Shooting Videos to Share Online

Video sharing websites, like YouTube, Google Video, grouper and Metacafe, have exploded in popularity and turned average people into celebrities and well-known producers. You too can try your hand at acting or capturing the perfect moment that will top the lists of most popular online videos.

That's the beauty of online video sharing--anyone can shoot a video and share it with the world on a relatively low budget. You only need a computer with an Internet connection, basic video editing software and a camera.

Be aware, before you embark on your journey to fame, that the competition is fierce. Thousands of new user-submitted videos appear online each day and only the best rise to the top. Here are some tips to get you started:

VIDEOGRAPHY BASICS FOR ONLINE VIDEO SHARE

o Know Your Camcorder

Every camcorder is different and modern camcorders have tons of practical features that make shooting quality video simple. A few of these features include special effects, zoom and autofocus. Read the manual so you are familiar with your camera and can easily access and use the features.

o Always Be Prepared

Ninety percent of top videos on video share sites are candid (or so they seem). Get in the habit of taking your camcorder with you and always be prepared to capture life at its best, or worst. You should always carry a spare battery and video tape as well as the battery charger/power supply.

o Use a tripod

There's a time and a place for shaky video, but it's seldom. Tripods are inexpensive and can greatly improve the quality of your video. Tripods are especially important if you shoot longer videos, short films and series.

o Lighting

Lighting is the most important aspect of shooting good video--poor lighting makes poor video. Generally, avoid lighting directly overhead, put the sun to your back and avoid shooting indoors where there is not adequate light.

o Audio

Audio can be tricky with home video. It is usually mediocre at best. If you don't want to invest in audio equipment, get as close to the subject as possible without ruining the shot and consider your surroundings. Maybe you could move to a quieter area where you can hear your subject better. Lastly, consider a soundtrack. Sometimes music makes the best audio and provides even more dynamics to your video.

o Don't overdo it with effects and zoom

Just because your camera has cool effects and an 800x zoom doesn't mean you should use them during the whole shoot, or at all. When you zoom, do so slowly and smoothly. Remember that digital zoom tends to make the picture grainier as you zoom closer.

You can shoot "normal" video and add the effects later with your video editing software. This way you can easily change the effects or not use them at all.

o Make it short and sweet

You only have a few seconds to capture your audience's attention and your online audience doesn't want to watch ten minutes of your toddler niece eating her birthday cake. Edit it down to the best, funniest, cutest 30 seconds and you'll have a masterpiece.

o Learn from the pros

You can learn a lot about short, online videos from Hollywood movies. Next time you watch a movie pay special attention to camera angle, lighting, the set, how the plot develops and so forth.

After you shoot the footage, it's time to sit at the computer and edit. This is where the magic happens and can be just as or more enjoyable than shooting the video.

Cristopher Fowers

Cristopher Fowers is a Writer/Reviewer for TopTenREVIEWS.com. TopTenREVIEWS features expert reviews for technology and entertainment products and services.

Searching For Funny Videos Online is Great Fun If You Have a Few Friends Over For Drinks Or a Party

Funny videos - YouTube has become known as the number one website for funny videos, or indeed any kind of video from music videos to sports events. Along with Facebook, eBay and Wikipedia it has become one of the most recognized websites in the world. One of the things that is great about the site is that anyone can contribute - whether you have accidentally created a funny video or simply want to share a family event or tell the world something, it is there for everyone to use. And it is completely free. Never before has it been so easy, or fast, to share and view video. It has revolutionized how we use the internet.

YouTube is not without it's flaws however. It's not always properly moderated and unsavory and explicit material is often inadvertently published and, due to the nature of it's design, there are so many different types of videos - funny videos, factual videos, spoof videos, scientific videos etc etc that it can sometimes be hard work to find exactly what you're looking for. Searching on a keyword can often create dozens and dozens of results that you have to sift through. And let's be honest, it's usually just the funniest videos we're looking for.

Searching for funny videos online is great fun if you have a few friends over for drinks or a party. You can spend hours searching for funny incidents, funny animals, funny TV blunders, and just about anything else you can think of. It's all there in glorious colour. It's surprising just how much fun it can be to have a group of friends gathered round a computer monitor watching a dog on a trampoline or a skier crashing into a tree! Previously we had to rely on TV shows like Candid Camera, Beadle's About, You've Been Framed etc, maybe showing on TV once a week, now we have an unlimited supply ready at the click of a mouse button twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty five days a year! A new website has been launched which helps to narrow-down the search for the internet's funniest videos.

