Focus Articles

• Challenges of HD
• Focus Pulling
• Follow Focus
• Rack Focus

• In Box
  August, 2007
  by the Editors
  Readers' letters
• Basic Training: Composition 102: Part 2
  October, 2006
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Beauty might be in the eye of the beholder, but a great photo is due to well-executed and thought-out composition. Take your seats, it's time for the…
• Depth of Field Demystified
  October, 2006
  by Tony Bruno
  How to manipulate the viewer into watching one portion of your movie, while other events continue along in the scene.
• Basic Training: Shoot Yourself!
  February, 2006
  by Kyle Cassidy
  If you visit a Hollywood film production, or sit through its credits, you know it takes busloads of people to get the production in the can. But what if you&hel…
• Basic Training: Lenses - The Long and Short
  November, 2005
  by Jim Stinson
  Wide-angle and telephoto lenses render images differently from the way we naturally see things. Skilled videographers can exploit these differences to create…
• Roll 'Em!
  January, 2005
  by Jim Stinson
  The world is full of rolling stock, just waiting for you to ride it while you shoot amazing moving shots.
• Basic Training: Camera Magic
  January, 2005
  by Dr. Robert G. Nulph
  All the tricks and techniques of in-camera effects that take your ho-hum video from the ordinary to the brilliant with these savvy shooter's tips.
• A Focus on Focus
  May, 2004
  by Gene Bjerke
  Focus is much more than just getting a technically sharp image.
• Shooting for Compression
  September, 2003
  by Dave Tainer
  If your work will be viewed on the Internet, you need to shoot with compression in mind.
• A Shot in the Dark
  May, 2003
  by Michael Joseph Kelley
  Six Tips (and a Few Cautions) for Shooting Video at Night
• Picture This
  August, 2006
  by Michael Fitzer
  A basic understanding of the rules of composition will help you frame for maximum impact and ultimately enhance the outcome of your finished piece.
• Basic Training: The 9 Classic Camera Moves
  April, 2005
  by Brian Schaller
  Camera moves can make your project look super professional or incredibly amateurish depending on how well you use them.
• 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?
• Getting Started: Auto vs. Manual
  March, 1996
  by Jim Stinson
  If better-looking video is your goal, maybe it's time you took control.
• Getting Started: Don't Get Fooled Again: The Power of Manual Control
  February, 1998
  by Dave Welton
  Put yourself in control of your camcorder's automatic features.
• In Box
  July, 1998
  by Karen Director
• Getting Started: Your Camcorder's Buttons
  January, 2000
  by Arthur Aiello
  What do all those buttons do, anyway?
• Getting Started: Focal Techniques
  August, 2000
  by Arthur Aiello
  Making focus work to your advantage is a key part of producing good video.
• Put a Little Depth into Your Field
  January, 2001
  by Gene Bjerke
  Learn how to use your lens to create and control depth of field.