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Family Video – New Baby
Family Video Basics
 The arrival of the first baby
in a family is often the occasion for making the first family video and
for purchasing the family's first video camera (besides a cause for
celebration of course). The subject is a source of joy, wonder, and
love. Changes will take almost by the hour, and the video enables so
much of the experience – once edited, of course –
to be recalled for years to come.
Birth
Birth is the most magical and unforgetable moment in a lifetime. We
won't address the medical delivery part with all the energy
and pain that comes with it most of the time, but instead
let's
focus on all the emotions that surround baby's arrival from the last
few days of pregnancy, through the admission to the maternity, the
first hours of labor, and especially the first few hours and days after
birth when the first contacts happen between baby, Mom, Dad and the
rest of the family.
Start interviewing the future Mom, ask her how and what she feels
during these last few days and hours of pregnancy, ask her if it is
going to be a girl or a boy (if she knows), baby's name, what
preparation she made to welcome baby, and any other questions that will
help the future Mom express her feelings. Interview Dad too in
the
same way and any other close members of the family. If you can take a
few shots of baby's bedroom and crib, and any other items that captures
all the love that has been put in welcoming baby. Continue the
interview at the maternity just before delivery with similar questions.
 What
you do not want to miss is the first minutes of baby's life (out of
Mommy's womb). Coordinate this with the medical team in advance. They
generally are totally understanding and besides making sure the baby is
medically taken care of , they will help whoever is videotaping capture
these unique moments. After the first few minutes of care, baby is
generally brought into a monitoring room for the first exams. This is
also a good place to be for videotaping. You will have time to
make plenty of shots from many
angles. Alternate wide, medium and close shots. Keep your video camera
steady during each shot. Avoid pan and zoom during shooting to give all
the value to the tiny subject. |
First contacts with Mom and
Dad
One of the most magical moments are the first exchanges between Mom and
Dad, the first tears and the first smiles. Millions of emotions are
waiting to be captured on tape for priceless memories. When
videotaping, try to be as discrete as possible to not disturb these
moments charged with emotions, take a step back and observe through the
lense from the outside. Move as discretely to find the best angles.
Storytelling
With
a subject that is so easily accessible, the problem is not what to
record, but what not to record in your family video. Even so, a common
error when videoing a baby is to make each take rather short: this
causes the movie to jump too rapidly from one scene to another. A video
of a baby will be more enjoyable if it tells a story rather than
showing a random string of events.
 While a day-in-the-life
narrative is obvious, it is none the worse for
that. You could start, for example, with a view of the room, taking in
all the “new baby” greeting cards, before revealing
the small movements inside a bassinet that signal a little person
beginning to wake up. Make the audience do a little work by asking
themselves the significance of the movements; then reward them with the
solution as the baby gazes up at the mobile above the bed and the story
begins.
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A family video of the baby is likely to be full of
the baby – just as any viewers would expect. So make them
wait for it, make them wish to see the baby. Start with something
different, perhaps the greeting cards and gifts that announce the
subject.
-
Small movements of the crib can be used to indicate
the baby’s awakening. Tantalize further by cutting to
something unexpected such as the mobile positioned over the bed, before
panning down to show the baby.
-
Before your viewers have a chance to get bored, try
cutting to another aspect of the change
in life for the parents. The
contract in size and form between adult and baby (for example
baby’s hand in mommy’s hand) is always a source of
fascination.
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Focusing on the baby is of course very rewarding for
the parents, but an infant’s growing awareness of her new
world is endlessly fascinating to anyone. The parents may take
embarrassing cooing noises, but these should be recorded too.
-
While babies are small, relatively still, and
largely unaware of the camera, you can film extreme close-ups
without
limitation. Make good use of this opportunity, because it does
not last
for long. The results are almost always worthwhile.
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It is easy to miss the day-to-day and the prosaic in
your family videomaking; it may seem that no-one would be interested in
the mundane details. But even the simple act of putting the baby to bed
is rich with symbolism and signs of love; and it can be visually
rewarding.
-
For example, the combination of the flesh tones in
soft
light that provide a sense of calm and peace and the movements of
the
mother’s hands around the baby will create an unique and
emotional scene to be captured with a steady shot in your family video.
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HINTS
AND TIPS
These
tips will help make your baby video a pleasure to watch, as well as the
envy of all other parents.
- For variety (and veracity), record all
aspects of baby life as well as changing moods.
- Hold the
camera still: when your child becomes more mobile, use a
wider angle to allow movement in and out of the frame.
- Get in
close: your subject is very small.
- Use
contrasts to express your feelings about the
baby’s vulnerability, small size, and delicacy.
- Do not use
extra lighting or video in direct sunlight, since the
baby’s delicate skin tone will be lost.
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VIDEO
EXAMPLES
Coming soon...
See also...
Prepare
the shoot: The items and skills you need to prepare before
starting to shoot
Frame
the action: Use the adequate framing techniques to compose
for space and track movement of your subject
Frame
your shots: Distant shots, close-ups, panning, zooming - when
and how to use them
Shooting
for variety: Find different creative angles to make things
interesting to watch
Useful
services
Coming soon...
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