It’s that time of year again, when our little ghouls, goblins, vampires, pirates and princesses take to the neighborhood in search of pounds of candy! If you’re like other parents, you’re quick with your camera to snap still photos of your trick-or-treaters all dressed up, but why not turn to video this year for a little more creative twist?
Try this — get your children to act out their character or whatever they’re dressed as this year, and record some quick 30-60 second video clips. You’ll be amazed at what they do and just how creative their little minds can be!
Here are some easy to follow tips that you can use to capture this great video, all with just using your smartphone:
Smudges aren’t fun Since you’re always holding your smartphone in your hand and putting it up to your ear, it’s natural that its lens will have smudges. A quick wipe with a soft cloth before you start to record is the first step you should take. This will give you the clearest shot possible.
Think “H” for Halloween and for horizontal! Be aware of which way you’re holding your smartphone! It may feel natural to hold it vertically and then press record; however, that will give you a video that’s vertical when viewing. Your best bet is to hold your smartphone horizontally. This will allow you to fully enjoy your final product on a widescreen HDTV or computer.
Stay just off center! If you’re lining up your child right in the middle of the shot, STOP! Instead, place them just off center. This is an easy trick that will add an interesting feel and context to your video and really capture your viewers’ attention and keep it on your trick-or-treater!
Shake no more! A shaky video can be just as scary as your kids’ costumes! No one wants to watch a shaky video, so keep the following in mind when you’re about to hit record: hold with both hands and spread your pinkies; take a nice wide stance and spread your feet apart; brace your elbows against your chest for added support; or lean against a surface, such as a wall or tree, to steady yourself.
Let’s hear them Your friends and family want to hear your little ones give their best rendition of a pirate or ghost, so keep in mind how far you are from your subject when recording. The mics found in today’s smartphones aren’t the most sensitive, so try to be as close to your kids as possible to ensure you pick up their voices – being in a quiet environment helps too!
Share and scare! Once you’re happy with the video you’ve captured, take advantage of free software, such as Vimeo’s free iPhone app, which you can use to quickly edit, trim and add effects. You can then share and scare with your friends and family by uploading safely and securely to Vimeo – all without having to go to the computer!
For additional tips, lessons and tutorials on how to capture better video, head over to the Video Vimeo School at http://vimeo.com/videoschool
These great tips came from Andrea Allen is the senior content + community manager at Vimeo – the high quality video sharing site that brings out the creative in all of us!
Plus if you want to add some halloween effects Vimeo just posted this more advanced article on how to add special scary movie effects to their video that might fit the Halloween mood: http://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/146/scary-special-effects
If you know about Vimeo there is a free membership and then a super cool Plus membership (and I gotta say I’ve been loving my Plus account for nearly two years now).
How to win it… Contest ends 11:59pm EST. November 7th, 2011.
1 lucky winners will win a 1 year Plus account subscription… Tell us who you or your child is dressing up as for halloween and please include some method for us to contact you in the comment (twitter or email).
You get 1 extra entry for tweeting about this contest (you can do this daily). Must contain the following information: @vimeo @dadarocks http://dad.tc/ueBa22 — and you must also leave comment on this blog with the link to your tweet.
Example: I want to win an @Vimeo Plus account Thanks to @dadarocks – http://dad.tc/ueBa22
You get 1 extra entry for following Vimeo on twitter – twitter.com/vimeo You get 1 extra entry for following us on twitter – twitter.com/dadarocks You get 1 extra entry for becoming a FAN of Vimeo on Facebook – facebook.com/Vimeo you must comment that you’re a fan
You get 1 extra entry for becoming a FAN on Facebook – facebook.com/DaDaRocks you must comment that you’re a fan
You get 1 extra entry for recommending a friend to become a Fan on Facebook – facebook.com/DaDaRocks they must comment that you sent them and you must comment here for the entry
You will have 24 hours to reply before we pick another winner!
Disclaimer: Thanks to Video for this prize.
I’m part of the Windows Champions program so I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the ten year anniversary of Windows XP and Office. I could not get through my day without Windows and Office – and I’ll fully admit it my main PC is still running XP Pro. I’d love to say that I need to do much more now a days but fact is when windows xp came out I was in college doing a little bit of everything (which is very different then today). These days I use Word, Outlook, Notepad, and once in a blue moon minesweeper 😛
So the famous day that changed most of our lives was October 25, 2001 – I couldnt find a picture from Halloween of 2001 and sadly I havent a memory of what I even dressed up as. I did find a photo from my 21st birthday that I shared with my two best/good friends Andrew and Steve.
