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How to Shoot Video of Your Kids Sports Team So That Anyone Else Will Watch It!

Break out that video camera, there is a game this weekend!

1.You bought a video camera
2.You want to shoot sports of your kid
3.Here is how to do it right!

What a wonderful age of technology we live in. You can buy the greatest gadgets now days to record video and music and play them in all sorts of ways on other great technology gadgets from computers, DVDs, MP3 players, VCRs, and many more. It is all great stuff. But they all come with thick owners manuals that do not always get you going the right direction. You may eventually learn to use your great new camera for instance, but that does not mean you will necessarily take pictures that are worth looking at down the road. Rolling tape in your camera is one thing and creating video that is high quality and interesting is another thing. The goal of this product is to bring you up to speed with using your video camera (whatever format, and whatever brand) to get the best results for recording those precious moments of your kids athletic achievements.

We as parents spend plenty of hours out on the field, court, pool, or track watching our kids take part in and compete in youth sports. If you have a video camera you are going to want to record some of these events for posterity and perhaps education. Following the simple steps in this guide will help you to capture them in the best possible fashion so that it is watch able but also usable down the road.

My video expertise stems from two decades as a network television cameraman and as a parent with several kids actively involved in youth sports. In my years of shooting video professionally I have been around the world and seen just about every type of news event. I also spent 15 years covering pro sports events for my employer. These were the best type of assignments as far as I was concerned. In my entire career the things I have enjoyed most is being able to go to places where the average person cannot. In sports that usually means being on the field, next to the court, in the press box, or in the pit. I have shot football games of all levels up to and including NFC and AFC championship games. Living in the Bay Area has allowed me to cover many baseball pennant races and several World Series. I was right behind home plate the night the earth shook in the 1989 World Series. Talk about a shock. I had to give up covering a World Series between the two Bay Area teams to go and cover a huge news event. Baseball seemed small for a while after the magnitude of the earthquake. The point in this is that I love sports, have been around sports my whole life and I know how to shoot video of sports. With that in mind I will do my best to give you advice on how to do the same.

Gear

Now whether you have the latest DV camera in your hands or an old VHS format camera there are basic things you will need to keep in mind if you are going to shoot sports. As we say in the video business your camera is only as good as the glass that you hang in front of it. The better the lens the better the results will be no matter what kind of recording format you use. Now you already have a camera in hand and may never have heard this particular bit of advice so it is too late to factor it into the equation. However if you have camera in hand and it has any limitations on what it can do due to the lens being less than wonderful there are things you can do to mitigate the situation. We will discuss those things in more detail later on.

The key factors before setting out on your game day video assignment are to make sure you know the operating functions of the gear, have a tape supply in hand (soon to be DVDs with the revolution in gear design that is taking place right now), and batteries fully charged. I know these may seem like the simply obvious things but even the pros have to constantly remind themselves to check and double check these items.

A little aside here about preparation. Over the many years of covering news I learned lots of little tips from other photographers in the field and applied them to my work regimen. In the early days of video we always had to carry around a portable hair dryer because the record decks would seize up if the moisture levels got to high. So in the winter time if you came in from the cold outside into a nice warm building the air would condense inside the machine and cause moisture build up. The warning light would come on and bang we were dead in the water. One of us would have to run to the car and get the hair dryer, fire it up and chase the water away from the record heads of the deck. It caused some very funny moments in public places I can assure you. (This by the way can still be a problem even today with electronics/VCRs/lenses. Too much moisture can cause havoc. So just remember a portable hair dryer can save your day)

Another thing I learned from others is the value of backup. A few years ago I was out on assignment and we had a young eager college intern along with us in the field. This young man wanted to learn all about what we did in our job. He was very interested in how to take pictures, unlike most of our interns who only wanted to become reporters or anchors. He asked many questions and after seeing that he was really paying attention I decided to take him under my wing and really fill him up with information. One tidbit that I shared with him was to always have an emergency stash of tape in his car when out on assignment. He didnt quite understand the importance of this at first since I had already drilled him about always bringing tape stock with him when going out on assignment. I filled him with stories of times when something or other happened and Ill be darned if you didnt need another tape and there under the seat of the car was that emergency spare. So anyway he went off to graduate from college and get a job in a small market TV station. He would send us progress reports from time to time, which I really enjoyed. Then lo and behold one day he sends me a letter telling me how he got into a jam one day on a story and needed that emergency tape. He had dutifully tucked one under the back seat and it was there to save the day. I hope that what you learn in this book will in some way keep you from having a video failure down the road. What I learned in my career is that video production is 80% of it is dealing with the curves and problems that are thrown at you and 20% talent. If you can learn to trouble shoot then you will always be successful.

