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The True Meaning of Holiday Video

As the holidays approach, it’s time for us again to consider the age-old question we ask every Holiday Season:  Why do we shoot Holiday Video?

My answer?  We shoot Holiday Video to remember.

We want to remember our kids as they are now, because they will never be that way again.  We want to remember our parents and grandparents, because they don’t last forever.  We want to remember ourselves too—because whatever age we are now, it’s a hell of a lot younger than we’ll be in a decade.

To really make your memories count this Holiday Season, focus your video on your family and friends.  Stay close to their faces so your camera can see them the way you do in real life.  Interview them about the dinner, or the season, or their lives.  Catch their real interactions, for better or worse, so you can look back on what things were really like back then.  Back now.

Focus your camera on what makes your holiday special.  Shoot Uncle Larry trying not to fall asleep in front of the football game.  The Cousins’ Beer and Ping Pong tournament in the basement.  Your two year-old pushing cranberry sauce off the high chair and onto the floor so the dog can enjoy the holiday too.

Don’t spend too much time on the scenery. If you’ve seen one roasted turkey, you’ve seen them all.  A short shot of bird coming out of the oven will do (unless it catches fire, in which case you should definitely keep shooting.)  And sure the table looks nice, but a shot of place settings isn’t video—it’s a still photograph.  Shoot if you must, but 3 seconds is more than enough.

The true meaning of holiday video?  Shooting what you really want to remember: the people.

More tips for great Holiday shooting here!

True Meaning of Holiday Video

Bare feet + deep frying turkey = potentially great video!

 

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How To Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck: The Video Course

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About The Author

Steve Stockman

Steve Stockman, president of LA-based Custom Productions, Inc., is a prolific producer, writer, and director, known for over 200 diverse media projects. He is also the author of the best-selling book "How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck," taught globally from middle school to graduate level, and available in 9 languages.

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