Laptops For Less Blog

Tips for Filming a Graduation

When it comes to graduation time, many proud parents think about using a camcorder to record the big day. Whether you already own a camcorder or are thinking about buying a new one, these tips will help you get the most out of recording graduation day.

Make Sure Your Camcorder is in Good Working Order

If your camcorder has been in storage for some time, get it out and test it well before the big event. There might be something wrong with it, and if you only take it out of storage on the day of the graduation ceremony, it will be too late to do anything about it. Test it well in advance, at least a month or so, so there is time to get it repaired and remedy any problems you find.

Bring Extra Tapes

Bring along some extra tapes [or memory cards] – you don’t want to find yourself running out before the end, or that the only medium you have is defective.

Use a Tripod

Graduation ceremonies can be very long, and it’s surprising how heavy a camcorder can become if you are holding it up with your arm for any length of time. If you try to hold the camcorder manually, your arm will inevitably start to feel tired, and you will find your arm dropping so you have to continually hoist the camera up again. Your graduation movie might end up looking more like a roller coaster ride. The solution is simple – use a tripod. Set up the tripod, mount the camcorder, start recording, and relax and enjoy the ceremony.

Avoid Using the LCD Display

It’s very tempting to use the big LCD display on your camera, but it will drain your camcorder battery. Instead, use the camcorder’s viewfinder, or set it up on a tripod and leave it to run on its own during the event.

Bring a Spare Battery

Make sure you have enough battery power to last at least one and a half times the expected length of the ceremony. The best thing is to carry a replacement battery, in case you find yourself running out of power before the end. Camcorder batteries
can be quite expensive, especially the manufacturers’ own brand replacements. The good news is that it’s easy to find replacement camcorder batteries on the Internet. LaptopsForLess.com carries a huge range of batteries which are compatible with all camcorder models by the major manufacturers, at a fraction of the cost of the original brand replacement.