You may have noticed we share the occasional video—or, if you’re counting, roughly 80—on our video page:
Like the Photoshop tips post, this piece explains how we make our videos. We’re far from pros, but after years of practice we’ve learned practical, repeatable approaches to shooting and editing that help our clips look better while staying manageable. Whether you want to add more video to your blog or just capture family moments more effectively, these suggestions can help.
If you want the quick summary up front, here’s the short version:
- I’ve been casually shooting video for about 15 years, so I’m a hobbyist with lots of practice.
- You don’t need expensive gear—many of our videos were shot on a $99 Flip camera or a phone.
- Treat video like photography: good lighting and a steady camera matter.
- We use iMovie because it’s user-friendly and came preloaded on our Macs.
- We often source music from Jamendo, which offers tracks under Creative Commons licenses.
- Keep editing simple—don’t overuse effects, titles, or transitions.
- Adopt an organization system and be willing to delete footage that isn’t worth keeping.
My background: Sherry helps with our videos but didn’t come in with video experience. I, however, have been making small videos since high school—starting with an 8mm tape camera, a high school Video Technology class, and college Media Studies projects. None of it was strictly professional training, but years of practice taught me a lot. The point: you don’t need formal credentials; experience and curiosity will take you far.
Our equipment: Most of our clips were shot with a Flip video camera, more recently a FlipHD. Flips are discontinued, but cell phones and compact cameras now shoot excellent video, so use what you already have. We often use iPhones or even the MacBook Pro camera for things like timelapses, which we record and edit directly in iMovie.
For example, the timelapse in our bedroom painting post was recorded straight into iMovie, where we sped it up and added music during editing.
The main takeaway: don’t feel pressured to buy pro gear. YouTube has normalized many styles of amateur video, so viewers are forgiving. Still, there are simple steps you can take to improve quality.
Shooting good video: With phones and compact cameras you may have limited mechanical controls, so focus on fundamentals. Three main tips:
- Find good lighting: Natural, diffused light is ideal. Shoot near windows or move into softer light. Use lamps to fill shadows if needed—small adjustments make a big difference in image quality.
- Keep it steady: Move the camera slowly and avoid jerky motions. If you can, use a tripod. Smooth pans and steady framing make footage easier to watch and edit.
- Be mindful of sound: If you plan to use the captured audio, test it first. Watch for loud appliances, phone alerts, or barking dogs. Position the camera or speakers closer when necessary and minimize background noise during recording.
Our editing software: We prefer iMovie because it’s beginner-friendly and included on Macs. It’s straightforward for importing clips, trimming, adding music and titles, and exporting. For more advanced work we’ve used Final Cut Pro, which offers greater control over color, audio, and effects—but it has a steeper learning curve. If you’re starting out, begin with simple software before upgrading to professional tools.
When editing, our guiding rule is: keep it simple. Overusing effects, transitions, or flashy titles can make a video look amateurish and distract from the story or subject. Use a few clean transitions—cuts, dissolves, or occasional crossfades—and avoid the temptation to layer every built-in effect. Consistency and restraint produce a polished result.
Finding music: A frequent question is where we source music. We often use Jamendo, which hosts tracks available under Creative Commons licenses. Those licenses typically require attribution and permit non-commercial use without payment. If you need music for commercial or promotional uses, purchase the appropriate license or contact the artist. Using Jamendo reduces the risk of copyright claims on platforms like YouTube and helps you avoid the same overplayed tracks from the radio.
Finding the right track on Jamendo can take more searching than picking a familiar song, but it’s rewarding: you get unique music that won’t get your video flagged. We’ve also had artists reach out to thank us for featuring their work, which is a nice bonus.
Organizing our videos: We take a lot of footage, so organization is essential. Our approach:
- Be honest about what’s worth keeping—delete obvious duds on the camera.
- Have an intended use in mind—will this go on the blog, in a year-end montage, or just be for family viewing?
We upload phone clips to iPhoto and Flip camera files to FlipShare, then review and delete unnecessary clips. Knowing a clip’s purpose helps decide whether to keep and back it up. Saved videos go into a dedicated folder that’s included in our regular backups to an external drive. We also upload copies to platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook for an additional off-site backup and to control privacy settings for personal clips.
There’s more to cover, but this is a solid foundation for better, easier video. I’m not an authority, so I welcome tips and questions—feel free to share techniques or ask for clarification in the comments.