Better Home Video

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Better Home Video

Perfect Holiday Video in 10 Easy Steps

A frame from Bob Rivers "I am Santa Claus"

**Shameless Plug: Of course you’re buying a dozen print copies of How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck for the video people in your family– but did you know there’s an audio version too?

Special bonus: Scroll down for a Christmas music video parody called “I am Santa Claus” that I created and directed for Atlantic Records and my friend Bob Rivers. There are at least 900 stupid Christmas jokes in its 4 minute run-time. And yes, I’m proud of that.

End Shameless Plug**

Ah, the Holidays!

Chestnuts roasting, noses being nipped, and hours of incomprehensible video being shot … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Better Home Video

5 Killer Halloween Video Tips

Going out to shoot memorable video of your kids? Here are five Halloween Video tips that will help:

1) It’s dark out at night. I know you knew that, so let me be more specific: outside at night away from any light, it will be too dark to see your kids. The obvious solutions: use your phone’s built-in light, position the kids under streetlights, or shoot at the pre-show party indoors.

Less obviously- have another parent light the kids with their cellphones from off to the side. You’ll get much prettier looking footage. Above all, remember– if you can’t … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Better Home Video

Five Easy Ways to Shoot Better Thanksgiving Video

Hopefully your Thanksgiving gathering will be near-normal this year– at least from a Covid perspective (I mean, whose family is normal?) — and that means you’ll need these five tips to make your Thanksgiving video kick butt.

Bad Thanksgiving video can be hell to sit through. Mom hiding her face to keep from being seen when she’s messy after cooking all day. Ten minute shots of the steaming turkey, as if this one looks different. Loud dinner cross-conversations that are impossible to hear, let alone follow.

Why not make this the year you shoot GREAT Thanksgiving video with these 5 … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Better Home Video, Feature Film, For Pros

Better Call Saul: The Devil is in the Details

There is no better show on television than AMC’s Better Call Saul, from Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould, ex of Breaking Bad. All four seasons are spectacular, but if you haven’t watched (or even if you have) it’s worth considering what makes it great. Great writing and acting, sure, but for me the best part of Better Call Saul is that every shot, every sequence, every episode is about intrigue- built by lensing in to the details.

Season 1, Episode 1 doesn’t start with anything as obvious as an establishing shot of a shopping mall, or a freeway sign … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Featured, Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Better Home Video

How to Shoot Vacation Video that Won’t Bore People to Death

Vacation videos suck, unless you follow these tips.

When I was a kid, the Armbrusters had a slide projector. Which meant that after every vacation they took, we’d troop dutifully to their house for endless carousels of badly-shot Kodachrome slides, narrated live. The slide show always seemed longer than the vacation itself. Washed-out, badly composed views of Disneyland or Paris—dotted here and there with the back of the head of someone we knew.

Today technology has changed everything. People can record hours of vacation video on a single chip. But they don’t trap you in their living rooms anymore. Instead they find you at work, at parties, on … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Better Home Video, Your Questions Answered

Tricks to Storify Your Travel Video

I shoot videos and landscapes when I travel overseas. Obviously, I cannot shoot to a script or have much of a plan, since this is an unplanned vacation.

How would I construct a story from random scenes in Berlin, Warsaw, Vienna, Budapest, etc? Usually I end up with a string of shots without any story. This is not what you recommend in your book.

My friend Wendy will be travelling with me, but how could I include her in the video? Shots of her looking at the Danube from Buda and from Pest don’t seem to have much interest. Shooting

… Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, Better Home Video, For Pros, Your Questions Answered

Wedding Video Blues: 5 Tips for Better Wedding Videos

I’ve never used a video camera, however my daughter will be getting married this October and I will be filming for the VERY first time. I’m scared stiff ! ! !

Can you please advise me on the best way to capture this special moment.? I would be so very grateful to you.
Thank You,
Lucy Wilson

Wait, you’re shooting video at your daughter’s wedding?

First piece of advice: please re-consider.

Weddings are an emotional ride for any parent-of-the-bride, and whether you wind up blubbering like a 2-year old, dancing on tables or falling-down drunk, holding a video camera will … Read the rest

Steve Stockman In Tips and Tricks, If you’re new to video, Better Home Video

Mothers Day Video Tips

Ah, Mothers Day! Burnt toast and coffee made with hot tap water in bed (“We aren’t allowed to use the stove.”) . Macaroni-art “I love You Mom” cards. Perhaps a meal at Mom’s favorite restaurant–say, Chuck E. Cheese. The day is loaded with great material that can become memorable video. Video you can use 15 or 20 years from now in that mandatory embarrassing/cute wedding video.

With that in mind, here are a few Mother’s Day Video Tips for the Dad behind the camera:

Find the Story: “Mother’s Day 2017” isn’t a story. Stories are about people and action. … Read the rest