Origins of the Office Christmas Party & Pro Advice for Great Holiday Videos – Bonus Holiday Episode

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Origins of the Office Christmas Party & Pro Advice for Great Holiday Videos"

Podcast: Something You Should Know
Host: Mike Carruthers
Guest: Steve Stockman (author, How to Shoot Video that Doesn’t Suck)
Date: December 2, 2025
Episode Type: Bonus Holiday Episode

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Overview

This special holiday episode dives into two festive topics:

1. The surprising history and evolution of the office Christmas party, tracing its roots from Victorian-era factory floors to the modern workplace gathering.
2. Expert advice for creating compelling holiday videos using just your smartphone, courtesy of Steve Stockman, who shares professional tips to help listeners capture the spirit of their celebrations.

The episode is filled with practical tips, historical insights, and memorable advice packaged in a warm, conversational style.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Fascinating Origins of the Office Christmas Party

[04:02 – 07:57]

• Victorian Beginnings:

  • The office Christmas party tradition is over 150 years old.
  • Started in the mid-1800s: Employers began hosting Christmas dinners for factory workers, prompted by Victorian ideals of charity and community during the harsh conditions of the Industrial Revolution.
  • Early events were simple—bread, meat, tea, and a short speech—but meant to show benevolence, boost morale, and ease labor unrest.

• Migration to Offices:

  • As work shifted to clerical environments, holiday gatherings evolved into staff teas, luncheon, and year-end assemblies—modest, formal events to encourage loyalty.

• Roaring Twenties & Postwar Boom:

  • The 1920s saw more socialized office cultures: department parties, gift exchanges, and even dances.
  • The real explosion followed WWII: The booming corporate economy led to lavish annual parties by the 1950s and 60s.

• Modern Times:

  • Today’s events are more inclusive and varied—sometimes smaller, but always rooted in community and appreciation.
  • Key takeaway: Attending your office’s holiday party ties you to a rich tradition of corporate goodwill and evolving social norms.

  "So if there's a holiday celebration at your workplace, remember you're participating in a tradition with roots in industrial hardship, Victorian values, and over a century of corporate evolution."
  — Mike Carruthers (07:36)

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2. How to Shoot Holiday Videos That Don’t Suck: With Steve Stockman

[07:57 – 30:51]

Why Most Holiday Videos Miss the Mark

• People often record long, unplanned videos with the intent of editing later, which rarely happens.
• Home videos should capture the spirit of the event, not just the events themselves.

Steve Stockman’s Professional Tips

• Think in Short Shots
  [08:08 – 09:33]

  • Professionals use quick cuts (1–10 seconds). Don’t record non-stop; instead, plan brief, purposeful shots.
  • For kids opening presents: capture the anticipation, the unwrapping, and the reaction—all as separate short clips.

  “If you think in terms of shooting short shots...they’re going to look way, way more interesting than anything else.”
  — Steve Stockman (08:20)

• Curate Like a Photo Album
  [09:53 – 11:56]

  • Be selective—document only the meaningful moments, just as you’d pick the best photos for an album.
  • Over-recording dilutes the impact and creates hours of unwatchable footage.

• Smartphones vs. ‘Real’ Cameras
  [12:03 – 13:10]

  • Modern smartphones are so sophisticated that they outperform mid-century professional setups for most home video needs.

  “You can do things that it took Alfred Hitchcock...100 people and 60 lights to do. And you can do it with that thing in your pocket instantly and beautifully.”
  — Steve Stockman (12:06)

  • Don’t fixate on pro gear—focus on how you shoot.

• Prioritize People and Emotion
  [15:24 – 17:43]

  • The best videos center around people, not landscapes or distant group shots.
  • Move in close—faces are memorable, backgrounds aren’t.

  “You don't watch TV shows about rocks or trees. You watch TV shows about people... and those are the things we want to remember.”
  — Steve Stockman (16:17)

• Practical Smartphone Settings
  [20:36 – 22:34]

  • Avoid in-camera gimmicks (emojis, filters, weird color modes):

    “There’s no un-clown nose button on your editing program… if that’s the way you shoot it, that’s what you’ve got.”
    — Steve Stockman (20:42)

  • Hold the camera horizontally (widescreen), unless specifically creating for TikTok/Instagram.
  • Experiment and get comfortable with your phone’s capabilities before the main event.