Instead of trawling through endless search results, Our website does all the hard work for you, selecting only the best in funny videos and presenting them to the viewer in blog format with categorized links to help you find exactly what you're looking for. Whether it's amusing pets you're after, funny kids or sporting disasters, This site has them all! There are no subscription fees or disclaimers to sign, it's all ready and waiting for your viewing pleasure! It's updated on a daily basis and once you've bookmarked it, you'll be coming back time and time again.

As well as funny videos, Our site also contains lots of links to other websites with loads of other funny stuff. So, in a nut shell, if it's funny videos you're looking for, then head straight for our new site- not just for funny videos, but the FUNNIEST videos!

David Barr wrote the article 'Searching For Funny Videos Online is Great Fun If You Have a Few Friends Over For Drinks Or a Party' and recommends you visit [http://www.bundleoflaughs.co.uk] for your free funny videos.

Revealed: Online Video Marketing Techniques To Boost Your Business

Are you on the lookout for some online video marketing techniques that could essentially help you grasp the attention of your viewers?

If you are, then this article is definitely written for you. Find below some of the things that you might need to consider to further understand the need to take on some online video marketing techniques to boost your business.

Technique #1: Brand Awareness Through Video Sharing

First and foremost, know that YouTube and the other fast becoming popular video sharing sites or hosts are not created for the sole purpose of uploading kids' funniest videos or perhaps your kids' endeavors in various singing contests. Take note that it is actually a massive tool that you can use to promote your business online.

By uploading videos of your products, you are actually exposing your brand further and therefore, creating more awareness among your target market.

In other words, the best online video marketing techniques would include that of creating appealing videos of your products to create "brand awareness".

Technique # 2: No To Hard-Selling Videos

Take note that the best video marketing techniques online marketers must always remember is to avoid creating videos meant to be an advertorial or what you call an advertisement/commercial.

YouTube viewers are not at all interested about watching commercials online. Never hard sell, that's one. You are not uploading your videos to sell your product but more of to drive traffic that will help you capture your market.

Technique # 3: Be Informative In Your Videos

What is more, it is very crucial that you put in as much information as you can into the videos you create. Tips-type of information is believed to be more effective. Have a logo of your product in the video, or put some suggestions in the end on how the viewers can learn more about your product. Or perhaps invite them to check out your website to see more details.

Technique # 4: Make Entertaining Videos To Grab Viewers' Attention

Last but not least, one of the online video marketing techniques you should never do without is the ingredient of "entertainment" in your videos.

You see, viewers will make the switch and in an instant be gone when they catch a glimpse of an uninteresting video in YouTube.

For this, take note that the videos you will create and upload should be 100% amusing and engaging. That is the only way you can catch their attention, drive traffic and boost your sales.

Here are more online video marketing techniques to check out. And surely you will learn how to increase your views on YouTube and other video-sharing sites you choose.

Cee J. Fuerte is a Freelance Writer, Personal Development Coach, Lifestyle Blogger and Online Entrepreneur.

Online Video Directory Websites

If you are looking for some of the funniest videos available online - you might want to try a videos directory. These directories will "direct" you to all the best video clips available online. You literally can find any video you could or would possibly want. Some of the categories included for the video lips are things like; funny videos, home videos, music, news, politics, sports, television and even TV commercials!

These websites are unique in the fact that they are video sharing websites. And they aren't like YouTube! A lot of people like YT, but I am not one of these people! Instead, I look for sites such as this that will have different videos from websites all over the Internet in one stop. In fact, I like to call these "one stop shops" because all the videos that you need are right HERE!

Why go to a million different sites when you could just go to one and find everything you need?!? You wouldn't! Make it easy on yourself! These sites are really fun and fun-ny. I found a few really crazy videos that either shocked me or made me laugh hysterically! Let's check out a few excerpts from a few of these video clips!

Sports -

This is video collection of funny sports accidents (meanwhile, some clippings are no laughing matter as people were hurt in the accident). One of the most notable scenes in this video is when a woman was running in the middle of the field and was trampled by football players.

