Keep Your Pictures and Home Movies Out of the Fire

Of course, you want to keep your pictures out of the fire. It should be a matter of concern for anyone who cares about his or her family pictures and home movies. You don’t expect to have a fire in your home, but it can happen anyway. We all have insurance to cover the loss of possessions, but the insurance can’t bring back your one-of-a-kind pictures if they’re burned in a fire or lost in a flood. It’s not as hard today as it once was to assure that you don’t lose everything if your pictures or home movies are destroyed.


At Patchin Pictures, we had a customer who described how her mother always kept the family photo albums near the door. Her mother gave instructions to everyone in the family to grab the photo albums on the way out of the house if there was a fire. That’s a very smart idea. It’s a plan. We’ve encountered numerous people who lost all their family pictures in fires or floods because they didn’t have a plan to save them. Now, with the amazing level of technology available at relatively inexpensive prices, we all have the opportunity to save our old pictures and home movies from fires and floods without having to keep the albums by the door.

You should have a plan to save the most important assets you own. Furniture can be replaced, but the records of your history can not. Today, however, they can be backed up. Everyone’s at least somewhat familiar with photo scanning technology. Some may have heard about film transfers to video. But knowing about something and taking advantage of it are two different things. You have to take action.

A lot of picture scanners can give you good results, but you need to be aware of proper settings and some of the pitfalls of automatic modes. For movie film, there really isn’t a high quality, cost effective method available to consumers who want to do it themselves. Film transfers should be left to specialists who have the right know-how and equipment to do the transfers right. And for those who don’t want to scan their own pictures, professionals are available for that, too. I’ll give you a perspective on film transfers here.

(Please watch for our other blogs for details on the right way to scan pictures).

When video cassettes became a widely accepted format for recording and playing moving pictures, people wanted a way to get their old movie film to play back as easily as putting a VHS tape into a machine. They no longer wanted to roll out their movie screen, thread the film through a projector, turn off the lights in the room and grind their way through reel after reel of film. The convenience of those VHS and Betamax tapes was too appealing. So people started recording their projected films off the movie screens using their new video cameras. The original video tape formats were very poor. These formats, when combined with the inferior methods of transferring film to tape, yielded results that were less than desirable. But playback was convenient even if it looked worse than the projected images.

Now, we can produce film transfers that actually look better than the projected images. In the early days of video, when people recorded their movie screens, they inadvertently recorded the texture of the movie screens and the flaws in the projector. They were at the mercy of the poor quality video cameras, too. And, maybe worst of all, the images they recorded always flickered. (The flicker comes from the conflicting playback rates of film versus video). Although cameras have improved drastically, non-professionals don’t have many more do-it-yourself options today. But for those who get professionals to do the transfers, the results can be significantly better, assuming the professionals do the transfers right.

The best way to transfer film to video is through a process known as telecine, basically television-cinema. The best telecine processes are those used by big movie studios. They use extremely sophisticated and high quality systems to scan the film. For most of us, that process is far too expensive if we’re transferring home movies. It’s also overkill. The cost-effective way to transfer home movies to video is a scaled-down version of the high-end telecine machines. A good transfer company will use one of these systems. At the minimum, a home movie transfer should record the images off the film frames, not from a projection. In addition, a good transfer must include an adjustment to get rid of the film flicker. There are many other technical specifications and procedures that should be included in a good transfer. If all these things are part of the transfer, the final results will be superior to what you’ve seen in the past. These new transfers will reveal more detailed images that are more vivid and that even include more of the frame than you see in a projection.

Picture scans and film transfers can be stored in a variety of ways, and they can be duplicated (backed-up) without losing quality. They can be saved on CDs, DVDs, internal and external hard drives, and other portable storage devices and remote servers through on-line services. Picture files are typically smaller than movie files, so they don’t require as much media storage space. Keep in mind also, that picture files can be stored as individual images and they can be edited into playable videos. In many cases they can be stored both ways on one DVD (as files and as playable video). The film transfers can be stored as files as well as playable DVDs, also. These video files can be made in many different formats. The number of options seems to be expanding every day.

At the minimum, you should know that the technology is available so you can make high-quality copies of all your pictures and movies, and you can back them up in various locations. That’s the key. When you convert your pictures and films into these new forms of electronic media, you should keep multiple copies in multiple locations. Keep one set at home, and keep another set somewhere else, such as in another family member’s home or in a safe deposit box. Now, you’re safe. You’ve made sure high-quality back-up copies exist in different locations so that if one set is destroyed or lost, at least one other set exists somewhere else.

Now that you’ve taken the most important step in saving your memories, the next step is to organize your pictures and movies into a new project that reveals the purpose behind saving everything in the first place. Please see our other postings for great ideas to make your pictures and videos even more fun to watch and share.