My first suggestion for shooting your kids sports activities is to go watch TV. Yes sit down put your feet up and watch some sports on TV. Really watch how they make it interesting at the top level. Then watch the news and see how they cover the games from a news perspective. Dont pay attention to the content; just watch how it develops visually. Now of course you can never duplicate what the networks are doing with just your one camera. However if you can glean anything from watching it should be how they try to bring intimacy with the athletes out in the broadcast. All the new improvements in covering sports have to do with getting you the viewer as close to the athlete as they can. Bring you into their world. From cameras on wires overhead that swoop along the field to cameras in the net of a hockey game to cameras inside the cars at Daytona, it brings you into the game. Now you cannot stand on the pitchers mound at your kids baseball game but you can learn some techniques that can make your baseball video more intimate and therefore more compelling to watch.

A side note here, if your task is to capture the whole game or sporting activity for review as a coaching tool you should focus mainly on getting a good high view and putting the camera on a tripod. Pan slowly to follow action and dont zoom in and out. My main goal here is not to teach you this skill since it is pretty darn basic. However if this is what you are doing you should do it right. Find the right framing to keep as much of the activity in the frame and follow it carefully. Some sports move quickly from one end to the other and you will have to be smooth. Resist the temptation to follow the ball on full zoom. You will lose. Those guys that shoot sports on TV are full on pros using much better gear than you will ever have at your disposal.

Now in order to get a good video of your childs game you need to find that emotion and excitement that exists in any game. Think of it as capturing a few of the things that occur and making those golden. Does the team do a pre game cheer? Get up close, stick your camera wither way up high over their heads looking down or get underneath looking up and shoot it in a way that takes the viewer where they cant go. Capture an at bat in baseball by taking a full pitch cycle in close-up of the pitcher, and then one of the catcher and then as close as you can of the hitter. Show their face if you can. If they get the big hit dont go crazy rushing to zoom out. Follow the runner down the line. It will be almost impossible to follow the ball so stay with the runner. Look for the angles that will give you these emotional shots.

Some sports are more of a challenge due to the size of the field and the amount of movement up and down the field. Take soccer of instance, if you follow the ball the camera is moving all over the place and the viewer gets queasy. To capture some good video of your kid playing you need to focus on specific shots and not try to follow the play. Look for moments such as throw ins, free kicks, kick offs when things are predictable and you can get closer to the action. Walk down the sideline and wait for the action to come to you. If you child is playing right forward then get ahead of the play and when you see the ball moving towards you then you can find you child and roll tape in anticipation of them playing the ball. Be sure to get some shots of the crowd cheering, the coach watching (not yelling I hope) the goalie waiting in anticipation.

Hold your shots steady for 6-10 seconds at a time. If you are taking a shot of someone watching the game actually count it out in your head (thousand one thousand two) This will ensure that you get good solid shots and that you dont run on and on with the shot. Brace your arm against your chest for stability and use your other arm across your belly underneath to create a stabilizing platform. This is in lieu of a tripod of course. If you have a tripod it can always be a good thing to use if it does not get in the way.

Use creative angles as much as possible. Get down low and wait for the action to run by you. Dont pan with it but rather let the action race through the frame. At a swim meet get the camera down on the deck for more of a swimmers perspective of the action. Of course you may not want to stay there when the swimmers approach for a turn. Digital electronics do not like water inside them. I was getting the most awesome low angle shots of some open water ocean swimmers one time and the boat lurched on me and salt water sprayed over the camera. I had a cover on the camera but salt water seeped into the crannies and it caused us much grief getting it cleaned out so as to avoid damaging the electronics of the camera.

posted by g80961 @ 11:09 PM 0 comments

The Port Fiasco - It's a GOP Trick

The quarterback drops back to pass and he fakes handing off to the fullback. While the onrushing tacklers go for the fullback the quarterback sneaks to the outside and hits the left uncovered tight end with the game winning Hail Mary pass to win the championship football game. In a move worthy of David Copperfield the Grand Old Party has come up with the sleight of hand move of the century.

The Republican Party is in power because Karl Rove is calling the plays better than any Democrat. His quarterback George Bush was a deserter. The opposition quarterback John Kerry was a decorated war hero. No problem. Hire a few actors to go on television in a swift boat and say that John Kerry was actually a Viet Cong colonel who tortured John McCain.

The Presidents father, the former President, told his son the President, Look, I lost the Presidency because I said Read my lips, no new taxes. Then I raised the taxes and I lost the Presidency. If you want to win the Presidency and become President, all you have to do is to cut taxes. Who cares if the deficit goes to a trillion dollars, and the trade deficit goes to a trillion dollars, and we bankrupt the country? You will be President, I will sit on the board of directors of the Saudi Royal Family, they will funnel billions of oil dollars into our Swiss bank accounts, and let the next President worry about it while we live on yachts in the French Riviera drinking fine French port wine. The President answered, O.K. Dad.

