Today’s tip is just for those of you still using analog tapes in your camcorder. Here it is: Before you record on a new tape, or re-record over a tape that’s been used, “black the tape.” What this means is, rewind the tape to the beginning, close the lens cap, and start recording. Allow the camcorder to record “blackness” from the very beginning to the very end of the tape. The camcorder will stop recording automatically when it reaches the end of the tape, and then your tape will be fully blacked.
What purpose does this serve? It avoids the timecode being reset on the tape (which is near-essential if you will be editing your video on the computer). In addition, for already-used tapes, blacking eliminates the possibility of brief flashes of your old video popping up between your newly-recorded shots. Finally, an unrelated but useful advantage is that by rewinding the tape fully, you’ll be tightening it up, which prevents the tape from potentially slipping toward the end of filming.
