Smilebox Blog

By Susan Wright, founding team member of Smilebox 

So you’re no Steven Spielberg … or even very handy with your family’s camcorder.  How many of us busy moms are?   But chances are you have a movie-mode on your digital camera.  It’s a quick and easy way to capture casual memories and share them with your friends and family.  Don’t be afraid of video.  It’s really as easy to take and download from your camera as a photo.   With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here’s a list of ten tips to use the digital camera tucked in your bag or drawer and create a heartfelt video message for the sweetie in your life.  And then check out the dozens of great Valentine photo egreetings from Smilebox – the perfect way for cupid to deliver your video masterpiece! 

1. Let the sun shine in.  Digital cameras offer little lighting control, so throw open the blinds or film outdoors to provide maximum light and create a better video clip.
2. Frame your subject.  Before filming, think about what’s behind the subject that you won’t want your viewers to see.  It could be a pile of paperwork or yet-to-be-folded laundry or a random looker-on.  Avoid distracting items and find a neutral and pleasant background.
3. Plan your message.  Before hitting record, think about what you want to say.  You don’t want to sound rehearsed, but a little forethought will save you from countless retakes.  I actually write out 4 to 5 words that remind me of the points I want to make, review the list and then throw it away.  This way, the order of the words keeps me on track without memorizing the entire message.
4. Shorter is better.  This is one of the few times it’s good to be short.  Keep your clip to just 10 to 15 seconds to avoid boring your viewers.  No matter how funny or precious, no one has the time or the patience to watch much more than that.
5. Interview the kids.  Even a well-rehearsed kid can freeze up once the red light is on, so consider asking your kids some thoughtful questions.  Or have someone else film while you stand just off camera and ask the questions like the professionals do.  Answers to questions such as “What are your favorite things to do with Daddy,” “What is your favorite memory from when you were little,” and “What about Mommy makes you smile,” will tug at your heart and will become keepsake clips for years to come.
6. Keep your camera handy.  Some of the most memorable video comes from those spur-of-the-moment opportunities.  The great compact size of the new digital cameras lets you tuck it in your bag, pocket or kitchen drawer.  Make it a habit to routinely recharge the batteries and/or keep a spare.  You’ll be ready to capture first steps, first words and first dates.
7. Easy on pans and zooms.  You don’t want to make your viewers dizzy so use the pan and zoom controls sparingly.  And, when you do use them, use a speed that seems even overly slow and it will turn out just right.
8. Avoid the nostrils.  Keep the camera at a level slightly above your subject and your viewers won’t be looking up their nose.  And, it’s just a more flattering angle for most people.
9. Narrate when necessary.  You don’t have to provide a play-by-play color commentary of your baby crawling across the floor, but sometimes a contextual narrative helps your viewers understand what they’re seeing.  And remember to remind viewers – and yourself years later – about details such as age, grade, school, position or team name.
10. Editing makes perfect.  While you need not strive for perfection, there are many easy, free video editing programs that will get you close.  Movie Maker is a good example and it comes with most new PCs as well as iMovie which ships on iMacs.

Susan Wright, photo hobbyist and mom to two busy ‘tweens, helped to co-found Smilebox with her husband Andrew when they found that sharing memories with friends and family in their hometown of Toronto was both too expensive and time consuming.  She loves taking and sharing photos of her kids without it taking over the rest of her life.  At Smilebox, she has seen many great – and not-so-great – ways to capture video and photo memories around special moments in one’s life.  Susan leads the market research efforts at Smilebox and is also the founding principal of Compass Partners, Inc.

As visions of gifts to buy and cookies to bake dance through your head, Smilebox makes it easy to take the stress out of the holidays.  Check out the dozens of original, animated Smilebox designs great for holiday invitations, cards, newsletters, thank you notes, present wish lists and holiday scrapbooks.  It’s easy, economical and takes less than five minutes!  And now, we make it easy to give the gift of Smilebox to everyone on your list.  Simply send a Smilebox, tells us who has been naughty or nice and we’ll deliver a one year Club Smilebox membership gift to their inbox –- courtesy of you! Our Smilebox customers know how to capture the magic of the holidays in their photos!  Here are a few of our favorites from Dori, Heidi and Lauren:  

As you’re saving postage and the environment this season, remember to enter your creation in our “Go Green with Smilebox” contest to recognize the Smilebox that most represents the spirit of the holidays.  The contest will run Nov. 23 to Jan. 4 and winners will be selected by a panel of independent judges and announced on Jan. 11.  Prizes include a grand prize of a digital camera and five annual subscriptions to Club Smilebox.  Complete details on the contest are available at www.smilebox.biz/holiday_contest_2007. 

Wishing you happy smiles this holiday season,

The Smilebox team

My nephew Hugh is one and a half years old and lives in Australia, where my wife is from.  She was recently there, and took some really fun photos and video clips of him, his parents, and gunga [grandma in Aussie slang].  After coming back to Seattle, she dropped them into a Smilebox and emailed them to Hugh and her Aussie family.  Hugh is now in love.  We were told he asked to play it 4 times [apparently, he quite enjoys watching himself in the videos].  He also loves the Hoops & Yoyo characters that are part of the Smilebox design, commenting on the photos and videos and making funny sounds.  It is hard for us living so far away from home – Priscilla is from Australia I am from Greece, and we live in Seattle.  But knowing that we can share precious family moments such as Hugh’s ongoing adventures while he grows into a boisterous little boy makes us feel like part of us is there and makes living away from home more bearable.  We are actually expecting our first baby ourselves this coming February, and as a first-time dad I am already thinking of all the ways I can share the little one’s adventures with our loved ones back home using Smilebox: announcing the baby’s arrival, sharing slideshows with fun characters capturing simple everyday moments, creating a scrapbook of the first year’s best photos.  That’s what I love most about Smilebox: It connects me with the people I care about, no matter how far away they live from me.  And, if I am as smart as my nephew Hugh, I can just play it again, and again, and again. Yannis

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