Using Filters

Whether it's a music video, Hollywood blockbuster or 30-second television ad, nearly all of the images presented to grab our attention are altered in some way. While many are manipulated during post production, adjustments that set the visual tone of a scene are very often achieved with the creative use of lens filters.
Though filters are helpful to all videographers, and literally hundreds of options exist, it's easiest to decide which type will best assist you by first determining what you'll use them for.
If you describe yourself as a "grab-and-go" shooter, whose camcorder is ready to record spur-of-the-moment events, then you may choose practical problem-solving filters. However, if you fall under the "video artiste" category, taking time and effort to craft each frame's composition, lighting and style, you'll likely obtain filters for specialized image enhancing capabilities.
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Grab-and-go Shooters

Let's start with the former group of videographers. If you are a grab-and-go shooter, you will want to select filters for color correction, glare reduction and lens protection. Check out the following common-use filters:

  •   Clear Filters
    Clear filters really have just one purpose: to protect expensive lenses from damage that can be caused by unpredictable conditions encountered on location. A damaged filter is obviously much cheaper to replace than a lens. Protection from things like inclement weather, ocean spray, sand or dust can be reason enough to include a clear filter in your camera bag. Simply remove and wash the filter that has become smudged or fogged, something that's not quite so easy with the camcorder lens. If a filter gets scratched, pitted or hopelessly dirty, just throw it away and get a new one. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to procure.
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    • Mark Bosko | June 2001

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