Everyone can shoot awesome videos

By Mir
July 4, 2011
Category Contests

I know it’s been a slow day here, today, on account of the holiday. I’m about to make it up to you. Meet Steve Stockman, author of How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck:

His book can teach anyone how to shoot better video, and guess what? Five lucky Want Not readers are going to receive a copy as a result of this contest. But it gets even better, because one lucky reader isn’t just going to win the book—they’re also going win a brand new, latest-generation Kodak Playsport pocket camcorder (here’s the Amazon link if you want to check out the reviews).

That’s four winners of Stockman’s book, and one grand prize winner of both the book and the Kodak Playsport. Land of the free, home of the prizes, baby.

Want to win? Of course you do! First, go review the contest rules and regulations, then come on back here and leave a comment on this post by 8:00 a.m. Eastern (that’s 5:00 a.m. Pacific) on Thursday, July 7th, 2011 for an entry. Winners will be determined by random number generation and how often your videos begin with, “Uh, is it on?” But mostly the random number thing.

Ready? Go!

235 Comments

  1. Wow…we were just discussing what would be a good option to take with us to Disney and I was leaning towards this one…

  2. Dude!

    I’ll just be crass and say

    I WANT!!

  3. Would love this!

  4. I really hope that I win this. Please please please!

  5. I’m in.

  6. Me! Choose me!

  7. Nice camera! Happy 4th of July!

  8. Awesome!!! Would love this!!!

  9. How awesome! I’ve been looking for one of these!

  10. You’re so so pretty!!!

    (does that get me extra entries??)

  11. Very cool

  12. Great tips! Now I really want one!

  13. Great giveaway…

  14. Fantastic – thanks, Mir!!

  15. Awesome! I too, want suck-free videos. Or at least, less with the sucking and more with the being awesome.

  16. oh, yes, please! My video sucks for sure!

  17. I could use some help! And a video camera!

  18. Happy birthday, America! The book would be awesome, as would the camera.

  19. I’d love to win one of these!

  20. I’ve been dying for this camera!

  21. This would be lovely – thank you!

  22. Oh, wow! Very cool.

  23. Ooh! Would love to win this! Thanks for another awesome giveaway!!

  24. Ooh! Pick me!

  25. Oh, pretty please- with a cherry on top!

  26. This would be great for real estate photography.

  27. I think it is on. Fun contest.

  28. I don’t want to think about how often our videos start with that phrase or a variant. Or the movies that don’t get recorded at all because we thought it was on. Sigh.

    So yes please, we could use some help!

  29. Sounds awesome.

  30. Pick me, pick me! I take horrible videos and then never use them for anything! Pick me!

  31. awesome! love to post vids of my little one for the relatives who live far away…. 🙂

  32. Our videos always start with “Okay, GO!”

  33. woo hoo! would love to win this. our videos have an embarrassing amount of “uh?” narrations.

  34. Me, please! Because I’m going to challenge his claim that I can shoot video that doesn’t suck.

  35. Great!!!

  36. I do have a girl turning 10 soon and I know she would love to be able to shoot video!

  37. Yes, please!

  38. Ha. Usually, everyone IN my videos is saying, “Now? Now?” even if I tell them the camera is on.

  39. Very cool contest!

  40. SOOOOO want this! I’m tired of my little cell phone clips that can’t send if over 47 seconds!!

  41. Love it!

  42. I have the PlaySport because of your (Otto’s) review. Would love the book!

  43. This would be wonderful! Thanks!!

  44. Would love it, thanks!

  45. We were just talking about getting a new camcorder… :o)

  46. The book seems like it would be very helpful. Thanks for the giveaway.

  47. My almost 13 year old budding filmmaker could use this!

  48. Yeah! Super excited!

  49. I will have one very happy 10 year old if I win!

  50. I want it, *of course I do* :—)

  51. I could definitely use the book. Count me in!

  52. That would be a good thing for me to use/learn. I just try to make super short videos to not annoy people for long! 🙂

  53. Well, if you insist. This might get me to take video with something other than my phone…

  54. Awesome – definitely want!

  55. Happy 4th. Pick me please. 🙂

  56. This would be awesome to have with 3 kids. 2 girls in dance. pick me!

  57. very cool

  58. this would be perfect for our trip to disney!!! thanks for the awesome contest, mir!

  59. You always have such great giveaways! 🙂

  60. It would be nice to make videos that don’t suck. My last one of my dd riding her horse includes a couple of quick swoops of the ground and my VERY LOUD voice telling her not to say “uh-oh”. Nice.

  61. Pick me random generator!

  62. We want to get our DD a video camera for her bday! This. would. RULE.

  63. That would be great!

  64. yep. video from my iphone just isn’t cutting it. I would love to have an upgrade!

  65. ME ME!!! Hubby is gearing up for a mini-deployment (2 months) then an 8 month one! Once again missing all major holidays and birthdays (yea). It would be awesome to have this record all he missed! Please ME!!!