About the Author:

Steve Patchin is Founder and General Manager of Patchin Pictures®. Patchin Pictures® specializes in Making the Movies of Your Life®. That includes film transfers, slide and picture scans, video duplication, full video production and more. Whether it’s making copies of your pictures and videos or creating completely new productions, when it comes to video production and duplication, Patchin Pictures will do it for you, or help you do it yourself. Call us today for a free consultation. That’s why we’re here. Call 702-240-6777 or go to http://www.patchinpictures.com/. We’ll help you save your pictures and movies and even help you discover new ways to share those precious memories.

Think Like a Big Director and Make Your Home Movies More Fun to Watch

You’re shooting video of your family. All you have to do is aim the camera and keep it pointed at your kids, right? After all, it’s only your home movies. Why should you try to do more? Well if you don’t think you should do more, stop reading right now. For the rest of you, let’s have a little change of perspective.

The idea that you shouldn’t think big just because you’re only shooting video of your kids is backward. Nothing is more important than your family. So, what does it mean to think big or think like a big director? It means you shouldn’t put limits on yourself. Don’t accept that pointing your camera and letting it do the rest is the best you can do. You should look for ways to improve your shooting.

“I don’t have a big budget, so I can’t get good shots”
You have a choice. You can dwell on your limitations, or you can shoot with the determination to get the best shots possible. Shooting movies can be difficult. Professional cameras are certainly better than most consumer cameras. “Real” movies are usually technically better looking than “home” movies. So what? Should that stop you? Is the quality of the camera the only factor in getting good shots? No.

During the years I’ve run Patchin Pictures®, I have heard lots of comments from people about well-shot video and poorly-shot video. The most telling comment that demonstrates people’s backward thinking comes when someone sees our demo video. He’ll say, “Wow. That’s a really nice shot. What camera did you use?” People don’t ask, “How long did you have to wait for the light to be so perfect through those trees?” They don’t ask, “How did you follow that bike rider so well when he was going so fast?” I never hear, “The background looks so soft that the people really stand out.” No, it’s always, “What camera did you use?” They’re just asking the wrong question.

You Can’t Send Your Camera Out to Shoot For You
I want to tell people that I just send out my Videomatic, and it does everything for me. It’s an all-seeing, all-knowing camera that gets all my shots, and I don’t even have to look at the view screen. But that’s just a thought for my own amusement. The best thing I can do is help people learn that it’s the shooter, not the camera who gets good shots. And if the shooter doesn’t take control of the shots, the best camera in the world is useless.

Don’t Just Point and Shoot
Shoot with a purpose and ask yourself, “How can I shoot better?” Some of the things you can control to improve your shooting are:

The composition of your shot.
The location of your camera and/or subject.
The exposure (brightness/darkness) of your image.
The stability of your camera.
The movement of your camera.
The direction of light on your subjects (in more situations than you might think).
The use of your zoom lens.
Your knowledge of how your camera works.

Learning to control these things will help you think bigger, but if you need inspiration, watch good movies, or at least movies with good cinematography. (Cinematography is the art of lighting and shooting motion pictures). Most people don’t bother to think about why a movie looks good. Some don’t even notice the difference between good shooting and bad. Pay attention, and you’ll discover a new layer to watching movies.

What is “Good” Shooting?
Not sure what a “good” movie is? Look up movies that have been nominated for or have won Best Cinematography at the Academy Awards. The Best Picture choices may not be agreeable to you, but the Best Cinematography nominees and winners are often right on. Watch those movies and be aware of the shots. Ask yourself what they might have done to get a good shot and how you might apply that method to your own home movies.

Look for all the things that you can control. When you’re shooting, don’t just put everything in the center of your shot. Try new angles and camera positions. Make sure you’re recording an image that is bright (or dark) enough for your subject. Keep your camera still when the shot calls for stillness. Be creative with camera movement when it makes sense (or when you feel like it). Watch out for ugly shadows, and position your camera or subject so the light looks good. Try your zoom lens in different positions, and note the differences. And most of all: be prepared. Know how to control your camera by practicing the use of your camera’s controls.

Take Control of One Thing and Make a Difference
I know that’s a lot of information, but you don’t have to do everything at once. Just start trying some of these suggestions, and you’ll see improvements in your videos. Be patient with yourself. You have to start somewhere, but don’t wait. Make a point to do at least one thing better every time you shoot. That’s the beginning of thinking bigger, and more to the point, it’s the beginning of shooting better videos.

Remember: It’s All About Having Fun Watching Your Videos
You’ll have even more fun when you watch your new/improved videos because they’ll look better, and they’ll be more interesting. Having fun watching your home videos is the reason you shoot them in the first place.

We’re posting details on how to shoot better videos. Look for our other video-related blogs. If you have any topics you would like us to discuss, please let us know.

