If you wouldn't mind me chiming in, here. I do quite abit of video work. Local commercials, docs, how to's, and safety videos. If you have a cell phone with video, or even stills, you can make a video.
>>First you need an idea
>>Then, determine your audience and how you want to present your product to them: Youtube, dvd, etc.
>>Next, you need to know what you want to say. Get organized before you go out and shoot. Simply, write down on a piece of paper, what you want to say in a simple outline.
>>Then, write a simple "treatment": In words, describe the scenes the viewer will be seeing. Here's an example for tree guys:
"We first see scenes of a big valley and then scenes of a hillside. It's 5 a.m. The sun is coming up over the horizon. Next, the camera shows a pick up truck arriving on the landing. A logger steps out and goes to the back of the truck and gets his gear ready for the day. The camera follows him out to his strip. We see different shots and agles of him sizing up his area. He gets to work. Close up of him starting his saw. He pulls the starter cord Loud "blam!" We see different shots and angles of his undercut, tghen the backcut. The tree goes down with a crash."
>>Now, write a shot list. This is a list of the exact shots you want. This is done by going through your treatment and listing the shots, one by one. When you get out to the woods, now you're organized.
>>If you take some time, beforehand, and plan everything out, you won't be out there trying to figure it out when the pedal hits the metal. Often, it's best to pre arrange with the folks you will be filming, to set aside some dedicated time to film, so you're not getting the boss upset that there's no wood coming to the landing.
THE OTHER WAY TO DO IT IS...........
>>Just film yourself. Like Gerry said, use a tripod, or some method to keep the camera steady. Vary the shots: Some wide, some in tight, use different points of view. An addition to Gerry's input would be try to get the best lighting you can. either film in direct sun or all shade. Most consumer cameras will adjust to the light conditions, but can get confused if there is sun and shade, together. Another input I can provide is try not to get your body between the camera and the action, blocking what you want to show. Also, like Gerry said, keep your shots short. Just long enough to tell the story, and then change camera views. If you watch a television commercial, there is usually 15 to 25 different shots in a 30 second spot.
>>Keep it simple, plan it out..........have fun.