Here is the Port Trick, otherwise known in Karl Roves playbook as 53 Red. The congressional elections are coming up in November. Every Republican congressman and congresswoman is doing everything possible to distance him/herself from the Presidents glaring lies, mismanagement of the war in Iraq, the imminent bankruptcy of the country and the Superdome fiasco. The President, the Senate and the House are all Republican and they are all going down the drain like American jobs fleeing to China, whose new car the Geeli is about to hit the U.S. market for $9,000 and get 225 miles per gallon. This all makes Ross Perot sound like the Prophet Isaiah.

So how do the Republicans stay in power in November? The Islamic Barbarianism over a stupid cartoon has every American even more fearful and hateful of the Muslims than after 911. So Karl Rove decides to pretend to sell all of the American Shipping Ports, New York, Miami, etc. to the Muslim countries responsible for funding and planning and harboring the 911 crews. The President says to him, Karl, we cant do that; theyll lynch me on the lawn of the White House. Karl says to George, Dont worry about it George. Have I failed you yet?

While the country now goes wild over the prospect of Osama bin Laden and Aymen Al Zwahiri shipping nuclear weapons to Al Qaeda cells in Manhattan, the Republican congress is now going to come to the rescue like John Wayne leading the cavalry and block the sale. Then, the Republican congress people are going to say to the American people during the upcoming political campaign, Look, we didnt follow George Bush. We saved you from him. We stopped Osama Bin Laden from owning your ports. Initially the bogus plan called for selling all of the American airports to Iran, but while Karl Rove and the Bushwhackers were rolling around laughing on the floor of the Oval Office at the thought of it, Karl said in a drunken stupor, The American people may be gullible, but they arent that gullible.

posted by g80961 @ 7:48 PM 0 comments

Child Care - 10 Things You Should Expect

In this article we are going to discuss 10 things that you should definitely expect from a daycare center that is providing care for your child while you're at work.

Child care centers are not clones. Each one will have different things available to the child depending on the budget the center has. Some will have many activities and others will have very few. But there are 10 things you should expect from any child care center no matter what their operating budget is.

1. Open Access To Their Center - Parents must be able to call on or walk in on a daycare center at any time unannounced. The provider should also allow the parent to make any amount of reasonable phone calls in order to check up on their child. The provider and the parent should work out a schedule for those phone calls to find out the times that are best and also agree on how many phone calls in a day are reasonable.

2. Safety For Your Child - The daycare center where your child is staying should be in a safe environment. All possible precautions should be taken to make sure that your child is safe such as, plugging electrical sockets, keeping knives and sharp objects in a safe place and out of reach, closing off stairways and using only safe and well maintained equipment. If your child has to travel, the provider should also use safety seats and seat belts when traveling.

3. Honesty And Confidence - Providers should not promise things that they can't do. They should be honest about the care that will be given. Also, there should be confidentiality about your child even being there. Nobody should be given any information about your child if strangers should call unless you specifically say it's okay.

4. Acceptance Of Parent's Wishes - Centers should make every effort to comply with the wishes of the parents such as the food the child will eat, activities the child will or won't participate in and any special care that needs to be given to the child. If the parents don't want people smoking around their child then the environment should be kept smoke free.

5. Advance Notice Of Any Changes - The center should give the parents plenty of advance notice of any changes that are going to take place that may affect the care of the child. This way the parents can make plans to have the child moved to another center if they are not happy with the proposed changes.

6. No Interference In The Child's Family - The child care provider should not talk to the child about any problems the parents may or may not be having. It is not for the child care provider to meddle in the lives of the family. The first and only responsibility is to care for the child.

7. No Advice Offered And No Judging Of Parenting Practices - If a child care provider does not agree with some of the parent's methods of raising their child it is none of their business. They are only to offer advice if asked.

8. Assurance That Everyone In Contact With Child Is Trustworthy - If it is a large center and there are many people there then each one should be certified to be trustworthy and safe. A center should take all reasonable precautions when hiring staff and should provide the parents with information on how workers are hired and what screening process everyone goes through.

9. Open Communication - The provider should keep the parents constantly posted of any instances at the center that they should be aware of including the child's progress or lack of progress. The parents should be kept in the loop regarding all activities the child participates in and those the child has problems with. It should be as if the parent is right there observing.

10. Finally, No Surprises - This means that the provider should not suddenly tell you that they have taken a part time job elsewhere and their teenage daughter will now watch the child. Or if at a center you don't want to hear that your child's teacher suddenly disappeared with no reason given.

