PURPOSE: To attain smooth FADE video recording by providing a mode control circuit fetching the operating mode from a VTR and the information of switch for camera pause, generating a control signal and controlling the operation of the VTR.

CONSTITUTION: A control signal generating circuit 9 fetches a signal of a trigger counter circuit 17 fetching the information of an FADE switch 10 and a camera pause switch 11. Further, the circuit 9 fetches a signal 19 representing the operating mode from the VTR, generates a video recording control signal 20 controlling the video recording start/stop of the VTR and fetches a signal from a mode control circuit 18 fetching the information of the switch 11. Then a control signal of a gain control circuit 4 is generated. Thus, a control signal is generated, which decreases the time constant decreasing the video image level in conducting FADE.IN video recording, increased the time constant at the FADE.IN operation and conducts the opposite control in case of FADE.OUT video recording.