Walt Disney Studios proudly invites families and audiences of all ages to return to the Hundred Acre Wood with some of the world?s most beloved characters, as “Winnie the Pooh,” [Amazon] the delightful all-new animated feature film comes home to Blu-ray Combo Pack for the very first time, as well as DVD and Movie Download on October 25, 2011. Reuniting audiences with Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore (who has lost his tail), “Winnie the Pooh” is a honey of an in-home release containing hours of immersive bonus features, including exclusive animated shorts “The Ballad of Nessie” and “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon;” a sing-along viewing option; an informative behind-the-scenes featurette for the whole family and deleted scenes with director commentary – all available on Blu-ray Combo Pack.
Disney returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh.” Featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo – and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. “Ever have one of those days where you just can?t win, Eeyore?” asks Pooh. Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Disney?s all-new “Winnie the Pooh” movie is inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney?s classic, hand-drawn art.
Blu-ray Bonus Features:
Exclusive bonus short “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon” – In this charming short, Pooh comes up with a daring plan to get a hold of some honey by fooling a group of bees.
“The Ballad of Nessie” – The animated short film included in the theatrical release is the heartwarming tale of how Nessie found her new home in the Loch Ness.
“Winnie the Pooh and His Story Too” – A fun and informative behind-the-scenes look at the film, designed for the whole family. Hosted by John Cleese (narrator of the film), and with occasional help from Pooh himself, this featurette explores Winnie the Pooh?s history from his beginnings as a character in a book, to his continued life in the movies. The filmmakers reveal how they worked to keep the look of the characters and settings in this movie consistent with their first appearances on-screen in 1966. Pooh, being a bear of very little mind, finds much of this confusing, but the Narrator and the filmmakers make it all clear to Pooh – and you!
Deleted Scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 5 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit?s Friends and Relations,” “Original Eeyore Intro,” “Original Tigger Intro” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”
Sing-Along with the Movie – Follow the red balloon and changing word colors to seven song lyrics featured in the film. Disney Song Selection – “Winnie the Pooh Theme Song,” “The Tummy Song, “A Very Important Thing To Do,” “The Backson Song,” “It?s Gonna Be Great,” “Everything is Honey” and “The Winner Song Finale”
DVD Bonus Features:
“Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”
“The Ballad of Nessie”
Deleted scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit?s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”
Movie Download Bonus Features:
“Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”
“The Ballad of Nessie”
Deleted Scenes introduced directors. Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “Rabbit’s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”
The movie is perfect for 3 year olds, as its timing is nice and short but its the classic story line. Which really is something to think that my child will grow up again with one of my favorite characters as a toddler. Reuniting Pooh, Piglet, Owl, Tigger, Rabbit, Kanga, Roo and last but not least the ever loveable Eeyore who now is on the look out for his last tail. Its fantastically put together and my child has been enjoying it daily.
How to win it… Contest ends 11:59pm EST. October 31st, 2011.
1 lucky winners will pickup a copy of DVD&BluRay combo pack… Tell us who your favorite character is and please include some method for us to contact you in the comment (twitter or email).
You get 1 extra entry for tweeting about this contest (you can do this daily). Must contain the following information: #WinnieThePooh @dadarocks http://dad.tc/v4Qw5v — and you must also leave comment on this blog with the link to your tweet.
Example: I want to win #WinnieThePooh movie on DVD thanks to @dadarocks – http://dad.tc/v4Qw5v
You get 1 extra entry for following us on twitter – twitter.com/dadarocks
You get 1 extra entry for becoming a FAN on Facebook – facebook.com/DaDaRocks you must comment that you’re a fan
You get 1 extra entry for recommending a friend to become a Fan on Facebook – facebook.com/DaDaRocks they must comment that you sent them and you must comment here for the entry
You will have 24 hours to reply before we pick another winner!
Disclaimer: Thanks to Disney for this prize. Please note this is limited to the USA.
Growing up my kid sister loved this show – so like many things I suffered though watching it (instead of Thundercats or Transformers)… But none the less any child of the last 70’s and 80’s will know this show all too well!
I’m sure I watched a lot of Jem and the Holograms on TV when I was a child. I loved her pink hair as I think I tried to paint my sister’s hair once or twice – just trying to torment her!
On October 11, 2011, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro Inc., released the long-awaited JEM and The Holograms: The Truly Outrageous Complete Series! 11-DVD box set, sparkling with all the episodes in the order they were intended and an exclusive extra DVD packed with bonus features, including archival material rarely seen by fans! Poised to present a hard-to-refuse offer for loyal fans, this uncompromising 11-DVD box set is collected in a specially designed box and will be made available in stores nationwide. Also available to own on the same day is the single season DVD debut of JEM and The Holograms: Season One in a 4-DVD box set.
