How to make a funny home video

Hi, I'm Nigel Barker. Let's talk about how to make a funny video of your kids. I'll start by giving you a few creative suggestions for a variety of shots that will keep your friends and family laughing for years to come. Let's begin with a few ideas to help you capture hilarious footage of your young ones.

Encourage your kids to put on a performance. Try having them sing their favorite song, or do a dance they've learned from a favorite TV shows. They can even pretend to be wild animals. Heaven knows, my kids have a whole zoo of impersonations. This camera makes it easy to keep up with my kids, as it has a tracking focus feature that enables the focus to follow the selected subjects as they move around.

For the shy child, you may need to be stealthier. So try placing the camcorder on the dinner table facing them, and then pressing record without letting them know. Let the camera run throughout the meal, and eventually your children will forget it's there. If your little ones start doing things that you would normally stop, let it slide this once. You'll enjoy the comedic and candid effect it has when you look back later.

Another funny food idea is to do a cooking show with your kids, discuss what they'd like to make, and set out all the ingredients on a table for easy accessibility. Then position your camcorder on the opposite countertop or table to ensure that everybody fits in the frame. A camera with a wide angle lens like this one enables you to get everyone in the shot, even in tight quarters.

The thing I love about this camcorder is that the LCD touchscreen rotates so you can easily see yourself recording in real time. For a different perspective, put your children behind the camera. A camera such as this is small, lightweight, and easy to use, with a one touch record button, making it perfect for letting your children experiment with their own filmmaking skills.

You can also let them experiment by making a video with their friends. And as we all know, kids don't have the steadiest hands, so it's important to use a camera with image stabilization technology to help compensate for camera shake. It's important to empower our kids, and you might be stunned by the video magic they capture.

Once you've got the footage for your funny home videos, you and your family can enjoy the movies on your HDTV or share them online with family and friends. So gather around, make sure everyone has a comfortable seat, and get ready for some unforgettable laughs.

I'm Nigel Barker for sony with Howdini. For more great tips, visit sony.com/howdini.