press Release
 
Putting your home-movie audience to sleep? Shaky shots? Zooming in too close? Does this sound familiar? These are the top three mistakes Australians make when filming their home-movies, according to Sony Australia.  
 
Australians have long been fans of the home-movie, however very few know how to make one that friends and family really want to watch. Based on consumer research, Sony Australia lists the following most common pitfalls for Australian home-movie makers: 
* Boring shots – stock standard positions, lack of composition, don’t tell a story 
* One handed filming – causing shakiness, blurry images, and a motion-sick viewer! 
* Overusing the zoom – shots no longer in context, distracting motion moving in and out
 
“Capturing moments with family and friends on video is a popular past time,” said Di Shepherd, Sony Australia’s Product Manager for Handycam. “Shooting videos that impress your audience can be simple to make by keeping a few essentials in mind. Locating the record, stop, zoom and power buttons do not equate to a home movie masterpiece.”
 
Amid the plethora of camcorder buttons and options, people are hard pressed to know exactly what features do, and what the benefits are. Sony Australia comes to their aid today with the release of its user-friendly guide and tips to overcome the top three mistakes people make.
 
The “Home movie-making made easy with Handycam” user guide – available at www.sony.com.au/handycam/guide – outlines a broad cross-section of advice for movie making. It has been collated utilising research Sony gathered from Handycam users as well as insights obtained from Sony’s technical centre.
 
Boring shots
Constantly shooting from the one direction and from unvarying angles means viewers will often become bored. Consider trying creative ways to capture a scene, such as shooting from above or fading in and out. This will add more depth and texture to home-movies, and create a more professional look and feel overall.
 
One-handed filming
It is tempting to hold the camcorder with only one hand, using the hand strap. This however is not the best method of filming, as the weight of the camera coupled with the natural movement of shaking hands causes the picture to waver. The best option is to hold the camcorder with two hands to ensure a steadier shot. Another option is to lean against a wall or support elbows on a table for more stabilisation.
 
Over-using the zoom
The top mistake generally made when creating a video is zooming. Overuse of the zoom is a habit picked up from using digital cameras where you frequently zoom to obtain the best picture. When making movies, zooming can cause viewers to feel motion sickness and hence should be avoided. Instead, move slowly towards the subject being captured for a more natural close-up.
 
The Handycam user guide provides tips for all camcorder users and is readily available for home- movie making buffs for download from the Handycam website www.sony.com.au/handycam/guide.
 

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