What Happened to All the Videocamera-toting Parents?
Monday, June 15, 2009 at 8:25AM 
I've been to half a dozen child sports/play/dance activities over the last year or so, and I've noticed something distinctly different from my time in these rites of passage: The parents wielding videocameras have disappeared. There are plenty of parents, but no cameras. What happened? Let me throw out a few theories, but first I want to debunk one: No one is using their cell phone or digital camera for video at these events either. Maybe that's something for the younger crowd. Or maybe it will all change with the iPhone 3Gs.
Theory #1: It's actually harder to "make" video now, than it used to be. For all of our HD evolution, the process of getting a "completed" video is now far more difficult. Fifteen years ago, you simply took the VHS camera, shot your video, and could go home, put the tape in the VCR, and watch it right away. Now at home, there's a DVD player, and you camera either shoots hard drive, memory card, or DV tape. And while you could plug the camera in, if you want a finished product on DVD, it'll take more work. You'll need to capture the footage to the computer, use something like iDVD, then burn the dvd. Which brings us to #2:
Theory #2: The pressure to make a "pro" product. While the process of simply getting something from camera to dvd might be more daunting than the straight VHS days, the tools to edit that video have gotten incredibly powerful. Maybe that's part of the problem though. Maybe once you know how good the video could be with transitions, slick menus, etc., it can feel like you have to do that, which in turn feels like it will take a long time.
Theory #3: Video is no longer the only immediate option. Again, turning back the clock fifteen years, if you took a videocamera and a still camera to a child's event, you could go home and immediately watch the video, while you could be waiting quite awhile before seeing photos, as they needed to be developed. Now, half a second after the event, you can see the photo on the camera, and relatively easily make prints at home.
What's your take? Have you noticed the same thing?
dvds, parents, photos, video camera Permalink
Reader Comments (1)
Ha! Completely true. I have a Sony HDR-HC1 (mini-DV HD cmera) and like 100 full tapes of my 2 1/2 years old daughter...
My wife is always asking me when are we watching those tapes.... Well.... No I have the reasons #1, #2 and #3 to justify! But yes! It's not easy to capture, and I always feel that I can adjust color and contrast a bit..... and then it takes hours to get even a few minutes in DVD.... besides that we still don't have a Blueray burner.... so... downsampling HD makes no sense....