Monday, July 11, 2016
Gaffer Tape: Everything You Always Wanted to Know But Were Afraid to Ask
Marty Gage knows about gaffer tape. He teamed up with a leading tape manufacturer and in 2013 launched Gaffer Power, a company determined to create the market’s best gaffer tape.
Friday, July 8, 2016
Composition – framing your shots
8 July 2016
- Composition means how you arrange things in the shot.
- Your film will look a lot better if you compose the shots carefully.
- Pay attention to where things are in the shot, what’s happening at the edges of the frame, and what’s going on in the background.
Keeping it natural
If you want people to concentrate on the story – not the filmmaking – you should frame your shot to look natural. But you still need to arrange it carefully.
It’s a good idea to put things clearly off-centre if you want your film to look natural. Some people talk about the rule of thirds: putting important things or edges about a third of the way across, up or down the screen. In fact, many cameras let you overlay a rule of thirds grid on your scene to help with this. But it’s more important to judge whether the image looks right to you, rather than following a rigid rule.
Getting it right
When you film a closeup of somebody, try to put the eyes about a third of the way down the picture.
If they are too low or too high it’ll look wrong.
Pay attention to the edges of the frame: try not to cut off people’s arms or legs at the joints.
Put more space in the direction people are looking or moving. This is called looking space or nose room.
When you join shots of people looking at each other, the direction they are looking should line up: this is called eyeline match. There’s more about composing your shots so they’ll edit together on this page.
Making it dramatic, wacky or scary
Centred compositions look formal, but they can also look odd.
Symmetrical compositions can look cool.
You can also use dramatic angles like diagonals. Putting your camera on a slant is called a Dutch angle. Use it to make things seem strange or scary.
Make the angle obvious, otherwise people will think it’s just a mistake.
Really unbalanced compositions can make people feel uneasy.
To draw attention to shapes and patterns – like lines and grids – fill the screen with them and line the camera up carefully.
Watch the background
Pay attention to what’s going on behind your subject.
Avoid lines or objects going into people’s heads. Moving around can avoid this.
With a bigger camera and a telephoto lens, you can blur confusing backgrounds.
Plain backgrounds are better than confusing backgrounds, but they’re boring.
Ideally the background should tell us about the story: here, the presenter is talking about the building behind him.
Learn more
Gustavo Mercado’s book The Filmmaker’s Eye: Learning (and breaking) the rules of cinematic composition is a great introduction to different shots and how to compose them.
The post Composition – framing your shots appeared first on Learn about film.
Sponcer pageChoosing a video camera
8 July 2016
- SLRs and mirrorless cameras are best for creative filmmaking on a budget
- iPhones are worth considering for mobile journalism and documentary
- Pro or semi-pro camcorders are best for news and events
- iPads are good for schools and education
There are lots of different kinds of cameras you can use for filmmaking. This guide looks at cameras that low-budget filmmakers could afford to buy or hire. (It doesn’t cover top-end pro cameras like the Red and Alexa used for high-end TV and feature films. Hiring one of these for the day costs as much as buying a good DSLR, and it takes an expert operator to use it properly.)
For many people, a DSLR or mirrorless camera gives the best balance between image quality and affordability – whether you’re a beginner or a serious low-budget filmmaker. But if you’re shooting news or events, you might be better off with a camcorder as most of them are easier and quicker to use. And iPhones are becoming increasingly popular with documentary makers, mobile journalists and even feature film makers.
If you can afford one, an interchangeable lens video camera can give you the advantages of a DSLR with better image quality and handling.
For families, schools and educators, you could choose between basic camcorders (which are very easy to use), iPads/iPhones or compact still cameras. Action cameras are great for recording outdoor activities.
DSLRs and mirrorless cameras
Still cameras with interchangeable lenses are the cheapest way to shoot really good quality video. I think the best all-round camera for low budget filmmakers is the Canon 80D. But if you’re on a tight budget, go for the Canon T5i/700D or the smaller, mirrorless EOS M3 instead. Another mirrorless option is the Panasonic G7 which has a smaller sensor, but can shoot ultra high definition 4K.
Professionals will want something more solid like the Canon 7d mk II, the full-frame 5d MkIII or the smaller mirrorless Panasonic GH3 or GH4. The Sony A7s II is also small, very good in low light, and popular with news and documentary shooters.
