Call Me....

I mentioned the other day that I had started a little photography project and I didn't mean to mention it again so soon, but I have a question regarding it and I think you, my blip pals, are just the people to ask.  
 
But before I do though, I better tell you what the project is, and explain a little bit about the sequence of photos that make up today’s blip.
 
A few years ago (over 10) I had all our old cine films put onto video, then a couple of years ago, had them redone onto dvd.  Sadly, due to the original films being stored over the years in various lofts, and for most of the 1970s / 80s in my grandpa's shed, the quality isn't great, but good enough to still move me to tears of joy and sadness when I see the moving images of much loved family who are no longer here.
 
When I got the dvds, it was always my intention of taking stills from the moving images to make a photo book, and perhaps even frame a few to have on display in the house.   Since 2019 is my year of Getting Things Done, I am now on to it and have made a start.  So here is my question...
 
What do you think is the best way to photograph the dvd to get the best quality stills?  So far I have tried the following...
 
1.  Played the dvd on my laptop and taken photos with my camera whilst the dvd is playing.
 
2.  Paused the dvd on my laptop and taken photos whilst the dvd is paused.
 
3.  Played the dvd on our big screen tv and taken photos whilst it is playing.
 
I haven't tried pausing the TV and taking the photo as yet as John and Norma arrived yesterday before I had the chance.  David thinks the best thing would be to play the dvd on my laptop and take screen grabs but I think that could end up being pretty laborious and time consuming.  Then again, if that gives me the best quality photos (whilst knowing the quality is never going to be that great) I would be willing to do it.  It is a labour of love after all :-))   
 
What do you think?  Your thoughts / experiences of this would be most welcome.
 
And now to the story of todays blip...
 
These are some stills that I have taken from the dvd already.  They are of me and a family friend called Douglas.  
 
Douglas's gran Ina and my gran were great friends and grew up together.  Ina and her husband Bill moved to London just before Ina gave birth to Douglas's mum so Douglas (and his mum) were Londoners.  
 
During our early childhood (probably up to age 10) Douglas and I saw each other fairly regularly as he used to come to Scotland with his grandparents to visit relatives and friends, and I would see him in London on my regular visits down there to visit my relatives. 
 
Going by our size and the winter season, I reckon this section of footage was filmed circa March 1970 (Douglas and his family were probably visiting for Easter) when I would be three years two months old and Douglas six months older.
 
Oh how I wish the cine films had sound as Douglas had such a strong London accent, and me with my Scottish burr, we must have sounded hilarious chatting together.  I love this whole sequence of us together, and how even at the age of three, I have all the mannerisms of a teenager taking that all important phone call from her first boyfriend!  lol
 
One of my abiding pre-school memories of Douglas is that it is thanks to him that I learned the main physical difference between boys and girls.  The memory makes me laugh out loud as I remember it so vividly!!
 
When he was back in Scotland visiting that summer of 1970, it was a hot sunny day and we were in my back garden playing in my blow up paddling pool.  The grass had been recently cut and I had already given him a telling off because he kept putting grass clippings in the paddling pool and had threatened to put a worm he'd dug up in too (boys are gross!) 
 
At some point he needed the loo but for reasons known only to himself other than him being a boy therefore the whole world being his toilet instead of going inside to use the bathroom, he (thankfully) got out of the paddling pool, pulled his swimming trunks down and proceeded to wee on the grass well within my eyeshot!  
 
Being a little lady good girl this horrified me, but my horror was soon forgotten as fascination took over and I marvelled at this wonderful piece of equipment he appeared to have, that let him wee very tidily away from himself!
 
A-MAZ-ING!!!
 
When he finished, he pulled his trunks back up and made to get back in the pool.   
 
Whoa there Mister!  Not so fast!  What the hell was that you had there?!!!
 
Not quite how I put the question to him age three but an accurate account of my astounded reaction.  
 
I demanded to know what that thing he had was, and to see it again so he stood up,  pulled his trunks back down and I looked again in complete wonder and confusion at this…thing! 
 
Where was mine?  Why didn't I have one? Had I lost it?  Would it appear soon?
 
I demanded that he wee again so I could see it in action again, just to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me but of course he couldn't.  I kept insisting until we were both shouting at each other (Me - Make it wee!! Him - I can't!!) and the row alerted both our mothers who came to see what the fuss was all about!  
 
Poor Douglas.  Not only did he get a severe telling off for weeing outside, but I often wonder if the whole experience left him with some performance anxiety that's taken years of counselling to get over.
 
As for me, after asking my mum over and over again for the rest of that day "when am I going to get a Tube like Douglas's?" I cried for hours and hours when her answer "never" finally sank in.  Penis envy is a terrible thing when you're three.