We're hosting another Basics of Video Production Workshop here in our home town. There is a bit of mystery and danger in this workshop's production. This shot, using a handheld shooting technique, will certainly help build the suspense in their story. It takes good planning and some hard work to put together a short video using the techniques covered in the previous day's lectures. In the end, the trials and errors while working on a full production (planning, shooting, editing) proves to be the most educational. Here's another shot of the team preparing for a special in-camera effect. [image:blog_post:14166] We of course would like to thank our sponsors this year: Sony and Adobe. Sony has provided us with several HDR-FX7 HDV camcorders. Once again this weekend we realized just how well these camcorders can hold detail in the highlights. We shot in some high-contrast wooded areas in broad daylight and didn't have to compromise the exposure as much as we had expected. And, Adobe has provided us with their Production Suite software to edit this story in such little time, which speaks to it's stability and functionality. We're looking forward to seeing the final video. Six more hours in post-production and it should be ready for it's premiere at the office. The rest of you will have to wait a bit longer before it's updated to our YouTube Channel. Go there if you want to see more Workshop created videos– we have fun making them and hopefully you'll enjoy watching them. Last but not least, here's a pic of the video being pieced together in our studio. Editing is so much fun… [image:blog_post:14167]
Essential Learning
How Does Image Stabilization Work?
There are various ways for a videographer to stabilize their footage. If your camera doesn’t need to move, a tripod is ideal. Where camera...
ISO: What It Is and How to Control It
Put simply, ISO is how sensitive to light film stock is. The higher the ISO, the more sensitive your film and the less time...
3 Tips for an Effective Multi-Action-Cam Shoot
The action camera market segment, popularized by GoPro, has made point of view (POV) filmmaking accessible to the masses. There’s something compelling about watching...
When to shoot RAW (and when to skip it)
A RAW image frame is like a film negative — different processing can give you different results.
Choosing the right focal length
We’ve got this picture in our minds of a director holding her fingers up in twin L shapes, one inverted, and peering through the...
How to choose the right frame rate for your epic slow motion sequence
Until recently, directors didn't have a lot of choice in slow motion without highly specialized equipment. 1987's Panaflex Gold II, for example, could only...
10 Shorts every cinematographer needs to see
Orson Welles often had great ideas for movies and then spent years going from studio to studio in Hollywood trying to get someone interested,...
10 vintage lenses to add to your kit: an in-depth investigation
Using vintage lenses lends a unique character to modern images while breathing new life into old glass.
How to Cover an Event in 360
Spherical video has the ability to bring a viewer right into the center of the action, no matter if that’s sports, entertainment, concerts or...
Keeping Up with HDR — No Camera Upgrade Required
We’ve all had those moments in our lives when we are stopped in our tracks by the awe-inspiring beauty of the “now”. Magnificent morning...
5 Tips for Shooting in Log Profiles
Video can be an unforgiving medium, and without proper lighting itâs easy to lose data in both the highlights and the shadows. The most...
The exposure triangle explained
The exposure triangle is the most fundamental concept of image capture, yet many people know little about it. Here is a simple explanation.
Lenses: How does focus work?
If you’re new to shooting video, you may notice that fellow camera geeks like to talk a lot about “glass”. While there are a lot of things made of glass in the video world, there’s only one thing called “glass”: Your camera lens. Here's how it works to produce a useable, in-focus image.
This is How Your Camera’s Lens Produces a Usable Image
In its most basic form, a lens is a piece of glass or plastic with curved surfaces. Lenses are used to bend rays of...
Understanding Bit-depth and Color Rendition for Video
A video camera’s ability to reproduce a smooth gradation between colors and shades is an important factor when seeking to capture filmic images. The...
What is B-roll and how do you shoot it?
One of the most overlooked areas of video production is gathering B-roll footage that tells a compelling story. Here's what B-roll is and it's so important.
How to Choose the Right SD Card
SD stands for “Secure Digital” — it’s a technical specification published in the waning years of the 20th century, created by three digital giants:...
How to create a stunning timelapse — even in changing light
One of the great things that timelapse video can do is show us our world in a way that’s impossible or very difficult for...
What is composition and why is it essential in filmmaking?
There are actually shapes and alignments that people find pleasing. But photo and film composition also needs to tell a story.
How to Get Started with 360-degree Video
Within the last few years the video industry has seen the emergence of a handful of new techniques, technologies and methodologies. Aerial videography has...