The series “JEM and The Holograms” ran from 1985-’88 in first-run syndication and still boasts a loyal and vocal fan base. It is frequently credited with influencing fashion in the late 1980s and beyond, and launching the careers of female pop-rock stars and music groups. The series follows Jerrica Benton, whose discovery of Synergy, a powerful computer companion, allows her to transform from co-owner of Starlight Music into rock star Jem. Teaming with her sister and best friends who form The Holograms, Jem sets out to make their musical dreams come true, even as she battles against the ruthless Eric Raymond and his musical protégés.
I’ve got one more clip “Talent Search”
How to win it… Contest ends 11:59pm EST. October 28th, 2011.
2 lucky winners will pickup a copy of season 1… Tell us what memories you have about the show and please include some method for us to contact you in the comment (twitter or email).
You get 1 extra entry for tweeting about this contest (you can do this daily). Must contain the following information: #JemAndTheHolograms @dadarocks http://dad.tc/v3xo39 — and you must also leave comment on this blog with the link to your tweet.
Example: I want to win season 1 of #JemAndTheHolograms thanks to @dadarocks – http://dad.tc/v3xo39
You get 1 extra entry for following us on twitter – twitter.com/dadarocks
You get 1 extra entry for becoming a FAN on Facebook – facebook.com/DaDaRocks you must comment that you’re a fan
You get 1 extra entry for recommending a friend to become a Fan on Facebook – facebook.com/DaDaRocks they must comment that you sent them and you must comment here for the entry
You will have 24 hours to reply before we pick another winner!
Disclaimer: Thanks to hit entertainment for this prize. Please note this is limited to the USA.
A while back I invited to a little charity gifting and giving (those plans are still in the works) but out of that came an invite to be part of pampers baby board. There is a new Pampers Hello World Baby Memories App is available now for free download on iTunes for your iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone. Because of Pampers one lucky reader is going to win an iPod Touch and a pack of Pampers SoftCare Baby Fresh Wipes.
Features on the new Hello World app include:
Making Memories- a one-touch sharing capability that allows you to take photo and videos, then quickly upload them to Facebook, Flickr, Twitter or Youtube at the touch of a button.
Albums- Allows you to conveniently organize and arrange, by category, your family’s photos directly on your ipad, itouch or iphone device.
Growing Baby- Allows you to take daily photos of your baby then pulls them all together in a time-lapse video so you can see how quickly your baby is growing right before your eyes! The best part is you can use this feature to create your own personal parenthood story– start with the baby bump, then the growth of your baby’s facial features, hands, feet, first tooth, etc. Growing Baby reveals in a remarkable way how precious babyhood really is…not that we need an app for that, but it’s still amazing to see!
The Hello World Baby Memories app is part of a series of apps called Pampers Hello Parenting Apps which also includes the Hello Baby Pregnancy Calendar
The Pampers Hello Baby Pregnancy Calendar allows you to explore life-sized images (iPad only; images in iPhone and iTouch are not life-sized) of a baby in the womb from week 4 up to week 40. Learn about the stages of pregnancy and make small discovers about a baby’s development. Did you know that a baby could respond to sounds by week 28? The “womb translator” feature allows you to record your voice, then play it back or share it with friends in the tone that your baby hears it.
How to win it… Contest ends 11:59pm EST. October 26th, 2011.
1 winner will win an Apple iPod Touch… Tell us what memories you’d love to save in the app and please include some method for us to contact you in the comment (twitter or email).
You get 1 extra entry for tweeting about this contest (you can do this daily). Must contain the following information: #PampersHelloApps @pampers @dadarocks http://dad.tc/oJD2qo — and you must also leave comment on this blog with the link to your tweet.
Example: I want to win a #apple #ipodtouch thanks to @pampers #PampersHelloApps from @dadarocks – http://dad.tc/oJD2qo
You get 1 extra entry for becoming a FAN on Facebook – facebook.com/DaDaRocks you must comment that you’re a fan
You get 1 extra entry for becoming a FAN on theirs Facebook – facebook.com/pampers you must comment that you’re a fan
You get 1 extra entry for recommending a friend to become a Fan on Facebook – facebook.com/DaDaRocks they must comment that you sent them and you must comment here for the entry
You will have 24 hours to reply before we pick another winner!
Disclaimer: Thanks to Pampers for this raffle prize. Please note this is limited to the USA.