Pros
- Good in low light
- Good shallow focus effects
- Lots of creative control
Cons
- Sound recording can be awkward
- Awkward to handhold
- Some image quality problems in some situations
- Limited recording time
Best for
- Making creative short films on a tight budget
More about choosing a DSLR or mirrorless camera
Prosumer camcorders
The Canon XA30 and similar cameras have better image and sound quality than consumer camcorders. They give you more creative control and you’ll get better results in low light.
Most prosumer cameras will let you plug in separate microphones and headphones. But they don’t have all the features of a professional video camera.
Pros
- Good image and sound quality
- Fairly easy to use
- Better handling than DSLRs
Cons
- Bigger and more complicated than basic camcorders
- Image quality may not be as good as system still cameras
- Image quality may not be accepted by broadcasters
Best for
- News, documentaries and events on a budget
- Videos for online use
Professional camcorders
Professional camcorders give you a lot more creative control than basic or prosumer camcorders. Most will let you plug in pro XLR microphones and use dials and buttons rather than menus. This lets you work faster once you’re used to the camera.
Most professional cameras have fairly large sensors for better low light performance. Key features are the ability to record at a high ‘bit rate’ and to record more colour information. These mean that the footage is easier to adjust when you edit, and may meet broadcast quality standards (see below).
The Canon XC10 is the best value camera for starting with events, news and documentary. It has a fairly large one inch sensor and can record broadcast-quality HD, 4K at 305Mb/s, and 12MP stills. It has very good image stabilisation so it’s easy to handhold, it’s good in low light, and it’s fairly compact: it looks more like an SLR than a professional video camera. The controls are a little bit fiddly – it relies a lot on the touchscreen – but that’s partly down to its small size. It doesn’t have XLR audio inputs.
The Sony PWX70 is a more traditional alternative. It has a detachable top handle, XLR inputs and an SDI output. Like the XC10 it has a 1″ sensor and shoots broadcast quality HD. It’s ‘4K ready’ but shooting 4K requires an expensive upgrade and the bit rate is a fairly low 100Mb/second.
Many broadcasters require HD footage to be shot at a bit rate of at least 50Mb/s, with 4:2:2 chroma subsampling (the camera records twice as much colour information as the more common 4:2:0 found on cheaper cameras). They specify a minimum sensor size as well: 1 inch for a single chip, or 1/2 inch for three-chip cameras.
Pros
- Good image and sound quality
- Lots of creative control
- Quick to use once you know what you’re doing
Cons
- Can be big
- Fairly expensive
- Take time to learn
- Images may not be as pleasing as those from cheaper system still cameras
Best for
- News, documentaries, and events such as weddings where you need to be able to set up and make adjustments quickly
Interchangeable lens video cameras
These large sensor cameras have many of the advantages of both pro camcorders and system still cameras. The big sensors and interchangeable lenses make for really good image quality. Most of them also have pro sound features, handle better than DSLRs, and record in formats that stand up better to being manipulated ‘in post’ (at the editing stage) than basic DSLR footage. And they don’t suffer the ‘moiré’ effect which results from shooting video with a sensor designed for high resolution still photography.
The Canon C100 Mk II is popular with professionals, and it’s an obvious next step for Canon DSLR users, though it only records HD. You should be able to find the original C100 Mk I, used or discounted, at a bargain price: it’s well worth considering despite limitations like a poor viewfinder. If you want a Canon cinema camera with 4K recording you’ll need the expensive C300 MkII.
The HD Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera is the most affordable camera in this category. The bigger Blackmagic Cinema Camera comes in 2.5k and 4k versions. Both have a very wide dynamic range (they can record scenes with a lot of contrast) and great image quality for the price. But they have drawbacks like very large file sizes, poor handling and audio, and an odd sensor size.
The Panasonic DVX200 records 4K and takes the same 4/3 mount lenses as their GH3 and GH4 stills cameras. It’s a good choice for Panasonic mirrorless users who are focusing more on video.
Pros
- Excellent image quality
- Lots of creative control
- Good in low light
Cons
- Most are big
- Expensive
Best for
Serious filmmakers, news and documentary filmmakers who can afford them.
