[fuent104]

GH4 no comment

I'm not sure how that's helpful to Julie, even though it looks amazing...

[Na Horuk]

Those links that show amazing video taken with small cameras and phones mostly point out one thing, though: how important the setup is.
Those were very meticulously planned shots, with a lot of supporting gear, done by professionals with a lot of experience. Its too bad that it makes people think "I just need that camera and my videos will look the same" - not without a lot of work they wont!

[Steve.Ledger]

+1
Exactly!

[osv]

So, cutting to the chase...

I need to shoot a video, about 10 minutes long, the finished project is going to be uploaded to YouTube.

How I shoot, what I shoot, and what gear I use is totally up to me... but the problem, I am a PHOTOgrapher, not VIDEOgrapher.
I don't know squat about video...

i was already shooting and selling videos before i took telecommunications classes, but i still learned a whole lot in school... since we don't have any idea what your production limitations and goals are, i'll prepare you for the worst case:

1) script is the single most important part of any production - see the "professional writer's teleplay/screenplay format", by the writers guild of america, and "the elements of style", by strunk & white.

2) make up a shot list

3) since you'll be using dslr equipment, you'll be limited to shooting in film-style mode... google it, understand it, and this may help, also look at the links on the side of the page:
Documentaries Defined on Vimeo Video School on Vimeo

4) get it shot, then come back here and talk about how to edit it.

good luck! it'll be a blast!!

[jameskaudie]

I'm not a video pro by any means but i started getting into DSLR's with a focus on video.

Some of these are repeats but here you go:

Shooting tips:
- For action shots use as high a shutter rate as possible to catch all the action. (CORRECTION: Aim for a higher shutter speed not necessarily as high as possible. Acknowledgement to Tom here)
- For standard shots like cinema style shots your shutter wants to be twice your frame rate or as close as possible. (Example: 24fps, 1/48 shutter speed)
- ISO in video is a lot less tolerant than in photo. I would stay below 800 ISO and even then you might need to noise correct in post (whole other topic)
- When shooting outdoors, cloudy days are your friend. Like a giant light diffuser for free!
- If you can, use a tripod and take still or panning shots. Try to avoid handheld unless your a robot it'll look low-q

That's all i got for now! I'll add more later if i think up some stuff

[TomGarn]

Yes to all ... but this, your point, is a little overconstructed:

- For action shots use as high a shutter rate as possible to catch all the action.

This job the shutter has to do is to shorten the exposure-time in bright light.
If the camera would keep going with 1/50 or 1/60 as usual even closing the iris
to f:32 would not be enough to prevent snow-blindness ... so shutter-speed rises.

High speed & more frames is only a wanted gimmick when you need to record
sports or a flying bullet ... and play back that movie in slow motion and watch sharp
images then ... Here mjpeg may be the best code // single frames uncompressed,
or some real RAW codec

So to stay with f:5,6 / 8 and 11 at the most - the only alternative is to use ND-filters.
For video I bought filter NDx4 and NDx16 (different ways to call it) which pulls down
2 or 4 stops. (Grey filter = Neutral Density)
In case of blue skies at the northpole I would have to use both filters stacked - that's
a NDx64 - Better result will be ONE filter only (remember NDx4 plus NDx16 is NDx64)
This will cover 6 stops now
For photo-mode you may even get a NDx1000 which is about 10 stops - so you can
travel to mild landscapes of milk and honey (twilight zone ?) in full daylight ~ ~ ~

[jameskaudie]

Yes to all ... but this, your point, is a little overconstructed:

This job the shutter has to do is to shorten the exposure-time in bright light.
If the camera would keep going with 1/50 or 1/60 as usual even closing the iris
to f:32 would not be enough to prevent snow-blindness ... so shutter-speed rises.

High speed & more frames is only a wanted gimmick when you need to record
sports or a flying bullet ... and play back that movie in slow motion

You're right. It was a little over constructed. I wanted to keep it simple for a video new comer, but your explanation is very good.

I would disagree that it is a 'gimick' though. There are times where i would down the fstop in order to maintain a high shutter speed for fast scenes with running and trying to follow motion. Perhaps 1/4000 wudn't be necessary. But i do like 1/250 and 1/500.

I believe it's a method used in some box office movies ("300"'s fight scenes if i recall correctly?)

Either way, easiest way is to actually test out a shot and see what feels good to each videographer haha.

