Clipsake Blog

Here at Clipsake, we specialize in editing amateur shot footage. We create video keepsakes meant to jog the memory in the most beautiful ways. Our mission? To help parents capture moments of their little ones on film so they have memories to last a lifetime. 

To start with, don’t panic. Yes, there are 365 days full of firsts, but let us be the first to tell you (as ones that have gone through lots of baby film footage) - It doesn’t matter if you don’t capture the ‘first of the firsts’. It just doesn’t. If a picture is worth 1000 words, a video is easly worth 2,000, right?! The sounds, the gestures and mannerisms your baby made at 3 weeks aren't the same at 3 months.

Videos jog the memory in a powerful way. Seeing a clip of your baby rolling over will remind you of the dozens of times he struggled, persevered and strained trying to get it right. So whether you've been filming your baby for a while or are just getting started, we hope to inspire you to grab better footage of your baby's firsts, seconds, thirds...

Lighting

You can achieve the best possible baby videos by filming outside early in the morning or late afternoon. This will result in full but softer light. Avoid direct sunlight or areas with patterned shading such as under a tree . Pick a background with a solid colour and then make sure to dress the baby in contrasting tones so they pop. 

When outdoors is not possible there are many indoor tricks you can implement to have the best possible videos. Open all curtains and blinds to allow natural light into the house. Or, if the light is shining right in your house, drawing gauzy or slightly sheer curtains can make for a beautiful soft light effect. Replace your light bulbs with full spectrum lighting and set the stage in a well lit area such as beside a large window. Unless you are going for an artistic silhouette shot, make sure the lighting is in front and not behind your baby.

Distance & Angle

Even with the best technological advances your smartphone is still limited by size and design. For optimal baby videos try to be at baby’s level or below and no more than six feet away. Make sure to rotate your phone 180 degrees so you are shooting horizontally/landscape mode. This will ensure your video fills the screen when watching on a computer or tv. When possible, set the phone on a tripod or stabilizer.



For fun, try holding your phone from just over your baby’s shoulder as they crawl, cruise or walk to give the effect that the camera is seeing what they see. Then shoot the same scene (or similar) from in front of your baby. This perspective shift is fun for all kinds of movement shots. Being pulled in the back of a wagon, watching their favourite pet  or riding on top of Grandma’s shoulders.

Turn it down. Tidy it up.

Pick a clutter-free background. Do a check by taking a still photo of your stage. Anything in the photo that distracts from baby or are off-putting? Here we’re thinking a discarded onesie, a used cereal bowl or a dusty floor ;) After removing those items,  you may want to add some ambiance by choosing a few items like a favourite stuffed animal, a beautiful baby blanket or blocks that spell something nice. Less is more, solids are better than prints (though, we like BOLD prints too) and light is priceless.

Manage background noises. When we edit videos at Clipsake, we add, remove and move audio in videos to create a more powerful final product. However, you should be aware when filming that TV and radio should be off unless you are capturing one of those impromptu dances or bum shuffles. Close your eyes and listen. If you can hear the washer or the musical toy so will those enjoying your baby video. Whatever the noise, just make sure its something you actually want in the video.

Set goals. Shoot often.

The last thing anyone should feel either gathering or footage or watching is overwhelmed. Let’s face it, being a new parent means feeling overwhelmed (and tired) a lot of the time. For this reason, we create Baby Keepsake Videos that last between 3-4 minutes. We’ve found this length ensures your family & friends WANT to watch the video until the end & in fact, over and over again. Videos of this length are created from approximately 2 hours of raw footage.

For capturing video footage of your baby over the first year, set yourself a goal to shoot 2 x 1 min videos each week. Make one spontaneous and set the other up. 

This means having your phone ready for moments when everything comes together unexpectedly ( like you walking along the street with the Grandparents + baby and you find yourself in front of a beautiful brick wall, the lighting is just right & your baby is giggling like an angelic mini-you. Press Record!). Use early mornings when baby wakes up or late afternoon after her last nap to get some staged video footage. This time can be really fun bonding time with baby. Generally for these shoots, you are focussed on doing something with baby that she's just learned. Do they all of a sudden laugh when you blow bubbles? Or have they decided that carrots are their favourite food or that they love reggae music and just can't help but bounce when it comes on?! Set the stage for something they love and press record! Need ideas for fun? We've got a few here. 

Back up photos & videos. Like now! 

The moment when you realize you’ve lost image and video files...well, we hope it never happens to you. It is gut-wrenching. So, setting up an automatic file upload to the Cloud is a priority. Need help - check out this article if you’re an Android user or this one if you use iphone. Do everyone you know a solid and pass this tip on! Not only will it prevent heart ache, it also frees up space on your phone.



That's it, that's all folks. Have fun making beautiful memories with you baby. You can share your moments with us with: #filmityourself