Consumer camcorders
Small camcorders like the Panasonic V180 are easier to film with than iPads or still cameras. They’re good for schools and families. They have reasonable built-in microphones.
Larger camcorders like the 4K Panasonic HC-WXF991 or the HD Canon Vixia G40 add features like microphone and headphone sockets and accessory shoes.
Pros
- Some are small and unobtrusive
- Easier to film with than smartphones or SLRs
- Easy to handhold
- Image stabilisation is usually better than DSLRs
Cons
- Image and sound quality won’t be as good as prosumer or pro cameras, especially in low light.
Good for
- Families
- School students
Smartphones and tablets
You can shoot and edit on iPads and iPhones. With the right accessories they can be really useful. There are more filmmaking accessories and apps available for Apple devices compared to other phones and tablets.
Pros
- Easy to use
- Small and portable
- You can shoot and edit on one device
Cons
- Sound and image quality won’t be as good as a dedicated video camera, particularly in difficult conditions
- Tablets are awkward to handhold
Good for
- Families
- Schools
- Researchers, scientists and journalists who need to collect and edit information in the field
Compact still cameras
Lots of compact still cameras can shoot HD video. Cameras like the Panasonic ZS60 (TZ80 in Europe) have a great zoom range and are ideal as take-anywhere travel cameras. But if you’re buying a camera specifically for filmmaking, you’re probably better off getting a camcorder or DSLR.
Pros
- Small and unobtrusive
Cons
- Sound quality won’t be great, and you probably can’t connect an external microphone.
- They’re a bit awkward to use for filmmaking.
Good for
- Families
- Photographers
- Journalists and documentary makers who need a discreet camera
Action cameras
These little cameras are small and tough. You wouldn’t want to use one as your main camera. You can mount them on bikes, helmets, cars, your body, or even animals. Most of them don’t have screens. The more expensive ones let you monitor the image with a wireless monitor or an iPhone or Android app. The best is probably the GoPro HERO4 Black, with its ultrawide lens; the most affordable GoPro is the tiny Hero Session.
If you’re considering an action camera, you should also look at the new DJI Osmo handheld stabilised camera.
Pros
- Small, tough, robust
Cons
- No viewfinder
- Basic sound
Good for
- sports and outdoor activities
- science experiments and product testing
- news and documentaries
Features to look for
Ease of use
Is the camera comfortable to hold? Are the controls easy to use? Can you change the important settings with buttons and switches, or do you have to use menus? If there’s a touch screen, does it work well? Does the camera have an accessory shoe so you can fit a microphone or a light?
Manual control
Can you set exposure, white balance and sound levels yourself, or are they all automatic? These controls might not matter to you now, but you may need them if you get serious about your filmmaking.
Lens
How far does the camera zoom out (wide angle) and zoom in (telephoto? The wide-angle setting is probably more important as it lets you get close and makes handholding easier. The best way to compare this is find out what the 35mm equivalent is: under 30mm is good, 25mm or less is great. It’s the optical zoom range you should ask about – digital zoom is irrelevant (see bottom).
If the zoom range isn’t very wide, does the manufacturer make wide-angle or telephoto adaptors to fit to the front of the lens?
How close can the camera focus? What’s the widest aperture? (A low number, like f/2 or f/1.7, lets more light in so you can use the camera in dark conditions or get shallow focus effects).
Sound
Is the built-in microphone good? Is there a headphone socket so you can listen to the sound while you film? Can you plug in an separate microphone? (If you want to be able to use pro microphones, you need a camera with three-pin XLR inputs).
Image stabilisation
Image stabilisation can make pictures less shaky. It’s not essential if you’re going to use a tripod or a good camera support, but it’s very useful for shooting handheld.
Sensor size
Larger is sometimes, but not always, better. The bigger sensors in HDSLRs, mirrorless cameras and large sensor video cameras are are usually better in low light, and let you get shallow focus effects. They also let you use smaller apertures without diffraction softening your image. But for news and events shooters, the greater depth of field you get from a small-sensor camera can be useful.
Recording format
Does the camera record in a format that your editing program can handle? Is the format easy to edit with?
Can it record in HD, Full HD (720p), Ultra HD (4K)? Which do you need? You don’t need 4K if you’re just shooting for the web.
