In this very special episode of CHM, learn what your camera would tell you if it could talk.

• Like people, your camera gear has secret desires and special needs.

He was suspended 20 ft. above the ground, and he was scared stiff- he was frozen to the point that he would not be able to get himself to safety.

From Ryan’s perspective- he was a goner for sure.  For the 150 spectators, however, he was just the 12th little kid in a row to succumb to THE WALL of DEATH.

Of course, this whole mess was because his big sister had braces.

What the?  Scott, what does this have to do with making awesome home movies?

I’m glad you asked…

What I should have told you up front was that my daughter and her family were invited to a huge outdoor party.

In fact, every kid who had braces fitted by Dr. Kadar in South Jersey last year, were all invited.

They had some pretty fun activities for everyone- including a bouncy house and pedal cars.

Of course, the ONE thing that my son wanted to do was to conquer the rock wall.  I named it the WALL of DEATH, and I guess that got into his head.

Now for the Home Movie  How-To:

How did this home movie come together?

1. Once I arrived at the location, I made a point to get big wide shots of the different rec areas.
2. I handed the camera off to my father in-law when it was my turn to play.  (And I instructed him NOT to zoom in and out all the darn time.)
3. I got some shots as close to the action as I could.
4. I was careful to just let the kids play, and not try to DIRECT them.

The last tip here is important.  Don’t try to make your family “act” for the camera when they’re out trying to have fun.

Just let them play, capture some good footage, and enjoy yourself while you’re at it.

Everyone has fun! Especially when they come back and watch the video you put together.

• don’t zoom in and out all the darn time while your camera is recording.

People get nauseated watching that!

the next time you watch TV, take note of how often you see a shot zoom in, then immediately zoom out again. *

I’ll wait…

OK.  What did you learn?

David should have made a bet on the turn to see if his Jack-high was any good.

I disagree, faithful reader.  Mike called his pre-flop raise- so It’s unlikely David’s Jack was any good.

Oh, wait.  Never mind that.

This is what you learned by watching your television:

• Professional TV productions rarely zoom in and out.
• They pick a shot, and they HOLD the shot.

*If you went and watched VH1 or MTV, you’re special.  The above rule does not apply to you.