How To Add Still Photos and Graphics To Your Home Movies

How To Add Still Photos and Graphics To Your Home Movies

The popularity and affordability of video cameras and even digital cameras (with video capabilities) has resulted in more people creating their own home movies.  No need to ask a professional to take video shots of important events because it can be done by a family member who knows the basics of video shooting and making home movies.

Home movies will be more exciting and colorful if still photos and graphics are added.  A person creating a home movie about a child can insert some old still photos of the child to show how he has grown over the years.  Adding some graphics will prep up the video and make it even more exciting to watch considering the quality of graphics that are now available.

So how do you add still photos and graphics to home movies?  Here are some tips:

 Choose old photos that have gathered dust in the attic.  Make sure the photos chosen are related to the topic or the subject of the home video being made.  This will not only help preserve photos which may be destroyed due to acids found in most album plastics.  Arrange the photos in the order that they are to be used in the home video.  Most photo saving software accepts the JPEG format so make sure this is chosen when saving the photos in the computer.

 If the still photos were taken by a digital camera then it can be easily downloaded to the computer.  If the photos are old ones and what remains are printed copies then don't worry because there is a way to save them on the computer for possible inclusion in the home movie.  Scan the photos and save on the computer.  Another option is to get some video shots of the photos using the video camera.  This can be saved in the video camera as a still footage and can be used later on.

 Background music will make any home video effective.  Music should be used during flashbacks of still photos to take away the boredom (on the part of the viewers) of looking at still photos without any sound effects.

 Also choose the video files (either analog or digital) that are to be included in the home video.  Make sure the computer where the home movie will be done has video cards for this purpose.

 Adding the photos and graphics (as well as the background music) to home movies can be done during the editing stage.  It is best to have a script which can be followed during the editing stage so that the job is faster and more efficient.  It will also serve as a guide as to when the photos and graphics should be added.

 A home movie about a pet can feature the beginnings of the pet like when the pet was first given or when it first came home.  This can be done through a flashback of the still photos of the pet from the time it first came to the possession of the family.  If the still photos are already in the computer then it can be easily added to the video through linear editing.  Taking video footage of the still photos can be included in the home video itself and can just be inserted in the proper order or slot when editing.

 If the family is constantly on the go and home movies is regularly done then it is best to invest in a CD or DVD (or both) creator.  Creator 6 Platinum can easily help in creating home movies as well as in adding still photos and graphics.  This is really more than a tutorial because it allows for easy compilation of the still photos, the video footages and audio files.  And then the software does all the work. It can create quality home videos in a short span of time.

Making home videos is fun and can even serve as bonding time for the whole family.  The home video should include still photos to enhance the story that the home video would like to tell.