Video Dating

Then and Now

Video dating started as soon as camera recorders became affordable enough for families to own. Single, divorced and widowers would take a video of themselves and explain why they are a perfect date. They would send their home video to video dating service with their specifications of the person they are looking for and a fee for membership. After a few days, they would receive a couple of videos of persons that would fit their description. There are also local dating service companies where you could drop by and inquire about video dating service.

Most video dating services today are now online. There are dating websites wherein you can post photos, data and videos for those if you are subscribed with a monthly fee. There are even websites wherein you can post videos for free but the downside is that these websites are not really geared for dating and you might attract untoward or inappropriate attention. There are still small video dating companies that adheres to VHS-like video dating service because of privacy and ease of use. With online video dating service, you still need to have a powerful laptop or computer, or digital camera. If you go with the traditional video dating service, you’ll just need your old family home camera and create a video.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Video Dating

Video dating will beat any type of profiling. You can write as many pages as you can about yourself and that data could be easily beaten by a 30-second video presentation. There are so many things that you can say about yourself in 30-seconds and the way you say it will also assure those who are watching that you are sincere or at least prepared on what you have to say. Pictures and text could be easily manipulated but a video is very difficult and expensive to modify.

Assurance that the person you’ll be dating is the same on the video will also be there. You can see your prospective date and be assured of the accuracy of the look of your date. A photo could be manipulated and could easily fool anyone.

The disadvantage of video dating is basically on those who are ill-prepared on making one. Without proper preparation, they will just jeopardize their chances of gaining interest since they were not able to present themselves carefully. Creating a video presentation is all about preparation and practice that the actual recording is just a small part of creating a video presentation for a dating website.

Tips for a Presentable Video Dating

No one is expecting you to create an award winning video but that doesn’t give you an excuse to present a sloppy video presentation either. If you’re a bit confused what we’re talking about, here are some ideas:
Lighting – this is a very important factor, especially when you are using a webcam for your video presentation. Get enough lighting in your room so that you can be properly seen from any angle of the computer. A good room light should be more than enough.

Distance from the Camera – sit (or stand) at least two to three feet from your camera. This will give the viewer a good view of your upper body. Any movements that you will have will be noticed so don’t move your hands around excessively.

Get Dressed – even if you have the body of a lifeguard on Baywatch, don’t go topless, especially for women. Wear a good looking shirt – casual but not too formal. If you wear a tie or dress up like you’re going to a business meeting, your video might look like a video version of a last will and testament.
Practice, Practice, Practice – switching the camera on and talk is not really good unless you want your date to count how many “uhs” you have in a 30-second video. Give your date a chance to see your best side before you meet.

Screening the Videos

You may be on the other side of the coin – you’re the one screening the videos to have the right date. Everything has been laid to you without any pretensions from your prospective date. So how do you properly choose?

That really depends on who you are looking for. If you’re looking for someone who seemed to be proper or a real gentleman (or a lady), look for a well-prepared video presentation with a person on video dressed appropriately. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a fun casual date, you’ll most likely be looking for a person who dresses casually with a free-flowing speech.

As already indicated, video presentations will give you the chance to know the person more even before you meet. Whether you view them online or through traditional VHS, you will learn a lot from them than just reading their blog regarding their life story.

Moving to a Proper Date

If it ends up with a real date with a person you’ve seen on video. Use the video presentation as a means of breaking the ice. You’ll both share the experience of creating a video and doing great lengths just to create that simple 30-second masterpiece. You can even share a tip or two in case you wanted to make another home video.

But videos shouldn’t be the only thing you should be talking about. Video presentations and the topics you have talked about in that video should be treated as a spring board for other information. Be glad that you both had a great video presentation and now its time for a real date. If your date sticks to video presentation topics, then he or she must be a film maker or else you still have a lot of things to talk about.

Video dating harnesses the power of technology and using it to meet the right person. From VHS to online videos, you’ll see people trying to impress as many people as they can with their profile. They would, if they would make enough preparations, create an impressive presentation.