Who has a Flip camera?  A lot of people, so here are “10 Great Flip Tips” (these work no matter what camera you have).

1.        Stop.  Think.  What exactly do you want to capture in this video?

2.        Who are you talking to?  Facebook?  Twitter?  Your clients?  Your customers?  

3.        Every video needs a beginning (introduction) – a middle (the story) – an end (an energetic call to action).

4.        Clean your Flip camera lens with a soft cotton cloth – no fingerprints.

5.        Practice, practice, practice.  Shoot a lot of experimental footage – it takes work to shoot like a pro.

6.        Familiarize yourself with the simple FlipShare software: you can’t edit the picture and sound separately, but you can import a favorite mp3 music track or pre-recorded voiceover track.  Do not overpower speech – keep music low.

7.        Use a tripod.  They’re cheap and reliable. And they keep your footage from looking like you shot it during an earthquake.

8.        Backlighting is bad – your subject’s face disappears and they look like a Mafia informant.

9.        Audio quality is critical: bring the built-in camera mike close to the person speaking.

10.    Carry your Flip camera all the time: the more you use it, the better your videos will be.

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