Successful Vacation Videos

It's nearly summertime and that means family vacation time! What a great time to document the excitement and memories of your precious time together. And yet many vacationers forget their camera. Or, if they remember, they grab it at the last minute without the proper backup equipment. Get the most out of family funtime by being prepared! Here are a few tips:

To bring list:

Two sets of fully charged batteries with a charger

Lens cleaning cloth

Pen for labeling

Headphones

Owners manual

Extension cord

Plastic bag for rain

Tripod

White towel for sun shield

Protecting your camera:

Take the time to keep your camera safe. Both the camera itself and the video it captures are precious. Find a discreet bag that doesn't have Sony, Canon, etc. logos on it. Make sure it has plenty of padding. Also, purchase a strap in case you drop it.

Getting Through the Airport:

Can airport scanners corrupt your digital images stored on memory cards and flash drives? The overwhelming evidence is that memory cards are not affected. Some believe flash drives are a little less stable and could become corrupted. FYI: Film is the most volatile and a cause for concern. Needless to say, back up your work and if you are concerned see if your camera can be hand checked.

Shooting during your Vacation:

Shoot a lot of video with the intention of editing when you get back home. Don't wait for the perfect shot. Don't forget to include yourself in your videos. 

Be very careful at the beach. Salt spray and sand can do major damage. Keep your camera in a tightly closed plastic bag when not in use. Keep a log. 

Get interviews with your family as well as scenery. These videos of your family's impressions and memories of the day will enhance your enjoyment for years to come.

Keep the summer sun behind you so faces are not backlit. Use the "still picture" feature of your camera for still objects. Vary your points of view. You'll probably pan a lot. Pan slowly – allow your camera to drink in all the cool scenery you're shooting. Back up all your images and archive them when you get home.

Your local Home Video Studio offers a wide range of professional video production services to consumers and businesses alike. We value our customers and want to thank you for being a part of our success!

Home Video Studio strives to make your experience with us enjoyable and truly memorable. Our specialties include video production, video editing, home movie and video transfers, CD and DVD duplication, and much more! 

For all of your video needs, call Home Video Studio today for an appointment!

Home Video Studio-Visalia

559-732-3050

Graduation was made for video and DVD memories

If there was ever a day made for video it's Graduation Day. Caps and gowns, pomp and circumstance, family and friends all make for moments to be cherished forever, and Home Video Studio can help you every step of the way to make sure your grad's special day gives them the honor they deserve! The centerpiece of this landmark day should be a Photo Video Keepsake. Imagine celebrating your graduate's life in one powerful presentation of pictures, videos and special songs. Is there a better way to present their life from "Birth to Graduation" on a silver platter? Most graduation gifts come and go, but this heartfelt tribute will last a lifetime. 

There's still time so call today! Start gathering your favorite old photos from around the house. Don't forget about photos and videos that may be stored in your cell phone, hard drive camera and memory cards. You'll want images from school, church and dance recitals. Maybe you want to mix in video from birthdays, vacation and Little League. What about certificates, ribbons or that "straight A" report card? We'll help you blend it all together with music, titles and effects to make a DVD that will be enjoyed by all and never forgotten!

Of course you will record the Graduation Ceremony with your video camera. This is the culmination of many years of hard work so don't take a chance on losing it! Get it transferred to DVD right away. We can put it on an Archival Platinum DVD for convenience (just pop it in your DVD player to watch anytime) and safety (Archival Platinum is scratch proof and will last for a hundred years!) and attractiveness (we will print a nice label and can also provide a beautiful case wrap). Plus you can easily have copies made for family and friends.

Now, what about the Graduation Celebration? A houseful of proud friends and relatives makes for some great video moments. There will be speeches, well-wishes, advice, laughter and maybe even a few proud tears. Why not let us professionally edit the high points of the day and make a DVD to distribute? What a way to remember this most special of days!

Your local Home Video Studio is part of the world's leading international video production services franchise. We have studios located in the United States, Canada and Sweden. Home Video Studio provides video production and post production services for consumers, businesses, schools, churches, and other organizations!

Competition for college scholarship money has become so fierce today that students need to have every advantage to secure this money. Home Video Studio can help make your son or daughter's artistic talents shine.

Similar to HVS' Sports Scholarship Videos, our Arts, Music and Entertainment Scholarship videos highlight these student achievements. Key moments are featured that are definite viewer attention grabbers. These videos could make the difference between getting an audition or college scholarship money. 

Don't miss this opportunity. Call Home Video Studio to make an appointment today.

Home Video Studio-Visalia

559-732-3050

Make Mom Happy with DVD Memories

Good News! Mother's Day is around the corner. Better News! You have the opportunity to express your love and appreciation to her in a way that is personal, unique and powerful. Best News! It's a phone call away!
Your Mom has always found creative ways to say "I Love You" like no other. Now you can return the favor with a special Mother's Day video that will be one of a kind! Here are just a few ideas:

A Mother's Day Photo Keepsake - How about a photo montage for the whole family to enjoy? We can take your favorite photos of mom, add her favorite music and some titles and produce a masterpiece. It's easy to get started. First select the photos you want to include, then sort them by date, by event, by person or however you would like. Next choose some music that is appropriate. Then choose a simple opening and closing title.