  66. I could really use some help when it comes to shooting videos!

  67. This is the best EVER…

  68. Fun…We are going on vacation in Feb I could use something like this!
    (although it’s weird ot learn how to shoot video by reading a book…no)

  69. Oh my goodness Two grand daughters to video…what could be better?

  70. Oooh, me please!

  71. Looks cool!

  72. I would LOVE to win this!

  73. All my videos do suck! This is a great giveaway’

  74. I would love to share this with my 7 year old. She just swings the camera around in circles and calls it a video.

    (If I don’t win, then #66 should totally win! 😉

  75. This looks so cool!

  76. I take the worst videos in the history of mankind. 🙂

  77. Would love to win this for my daughter (around Chickadee’s age), who is excitedly awaiting the first issue of MovieMaker magazine while wearing her “I reject your reality” T-shirt, both courtesy of Want Not. Thank you for making me the coolest mom EVER (son got the same shirt).

    Katie is our budding Sofia Coppola. Today she was telling me about this very pretty girl in 8th grade at our school, whom she didn’t know at all, but who she decided would be perfect as an elf if she (Katie) were ever in need of one in one of her movies. Already thinking about casting her masterpiece…

  78. Oooooo want! Happy fourth!

  79. Mine is the best random number ever!

  80. I want to shoot videos that don’t make me seasick when I play them back.

  81. This would be the ultimate sweetness for an upcoming trip. Oh please pleeeze pleaze.

  82. I saw a playsport this weekend, so cool!

  83. Woot! Awesome giveaway!

  84. Great prize!

  85. This I need!

  86. Count me in.

  87. I would love this!

  88. yes please!

  89. I didn’t know there was such a product like this! This is fantastic for our active family, including my brother-in-law who owns a boxing gym!!

  90. Awesome!!! Been thinking of getting one of these for my dad. He just loves gadgets!

  91. Please pick me!

  92. Very Cool!

  93. Sounds like fun!

  94. I’ve been thinking about buying this! If I could only win it….

  95. Would LOVE this. Great giveaway!

  96. I think it’s time for me to win, don’t you? Pretty Please!

  97. Yes, please!

  98. I SO need this. I will never live down the day that my daughter (who was 4 at the time) was in her first show at school. I taped the entire thing. Except the part she was in. NICE.

  99. No, my videos don’t start with me asking if the camera is on, they start with me shushing the students who aren’t presenting at the moment. Every time.

  100. love thank you!

  101. Thanks Mir!!! So fun!

  102. WOW! How awesome, Mir! I hope I win one! You’re the best!

  103. This sounds great! Thanks!

  104. Woooooooo-whooo! How cool!

  105. Wow! This would be awesome!

  106. I would love to have one of these and I need all the help I can get! Thank you for the give-aways!!

  107. I would love this!

  108. We currently use our point and shoot digital cam to take video clips. I would love a real video camera!

  109. OH MY GOSH I would be most excited to win this! Thank you for such wonderful giveaways.

  110. RNG- it’s my turn…..is this thing on?

  111. Oooh, this thing is cool! Thanks.

  112. No more excuses like “forgetting” to bring the video camera…

  113. My family could really use this!

  114. My sucky videos are legend around here. Could really use this!

  115. I am finally going to be a grandma what fun this would be for the family!!

  116. This would be a perfect birthday present for my husband!

  117. This sounds great! What a score.

  118. Is this thing on?? Pick me!!!

  119. Heh…my videos usually end with, “Why won’t this thing turn off!?!”

  120. We’re headed to Colorado in a month for our first big family vacation since E’s birth(04/2010) so this would be a perfect to help remember all the fabulous adventures we hope to have!

  121. My 12yo budding film maker would absolutely love this!

  122. I am a Bad Mom. I have no video of my 6 year old child. Love to win this so I could move into Good Mom territory!

  123. Gosh I need this. All my videos suck!

  124. I would love to learn to take better videos!!!

  125. Awesome!! LOVE IT!

  126. I’d love to win this!

  127. Winning this would totally make up for all the footage we thought we were shooting on vacation last year, only to discover that the video camera was broken….

  128. How exciting – have been looking at one of these for awhile!!!!

  129. This’d be great!

  130. I wanted one of these for my birthday but decided against it. This would be awesome.

  131. I feel lucky

  132. love this!

  133. I could use this. Thanks!

  134. Wow, new grandbaby due any day now. This would be NICE!!!

  135. Pick me!!

  136. Thanks for hosting such a great contest!

  137. i’m in!

  138. I need this!!! I have been putting all of our videos on dvd the past couple of weeks and all I can say is OUCH!

  139. I do believe ALL of my videos start with those exact words!

  140. Pick me Mr. Random Number Generator!!

  141. Thanks, Mir!

  142. Oooooh! Shiny!

  143. Ehhhhxcellent! Who doesn’t love a cool new toy?

  144. great gift for hubs. . . please and thank you!