• Better Audio Makes Better Video
  [24:06 – 26:45]

  • Phone mics capture everything—including unwanted background noise.
  • Get close to your subject or invest in an inexpensive external microphone.

  “It’s amazing that people will spend $1,200, $1,500 on a phone but won’t get an external microphone.”
  — Mike Carruthers (26:24)

• Plan Ahead—A Little ‘Pre-Production’
  [27:34 – 28:47]

  • Jot down the moments you want: the tree, the presents, the dinner, reactions.
  • Even five minutes of planning pays off.

• Let People Relax on Camera
  [28:54 – 29:44]

  • Instead of hiding your filming, shoot openly—people will eventually ignore the camera and act naturally.

• Capture Imperfection
  [29:47 – 30:17]

  • Don’t just save the ‘perfect’ moments; record the chaos—like the cat upending the tree. These are the stories you’ll treasure.

  “Unless somebody’s bleeding, shoot what’s going on because you’re gonna remember it later."
  — Steve Stockman (29:49)

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3. Quick Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Shopping

[30:51 – End]

• Best Day to Avoid: Despite the hype, December 23rd, not Black Friday, is the busiest shopping day.
• Last-Minute Advantages: Shopping in the last days before Christmas means deeper discounts.
• Parking Hacks: Skip driving—get dropped off or use rideshare to avoid parking headaches.
• Gift Cards are Cool: The stigma is gone—gift cards are now popular and well-received.

“Gift cards...they have a completely different image now. It is cool and acceptable to give gift cards. People like getting them and it is so easy.”
— Mike Carruthers (30:51)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Value of Office Holiday Parties:
  “You’re participating in a tradition with roots in industrial hardship, Victorian values, and over a century of corporate evolution.”
  — Mike Carruthers (07:36)

• On Smartphone Video Power:
  “You can do things that it took Alfred Hitchcock...100 people and 60 lights to do. And you can do it with that thing in your pocket instantly and beautifully.”
  — Steve Stockman (12:06)

• On People as Video Subjects:
  “The Grand Canyon is gonna look exactly the same in 100 years as it looks today...but what you need is great shots of your kids...in five years, the Grand Canyon will look exactly the same and you will not, and neither will your daughter.”
  — Steve Stockman (15:31)

• On Avoiding Video Gimmicks:
  “There’s no unclown nose button on your editing program...if that’s the way you shoot it, that’s what you’ve got.”
  — Steve Stockman (20:42)

• On Audio Quality:
  “You can get away with a bad shot because it only lasts about 10 seconds. But if the audio in your video is terrible and unintelligible, people are going to turn it off really fast.”
  — Steve Stockman (24:45)

• On Capturing Real Moments:
  “Shoot first and yell later...unless somebody’s bleeding, shoot what’s going on because you’re gonna remember it later.”
  — Steve Stockman (29:47)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |------------|----------------------------------------------------| | 04:02–07:57 | History of the Office Christmas Party | | 07:57–30:51 | Steve Stockman on Holiday Video Tips | | 08:08–09:33 | Importance of Short, Intentional Shots in Video | | 12:03–13:10 | Smartphone Cameras vs. Dedicated Video Cameras | | 15:24–17:43 | Focusing on People Rather Than Scenery | | 20:36–22:34 | Disabling Gimmicks and Shooting Horizontal Video | | 24:06–26:45 | Audio Quality and Use of External Microphones | | 27:34–28:47 | Simple Pre-Production Planning | | 28:54–29:44 | Letting People Relax on Camera | | 29:47–30:17 | Embracing Imperfect, Authentic Moments | | 30:51–end | Last-Minute Shopping Tips & Gift Card Etiquette |

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Final Thoughts

This festive episode expertly blends history, practical modern advice, and a touch of humor—a reminder that both our office traditions and our family memories are worth celebrating thoughtfully. Whether attending a workplace party or recording your family’s holiday antics, listeners come away armed with useful strategies to make the season brighter and more memorable.