This happened when she went in front of a large poster where behind this were men, ready to break the paper and run across the field. It was really a very unfortunate event because it seems that no one told the woman not to run in front of the poster. Another notable scene happened during a football match. As the players were running across the field, they accidentally hit the cheerleaders who were doing some pyramid style formation.

Politics -

Recently, President Barack Obama guest on Jay Leno's show which is the first time in history when an incumbent head of state has been interviewed in this talk show. With this unprecedented event, many people waited for hours in line just to be part of the audience on the Tonight Show. Meanwhile, some people were offended by Obama's remark.

He said that he scored a lot only in basketball when he joins Special Olympics. After realizing that he made an offensive comment, the President recently apologized for what he said. Because this is the first time that a president was in a comedy talk program, the Tonight Show has one of the highest viewers in all-time history.

News -

The international community recently celebrated the World Water Day with a theme called Transboundary Water: Sharing Water, Sharing Opportunities. Spearheaded by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), this celebration aims to spread knowledge about the present situation of water sources which are continuously deteriorating.

According to some analysts including doomsayers water will someday become the main reason for war, instead of oil. While it may sound scary, the probability of this event is higher since people have already polluted many water sources in the world. Meanwhile, this is a video that will show how important is the water in people's lives.

Funny -

Probably the most heart-breaking for anyone is to have his/her wedding spoiled by an accident. This video compilation is about weddings which had gone wrong. Some of these are very funny, while some clips are no laughing matter especially for both the bride and groom. Probably, the most embarrassing clip from this video compilation is about a bride whose wedding dress was torn from below, exposing her underwear in front of the huge crowd.

(I wonder how embarrassing she felt when her wedding dress was accidentally torn during the matrimonial ceremony).

Another remarkable video clip is about a man who hit the ceiling after the crowd has accidentally thrown him high up in the air. Just watch the video compilation and be mortified by some wedding accidents and tragedy which had definitely ruined this special event for both the bride and groom.

You know what they say - you can burn well over 20 calories JUST from laughing and 10 from smiling. So not only are these awesome in the fact that they give you something to do, but they can also make you lose weight? Okay maybe not lose weight but still! Are interested in sports? Politics? World news? Crazy celebrities doing stupid stuff?

Then, these sites are definitely up your alley! Check them out the next time you are having a crazy day at work or you feel like having a good old laugh! I guarantee these video clips will make you feel SO much better!

This Author is a huge fan of Videos Directory [http://www.videosdir.com]

Free Websites Showcase Your Videos Online

If you didn't realize that video will take over online this year, you haven't been paying attention.

Everything from video blogs to full-blown website infomercials keep cropping up all across the Internet.

The driving force behind this video explosion is a combination of cheap bandwidth, easy-to-use authoring tools, and Flash video (a video format that works on both PC and MAC).

With the sudden increase in homemade videos about everything from "how-to break dance" to infomercials about real estate products, it seems only natural that another explosion should follow: the appearance of numerous websites that showcase these homegrown Steven Spielberg's.

In fact, these online videos have gained so much popularity some have even crossed over into mainstream television.

Of the three main online video hosting services I looked at, they all shared the following characteristics.

They all allow you to upload your video and host it free of charge, making it super easy for even the most technically challenged videographer.

They all allow visitors to search their sites using keywords, so describing your video and choosing a good title (with keywords people search for) will help increase your exposure.

One of the most exciting features common to these sites is that they allow you and others to get copy-and-paste code that you can place on a blog or website (or anywhere else you can paste html code) and display a video without hosting it yourself.

This one feature can cause an explosive "viral" effect if you create a video that appeals to a mass audience because people can not only pass it along, but post it in additional locations for everyone to see.

Video.Google.com - Google's video service makes it possible to upload and play your videos for people searching through their growing catalog of homegrown video.

You'll find everything from web-cam karaoke to infomercials and "live" seminars. One of the best things about Google video is the daily report about how many pages views your video got during the previous day or week.

Also, Google allows you to charge for your videos if you want, something the other sites don't yet offer.

A disadvantage of the service is that, of the three, Google Video takes the longest to approve your videos and make them available, sometimes taking 48 hours or longer to make a video "live."

