Communication between people, thanks to the Internet, has acquired new colors and opportunities. So, the popular Skype program allows you to make video calls, which are much cheaper than on the phone, and have their own advantages. How nice to talk with a friend, seeing his face! But sometimes you need to save the image from the camera. How to achieve this? Everything is pretty simple. Let us examine in order the whole process of how to shoot video on a webcam using special programs.
Help Programs
There are special programs for recording videos from a webcam. True, there are not so many of them, and they are not without flaws. But still, there is an option to choose the highest quality of them. For example, the VirtulDub utility, which allows you to capture video, is suitable. True, she is English-speaking, but the sequence of actions is easily guessed, and this fact does not interfere with the work. It is better to download the program from the official site. It will require installation on a computer.
How to shoot a video
In order to shoot video through a webcam, in the VirtulDub program, select “File” in the upper panel and click “Capture AVI”. Now an image will appear in the window. If it is not there, you should manually find your camera in the “Device” tab. To capture a video, you need to find “Set Capture File” in the “File” menu. You can use the F2 button. First you need to choose where the image will be saved, and give it a name. The camera must be pre-configured. To start recording video, press the F5 button, and to end - Esc. It is convenient to monitor the process in the menu located on the right side of the window.
You can familiarize yourself with another useful program that will tell you how to shoot video on a webcam - this is ECap 1.0.0.9. Unlike the previous one, it does not need to be pre-installed on the computer, and it is very easy to use. With it, you can take a photo or shoot a video. It starts from the desktop with a double click. Then the program itself automatically selects devices for recording video and sound. In the tab you can independently specify the number of cameras or microphones. To start recording, just click the "Play" button, to stop - a cross. The result is a video in WMV format. To create a photo, press the button in the form of a camera.
Instructions for the beginner
In fact, the programs described above that help you learn how to shoot video on a webcam are very simple. But there are several important nuances. Before recording, you must examine the selected utilities and camera properties. Then it should be connected via a USB-connector to the computer, if it is not built into it. When the image is captured in the window, it is necessary to ensure that the person being shot does not fall out of the frame. To get a high-quality video, you need to install the light correctly. It should be three-point: background, go to the face of the object and from the opposite wall. The result is a small movie. As a rule, even lasting a few seconds, it can have a lot of weight, about eighty MB. To reduce it, the file can be compressed. To do this, it must be converted to MP4 format. A special program Any Video Converter is useful.
How to make special effects
The video is good. But you can improve the result. The video from the webcam with effects will be very original, this work will please friends. The finished video can be edited, add music, cut fragments. You can sprinkle snow on the room, add text, the national flag. For all the will of your imagination and the possibilities of the selected software. Animation, graphics, water effects will be quite appropriate.
It will help to create simply beautiful or even funny add-ons for the video program called ManyCam. It has a Russian-language interface and ample opportunities for the use of special effects. Moreover, such parameters as saturation, brightness can be adjusted. You can even make a black and white image. Of the minuses - the program does not have free access. A more simplified version can be downloaded for free from the official website. Very curious is the program SplitCam. It allows you to not only shoot video on a webcam, but also impose special effects on it. She has a fairly large weight - 50 MB. The clip is saved in AVI format. The program WebCam Max is designed to superimpose various distortions on the video. For example, you can change the eyes of an object in a video clip or create an illusion of burning. With it, you can change the background. While talking on Skype, it will be enough to start the video instead of the camera - and your friend will see a picture as if you are on a tropical island.
A few words in conclusion
Having considered the above programs and methods of how to shoot video on a webcam, you can create a video yourself. This skill allows not only to use the result for entertainment, but also to be useful in work. For example, for recording lessons from a camera or participating in a video conference. These features are available on both a desktop computer and a laptop.