Knowing your keyboard shortcuts will take you to the next level in your mastery of Final Cut Pro. For some help with memorization, try printing out this shortcut document and keep it on your desk while you edit. Thankfully, it's nicely organized so you can learn a block of shortcuts at a time. Thanks to Flippant for the tip.

RCA introduced a rather affordable MPEG-4 digital camcorder coming in at $129. The camera is not much larger than a pack of cards and features a 1.5 inch LCD screen that can swivel 180 degrees. The biggest draw back is the lack of rechargeable battery so instead expect to feed this thing 2 AA batteries for a meager 2 hours of power. The device is aimed at the cameraphobic as it can connect directly to the TV and requires no software to connect to a PC. There was also talk from RCA about a DVD dock so users can burn DVDs and totally bypass the PC. Expect to see the camera sometime this spring and the DVD dock sometime later.
(via Engadget)

Not to be left out of the new camcorder announcement extravaganza, Samsung announced 6 new consumer cams. Here are the no frills deets:

SC-D372

• miniDV
• 34x optical zoom
• 2.7 inch LCD
• Single 680,000 pixel CCD
• Release date: March
• $270
  

SC-MX10

• records to an SD card in DivX
• 34x optical zoom
• 2.7 inch LCD
• Single 680,000 pixel CCD
• Release date: September
• $320
  

SC-DC575

• Records to DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW and dual-layer DVD+R formats
• 4-in-1 memory card slot
• Release date: May
• $450
  

SC-X300

• records to an SD card in DivX
• 10x optical zoom
• 2 inch LCD
• Single 680,000 pixel CCD
• Release date: September
• $480
  

SC-DX10 (pictured)

• Records to internal 4GB flash drive or to DVDs (single and dual-layer formats)
• 26x optical zoom
• Release date: August
• $630
  

SC-HMX10

• High Definition
• 4GB of flash storage
• 2.7-inch LCD screen
• 1.5 megapixel CCD for still photos
• 10x optical zoom
• SD expansion slot
• Release date: September
• $850

(via Engadget)

It's 2007 so out with the old and in with the new. JVC announced an update to their Everio G Series camcorders complete with four new models. All 2007 models feature One-Touch DVD burning and PC backup, basic in-camera editing and organization, and support for SDHC so you can use the newer, higher capacity SD cards for recording. Most of the new cams will support the docking station which provides battery charging and a firewire port out. The breakdown of the four new camcorders looks like this:

	GZ-MG130	GZ-MG155	GZ-MG255*	GZ-MG555
Price	$499.95	$599.95	$699.95	$899.95
Hard Drive	30GB	30GB	30GB	30GB
CCD	1.6" 680k	1.6" 1.07MP	1/3.9" 2.18MP	1/2.5" 5.37MP
Optical Zoom	34x	32x	10x	10x
Light/Flash	Illumi. Light	Illumi. Light	Auto Flash	Flash & Light
Docking Station	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Max. Digital Still	640x480	1152x864	1632x1224	2592x1944
Availability	January	February	February	March

*Also offers Low Light Plus: F1.2 lens and 3D NR.

As CES rolls around, JVC is out of the gates early by introducing new consumer cams. The GR-D7xx series features a small, compact design featuring a 2.7 inch wide LCD screen, color viewfinder, 34x optical zoom, and "Auto Illumi" for low light shooting. The differences between each model are as follows:

GR-D750: (Approximate Retail Price: $249.95)

• 34x optical zoom, 800x digital zoom
• 1/6-inch 680,000 pixel CCD
• 16:9 Widescreen Clear LCD Display
• Color Viewfinder
• Auto Illumi Light
• Power-Linked Operation
• Auto button
• 135-minute Data Battery

GR-D770 Adds: (Approximate Retail Price: $279.95)

• SD/MMC Card Slot
• 7 Language Settings
• 640x480 DSC Capabilities
• Dual Recording Capability
• USB Compatibility
• Photo Navigation Software

GR-D796 Adds: (Approximate Retail Price: $349.95)

• Upgraded 2x BN-VF808 (135-minute) Data Battery

No official word on when they will be available but previous rumors about this camera stipulate a mid January launch for Japan.

