Steady as she goes

When I think of camcorders, I immediately think of amateur shaky video. The technology has improved to provide a steady picture. Many manufacturers guarantee it, like the Sony HDR-SR1 Camcorder, which has Sony’s trademarked “Super SteadyShot”. With the correct amount of skill, you can produce quality handheld sequences.

Sometimes the un-steadiness can be an effective stylistic technique. I think of some of the chase sequences in Strange Days or even on “The Amazing Race”. The shaky camera effect really works to their advantage. It engages the viewer and makes the action more realistic.

But most of the time, the movement is an unintended side effect of using a camcorder without a tripod. I have filmed several scenes where I wanted to improvise the story action and capture that perfect performance or event. However, the result is less than satisfactory. It comes out like crap and can sometimes make your viewer sick. You need to buy a sony camcorder tripode to ensure a true steady framed shot. With a tripod, you can pan and zoom in a more effective manner. It doesn’t matter how much technology has advanced, you need a stable mechanism to hold the camera body still.

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3. Time marches on
4. Hard-Disk HD Cam
5. Ancient Technology