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Transcript

[A]

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[B]

The phone that you have in your pocket is so smart and so good at lighting and so good at saying oh, this is a sunset. I know how to make this look beautiful. That you can do things that it took Alfred Hitchcock in the middle of the 20th century, 100 people had and 60 lights to do and you can do it with that thing in your pocket instantly and beautifully.

[A]

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[B]

Thanks for having me. Appreciate it.

[A]

So I'm sure there are a million things people could do to make their video look better. So let's just dive in and start with some of the basics.

[B]

I think that the first easiest way to make your video way, way better is to think about how professionals shoot video. If you watch a film or a TV show, you're going to see cuts that little shots that last between 1 and 10 seconds. You know, video is not put together in one 20 minute thing and then we're done. And if you think in terms of shooting short shots, even for your home video, then you'll find that whatever you have left looks way better, even if you don't do anything else. So what I'd recommend is instead of shooting 30 minutes of Suzy opening presence, is you think about, well, let me get the beginning of her opening this present and I'm just going to shoot 10 seconds of that and then let me get 10 seconds of her face as she takes it out of the box. And then let me get a two second close up of the Lego set that she just pulled out. And when you think about getting those shots that are very deliberately composed, almost like you're taking still photographs. And they each one contain like A little bit of action. When you put those together, you don't even have to edit. You just output them all in a string and they're going to look way, way more interesting than anything else that you could have put together.

[A]

So I'm sure that there are plenty of people who have taken video with the best of intentions of editing it later in some editing program, but then they never do. So I like what you're saying about give some thought to shooting the video in an order that makes sense and is watchable to other people. And then you don't have to edit it.

[B]

The trick is, when we want to do video that other people are going to watch, we have to think about the other people a little bit. It's sort of like the difference between in the olden days when you were shooting still photos, or maybe if you still are, you might shoot a hundred photos of some big holiday celebration. But then when you make the little album for your grandmother, you pick the 10 best ones and you have them printed out online and then you send her this little album. And if you think about it that way, the video that you're shooting for the holidays for other people to watch needs to be curated just the way you do it for grandma's photo album. The next biggest mistake that people make is they just shoot too much. So if you think about your vacation, for example, if you shoot one 10 second shot every hour for eight hours for five days, that's 400 seconds of video, which is a little bit more than three minutes. Sorry, it's a little bit more than six minutes. It's almost seven minutes long. The problem is that nobody is going to want to watch more than seven minutes of your vacation. So often what people do is they'll get on their video camera and they'll shoot everything in their lives. As if anyone else, including them, is going to care later what they had for dinner. And the result is you've got so much stuff that you need an entire other lifetime to watch it, and so you never will. So the first thing to do is to think about what's important in your video and how much you really want to spend time doing it. Like you want to triage it down to the stuff that you really want to get and then realize that if you only take one shot an hour on your vacation, you're going to have a very long vacation video that you may still want to edit later before you show it to other people.

[A]

What's your professional opinion of real video camera versus the one in your phone?

[B]

It's funny because the phone that you have in your pocket is so smart and so good at lighting and so good at saying, oh, this is a sunset. I know how to make this look beautiful. That you can do things that it took Alfred Hitchcock in the middle of the 20th century, 100 people and 60 lights to do. And you can do it with that thing in your pocket instantly and beautifully. It's very hard to get a terribly lit shot on a smartphone and it's just going to keep getting harder as they keep adding new algorithms to it. So I would say if you are not a committed pro or semi pro, like you're not shooting wedding videos for a living, or you're not seriously building out your YouTube channel, that your phone is going to do everything that you want it to do, and it's going to do it way better than anyone could do it 60 years ago. So it's going to look great. So I'm big in favor of using phones to shoot everything that isn't absolutely professional stuff.

[A]

It almost seems like getting a real video camera, like now is more left for real video files more than everyday folk because the phone cameras are just so good. I mean, they're just like some of the video people take is just looks amazing. It just looks amazing.