About the Author:
Steve Patchin is Founder and General Manager of Patchin Pictures®. Patchin Pictures® specializes in Making the Movies of Your Life®. We will produce your videos for you or help you make them yourself. Call us today for a free consultation on Making the Movies of Your Life®. That’s why we’re here. Call 702-240-6777 or go to http://www.patchinpictures.com/. Let’s make movies together!

10 Ways to Ruin Your Home Movies

Find yourself obligated to shoot videos of your family again? Want a way to get out of it? Well, here are some things you can do that will make your videos so ugly, no one will want you to shoot video again.

At Patchin Pictures, the video production and duplication company I founded in 1997, we’ve seen thousands of family videos, and we see the mistakes that people commonly make. The biggest reason people shoot so badly isn’t to get out of shooting; it’s because they’re not thinking about doing a good job of shooting. People tend to “point and shoot.” Why not? Many cameras are even classified as point-and-shoot cameras. So, here’s my advice on how to ruin your home movies (or not):

1: Make sure to leave the camera’s text display on so you record the date over every piece of video you shoot. It’s much more important to record the date than it is to get a clear shot of your kid’s face. We see this all the time. People seem to find the “date stamp” feature useful because it will always show them when they shot the video. More often than not, they haven’t set the correct date in the first place. Don’t use this feature. Write the date on the tape case. For newer cameras, the date information is recorded in addition to the video and does not have to be imprinted on the video image.

2: When you’re shooting an important event, make sure you get as far away as possible so you can’t see the people on stage. So many people fail to think about their shooting position and how this affects their video. Get close and get good shots.

3: When you’re driving, just point your camera at anything you see, especially scenery. And make sure your dirty window is rolled up so you get all the smudges in your shot. We see hours and hours of landscape footage that was shot decades ago. Guess what? It looks the same as if it were shot yesterday. Pine trees and mountains haven’t changed much through the years. That isn’t to say you should completely omit scenery shots, but keep them to a minimum unless you love using the “fast-forward” button on your remote.

4: Never use a tripod or try to stabilize your camera. Shaky shots are better, and you can always claim it’s your shooting style. Maybe you don’t own a tripod, but you can at least try to stabilize the camera by leaning against something. If you do have a tripod, use it, especially at stage events such as plays and graduations.

5: Always put the faces of your subjects directly in the center of your shot. It’s great to have lots of extra space above people’s heads, and you don’t want to see people’s legs and feet anyway. This is one of the most common mistakes people make when shooting. They put everything right in the middle of the screen, only concerned with recording something, and never thinking about how to make it look the best. Remember not to leave too much empty space above people’s heads. Compose your shots so your subjects are not always directly in the middle.

6: Never charge your batteries or carry extra recording media (tapes, cards, hard drive space). It’s best to end your video by saying, “Ohh! The battery’s dying. I better-.” Or, “I’m almost out of t-.” It’s easy to forget about charging your battery. To be safe, carry an extra battery and charge the one you’re not using. The same goes for not having enough recording space to get the shots you want. Cary extra media, and make sure you have enough recording space. Why have a camera if you’re not ready to use it?

7: Always use the recording mode that allows you to record the longest amount of video. It saves you a few bucks on tapes and cards. Those “LP” modes on your camera should be avoided at all times unless you have no choice. Yes, you can get more video in the same amount of space, but the quality suffers. It doesn’t make sense to degrade the quality of your video just to save a few bucks. Buy more tapes and cards—unless of course, your family videos aren’t worth another couple bucks.

8: Copy all your master videos to VHS tapes and re-use your original tapes or delete your digital media. This too will save you a few bucks. Again, it makes no sense to destroy your video quality just to save a few dollars. If you’re using tapes, always keep the originals and never re-use tapes. First of all, you should always keep the highest quality originals regardless of the copies you make, and second, re-used tapes are prone to more glitches which could doom your videos before you’ve even shot them. Buy more tapes or back-up digital media on another drive.

9: Always let the camera set your exposure automatically. Your camera knows better than you what the shot should look like. Automatic settings work well when everything you’re shooting is in the same, even light. When your subject is not lit well and is in front of a bright window or light, your camera records everything too dark. Conversely, when your subject is well-lit in front of a dark background (such as at a play) the camera records everything too light. The camera doesn’t know what you’re shooting. It is up to you to make adjustments to get the exposure bright enough or dark enough. Learn to use manual exposure adjustments on your camera.

10: Make sure you leave your camera on and recording when you put it back in its bag or when you’re walking around. You’ll get lots of great shots of the inside of your lens cap or your feet, and you’ll waste battery power and recording space, too. This is just an error of not paying attention. Almost everyone has done this at least once. Take care to make sure your camera is off when you’re not using it.

