Creating online videos

Star Wars Kid, Miss Teen South Carolina, Leave Britney Alone, Ask a Ninja. You, too, can join the illustrious ranks of online video makers. Whether you want to show off a clip of your cat or dazzle with your directing chops, there's a video camera and a web site that will help you share it with the world.

Video on a Budget
Before you can upload your videos in all their mighty glory you first need, well, a video camera. You might be able to slide by with some videos on the cheap by using your still digital camera or your cell phone—many now have the ability to record short clips. The quality won't be as snazzy as a dedicated video camera, but that might not matter if your subject is Fluffy catching a Frisbee in the back yard.

You don't have to spend much if you want a little more oomph from a video camera. Budget models run around $100 to $150. Some have a direct upload to YouTube feature. These won't blow you away with super high quality video, but are a reasonable choice for online use where quality isn't the holy grail. One bonus: you won't have to mess around with recording onto tapes or DVDs. These affordable little camcorders record onto flash memory or internal memory.

Cool Clips
So you have a camcorder...now what? With your compact camcorder, you can carry it around with you wherever you go. You'll be ready to capture the moment when you're hanging out with friends, sending out updates on your summer road trip or down at the club catching a local band. Email a birthday video attachment to Grandma, record your take on Hamlet or make a video tour of your hometown.

Don't worry if your 10 minutes of raw footage would be better off as 60 seconds with music. Most computers already have video editing software on them that will let you cut your videos down to size, add effects and slap on a soundtrack. Windows has Movie Maker, and Apple has iMovie. Both are straightforward to learn. Also check the software bundle that came with your video camera. Try out the editing package and stick with whichever program you like best.

Copyright Care
You don't want your two-minute masterpiece to get an RIAA smackdown put on it. The simple rule of thumb is to keep it all original, including any music. One alternative is to find media that is available under the Creative Commons license. The Creative Commons web site links to a ton of resources for finding music and images you can legally use. Just be sure to follow the rules of the license for each piece of media you use.

Where to Share
Here are some of the top sites for sharing your videos with your friends, family and complete strangers.

• YouTube: It's the 800-pound gorilla of video sites. Your videos will be in good company with millions of others on every subject imaginable. If you're looking to expose your creation to as many people as possible, YouTube can help hook you up.
• Metacafe: Metacafe isn't the place for videos of you and your buddies goofing around, but it can be a site to check out when you get a little more ambitious with your skills. Videos have to earn their way onto the site through a community ranking panel.
• Viddler: One in a long line of video sharing sites that start with "V," Viddler offers the usual complement of video sharing features, but also allows you to record to the web site directly using a webcam. That's a handy feature for quick video podcasting with a minimum of fuss.