[B]

It's kind of like learning to ski. It's like you show up at the rental store and you go, well, this is the first time I've ever skied. And they give you the crappiest skis and it doesn't matter to you because you're worried about standing up and not falling in the snow while you're waiting for the lesson to start. And videography is kind of the same way. You can go quite a ways on your smartphone before you're even going to know what you don't like about shooting with it. So I would say you can do short films, you can do music videos, you can do great home video, you can do all that stuff and just start in. And then when you start to go, oh, I wish I could change the exposure on this, or I wish I could change the frame rate, or I wish I had a better lens, then you're starting to know enough to know what you want to buy, if you want to graduate up to a professional or a semi professional camera. But until then, it's not the equipment, it's the way we think about how to shoot that makes the difference between a good video and a bad video. A professional director could, and some have shot entire feature films on a smartphone and Conversely, there have been very many terrible things shot on professional equipment. It's not about the equipment, and people get all hung up on that. It's really about learning how to. To put together a video that people will want to watch.

[A]

Everyone has watched a video that they maybe have shot, you know, that sunset or the, you know, the birds on the beach and all that. And you never get the sense you got when you actually shot it. Like, somehow it's just not. It's not even close. And I want to know why, but my sense is, why is. Especially when there's people, you're too far away.

[B]

I think that's true. We forget that all of the video we watch is about people. Right. And if you think about your own home video, what you want is the memories of the people that you were with. It's like the Grand Canyon is going to look exactly the same in 100 years as it looks today. And it's been shot by photographers way better than you. So unless something happens and it blows up, in which case you'll be able to Google it, you don't need beauty shots of the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is your location, but what you need is great shots of your kids and what they're doing at the Grand Canyon with the Grand Canyon as a backdrop to that. You need shots of your hike. You need shots of them enjoying it. You need an interview with your daughter talking about how cool it is that she's walking into the Grand Canyon and down through all those eons of rock to the bottom. You know, these are the things that we're going to remember, because in five years, the Grand Canyon will look exactly the same, and you will not, and neither will your daughter. And those are the things that we want to remember. So staying close to the people is exactly right. I mean, it's. It's what. It's what we want out of any video. You know, you don't watch TV shows about rocks or trees. You watch TV shows about people who may be in a particular location, which is important to the story, but it's not about the trees.

[A]

Yeah, well, I've seen this with photographs mostly, but. But also with video where when there's a lot of people and it's like, well, let's get everybody in the shot together, and the photographer keeps backing up, and I think this is going to be the worst picture ever. You're not going to be able to even tell who's in it, but you got everybody. But now nobody cares.

[B]

Right? Exactly. This is why I always tell people not to shoot until you see the whites of their eyes, which is a kind of a way to remember that. If we buy the idea that video is supposed to be about people, faces are where the people are, right? We carry all of our emotion and our expression and we say things all with our faces and those are the things that we want to remember from five years ago or 10 years ago.

[A]

We're talking about holiday videos, how to shoot them so they look absolutely fabulous. My guest is Steve Stockman. He's author and creator of the book and video course how to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck. It's time for Cyber Monday, Dell Technologies biggest sale of the year. That's right. You'll find the lowest prices of the year on select Dell PCs like the Dell 16 plus with Intel Core Ultra processors and with built in advanced AI features, It's the PC that helps you do more faster. From smarter multitasking to extended battery life, these PCs get the busy work done so you can focus on what matters most to you. Plus earn Dell rewards and enjoy many other benefits like free shipping, expert support, price match guarantee and flexible financing options. They also have the biggest deals on accessories that pair perfectly with your Dell PC, improving the way you work, play and connect. Whether you just started holiday shopping or you're finishing up, these PCs and accessories make the perfect gifts for for everyone on your list. Shop [e-mail] deals and don't miss out on the best prices of the year. That's Dell.com deals I want to tell you about a great new podcast I think you'll like. I'm loving it. So what happens when our passions become obsessions? Well, on David Greene is obsessed, one of America's most familiar voices and longtime CO host of NPR's Morning Edition seeks out obsessives of all kinds while unpacking his own fixations. You'll hear David talk to comedian Tig Notaro about her complex passion for plant based food. Actor David Arquette on his love of Bozo the Clown. Paula Poundstone on her house full of cats. Celebrity chef and author Michael Simon discusses why he just can't quit the Cleveland Browns even though they often make him miserable. And and so much more. It's pop psychology disguised as conversations with the world's most fascinating people. You can listen to David Green is obsessed wherever you get podcasts. So Steve, are there things specific, very specific things on all smartphones that you recommend? Turn this off. Turn this on. This isn't good. This will make your videos better. Is there anything like that, that you can recommend. Understand. Understanding that they're different kind of smartphones and different kind of things. But some, some general, but specific guidelines.

