Tips for fun and creative video this Halloween! with a Vimeo Plus Giveaway

Tips for fun and creative video this Halloween! with a Vimeo Plus Giveaway

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!
  4. 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.
  5. 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!
  6. 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.