Okay, so I’ve been wanting to get a solid collection of volleyball games recorded, like, properly recorded, not just shaky phone footage. Here’s how I finally got it done.
Figuring Out the Gear
First, I needed to figure out what I was even gonna use. I already had a decent camcorder, which was a good start. But I wanted something stable, you know?
- Camcorder: Like I said, already had one. Made sure it had a good zoom and could record in at least 1080p.
- Tripod: This was key. No way I was holding a camera steady for hours. Found a sturdy one on sale – score!
- External Hard Drive: Games take up a TON of space. Grabbed a big external drive so I wouldn’t run out of room mid-match.
- Extra Batteries/Charger: Murphy’s Law, right? The battery will die at the worst possible moment. So, backups are crucial.
The Actual Recording Process
Setting up was pretty straightforward. I tried to find a spot with a good, clear view of the whole court. Usually, that meant getting up high in the stands.
I mounted the camcorder on the tripod, made sure it was level, and framed the shot to include the entire court, with a little extra space around the edges.
Before the game started, I always hit record a few minutes early. That way, I wouldn’t miss anything, and it gave me a little buffer for editing later.
During the game, I mostly just let the camera roll. I tried to zoom in smoothly when the action got intense near the net, but otherwise, I kept a wide shot so you could see everything that was happening. It’s more important to see the whole play develop, not just a close-up of one player.
Post-Game Stuff
Once the game was over, the first thing I did was stop the recording and double-check that it actually saved. (Had a mini heart attack once when I thought I’d lost a whole game!).
Then, I transferred the footage to my computer and backed it up to that external hard drive. I am not losing these recordings.
I haven’t gotten super into editing yet, but I did start to organize the files with clear names – like “Team A vs. Team B – Date”. Makes it way easier to find things later.
It’s a pretty simple setup, really, but it makes a HUGE difference in the quality of the recordings. No more shaky, blurry videos! Now I can actually watch and analyze the games properly.