Things to ignore
Special effects. If you want them, add them when you edit the film.
Digital zoom. ‘200x digital zoom’ sounds great, but it’s just a way of electronically blowing up the middle of the image. It makes the picture quality worse, so you shouldn’t use it. Only the optical zoom counts.
Megapixels. This tells you how many million light-capturing pixels there are in the sensor. More megapixels are supposed to be better for big prints, but they don’t make video any better. (Full HD video is only 2 megapixels). More megapixels on a small sensor can actually mean the camera is worse in low light.
Equipment for low budget filmmaking
The post Choosing a video camera appeared first on Learn about film.
Sponcer pageFatal assault on baby boy in Poplar
Detectives are investigating the death of a three month old baby after a suspected assault.
iPads and iPhones for filmmaking
6 July 2016
- The iPhone 6S Plus is the best iPhone for filmmaking
- If you want to shoot and edit on one device, iPads are easiest
- You’ll need accessories like tripod clamps and microphones
If you own an iPhone, you’ve always got a small, easy-to-use camera in your pocket. It’s great for filming where other cameras would attract too much attention. Video quality can be excellent, so they’re increasingly being used for news and documentary. People have even shot feature films with them.
You can even edit on them, though iMovie is a bit cramped on the phone screen. I edit my iPhone video using Final Cut Pro on a Mac.
Both devices can shoot really good quality video in the right circumstances. But to make the most of them, you also need to work within their limitations, so I’ve written some iPad and iPhone filmmaking tips for beginners.
Why doesn’t everybody film on them?
You’ll get soft, ‘noisy’ images in low light, and flare when you shoot into the light. The lens doesn’t zoom, it’s hard to use focus creatively, and the microphone struggles in wind and background noise. But if you avoid shooting in difficult light – and you use the right accessories – you can get remarkably good video out of them.
iPhone or iPad?
iPhones have better cameras than most iPads and they’re easier to handhold.
But the larger iPad screen is better for editing, particularly with teams or groups. So if you want to shoot, edit and share from one device it may be a better choice. Most iPad models are also less expensive than iPhones.
You can shoot on your iPhone then move your clips onto the iPad for editing. Recent iPhones and iPads have a feature called AirDrop, which makes this easy.
If you’re on a tight budget, the iPod Touch is the cheapest device for iOS filmmaking.
Which iPad or iPhone?
Every iPad and iPhone since the 3GS and the iPad 2 can shoot video. All the current iPads and iPhones have 1080p Full HD. Get plenty of memory: video takes up a lot of space, so 16Gb models will fill up quickly. The iPhone 6S or 6S Plus offer the most, with a 128Gb option. The SE only goes up to 64Gb, but that should be enough for most people.
Do I need 4K?
Most people don’t need to create finished videos in 4K Ultra HD format. But if you shoot in 4k you can crop the image to 1080p HD. This effectively gives you a 2X digital zoom with no loss of quality.
Best iPhone for filmmaking: iPhone 6S Plus
The flagship iPhone has the biggest screen, and can shoot 4K Ultra HD and real slow motion (120fps in 1080p HD, or 240fps in 720p). It also has optical image stabilisation for smoother handheld shots. But it’s a bit big as a carry-around phone.
My choice: iPhone 6S
The 6S is a more manageable size than the Plus version, and has all the same features except the optical image stabilisation. (It has ‘cinematic’ digital stabilisation instead.)
Best value: iPhone SE
If you don’t mind the smaller screen, the iPhone SE is great value. It has the same video features as the 6S at a lower price.
Cheapest iOS filmmaking device: iPod Touch
If you’re really on a budget, don’t forget the iPod Touch. It’s smaller, lighter and much cheaper than any iPhone or iPad, but still shoots full HD video.
Best iPad for filmmaking: iPad Pro 9.7
The standard-sized iPad Pro has a better video camera than the more expensive 12.9 inch version. It’s the only iPad that can shoot 4K (though the Air 2 and the bigger iPad Pro can edit it). It also has full 1080p/120 slow motion and cinematic video stabilisation.
My iPad choice: Air 2
This is the iPad I use most on my training: it’s relatively affordable and the screen is big enough for easy editing.
Most affordable iPad: iPad mini 2
The entry-level iPad is small and easy to handhold, though it doesn’t do slow motion.