  145. Oh, I could really use the book and the camera. This would be awesome to win. Thanks!

  146. Sweet! happy fourth!

  147. Pretty please pick me?

  148. Thanks for hosting another great giveaway!

  149. This sounds fun! Thanks for the chance to win.

  150. My daughter has been asking for one of these for a loooong time! Her birthday is next weekend… I’d LOVE IT!

  151. Ok, this looks pretty cool & I am already intrigued by the photo of the guy with all the brightly colored stuff surrounding him!

  152. Sounds like a great prize. Count me in! Thanks.

  153. That would be cool.

  154. How awesome is this?!!!!

  155. My 10 year old daughter would LOVE this!

  156. I’ll try it again, but it never seems to work:

    Please pick my, very pretty random number generator!

  157. With grandbabies and no camcorder, I am a terrible grandma. This would change my standing in grandma world.

    Thanks, Mir!

  158. Thank you!

  159. Am I a bad mother if I admit I’ve never videotaped my children? This would be great. Thanks for the giveaway.

  160. I need help shooting film!

  161. Cool! Less bad video would be a good thing in these parts.

  162. Awesome!

  163. Oh, this would be so cool!!

  164. Would it be an insult to give this to my husband if I win?

  165. I’d find this very helpful!

  166. I need something easy like this!!

  167. Please pick me! Please random number generator, pick ME!!

  168. This sounds like fun! The last time I did any video, it was on full-sized VHS tapes… don’t judge me! 🙂

  169. Ooh, ooh, me, me!

  170. I am excel at taking horrible videos!

  171. Ohhh! This is a GOOD one, Mir!

  172. Oh please!! I have a few years left to get some embrassing videos of my teens before they’re off on their own. (What do you mean twenty-somethings still live at home???)

  173. 16 (the number of videos I have that start with “uh… is it on?”)

  174. here’s my entry, hope i win.

    also, i actually did watch the entire clip and pulled away some good tips, super interested in reading the book tip. composing the shot like a photo… sounds like a connection i should have already made, but never did!

  175. Great prize!! Would definitely love to win this one!

  176. Fun!

  177. If the book is anything like the above video, I’m interested!

  178. great prizes!

  179. This would be great for my family adventures!

  180. We have a 21 month old that my husband says we need to seriously start video-ing… :o) Hey, I’m on board!!! *fingers crossed*

  181. wonderful! Count me in! Thanks, Mir.

  182. I love your giveaways! Awesome products.

  183. cool giveaway!!

  184. Sweetness!

  185. Hi! Great giveaway!

  186. Awesome!!

  187. Thinking “Christmas Gift” for my hard-to-buy-for 11 year old. 😉

  188. WOW! What a cool contest!

  189. Awesome! I would love to win this one!

  190. I was thinking good Christmas gift as well!!!

  191. My students make a ton of videos as projects – this would be so. totally. awesome.

  192. i would love to win this 🙂

  193. Our videos usually begin with, “Did you bring the camcorder/camera? No..; I thought you did..” mostly cause we both suck at it. Please help. 😉

  194. I would love this!

  195. AHHHHH—SOME!!

  196. Would love this! Thanks!

  197. Two kids playing travel sports–most of my videos are blurry mess. I’d love to win this!

  198. Woot! Thanks this would be wonderful.

  199. I need this to document how insane my family is! Hoo ha!

  200. I could use some kiddo videos!

  201. We never use our clunky camcorder – would love to upgrade to this!

  202. This would be great!

  203. Oh man! Excellent giveaway! Would love to take this along on my first cruise Oct.1!

  204. Oh, sure I think this is awesome, but I don’t want it for ME, I want it for my darling 11-year old who just took a film-making course and would totally LOVE some new equipment to practice his mad new skillz on!! I’d only use it to document his hair growth (I’m anxiously awaiting the reappearance of curls after his recent buzz cut).

  205. Looks great. Pick me please!

  206. Yes, please. Book and camera. Pick me, pick me!

  207. This would be great! Thanks!

  208. Very nice!

  209. I would love this!

  210. So pretttttty.

  211. Count me in!

  212. Me! ME! Pick mmmmmeeeeee! Pretty please?

  213. Babies’ parents would LOVE video that wasn’t taken from my phone… 🙂

  214. Ooh, new toy!

  215. I’ve been eyeing one of those!

  216. We are losing valuable unforgettables lately. Like “don’t glitter, dad. Its not nice to make others pick up after you.” Trust me, dad does NOT glitter!

  217. I would love this!

  218. Oooh, I want it!

  219. Ohhh I so need one of these!

  220. Wow! This is a great prize!

  221. Great contest! Hope I win!

  222. pick me, pick me!! 🙂

  223. Yes please! 🙂

  224. I SO want one of these! Thanks for the chance!

  225. I would love one of these!

  226. Choose me!

  227. Would love to make videos that don’t suck:)

  228. Cool! This would be a fun summer toy!

  229. I need this! Then I wouldn’t be the lousy mom who never has any pictures or videos of her kid.

  230. I would love this.

  231. Wow! It would be totally awesome to make a video that didn’t suck!

  232. I’ve had a ton of bad luck lately. Winning this would be ground for a celebration. It would be a sign that the wind is changing…

  233. This would be awesome for the family reunion in August.

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