Who knows anything about DSLR video filming?

Lensflare

Lensflare

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Simon Everett
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I have been spending not hours, but days trawling trying to find out about mking videos...and it is just getting me more and more confused. Every time I think I am getting something like to a stareting point, there are more questions to find answers for.

So - can anyone point me in the direction of somewhere to get th ebasic rules for starting and some hints and tips what to do and what to avoid - please?
 
Keep the camera steady, sound is important, if the sound is bad then no matter how good the footage it just doesn't work. Get a mike like a Rode video mic and fit a dead cat windshield. Use 180 degree rule ie if shooting at 24fps then use 1/50. Focussing is the most difficult area I tend to use a widish angle around 24-35mm on a 7d FF can go more, as this gives some latitude on focusing. I have mine setup at 1/50 f8 and Auto ISO so I don't have to worry too much about changes in light levels. Shoot plenty of footage and always start before the main action. Editing will take quite a bit of time, and good editing can improve mediocre footage. Just go and shoot stuff, practice will improve you output. A basic yardstick is 20 seconds before a change of scene, though changing the length of cuts can alter the pace of the movie. This is one of mine that incorporates shots taken at different times, to make the whole story, shot on a single camera but edited to give the impression of multiples.

View: http://youtu.be/_EW-tOqIa1U
 
Have to say I think starting with an SLR with little prior experience of the SLR or Video in general is asking a lot.
While there's no doubt you can potentially get superb results, even a fairly basic compact nowadays will also do good video. with far less scope for things to go wrong like poor focus or exposure.
The basics are the same though, minimise camera movement, keep any intentional movement slow and smooth, and don't forget audio perhaps recorded on a separate device.

Thing is with the SLR you also need to be thinking about shutter speed, it's all a bit of a minefield and at first you are almost guaranteed rather disappointing results.
 
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The best tutorial I've ever watched that taught me a lot of the basics was a video that Philip Bloom made quite a few years ago with f-stop academy.. it taught me so much about exposure, the shutter speed & how to use ND filters. I'm not sure it's on YouTube. I think i 'downloaded' it from somewhere.
 
Lensflare said:
I have been spending not hours, but days trawling trying to find out about mking videos...and it is just getting me more and more confused. Every time I think I am getting something like to a stareting point, there are more questions to find answers for.

So - can anyone point me in the direction of somewhere to get th ebasic rules for starting and some hints and tips what to do and what to avoid - please?
Click to expand...

Best resource I've seen on how to shoot video is a book called 'How to Shoot video that doesn't suck - the guy who wrote it has a website with some video tutorials http://www.stevestockman.com/

Best tip I've ever heard is 'Don't move the camera or zoom during a shot unless it adds to the story' - most of the time it doesn't
 
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Thanks very much chaps - why did none of this show up in the scores of Google searches I have done - all leading to bloody sales leads or other rubbish?

Shame the setting up video is on a Canon......I am still reading my manual. I can get straight into the photo side of it, because it is 90% the same as the D3...except the Live view and focus on / off buttons, but I learning!

Yes, I expect the first few to not be very good, but I need something to practise on. I need to thin of some subjects I can use.
 
I've just looked at the video specs of the Nikon D3S (is that the one you've got?) and it seems you're limited to shooting at 24fps (I apologise if I'm wrong as I have a canon).
The rule of thumb for 24fps is to keep the shutter speed at 1/50. This adds a little bit of motion blur to the footage which looks more natural. You can shoot at a higher shutter speed but the footage will look too 'sharp' and will appear choppy.
Limiting the shutter speed to 1/50 brings a few 'challenges', one being that when shooting outdoors you will need to control the light going into the camera otherwise it will be very overexposed. To bring the exposure back into a workable range you will need a set of neutral density filters. Don't be tempted to buy the cheapest you can find, as the cheaper ones give an unnatural colour cast.
As said above camera shake is your enemy, so use a good tripod wherever possible, unless you are going for a deliberate 'run and gun' style.
There are a number of different stabilisers you could look at to help you get smooth footage.

The main thing with video though, is that the story is the most important thing, whatever equipment or settings you use, a boring subject will always make a boring video.
 
1 Choose a frame size and frame rate - if you're using artificial lighting, choose a frame rate related to mains frequency (i.e. 25 or 50 in Europe)
2 Set the shutter speed to approx. 1/(2 x frame rate)
3 Adjust aperture and ISO so exposure is correct (caucasian skin tone at approx. 75% of the way up the histogram/waveform)
4 Focus manually
5 Don't forget audio

There's an excellent series of videos on shooting rules, tips, sound etc. on the BBC Academy website.
 
Oh, and remember that HD video has a colourspace close to sRGB, don't rely on saturated colours for impact.
 
Sound is key, just as movement is. Shake is not though, as that is different from movement. Also: there is so much you can tell about it. Do you have any particular questions? One could write a couple of books on this subject, so a few more clear questions would be great!
 
DSLRs can give beautiful results, but you have to keep in mind that they aren't really designed for shooting video. Hand-held shots are very hard to do well unless you get a rig to shoulder mount your camera...(most are fairly expensive, but Cowboy Studios makes one that is very cheap and works surprisingly well.) The large sensors of DSLRs make shallow focus easier to achieve (which has been one of the biggest selling points of DSLRs) but people forget that if the subject (and/or camera) are moving, it is very likely that focus will have to be changed as the shot is happening. This is called "pulling focus" and is something that is pretty much impossible to do by yourself. On professional film productions, the first assistant camera operator pulls focus while the camera operator composes shots and follows the action. Some DSLRs have auto focus features and facial recognition to try to mimic this (and have varying degrees of success.) It really depends on what kind of subject matter you are shooting. The important thing is to get out there and practice every day so you can learn to work within the limitations of these cameras. It takes time...don't get discouraged. :-)
 
Look up Fro Knows Photo/ Jared Polin. He has two guides all about video and editing for about £150 each I would solidly recommend. Or just go on his youtube channel where he as given so much away for free, I've learn a hell of a lot from him. He's a Nikon shooter too.

Other than that just trawl Youtube as there are thousands of tutorials and tips etc.

One thing I'd say is get lenses with (IS) Image Stabilization or VR (Nikon) OOS (Sony) as camera shake, unless used properly for effect is just messy.

Cinematography, pacing, location, colourgrade, it is a beast of its own but very exciting. Coming from a self-taught video based background into photography I find video easier but they share similar qualities, its all about making images.

In terms of manual focus, I've just upgraded from a 5D mk iii to a Sony A7rii using my Canon L glass and I can say the more expensive lenses are much better for focussing as you can feel what impact you are making more.

As always its just practice and knowing your gear, the first documentary I made: Val's Gym, which is exhibiting as part of Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2016 in Liverpool and London was done on a Canon 70D with the kit lens using the Dual Pixel AF autofocus throughout.

External monitors are handy if you really wanted to go for it. But the first thing I'd say is get a decent microphone as it gives the video a very professional feel even if the camera work isnt the best.
 
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