YouTube and Videomaker have teamed up to help users create better videos. In the Video Toolbox section of YouTube there are several categories of helpful articles that include general info, directing/producing, shooting/camerawork, lighting, sound and post-production. Now I'm pretty sure those interested in capturing the kick-in-the groin type of videos won't be interested, but YouTubers that want a higher quality production can learn a few tips.

Did you receive your first camcorder for Christmas? Maybe you've had one for a while and are ready to learn how to shoot better video. Well head on over to Richard Baguley's article Tips for New Camcorder Owners for a few guidelines to get you started. Then check out the following sites we've talked about in the past for tons of beginner information:

Home Video 101
Video 101
How to shoot video
8 ways to shoot video like a pro
Video Editing 101

Now, go shoot!

We all have different equipment and different methods of getting our productions to "look right". The best thing to use for viewing output is a production monitor, but it's worthless unless you calibrate it properly. The tips and techniques section the Videomaker vidcast, episodes 31 and 32, contains some good discussion on color bars plus shows some of the how-tos of calibration. If you are new to post-production or just need a little refresher, I recommend you check out these 2 episodes.

Short of ideas for a new video? Want to discuss your video ideas with other people? Are you great at video editing and want a project to work on? Well I think its time you started meeting some other video production enthusiast. A few weeks ago I started using meetup.com to meet up with other video and web enthusiasts. Unfortunately for me meetup.com is not that popular in the UK unless you are in London although I did get an invite to a Lesbian book reading!

However for anyone in the US meetup.com looks like a pretty useful way to find local people who share your enthusiasm for video, and who knows what ideas and ventures could spark.

Now there is one extra way to promote your internet video online. The online video sharing site StupidVideos.com, which focuses on dedicated to humorous, off-the-wall videos, is offering eCards in time for the Christmas season allowing you to embed videos into online greeting cards. Simply select a video and email the card to your friends (if you have any) with your own personalized message. It's a nice idea and I especially like it that there is a permanent link to the card you make.

Enjoy our special Christmas greetings card from DV Guru right here.

This is so basic, I was not sure if I should post it. This Lifehacker article is clearly for the newbie. If you are thinking of using MovieMaker and iMovie, this is for you. BTW, MovieMaker will finally be able to export to DVD's in the upcoming version of Windows (titled Vista). I know this has been annoying for many of MovieMaker users.

Sometimes you capture something in your video that you don't want identified, such as a license plate, a person, certain text, trademarks, etc. I found these quick tutorials over on Bob Donlon's blog that show a couple ways to handle these situations. The first tutorial shows how to obscure a stationary object, in this case a license plate on a parked car. It uses Premiere Pro but you can use the technique in any NLE. The second tutorial shows how to use After Effects to blur the face of a subject and then use motion tracking to follow the subjects movement. Now you know what to do when Uncle Jeb insists you remove him from the family video.

Just in time for the 2006 holiday gift buying bonanza, Camcorder Info has posted their review of the Canon DC22. This DVD camcorder is aimed squarely at the consumer but manages to come in fairly cheap. As you would expect, the manual controls are a bit lacking and low light shooting leaves much to be desired. On the plus side, the DC22 has excellent bright light performance and it's small footprint make it ideal for portability.

DVD camcorders are a bit of a burden if you want to edit the footage, something I can't stress enough. Also, a single layer can capture a mere 20 minutes and a dual layer discs can record 36 minutes. These still don't compare to the 60 minutes miniDV can capture and not to mention tape-based camcorder go for a lower price. So if point and shooting is your game, the DC22 is worth looking into while everyone else should continue on their merry way.

If you are getting your feet wet with Apple's Motion, you might want to check out the Motion Smarts website. There you'll find tutorials plus scripts you can download that allow you to export items (like paths and keyframes) from other applications into Motion. Good stuff for getting familiar with the application.

[via FresHDV]

AnimAide XT is an animation helper software for Mac OS X users. You can import with your DV camera through Firewire or a digital camera. You can also open a folder of photos on your computer. Basic editing is available. You can then export to a Quicktime file. There is also support for printing out bar sheets and Frame Averaging. Currently, it is for Power PC users only. Priced at $39.95, there is also a free version available.

I have tried the free version before, the biggest obstacle was the user interface. It is very clunky.