Ten Great Gifts for Home Filmmakers

Great gifts for the home filmmaker are available in many forms all over the internet and in specialty shops worldwide. When you have a filming fan or hobbyist on your Christmas list, the first thought is not about the gifts but whether the holiday festivities will end up on tape this year. Usually home filmmakers will purchase gadgets whenever they need them, so buying a new lens attachment isn't always the best plan for giving.

Amateur home film directors and camera hobbyists are those folks who seem to be constantly filming the world around them. They have captured everything on tape from baby's first steps to little league practice with the care and attention of a prize winning filmmaker. But what is the best gift to give the hobby filmmaker? Beyond springing for courses at film school, there are few ways to show your appreciation, but there are ten great gifts for the home filmmaker:

The Pod by Manfrotto is a neat little gadget that is kind of like a hockey-puck shaped beanbag. For under $16, you can purchase this ten centimeter unit which is fitted with a simple tripod bolt. Although the design seems silly, the little beanbag is an affective way to mount your camera for stills, especially if you don't want to haul around some sort of heavy tripod. For a more traditional approach, consider the Sony VCT-R640 Tripod from ABT electronics. This tripod ranges from $30 to $50 and is completely adjustable.

For all of your favorite home filmmaker's lighting needs, consider purchasing a gift certificate from http://www.photographyprops.com. Whether your home filmmaker needs handheld flashes or a full lighting solution, photography props has just about every accessory needed to keep your hobbyist busy. From Bogen Equipment to Lastolite backgrounds, photography props has both studio equipment for still photography and books and cases for both studio and home video photography. Best of all, the gift certificate can be used however your home filmmaker needs to use it.

The Brother P-Touch Model 80 Home and Hobby Label Maker available from office world is a great way for home filmmakers to label videos, dvds, and equipment. For just under $30, you can buy this battery operated wonder, which can print in both vertical and horizontal styles. The LCD display and refillable tape are both easy to use with five type sizes, copy ability, and even foreign language capabilities. For just a few dollars more, consider the P-Touch PT - 1000 Personal Handheld Label maker. It allows for hand held, easy to carry capabilities. $42.99.

The book Pro Techniques of Making Home Video Movies by Thomas I Ford is a book on basic videography. Methods of preparation and planning as well as how to edit and wrap up production sandwich in depth chapters about lighting techniques, sound, and capture with diagrams, illustrations, and photos. Though this book is meant for those who use a tape video recording device, most technique is similar to digital with the exception of transfer. The book Learn to make Videos in a Weekend by Roland Lewis is part of the "In a Weekend" series. This book happens to be number fifteen. Available at most book stores, this offering covers all of the how-to's of preparation, filming, and editing.

Blank DVDs are a gift that nearly every amateur hobby home filmmaker needs in great supply. Either sold by the spindle or in a single form, DVDs are a video staple for the final part of the videography cycle, burning the completed film to DVD. Though not every filmmaker has a DVD player, most do, so keep this in mind when choosing your purchase. DVD-R products are writable DVDs that you can only write on once. DVD-RW are rewritable, which means they can be erased and recorded over again with the correct burner.

A handy satchel like the Convertible Boarding Bag offered by Lillian Vernon has plenty of compartments for all your favorite home video hobbyist's essential accessories. With plenty of room for a cell phone, accessories, and paperwork, this satchel is an excellent item for home moviemakers because it is lightweight with plenty of nooks and crannies and a favorite with gift buyers because it's under $20.

The Gold Medal 2404 Funpop Popcorn Maker is a four-ounce popcorn machine that pops real theatre-quality popcorn for only a fraction of similar machines. The stainless steel kettle is removable and it has a neat heated glass corn deck. It looks just like thje movie theater popcorn poppers of the 1950's. Prices range from $280-$400.

Ulead Video Editing Software is one of the easiest to comprehend. The latest offering, VideoStudio 10, DVD workshop, and DVD Movie Factory are basically the only three software titles needed to give your favorite hobby videographer hours of fun.

Videomaker Magazine is a monthly magazine that covers every aspect of the video making process. Both amateurs and pros will find every issue engrossing with news and reviews of the latest video techniques and equipment. For added information, Videomaker has a companion website for even more articles, events, and the special "Club Vid" a place where article subscribers can check out Videomaker magazine's archives, download software titles, and check out all the latest news and reviews. A Wired Magazine subscription is similarly thoughtful, as wired delves more into the technical side of life. From great gadgets to noteworthy news in the world of high-tech, wired gives readers a thick dose of all things technical.

Your favorite amateur video filmmaker is not just a hobbyist; they are individuals immersed in preserving the moment. Who knows, maybe they'll someday become a talented director. If not, at least they will always have something interesting to pull out at a family get-together. Happy Holidays!