By Billy Teo

ANYONE can shoot a video. Hit the record button, string several video clips together and you have a home movie.

However, putting together a good home movie, whether it is of your child's performance at his first school concert or the family on holiday, requires practice and skill.

Here are some tips on how to record a video that you would be proud enough to post on YouTube.

Image basics

Capturing video is not that different from shooting photographs.

As in still photography, the principle of aiming for a sharp and well-composed shot applies.

So, composition (knowing how to frame a picture) and exposure (how much or how little light to let into the video camera) are still vital.

Unlike a still image, however, a video clip comprises individual images called frames.

There are 25 frames in one second of video. They flash consecutively and so quickly that the objects in them appear to move.

Movement and action

In shooting video, make sure there is motion.

For instance, people should be talking or walking around. In capturing, say, a street scene, ensure that you capture the whizz of traffic - from cars to that old uncle on a bicycle.

(Yes, you can capture footage of people or things that are completely still but good luck getting people to watch it.)

Consider the motion of the camera itself, from the moment you press the recording button.

Focus on moving the camera steadily and slowly, whether it is for a panning shot (moving the camera in an arc, from right to left or vice versa) or a tilting shot (moving it up or down).

The key word is slowly.

If you walk briskly or swing your arms wildly while shooting, you are likely to end up with footage that jumps around so quickly that it induces a headache for the viewer.

Also, what you do while holding the camera, such as changing the focus of the video camera or zooming in on an object like a tiny ant, will affect the steadiness of the footage.

Sound tactics

Do not forget that sound is a key element in a movie.

Sounds, from people talking and cars honking to the whistling of the wind, enhance a video. (Unless you are making a silent movie, that is.)

Be aware of how far or near you are to the subjects. In recording conversations, for example, stand close enough so that the camcorder's microphone can pick up every word of the dialogue.

Billy Teo is a tech writer who enjoys making home movies.

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

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