A Message for Mom - Can you imagine mom's delight if her kids made a video message? A poetry reading, a song or just an impromptu speech of what mom means to them. We can create and edit to your hearts content to make it really special.

Videos Through the Years - You've shot video on vacation, school programs, recitals, camp, graduation, family reunions &..whew! That's a lot of video! And it's probably on a lot of formats. 8mm film, VHS tape, 8mm tape, Mini DV, Mini Disc&We can take all of your formats and organize it into something special for mom's special day. And what could be more gratifying to mom than seeing her kids grow up before her very eyes?

A mixture - We can help you do a mixture of any or all of these ideas for one spectacular production! Remember, we are the creative specialists. Whatever you can conceive we can most likely achieve.

Give us a call today so we can begin building a Mother's Day gift she won't soon forget!

559-732-3050 / 866-993-8348

How to upload a video to Youtube.com

To get started, you'll need to have a YouTube account.

• Go to youtube.com.
• Click the large blue "Create Account" button.
• Fill out the form with your personal information. If you have a Gmail address, entering it as your email address in this form will save you some time later. When you're done filling out the form, click the "I Accept" button.

• If you used your Gmail account when creating your YouTube account, you'll be asked to link them together on the next page. If this is the case, link the accounts. If you did not use your Gmail account (because you don't have one) you'll be asked to create one on the next page. If this is the case, create a Gmail account and it will be linked to your new YouTube account.
• Now you're signed up and should be automatically signed in. You'll know if you're signed in if you see your YouTube account name in the upper right corner of the screen. If you don't, you should see a "Sign In" link up there. Click that and then sign in with your new YouTube username and password. Make sure you're signed into your account by looking up at the top righthand part of the page. If you see your username, you're signed in.
• To the left of your username, you'll find a link called "Upload." Click on that.
• A new page will load and you'll be presented with two options. The first option is a yellow button labeled "Upload video" and a link titled "Record from webcam." You want to click the "Upload video" button.
• Once you've clicked the "Upload video" button, you'll a new window pop up that will let you select a file from your hard drive. Select the video you want to upload and click the "Choose" button.
• The video will start to upload and you'll see its progress. Make sure you do not close this page until the video has finished uploading or it will not finish.
• Once the video has finished uploading it will need to spend some time processing on YouTube's servers before it is ready for viewing online. You'll be able to watch it process at the top of the page. Once it reaches 100%, you'll see a link at the top of the screen that you can click to view your video.
• When you're on your video's page, you'll be able to watch it and share it. You'll find a button labeled "Share" underneath the video that will provide you with a link to send to other people and a few other sharing options, such as email and Facebook. Congratulations, you've just uploaded your first video to YouTube!

Savers of the Family Archives

We begin this with a very recent true story: Betty, a Home Video Studio customer, brought in thousands of feet of film to be transferred to DVD. It was obvious from her packing, her careful labeling, and even the spreadsheet she used to classify everything that this collection was her pride and joy. Memories dating as far back as 1940 included birthdays, weddings, vacations, and school activities. Lo and behold, as the film was being prepared for transfer it was discovered that over half of it had literally turned to powder due to improper storage and the ravages of time. You can imagine the disappointment this customer felt! Don't let this happen to you! At Home Video Studio we have a mission to protect your family's heritage and invaluable documents, in fact, our theme this year is "Savers of the Family Archives." We have seen the effects that natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, and fires have on your life's legacy. We know what time and elements can silently do to your most valuable treasures. Take steps today and let us help you digitize all of your photos, videos, documents, mementos, and important papers to a more disaster-proof digital format  whether that's CD, DVD or files onto a hard drive. Think of this as purchasing insurance. The value of preserving these precious items is priceless. How do you get started? The first step is to get organized. Are your effects in order? Are your photos, videos, and/or film organized? Are they in random boxes, unmarked memory cards, on your cell phone, or your flip cam? Where are your important papers? Are they in one place? Don't forget that, as Savers of the Family Archives, we make house calls and can help you categorize your family's artifacts. In addition to all of the memories, there are some very practical documents and records that need to be safeguarded as well. These might include:
Birth Certificates Property titles Citizenship papers Military records Social Security Cards Bank accounts	Wills Insurance policies Passports Powers of attorney Marriage certificates Family tree
When we are finished, you will have all the important artifacts that make up your life digitized and organized on a small, easy and convenient medium and stored in one safe place like a safety deposit box or a fireproof safe! Wouldn't that be comforting to know? Another amazing benefit of this process is that you now have instant access to all the important items in your possession. You can retrieve your favorite photos and make copies for loved ones. You can enjoy videos and film at the touch of a button, and, of course, your personal records are now preserved indefinitely, ready for uncomplicated access in case of an emergency. As Savers of the Family Archives we take your family's treasures very seriously.  Call Home Video Studio today to preserve them for generations to come! Contact Information  Home Video Studio Arthur Zepeda 4844 W. Rialto Ave. Visalia, Ca 93277  (559) 732-3050 / (866) 993-8348

