RCA Today The CC9390, a Mini DV camcorder from RCA, offers digital still-camera capability with a 16MB removable multimedia card, a 5x zoom microphone, night mode and a new and innovative 3.5-inch detachable touchscreen LCD, which lets users operate and control the camera from a distance. The CC9390

Composition is such a powerful visual tool that we give it a lot of attention here at Videomaker. It’s such a complex art that folks like Rembrandt and Ansel Adams practically made a career of it. (For our latest in-depth look, check You’ve Been Framed in the July 2001 issue and the Vide

$385 SkyCrane 2255 Heritage Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92627 (949) 631-6065 www.skycrane.com Looking more like something from Tool Time, than from Star Wars, the SKeyeWALKER Camera Jib, SkyCrane’s hand-held camera elevator, is fairly easy to use. With its straightforward design and simple setup,

You would like to play a game with the kids, but you’re not quite sure what to do with the camera. Then you remember this article. You remember it because we are about to list six great ways to combine kids, camcorders and fun. Along the way, we’ll share tips to help you make kids fee

Q. Burning (CD) Question I have a music video I created using MGI VideoWave III editing software. I want to get it onto disk to send to my friends and family. How do I do this? I have DVD-ROM and CD-RW drives. Is it true that CD-RW drives only write audio and data? Do I have to buy a $3,000 DVD-bu

Because we generally use our camcorders to record the happy events of our lives, and because our happiest times usually coincide with good weather, our camcorders don’t seem to get as much use in winter weather. That’s not to say that video-worthy events never occur in the dead of winte

When you pick up your camcorder, do you feel like you’re all thumbs? Don’t feel too bad; technology can often be unnerving, and the fact that your camcorder captures all the mistakes you make as a rookie videographer probably doesn’t do much to boost your confidence. When you̵

Like most people, you probably began shooting video handheld. After all, when confronted with a camcorder, often your first instinct is to pick it up, hold it to your eye and begin rolling tape. Chances are that your initial handheld footage was pretty shaky too. Sure, shaky shots have their place.

Action Axis An imaginary line drawn between two subjects, or along a line of motion to maintain continuity of screen direction. Crossing it from one shot to the next will create an error in continuity. It is often referred to as the "180-degree rule." Closeup (CU) A tightly framed camera

A student’s idea to infuse frozen instants in time with visual movement led to a new cutting-edge Hollywood effect.You’ve seen the effect: the action freezes, and the videocamera magically moves around the frozen moment. Tossed water, speeding bullets and Super Bowl football players were

Your camcorder’s inner workings may seem impossibly complicated, but there’s really nothing inside that should scare you. It’s really just a collection of theoretical smoke and a couple of actual mirrors (and maybe a prism and a dichronic filter if you’ve got a really cool c

By virtue of its very nature, video is a medium that is judged largely on the way it looks. As such, qualifying video as “good looking” or “bad looking” can be very subjective. After all, different people have different opinions about what looks good. Fortunately, you can hed

The shutter is but one of several important camera components used to exercise greater control over the look of your video images. Well begin our exploration with a discussion of the benefits the shutter brings us. Before we open a camcorder to take a look at the inner workings of the high-speed s

Like your car, your camcorder runs best when you maintain it regularly. Although most camcorders are durable, they’re not indestructible. Wear and tear is inevitable. You no doubt take your camcorder with you into a variety of environments. That means everything from rain to dust to sun can

One of the most common problems among video greenhorns is an inability to effectively control the camcorder’s focus. Being able to control focus and, more importantly, making that ability work to your advantage is a skill that is key to your development as a videographer. Proper focusing te

Have you stopped writing letters since you started making video? Have you lost touch with your friends and relatives because you are bored with communicating on paper or over the phone? Why not communicate in a language you understand? Make a video postcard. A video postcard is a short, two-to-thre

Wouldnt it be great if you never made a mistake with your camcorder? If you were the perfect videographer, then you wouldnt need to read this magazine (heaven forbid!). The simple truth, however, is that you will make mistakes no matter how good a videographer you become. Some mistakes, however,

The old story has it: in a New York City subway station, a man stepped off a train and heard a violinist playing from a distance. As he walked toward his exit, he was disappointed to hear a scratchy, screeching rendition of a barely-recognizable tune. When he drew nearer to the violinist, he was r

In 1954, Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai filled the silver screen with swords flashing and heroes saving the less fortunate. In 1960 the seven came to Hollywood in true western form and became The Magnificent Seven. Now in the new millennium the Magnificent Seven ride again, this time into o

Stand right The way you stand has a lot to do with the stability of your shots. For best results, spread your feet about shoulder-width apart, and bend your knees a little. This gives you a stable platform and allows your body to act as a shock absorber. Tuck your elbows in toward your chest so that