If you are confident about all 10 of these items than more likely than not you have found a child care provider that you can feel confident in.

posted by g80961 @ 4:25 PM 0 comments

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posted by g80961 @ 1:39 PM 0 comments

Seven Reasons to Take a Connecticut Vacation

As a New England vacation travel writer Ive always considered Connecticut an overlooked state when people choose destinations and attractions for a New England vacation. As youll discover here a Connecticut vacation offers excitement... or peace and quiet, depending on your mood.

Lets take a quick look at seven reasons why you should consider a Connecticut vacation for your next New England trip.

THE MUSEUMS OF CONNECTICUT

With more than 14 diverse theme museums in Connecticut, theres bound to be something to suit your taste. Heres a quick rundown...

Bridgeport is home to The Barnum Museum and Discover Museum, and at Danbury youll find the Military Museum of Southern New England and the Danbury Railway Museum. Keeping with a train theme Thomaston hosts the Railroad Museum of New England and Naugatuck Railroad.

In Bristol you can find The New England Carousel Museum and period time pieces at the American Clock and Watch Museum. Just a little south in Waterbury is Time Expo, and a chance to celebrate the heritage of the Litchfield region at the Mattatuck Museum. At the Connecticut Antique Machinery Museum in Kent experience machinery that once drove commerce in the area.

Windsor Locks is not just home to Bradley International Airport but also to the New England Air Museum and south in East Haven experience another form of transportation at the Shore Line Trolley Museum.

And rounding out our must-see list is Mystics Museum of America and the Sea, and the fabulous Mashantucket Pequot Museum in nearby Mashantucket.

THE CONNECTICUT WINE TRAIL

Wineries in Connecticut? Yes, in fact theres 16 of them scattered throughout the state, and they make a perfect basis for a Connecticut Vacation. The climate in Connecticut is mild compared to the rest of New England and wines produced include: Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, and Riesling. While Connecticut wines have only been produced since 1978, many farms where the grapes are grown are hundreds of years old. The wine tasting room will usually be open but call ahead for a tour time. Youll find these wineries not geared for large bus loads, but on the plus much more intermit than wineries in Northern California.

The wine trail is split into two major regions and its suggested your tour is split up over three to four days. But because the trail takes you near so many other destinations and attractions in Connecticut let yourself be distracted and enjoy the jaunt through scenic and historic New England towns.

FOXWOODS AND MOHEGAN SUN

Combined Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun make the largest casino complex in the world. Foxwoods in owned and run by Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, and Mohegan Sun by Mohegan Tribe on lands they own in Uncasville. These are sophisticated high-style experiences with shopping complexes, hotels, high profile entertainment acts, and top-rated restaurants. They are both close to each other and located in the eastern region of Connecticut, and close to museums, scenic drives, and the Connecticut vacation attractions in Mystic.

HISTORIC HOMES OF CONNECTICUT

Perhaps the most famous home to see on your Connecticut vacation is Mark Twains in Hartford, which is now a museum as well full of many artifacts he accumulated in the 17 years he lived there. Also in Hartford is Harriet Beecher Stowe home of Uncle Toms Cabin fame. Another famous womans home is the academy run by Prudence Crandall in Canterbury - its the site of the first academy for black women in New England. Your trip to Connecticut should include the town of Litchfield where you can view museum quality preserved colonial homes, and the Litchfield History Museum and Tapping Reeve House and Law School.

Connecticut includes many historic homes that played an important role in the Underground Railroad and the African-American journey from slavery to freedom.

ESSEX STEAM TRAIN AND THE CONNECTICUT RIVER

The historic 1892 Essex station is your kick-off point for a unique combined 21/2 hour vintage Steam Train and Riverboat Cruise along the Connecticut River. In the summer its cooling, and in the fall stunning with the turning of the leaves. The Connecticut River Museum is also in Essex and vividly brings to life the rivers history as told through paintings, artifacts, and interactive exhibits.

THE TOWN OF MYSTIC

Mystic Seaport and the Mystic Aquarium are magnets for visitors to Connecticut. The seaport is billed as The Museum of America and the Sea and depicts an authentic 19th century seafaring village, tall ships to tour, and a Preservation Yard where master shipbuilding skills are still practiced. The Mystic Aquarium includes a delightful array of indoor and outdoor exhibits, including Beluga whales, and a stunning display and model of the Titanic.

THE ANTIQUE RUNS

Connecticut is famous for its concentration of antique shops, and draws thousands of treasure hunters each year who take a Connecticut vacation just to stock up on bargains and specimens to collect and decorate their homes. The village of Woodbury is known as the "Antiques Capital of Connecticut" and has over 45 dealers, but the fact is youre never too far from that special purchase no matter where you are in the state. Just sometimes its nice to take the time to follow your nose along a scenic New England road and see where it takes you... you can bet if its in Connecticut, itll take you close to an antique shop.

posted by g80961 @ 1:04 PM 0 comments