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So, you've just gotten yourself a brand new camcorder. Congratulations! Now what?

Well, before you start making the home movies that you just KNOW are going to be smash hits with your family and friends, remember: professional equipment does NOT a good video make. Even if you go out and buy yourself the most expensive camera on the market, if your video is full of pixelated, blurry images zooming in and out, filmed with a hand-held camera, you'll quickly make your audience, whether they are family members or theater-goers, sick, and they are not going to want to finish watching it. However, there are a few things you can do to dramatically improve your production, and they are not hard to remember:

First, practice makes perfect. Be sure to make a few test videos to get a feel for the camera before you seriously try to film something, whether it is a wedding, a celebration, or a home-made science fiction film with hubcap UFOs.

No one likes to watch videos filmed with a shaky camera. Save yourself the hassle and get a tripod. It will allow you to keep the camera steady without having to hold it yourself. Also, while you are buying additional equipment for your camera, be sure to buy an extra battery. You don't want to be right in the middle of shooting something and suddenly have your camera quit on you.

When watching professionally made films it's easy not to realize just how sensitive a camera is to lighting, and how easy it is to mess up your picture. When filming your own videos you may not have the luxury of spending hours repositioning light sources, but you can at least try to film with as much light as you can. Above all, try to avoid filming at night.

Be sure not to use the digital zoom. It's bad form, and it distorts the image, making it blocky and ugly to see. Usually, it's not very hard to get closer to an object, and will almost always give you better results than if you tried to zoom in on it.

Finally, despite how sturdy it may seem, a camera really IS a delicate piece of equipment. Don't hit it to make it work better, it almost certainly won't, and be sure not to get it wet if it does not have a waterproof case, as that is an excellent way to ruin a brand new piece of expensive equipment.

When you're just starting out, it's easy to become overly optimistic about how good your films are going to be. However, with a little practice and forethought, that optimism may not be misplaced after all.

Learn more about this author, Kristopher Chambers.
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