[B]

Yes. Specifically, don't let your phone do anything permanent to your footage. So some phones come with, you know, the, the little emojis that can animate through the frame and they'll do sepia tone or black and white or any of those things. And the first thing that you want to do to take good video is never do any of that. There's a reason that you don't see any of that stuff in the TV shows that you watch. And that reason is that they're stupid. But the second reason is that they're permanent. Right. If you do it with your phone, you're stuck with it. There's no un. Clown nose button on your editing program. So if that's the way you shoot it, that's what you've got. Whereas if you. If you really like that stuff and you want to play with it, you can play with it in an editing program and hit undo later. So turn all of that stuff off. The other thing that I would argue is if you're not putting this video on a social channel that requires a vertical orientation, you know, like TikTok and Instagram and, and YouTube shorts, some of those are more oriented toward holding your camera the long way up and down so that the picture's thin. Right. It's fine to do that if that's what you're aiming for. But if you're just going to share videos with people or post to YouTube, note that the widescreen exists for a reason. And the reason is that that's kind of how we see the world. That replicates the way humans view things. And you get way more information in a frame if you do it wide than if you do it straight up and down. So for all the home video that you're doing or the marketing content that you're going to put on YouTube or on your website, all that stuff really needs to. You need to hold the camera the wide way.

[A]

Is there any default setting typically, or something that you might be better turning that off or maybe turning it on if it's defaulted off or anything like that?

[B]

I think that part of the process of getting better at video is playing with your equipment. It used to be. I remember when my dad gave me a still camera when I was a kid, and he gave me the still camera and the instruction booklet and said, now read this carefully so you don't break anything. And that seemed like great advice at the time because I was 8. But it's not the way we do things now. Things come so that you can play with them out of the box. And, and what I would say is go out with your camera just in your yard or your living room and play with it and see what it does and experiment with it. Because again, the equipment itself isn't what's going to make great video, but your ability to take a great picture is going to make great video. And your ability to know how to get close to things and know how the picture looks when you turn on the lights versus turn off the lights, that's going to make great video. And so the most important thing you can do is whatever piece of equipment you have is go play with it and experiment a little when you're not shooting grandma taking the turkey out of the oven and you're not kind of under pressure to just get stuff and get to know your equipment and then you'll understand how to use it a little bit better when you shoot.

[A]

So one of the things that I notice in videos that people take is as great as cameras, phone cameras are and everything else, the audio sucks because it's that little microphone in the phone and, and you know, it's far away and, and it's not a real top tier microphone and that can ruin a video because what do you say? Well, I can't. What? And being an audio guy, you know, I like good audio and I hate when I can't like, oh man, that just sucks.

[B]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I come from radio as well and I'm very, very sensitive to that. But, but even mixing a movie or a TV show, you have to be super sensitive to that because it's true, it's, you can get away with a, like a bad shot because it only lasts about 10 seconds. But if the audio in your video is terrible and unintelligible, people are going to turn it off really fast. You know, nobody watches bad video and that's so not annoying people is one of your first mantras. So the thing that people don't understand about the phone mics is that they pick up the sound, but they don't really understand what sound they're getting, so they pick up all the sound. So if you put a lot of physical space between you and, and your mom across the room, then they're going to, the mic is going to pick up everything in between. The air conditioner hum, the clatter of the silverware, the people talking behind you, and it's going to amplify that, and it's going to make it impossible to hear your mom. So there's no such thing as a zoom mic. And people tend to hang way back and shoot from far away with their cameras zoomed way in. And what's better is to zoom with your feet. Walk up close to mom, and especially if you want to hear what she's saying or if you're going to interview her or ask her a question, which is a great way to get people into your home video in a way that you'll remember them and remember all about them and what they were doing later. And if you're going to be more than two feet away from somebody and you want to hear them, you need to use an external microphone, which aren't.

[A]

All that expensive anymore. It's amazing that people will spend 1200, $1500 on a phone but won't get an external microphone. I mean, we found them for 30 bucks, and they're not fabulous, but they're better than the one in the phone.