YouTube.com - YouTube seems to want to foster a feeling of community with its video portal.

Unlike Google Video, which requires a separate software program to upload video, YouTube allows users to upload video right through their website interface. Of the three sites profiled here, YouTube's embedded player makes it easiest to share and pass along video from a blog.

They also approved my video and had it live online in less than 10-minutes.

IFilm.com - The coolest thing about IFilm.com is the fact that they have a show on VH1 every Friday called "Web Junk 20" which features the funniest web videos of the week on real television.

They also actively promote the concept of "viral videos" with a separate category in their directory profiling videos you want to share.

The only negative was that their pass-along player forces viewers to watch a short ad about IFilm at the beginning, something the other two don't do.

Copyright 2006 Jim Edwards

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the creator of an amazing course that will teach you step-by-step and click-by-click how to get your own money-making videos posted online... "Finally! A Quick and Easy Way For YOU To Painlessly Create, Post and PROFIT From Your Own Money-Making Online Videos... Without Being a Computer Geek or Paying Outrageous Fees To A Webmaster!" => http://www.WebsiteVideoSecrets.com

Free Comedy - How to Find the Funniest Video Clips Online

If you want to find exclusive funny video clips from today's hottest comedians, Funny Or Die should be one of the first websites you visit. Funny or Die was started by comedian Will Ferrell and his partner Adam McKay through their Gary Sanchez production company. Funny Or Die separates itself from other funny video clip hosting sites by the way it lets people rank the videos, get enough funny votes and the video will be immortalized get enough die votes and the video will be sent into the "crypt". Another way Funny Or Die separates itself with it's free comedy is the number high profile comedians it gets to contribute. The videos with lesser known names are often by Los Angeles comedy improve teams and sketch groups. If you need a quick laugh, check out Funny Or Die's very first video clip, the Landlord staring Will Ferrell.

The Upright Citizens Brigade began as a sketch comedy troupe consisting of comedians Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh. The troupe of comedians eventually went on to star in a television show on Comedy Central that lasted for a few years. Their website UCBtheater.com is the home of the Upright Citizens Brigade, an improv comedy school, a comedy theater and host to some of the funniest comedy online today. As LA comedy students perfect their craft they also pump out funny video clips that can to be distributed online. Additionally the founding members often times contribute their own comedy, often times creating materials with the in house troupes in the LA comedy scene and NY comedy scene. If you are looking for a funny video from the Upright Citizens Brigade check out the LA comedy group Cream and their video 'We Got Your B-Roll'.

The Onion is now a premier destination for funny clips on the Internet. From college press publication, to premier destination to watch comedy online The Onion has come a long way. Like a traditional newspaper the Onion covers all aspects of the news, sports, entertainment and politics. Their satirical videos are one of the most downloaded free comedy clips online today. Great production quality makes The Onion's funny videos almost indistinguishable from an actual news broadcast. The Onion.com's video clips have become so popular online it has spawned a new show for Comedy Central called Sports Dome, focusing on their sports related satire. If you need a hilarious link to watch comedy online check out 'Sick Girl Fulfills Dream of Heckling David Wright'.

YouTube may seem like the best place to go when seeking out funny video clips online. However with YouTube's massive collection of free comedy, it's tough to sort through what comedy videos are worth checking out. Instead I would recommend checking out Youtubefunnyvideoclips.com, which picks the best free comedy on YouTube so you don't waste all day searching for funny videos. Their webpage is updated daily and is a good place to check out funny videos that will be going viral. Comedians aren't the only ones creating funny videos online, many of the greatest funny videos are created through unintentional comedy. One funny video that kept me laughing, is simply titled 'Women Falls into Fountain while Texting'.

These sites are a great help for finding funny video clips online. Often times though the easiest way to find a great free comedy video is through word of mouth. Through email and social networking funny clips are passed around from person to person, often creating a buzz drawing more attention and more views until the funny video clip reaches a saturation point with millions of views. But if you want to be a head of the game and are looking to watch free comedy online make sure to stay up to date with Funny Or Die.com, The Onion.com, UCBtheater.com and Youtubefunnyvideoclips.com.

Sean Green is a hilarious stand up comedian and a veteran in the LA comedy scene. Check out some free comedy including his podcast The Green Room with Sean Green at www.seantgreen.com.