Spring into action with photos on video and DVD

Believe it or not spring is upon us, and now is the time to begin making the red letter days of this season special. Graduation Day, Mother's Day and Anniversaries of spring weddings past are the perfect time to create a unique DVD for everyone to enjoy!

Graduation Day. A time for joy, a time for tears, a time to treasure through the years!

• You have so many wonderful memories of your child's life, and Graduation Day is the time to tell their story in a "Birth to Graduation" Photo Video Keepsake DVD. Imagine those precious memories (the ones now scattered in boxes, closets and basements) given new life in a touching tribute and celebration. Gather those baby pictures, school pictures and prom photos. Find videos of birthdays and Little League. What about certificates and ribbons from past accomplishments? We'll help you blend it all with music, titles and special effects to make a DVD that will never be forgotten.
• Let's not forget the ceremony! The cap, the gown, the nerves, the procession and finally the diploma! You will surely be recording this special event with your video camera. Don't delay in getting it transferred to DVD right away. Your friends and family will definitely want a copy of this!
• The party! Why not video family and friends offering advice and well-wishes and edit it into a DVD that will be cherished for years to come?

Mother's Day. Your Mom has always found creative ways to say "I Love You" like no one else. Now you can return the love with a special Mother's Day video that will be one of a kind! Here are just a few ideas:

• A Mother's Day Photo Video keepsake. How about a photo montage for the whole family to enjoy? We can take your favorite photos of mom, add her favorite music and some titles and produce a masterpiece.
• A Message for Mom. Can you imagine mom's delight if her kids made a video message? A poetry reading, a song or just an impromptu speech of what mom means to them. We can create and edit to your heart's content to make it really special.
• Videos through the Years. You've shot video on vacation, school programs, recitals, camp, graduation, family reunions. That's a lot of video and it's probably on a lot of formats: 8mm film, VHS tape, 8mm tape, Mini DV, Mini Disc. We can take all of your formats and organize it into something special for mom's special day. And what could be more gratifying to mom than seeing her kids grow up before her very eyes?

Anniversaries. Video is a unique and personal way to remember the vows of your special day!

• Is your wedding still on a tape? (but you're not quite sure where?) Now is the time to find it and get it transferred to Archival Platinum DVD  in time for your anniversary!
• How about a special gift this year? A Photo Video Keepsake of your life together "Through the Years" would make a personal and unique anniversary gift.
• Do you have a special "place" or a special song? Nothing is more powerful than images and music blended together to bring back special times.

Are you ready? Call us now and let's get started! The fun will start right away with the selection of your media whether it's photos, slides, video footage, old movie footage or all of the above! Then the creativity will start flowing as you begin to imagine how you want to tell your story, whether it's for your graduate, your mom or your spouse. Then we'll tie your masterpiece all together into a one-of-a-kind work of art! And don't worry if you think you're not the creative type. We stand ready to help you every step of the way!

Don't delay! The red letter days of your life are just around the corner. Make them even more special with video. Call your Home Video Studio today!

Arthur Zepeda

559-732-3050 / 866-993-8348

Let Home Video Studio spice up your video!

Does your video need polish? We can help!

Video editing is an art in itself! Like a finely prepared meal your video's success lies largely in its presentation. Our experience, expertise and state-of-the-art equipment can help you deliver your intended message concisely and with impact: Does your business presentation need pizzazz? Does your event video need to tell the story of a wonderful evening? Does your training video need to articulate important points? Does your wedding need just the right touches?

The proliferation of very good consumer video cameras has given everyone the power to shoot high quality video these days - whether you are documenting a business presentation, video taping an event for your organization or church, making a training video or even shooting a wedding. Now that you've carefully shot that outstanding video let us partner with you to polish it up and present it on a silver platter.

Here are some of the ways we can help you:

Editing: Your video needs to be long enough to cover the subject and short enough to maintain interest. Our editing software and expertise will assure this.

Music: Well-placed music is one of the most powerful things your video can have.

Graphics: Whether it's your company logo, charts and graphs or bullet points to articulate something important the power to incorporate these are at your fingertips.

Still shots: Will pictures inserted into your video help you with your message? Special effects: Motion graphics, slow motion, video transitions, still frames, zooming you name it! Whatever your creative mind can imagine we can most likely achieve.

Call us today and let's talk about adding some spice to that video footage!

Home Video Studio-Visalia

559-732-3050 / 866-993-8348