Essential accessories
The biggest issue with iPhone and iPad filmmaking is shaky video, followed by poor sound.
Keeping it steady
For phones, you could use a selfie stick as a mini-monopod. I prefer to use a clamp with a tripod socket. That lets me mount it on any standard tripod or monopod or a pistol grip for handholding.
I’m currently using the Ztylus Smartphone Rig, available on its own or as part of their Pistol Grip Kit. The rig has a useful cold shoe on top for mounting microphones or lights. I’ve reviewed it as part of my iPhone documentary kit.
The ShoulderPod S1 is another tripod clamp which comes with a handle and strap for handholding.
You could also get an iOgrapher case for iPhones or iPads. These have handles for easy handholding, a tripod socket, a mount for lens adapters, and cold shoes for mounting accessories.
The heavier, more expensive Padcaster is the most professional of the iPad cases. It gives you several different mounting positions for accessories. You can buy it as a bundle including a microphone and wide angle conversion lens. Some bundles, like this one for the iPad mini include a Lenscaster adapter which lets you mount SLR lenses for shallow focus shots.
Sound
To improve the sound, you can connect separate microphones.
The Rode VideoMic Me is a useful, affordable cardioid microphone with an effective windshield.
The Rode smartLav+ is a neat lavalier (tieclip) microphone designed specifically for phones.
You can connect professional microphones as well, but you’ll need an adapter. I’ve done a comparison test of different iPhone microphone options.
Other accessories
Lenses
The cameras on iPads and iPhones don’t go very wide, but you can add wide angle, telephoto and macro conversion lenses. Wide angle adapters are the most useful. You can get in closer and shoot in cramped spaces, and they make camera shake less obvious. But you’ll lose some sharpness.
The Olloclip is a neat standalone lens adaptor for iPhones. It fits on bare phones (without cases) or with the dedicated Ollocase. They are very pocketable though quality isn’t that great. I’ve included samples on my iPhone filmmaking kit page.
The Ztylus Z-Prime telephoto and wide-angle lenses are bigger and sharper, with much less distortion.
If you want to shoot real cinematic widescreen, you could opt for the Moondog Anamorphic converter. (Anamorphic lenses squeeze the image horizontally to fit an ultra wide screen image onto an ordinary sensor). You can buy them to mount on the iPhone 5/5S, or with a 37mm mount to fit on iOgraphers or other cases. The 6/6S version isn’t out yet.
You’ll have a bigger choice of lenses if you buy a case with a built-in lens mount like the iOgrapher or Padcaster.
Stabilisers
For flowing continuous shots, you could get a stabiliser. But I’d recommend getting a simple clamp/pistol grip first: you may find it’s all you need.
The Steadicam Smoothee is a little stabiliser designed for the iPhone and other light cameras. Unlike electronic stabilisers, it doesn’t need a battery, but it’s trickier to learn.
Electronic stabilisers like the Feiyu G4 electronic gimbal are easier to use. But they’re more expensive and have fairly short battery life. (Not all Feiyu gimbals work with all iPhone models – check before buying.)
The more expensive Lanparte HHG-01 is reportedly more durable.
Power
A portable external charger is also a good idea, especially for timelapses. I use an Anker charger.
Apps
Filming
The standard Camera app is easy to use, but I use the more sophisticated FiLMiC Pro: it lets you set manual focus and exposure separately, choose different aspect ratios (screen shapes) and video quality, adjust colour balance, and even ‘pull focus’. It was used to shoot Tangerine, a feature-length iPhone movie selected for the Sundance film festival. But it’s not as stable as the standard Camera app.
Editing
It’s easier to edit on the iPad rather than the iPhone as there’s more screen space.
Apple’s iMovie does a good job and works on both devices. It lets you add cutaways and voiceovers, use just the audio from clips, and insert and add motion to still photos. But it’s only designed to work with video filmed on iOS devices.
Pinnacle Studio looks and feels more like a traditional editing application. It has the big advantage that it’ll work with footage that’s been filmed on non-Apple devices.
Training
I provide iPad/iPhone filmmaking training in the UK and Europe for charities, businesses, public sector organisations and schools.
The post iPads and iPhones for filmmaking appeared first on Learn about film.
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