Digital Cinematography Articles

• Camcorder Care
• Camcorder Controls
• Camera Angles
• Camera Movement
• Composition
• Continuity
• Format
• Shot Types

• Basic Training: A Checklist To Find The Best Digital Video Camcorder For You
  September, 2009
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Thinking about getting a new camcorder? Here are 10 points to consider while searching for the best digital video camcorder to suit your needs and budget.
• Mini Camcorders Vs Professional Size Camcorders
  December, 2009
  by Matthew York
  Camcorders have always been getting smaller. The first consumer-level equipment that was used to record video was too big. The first video cameras did not have…
• 35mm Adapter Buyer's Guide
  December, 2009
  by Nathan Beaman
  In 35mm adapters, the ground glass often moves in order to simulate a film grain look, and to minimize the presence of the ground glass texture in your image.
• How To Video Record Live Events
  December, 2009
  by Kyle Cassidy
  From taping little Jenny's Holiday Pageant, or the big annual production at your church, live video recording of events is plentiful. Here's how to capture it&h…
• When To Use A Camcorder Filter
  July, 2009
  by Jeff Sengstack
  The super clarity of HD has image-sensitive personalities clamoring for a camcorder filter that can best smooth out their wrinkles and rough edges.
• Basic Training: Making a Better Baby Video
  July, 2009
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Making an effective baby video rests very heavily upon knowing your audience. Here's a four-point strategy will keep everyone happy: Shoot, archive, edit, edit.
• Basic Training: Seeing the Rule of Thirds
  March, 2009
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Some photographers and videographers have a Natural Eye that composes shots and scenes all around them, even when they aren't holding a camera. You know you…
• Basic Training: 35mm Lens Adaptors for Video
  December, 2008
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Why on earth would you want to put a 35mm camera lens on your video camera? It's already got a perfectly good lens on it. One word - bokeh. bokeh is a Japanese…
• Director's Chair: Back to Film School
  August, 2007
  by Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D
  Watching films is a classroom in itself, yet you really have to have the right tools to become a critical viewer. All good directors are students of film. They&…
• Videomaker Presents Recap
  June, 2007
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
  Mixing it up with Videomaker Presents - Like the changing technology, Videomaker Presents is moving with the times, and once again we are in the design stages…
• Family Video Help
  June, 2007
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
  Some tips to help you enjoy the fun that you usually only experience after viewing the tapes. It's June; you know what that means: weddings, graduation,…
• Director's Chair: Everyday Masterpieces
  December, 2006
  by Robert G. Nulph, Ph.D
  December - a time of cold and perhaps snow. A few weeks of quiet time before the onrush of the holiday season.
• How to Make a Video Look Like Film
  July, 2006
  by Michael Reff
  How to use movement, lighting, and filters, to make a video look like film.
• Directing: Dual-Role Directing
  June, 2006
  by Dr. Robert G. Nulph
  Multitasking when you are directing is not easy but sometimes necessary. Here are a few suggestions.
• Video Production Tips
  October, 2005
  by Jim Stinson
  Many of the little things that you learn from from a lifetime of planning, directing, editing and producing videos can easily be applied to life as a whole.
• Basic Training: Shoot to Show or to Edit
  September, 2005
  by Randy Hansen
  "Shoot to Show" and "Shoot to Edit" are two different styles requiring different methods of planning. No one knows these techniques better than a run-and-gun&he…
• Edit The Plan: Part 3 of Production Planning
  June, 2005
  by Jim Stinson
  Planning for post-production will re-focus your vision of the program you want and then help you create it with the material you've got.
• Basic Training: What were you THINKING?!
  May, 2005
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
  Have you ever wanted to wrestle a camcorder away from Uncle Buck while at a
• Jargon: Shooting Terms
  February, 2005
  by Charles Fulton
  Shooting Terms
• Shooting HDV
  January, 2005
  by Matthew David Wachsman
  High definition video gives more to the viewer, but it asks more of the shooter. What do you need to know to begin?
• How High the Camera?
  September, 2004
  by Jim Stinson
  Different camera heights serve different purposes and achieve different effects.
• Home Video Hints: How to Use Available Light
  September, 2004
  by Garret C. Maynard
  Available light can be all you need if you patiently think through your options and wisely exploit the location.
• Home Video Hints: Thinking Like an Editor
  August, 2004
  by Garret C. Maynard
  In order to call yourself a professional videographer you need equipment, clients and a good reputation.
• From Shot Lists to Storyboards
  June, 2004
  by Tad Rose
  Organizing your project before you shoot can save you time during the edit stage.
• Camera Exercises
  April, 2004
  by Bill Fisher
  Most amateur athletes practice before actually competing. Why should videographers be any different?
• Quick Focus
  March, 2004
  by Charles Fulton
• Home Video Hints: Common Shooting Mistakes
  February, 2004
  by William Ronat
  Avoid these 10 mistakes to shoot like a pro.
• Shooting for the Final Edit
  November, 2003
  by Brian Pogue
  If you plan to edit your videos, you should shoot them differently.
• 7 Reasons Your Next Camcorder Should Be DV
  September, 2003
  by Charles Bloodworth
  There's nothing wrong with analog camcorders, but there are many good reasons your next camcorder should be digital.
• Directing to Edit
  September, 2003
  by Jim Stinson
  By anticipating your editor's needs and shooting footage to fulfill them, you can help create a better program--and a happier editor.