You bought your camcorder to document your children's greatest and smallest moments for posterity. To capture them learning to walk, talk and tell a joke. To be able to look back on your family and wonder how any of you could have been so young, or innocent or foolish. So when was the last time you used the camcorder?

Christmas? A birthday party? Halloween? Maybe the reason your video camera rarely makes a public appearance is because what you usually capture on tape can be painful to watch. If so, you may appreciate the following tips on how to make home movies look more professional.

Gene B. Williams is a writer and videographer living in Queen Creek, Arizona.