Thinking of making footage shine? Here are 10 simple steps that will make you a camcorder pro:

1.Footage becomes great if you use a dolly or stand to prevent shaking. Even if you use your shoulder very often even slight vibrations could make a difference.

2.Study the use of lighting and maximize its effects. Lighting can be used to effectively create atmosphere, lay emphasis on primary and secondary characters. Lighting knowledge will teach you about exposure as well as creation of a frame. So master the art of using lighting to your advantage. Learn how to use natural sunlight, its inexpensive and wonderful.

3.Use reflectors, these will help you avoid shadows that form when sunlight is used as a light source.

4.There are in life various shades of white. So you may need to use a white card or card colors to tune the camcorder into what is actually white. Many camcorders have a menu option or button to press. The manual of your camcorder brand will have the details.

5.Booms, microphones dangled from a pole catch sound best without distortion. Learn about use of microphones and how to prevent distortions. There are many tips on the internet about microphone types and efficient placement. According to experts the most efficient are condenser microphones.

6.Color is a wonderful tool that affects the character of a film footage. Have you noticed the cold blue of Minority report or the bleached out effect in Three Kings? Be a pro and select a color palette for the film based on the subject, season, and theme. Make use of color filters and color coordinated costumes.

7.Make use of tools like CineLook or Magic Bullet to refine your camcorder footage. Digital films can take on the hues of real cinema too!

8.Get an outsider to edit the footage for you. Since you are the camcorder film maker you are too emotionally involved with the film to do the editing yourself. A professional editor with whom you have established a good rapport and understanding will be able to do the needful.

9.Once the editing is done burn a couple of CDs and “test" your film. Experts recommend using Apple iDVD for authoring the DVD. For PC users the options are Roxio’s DVD Creator or Adobe’s Premier Elements. Powerful applications include Adobe Encore DVD or Apple DVD Studio Pro.

10.Use the inputs given by your reviews to polish the camcorder film.

Filming with camcorders is not hard at all and you can become as professional as anyone in Hollywood with a touch of verve, some imagination, and help from technology.