Everyone's getting involved with digital video these days, and there are certain things that you can do to get a new user acquainted.
The New Standard
Digital video is becoming such a pervasive platform that former techo-phobics are even starting to consider it. Video, which was once a medium only for the financial elites, now is available to the consumer masses through quality digital formats. When first introducing some of this technology to a novice, there are certain things that you should show them first.
Simple Camcorder
One of the best things to show them first is a high quality, but simple to use digital camcorder. It may be tempting to show them the features on a professional or prosumer camera, but all the settings and peripheral attachments may intimidate them at first.
Try to find a camera that has incredible imaging, a very large LCD display and only a few things, such as manual white balance. From here, you can let them try out getting great images with ease.
Simple Post-Production
You may want to take them through the entire production and post-production process. To keep with the simplicity, avoid showing them complex editing programs like Final Cut Pro or AVID Media Composer. Take the iLife suite, and show them how to shoot a video, capture the footage, edit it in iMovie, and then make their own DVD in iDVD. This will get them excited about the possibilities that they have with the format.
Step it Up
Once you have gone through all of this, they may be ready to see just what the format can do. Feel free to show them attachments, such as microphones, and show them a couple basic things that they could do with a light kit.
Getting great images can be difficult right at first so it is nice to teach them a few techniques. This can be how to arrange artificial and staged light, framing images for the rule of thirds and how to make the action in the images seem natural and non-claustrophobic. As long as you teach them in a casual and non-academic way, the learning process should be smooth.
Capturing sound is also difficult for a newbie so a brief tutorial on how to record sound with attachable microphones is best. Once you all have spent time with the technology, you can begin to introduce them to more advanced editing suites.
Film, Film, Film
The most important thing is to get them out there filming. No amount of education will match repeated trial and error with a camera. The technology is powerful and will always speak for itself so the best introduction is to just go out and shoot.