Making videos for the blog

Till about a month ago the only use of my laptop was for sending emails, helping out kids with their project and of course buying books and scrapbooking supplies. The gypsy changed all that. There was so much frustration in the learning process for almost everyone. As pictures speak 1000 words (how much does then does the video speak? ;) )  I decided to set up this blog and then do some gypsy videos.
But then came the question of how to's  (headache time)
So here the fun begins.
I tackled the problem by breaking it in steps and asking myself questions and then doing the researching and then applying.
1) Questions to myself :  first step - of course recording the video - what do I use?
Research and requirements:  webcam, camcorder, even some digital cameras with movie clip capability would do for recording.
If it's analog have to convert so easy if recording means/tools are digital
Answers to myself: Good I have both webcam and sony dvcamcorder -so for quality wise I chose my dvcamcorder to "Record" the video . This was the easiest step. :)  . 1st couple of hands used one hand to hold while using the other on gypsy. Felt it difficult to do . so here comes my 1st purchase - Tripod
Purchased: Tripod for setting my hands free
Process name: ( This topic header is too funny but let's use the proper names by all means) : "Record" ing the video

2) Q: Now comes - how to  transfer the data from dvcamcorder to the computer?
R& R: 2 parts to this - 1st part Transferring cable  from camera to the computer and capturing software.
For my camera it already came with USB2.0 cable to connect and my camera cd installation had a capturing software - bare minimum but enough for transfer at least for a while to get started. But much better would be firewire - a cable for transferring which was not supplied but could be got in any computer shop or web. There was 2 choices - my camera to PC (4 pins to 6 pins) or my camera to my laptop (4 pins to 4 pins ).  PC side is mostly 6 pins but laptops vary. Googled mine and also turned and counted the pinholes (yep - better to be safe than sorry) & found mine to be 4 pin.. 2nd part   was better editing software or much better an all in one software
A: Got a firewire . Cheapest and easiest was ordering in amazon or ebay .Best Buy was expensive and too lazy and busy to go to radioshack  when I could easily manage for a while with my USB. For the software googled and researched and finally go AVS4you which was an all round software and not too expensive and instantly downloadable. Could also be used free with their copyright? appearing. But i decided it was a worthwhile one time cost as not only cold I use it for my blog but taking movies for home in future. researched some more and found a coupon too. So now that I had it could easily "capture" the movie (that's the right terminology)
P: Firewire & AVS4YOU software.
Process Name: "Capture" ing the video

3) Q: How to edit? Was I even doing things right?
R: OK I got the software. I could use the one which came with my laptop - windowsmoviemaker but why use that when I could use my newly downloaded software. Saw a brief overview. main thing I had to learn fast was "Trimming". Saw some youtube videos about it, the tutorials in the software both video and reading. (As always we want more. I was so tempted to by another software for editing. Could always justify myself as not just for this use but for HOME - :) . So looked into adobe premiere elements and sony vegas.) But getting back  - Also saw some videos of general editing softwares even though not exactly the same software the princples were the same.
A: Played around with the editing remembering to make a copy - renaming that and playing around with that so I could always revert back. Learnt that I had to choose a particular type for encoding for best results and i of course chose youtube. Lots of difficulties as I had done audio with video. Time consuming. So there was a choice - audio seperate and so just record the video or do both together or mix and match. Oh! Oh! If I need to do audio seperate then I have to make another purchase - headphone with mike - ie headset. Grrr....
P: Headset (headphones with mike). Guilty of also getting the premiere elements  . I know, I know I'm such a bad girl.
PN : "Edit" ing the video/movie

4) Q: Saving the video and converting
A: By now I didn't do much research as the software / s pretty much told me what to do. I could save it on my computer for a short while to further edit. This was mostly readable across platform in .AVI form and culd upload or share to youtube.
Here discovered that AVS4YOU quickly converted the file and I could upload in mins on youtube while the other software  took lots of time to directly upload or share to youtube .Well did research and found most of the softwares do take time and many go the 1st software mainly for this conversion and saving time - they liked the features and flexibility of  Adobe or corel or sony vegas but the time saving -  light conversion of AVS4YOU.  I do it both ways depending on how much time I have. Found that Elements premiere gives me H.264 or something that makes video viewable as HD.
PN: "Convert", "Upload", "Share" - go ahead just add "ing the videos" to all ;)

Well that's it.. For editing do see some video tutorials even if they are not your software. Most of the softwares offer similar features but just some stuff like say the button may look different. But when you supplement the video with the software's own tutorials you'll understand better what and how to do. At least I did :)