[B]

Oh, way better. Yeah. It's funny that the emphasis in technology in smartphones seems to be about picture because they've figured out how to fix your terrible lighting pretty well, but they have not figured out how to fix your terrible sound. And so you're really responsible for that all by yourself. So if you're doing anything that you actually want people to hear and understand, you should definitely get an external mic.

[A]

One of the things that I find is that, you know, when you shoot a video, very often it's kind of, oh, we got to get this on video. And it kind of like starts in the middle. Like, you miss the beginning. And so it doesn't have a, like, context. It has no beginning. It's just everybody's there and, like, what is this?

[B]

Yeah, I think you can do. What we do in the professional world is something called pre production. And that can take days or weeks or years for a big project. But I like to think about it, because pre production is where we sit down and go, okay, where are we going to shoot this video? And what do we want to get? And who do we need to cast and what props do we need and all that, and where you're not going to do that at Christmas. You can walk into your living room the night before, and you can go, okay, well, here's where the fireplace is. Here's where the tree is. Here's where the presents are. Here is where Sarah is going to sit to open her presents, and here's where the window is, And I know that mom is going to make cinnamon rolls and I know that everybody's going to come over at 2 o' clock for a big dinner. So what things do I want to shoot? And even if you think about it for five minutes, your video will get better. If you actually like brainstorm and write down on a piece of paper what things that you might want to get, your video will get way better really fast.

[A]

What are some other real quick but powerful tips that would help people shoot better video that's more watchable?

[B]

So here's a tip for you. Next time you shoot a home video, especially around the holiday season, is don't try to hide the camera. You know, often you'll have this little battle where you'll go, I want to shoot you cooking this. And the person cooking will go, oh no, I look terrible.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So often people try to fool people into being videotaped, you know, or you'll hide the phone somewhere. And I recommend that you don't do that and instead just shoot anyway. Just not. Don't shoot in their faces and don't shoot at them if they don't want it, because that's rude. But just keep shooting the event. And after a while, people will become oblivious to the fact that you're shooting and they'll get bored with you and they'll start acting natural and. And that's the kind of video that you want to look at 10 years from now.

[A]

Anything else? Any other good little tip?

[B]

I like to tell people to shoot first and yell later when they're doing video, especially of their kids. Which is to say it's great if everybody has a perfect holiday and everyone minds their manners. But it's more memorable if the cat climbs up the tree, knocks it over and creates a giant mess. So unless somebody's bleeding, shoot what's going on because you're gonna remember it later. And don't worry about cleaning it up until it's all over.

[A]

And if somebody is bleeding, now you've got evidence for the trial.

[B]

Yeah, exactly. Now you've got great video. I mean, that's killer.

[A]

Well, listen, this is always interesting because everybody shoots video at least once in a while and it's good to get some suggestions and tips that to make it better, to make it more watchable. I've been speaking with Steve Stockman. He is author and creator of the book and video course how to Shoot Video that Doesn't Suck. And there's a link to the book and to the video course in the show Notes. Thanks, Steve. Appreciate you coming on.

[B]

Thanks so much.

[A]

All right, Steve, take care. If you're still planning to go out into the real world and shop, here are a few things to keep in mind from Morgan hall, author of a book called Retail Hell Although people claim Black Friday is the busiest shopping day, it is historically December 23rd, so that would be a day to avoid shopping if possible. If you're kicking yourself because you could have done all this shopping earlier and avoided the crowds, there is some comfort in knowing that waiting until the last few days before Christmas is actually a good idea, because that's when retailers really start slashing prices. You can cut your stress levels drastically if you don't drive and park at the mall. Take an Uber, have someone drop you off, pick you up. Looking for parking is often more aggravating than the shopping. And when in doubt, gift cards really are a good idea. Years ago they used to call them gift certificates and giving them was considered pretty lame. But gift cards, they have a completely different image. Now it is cool and acceptable to give gift cards. People like getting them and it is so easy and that is something you should know. Hey, I hope you have a great holiday season. I hope it is everything you hoped it could be. And we all here at something you should know. Appreciate you listening and supporting this podcast. I'm Micah Ruthers. Thanks for listening today to something you should know.