Here are a few other things you might consider:

• Whatever tripod you have, replace its movable head with a fluid head—it’s best for smooth panning and tilting. And use those movements sparingly and for a purpose.

• For handheld shooting, steady up the camera. With the D5000’s Vari-Angle LCD you can hold your elbows in to your body (just as you do when shooting stills) while you hold the camera out in front of you. You can also adjust the LCD to a below-eye-level position to add variety to the film. And if your lens offers VR image stabilization, use it to help steady your shots.

• Lens choice is key. I like variety, but I keep it basic: one or two short zooms (the AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED and AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED) and a bit of reach (AF-S VR Zoom-NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED).

• The best tip I can give you: it’s not any one scene or clip—it’s the sum of the parts. The edited, assembled movie is the story you’re telling. Shoot, change the focal length or the lens, shoot some more. When you edit, try different techniques: jump cuts and quick changes of angle alternating with longer scenes. Mix in stills, too. (For quick editing I’ve used Google’s Picasa, which has basic video-editing tools, iMovie and Windows Movie Maker, but I’m moving up fast to more sophisticated editing programs like Adobe Premiere Pro and Apple’s Final Cut Pro.)

• Second best tip: plan ahead, think like a filmmaker and use establishing shots, detail shots, medium close-ups, close-ups and tracking shots.

• Or just wing it. Fun’s the factor here.