Now, you can use this advice until another family member takes the video camera away from you, or you can use these tips to do a better job of shooting video. We hope you choose the latter. Either way, Patchin Pictures® is here to produce your videos for you or help you make them yourself. Check our other blogs for more details on how to shoot better video. Also, please give us your comments and suggestions.

About the Author:
Steve Patchin is Founder and General Manager of Patchin Pictures®. Patchin Pictures® specializes in Making the Movies of Your Life®. Call us today for a free consultation. That’s why we’re here. Call 702-240-6777 or go to www.PatchinPictures.com. Let’s make movies together!

Don’t Just Point and Shoot: Give Purpose to Your Home Movies

Are you satisfied with the quality of video you shoot of your family just because your family is in it? Most people take on the task of shooting video of their kids’ activities just because they should. But do you ever think about why you shoot video? Beyond the obvious answers of family obligation and wanting to save special moments for posterity, the real reason is to enjoy watching those videos some time in the future. I doubt anyone would classify his or her videos as pointless as long as they contain shots of their family, but much of what you shoot may not be as good as it could be. What can you do about it?

You can shoot with purpose. You’re probably saying, “My purpose is just to get some shots of my kids.” That’s true, but imagine what you want to see when you actually watch these shots. If you’re shooting you child’s birthday party, do you want to see wide shot after wide shot of guests standing in the dining room? Have you thought about the details? If you imagine what you’ll find interesting and fun when you finally watch the video, you’ll open your mind to thinking about more options and better shots.


Vary Your Shots
Let’s take the birthday party example. Most people point the camera in one direction and let it roll. What are your other options? First, you can shoot from different directions or camera angles. If you stand with the crowd while your kid blows out the candles, you won’t see the crowd in your shot. Seeing the people at the party might be the best part of your video. Try shooting from the side and get the candle shot along with the crowd, or at least remember to turn around and get some shots of everyone else as they clap.

Remember the Details
Second, there’s more going on at your party than just blowing out candles. Remember the details. There are lots of small interactions among people; there are fun decorations; there are stacks of presents. Shoot these things. Zoom in and get close-ups. Move your camera around and among all the action and decorations. Look for happy faces. Talk to people as you shoot, and get them to talk. Put the camera right in their faces and see how they react. Go into another room and shoot back toward the action, getting “candid” shots while people are unaware you’re shooting. Any of these tips can add fun to your videos so you’ll enjoy watching them later.

Tell a Story
So, you’re varying your camera angles and you’re remembering the details. What else? Third, and maybe most important, you should tell a story. Telling a story really is your purpose. I can’t think of any situation in which you don’t have an opportunity to tell a story. If you always think of ways to tell a story in every shooting situation, you’ll use different camera angles and interesting details as a way of telling your story.

“Not everything is a story,” you say. Okay, here’s an example: You tour your new home before you move in. You bring your camera. It’s exciting to you, and you tell your friends and family what it was like. Maybe it needs some work. You don’t just tell people, “Hey, we walked through the house today. It needs some work. Talk to you later.” Unless you’re not that interested in your new house, you’re more likely to tell people, “I just can’t wait to get started fixing up the new house. We’re going to tear out the kitchen cabinets and . . .” Isn’t that a story? Tell it on video. Talk while you’re shooting your video, and give your impressions as you go through the rooms and yard. Years from now, this will be fun to watch. You can hear yourselves talk about your plans and compare that to what you actually did. Remember to shoot the details.

Here’s another example: Your kid is participating in a school performance. Everyone remembers to shoot the performance itself. Few go beyond that. But some of the most interesting things don’t happen during the performance. What about getting ready at home? Does your kid get nervous? Was there a problem with clothes or costumes? Right before the performance, there are expectant moments when everyone’s anticipating going out on stage. How does your kid interact with the other kids at this time? Who is there to watch? Friends? Family? What do they think? How does your kid react after the performance? Is there excitement? Disappointment? Are you proud? Record everything. Talk to each other while the camera is recording (just not during the performance). That’s your story. Don’t just point and shoot toward the activities on stage.

I hope this gets you thinking of better ways to shoot video. My intention is to get you to be more active in using video to document you life. Remember to shoot with purpose, the purpose of telling the little stories that make up the epic of your life. You’ll be glad you did when you finally watch your videos.

One of the next steps after you’ve recorded your stories is to edit your video so you can tell your story even better. That’s a subject of another blog.


About the Author:
Steve Patchin is Founder and General Manager of Patchin Pictures®. Patchin Pictures® specializes in Making the Movies of Your Life®. We will produce your videos for you or help you make them yourself. Call us today for a free consultation on Making the Movies of Your Life®. That’s why we’re here. Call 702-240-6777 or go to www.PatchinPictures.com. Let’s make movies together!