[kadajawi]

You're right. It was a little over constructed. I wanted to keep it simple for a video new comer, but your explanation is very good.

I would disagree that it is a 'gimick' though. There are times where i would down the fstop in order to maintain a high shutter speed for fast scenes with running and trying to follow motion. Perhaps 1/4000 wudn't be necessary. But i do like 1/250 and 1/500.

I believe it's a method used in some box office movies ("300"'s fight scenes if i recall correctly?)

Either way, easiest way is to actually test out a shot and see what feels good to each videographer haha.

I on the other hand often times don't like that chopped off look. It can work in action scenes (most notably Saving Private Ryan), but it is quite startling and doesn't look very natural. If that is what you want, go ahead. I personally prefer conveying a sense of motion by having motion blur... well, depending on the scene.

[fuent104]

I'm curious - how did this all turn out for the original poster?

[Buceemie]

Buy and read the book How to Shoot Video That Doesn't Suck

[Julie]

I'm curious - how did this all turn out for the original poster?

First we needed to get the group together, script written, costumes, props, locations, supplies... we will be filming next week. I know, I did ask this question WAAAAAY in advance.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions everyone, greatly appreciated!

[fuent104]

Good luck, Julie! Keep us posted. If you have any more questions before your shoot, feel free to ask.

[PiDicus Rex]

I'm reading through this thread, and will add a 2cents worth here and there as I go.
(Only just found the thread,..)
Na Horuk and fuent104 have already covered most of the key points, I'll be trying to add in to any gaps I see as I read.

First up, Julie, it is amazing that you recognise this -

I am a PHOTOgrapher, not VIDEOgrapher.

I have to repeatedly explain to some people I work with, that there is a different mind-set to shooting photos compared to shooting video.
I firmly believe that a good photographer and a good videographer can both take good photos and videos, but at the extremes, where one begins to compare great photographers and cinematographers, because of the singular dedication needed to master their aspect of the craft, they are likely to be less then adequate when doing things on the other end of the scale.

A good photographer may not be any good at all with video, just as a good cinematographer can suck at taking photos.


Right, tips,..
First, as said by others, turn off AF, and turn off the SR. Use the camera on a tripod or a shoulder-mount rig.

On the K-01, using natural light, go no higher then 800 ISO - the CoDec falls apart quickly in the dark areas if the ISO is too high.

Shutter Speed,. As a rule, stick with multiples of the frame rate - I'm in Australia, so I shoot at 25fps, and have the shutter set to 50 for general drama, 100 for drama with walking about, 200, 250, 400and 500 for motorsport.
If I'm dropping to 1280x720 to shoot at 50fps for a slo-mo, 100 is my minimum speed.
Now, on the K-01, you can get away with other shutter speeds, just be aware that it may cause flickering in the image on playback.

2. Create a detailed shot list and schedule before your shoot.

Plan. Plan, plan, plan and once your done, plan more!
You can never be over prepared or spend too much time laying out what you want to achieve and writing down a shot list.

For that matter, cut n paste fuent104's tips there to print out and leave a copy inside your notes for the shoot.

Shoot FullHD.

Always shoot at the highest format you can for any production, even if your delivery platform is 'only' YouTube or DVD, footage shot in HD and resized down to SD will always look better then that shot in SD on identical equipment.
( Caveat is, if you compare Consumer Handicam HD to Broadcast ENG camera SD, the ENG camera will kill it... But also be 10 to 20 times more expensive to buy)

Kadajawi is also spot on with the Practice comment - just always have the camera with you and point it at anything interesting, review later and see what you liked and what you didn't.


Composition,... Yes, Rule of Thirds and the Golden section (Fibonachi spiral) are apply-able, but,.. Content and Story are always more important then following the rules.

Biggest, and easiest to screw up for beginners, is 'Crossing the Line'

For dialog or interviews, have two people face each other, draw and imaginary line from one to the other, and continue that line out to the walls (or infinity) of your shooting location.
Now, choose one side of that line, and shoot everything from that side.
This will put one person in the left corner of frame when the other is talking, and will put the second person in the right side of frame when the first is talking.

As every rule has and exception - You can't Cross the Line, But you can dance around it. ( Not For Beginners! )
In the example above, if you need to introduce an element to the Right side of the person who was in the left corner of the frame initially, you can start a shot of that person with the second in the right corner, and then slide the camera behind the second person to put them on the left and the new element in the center of the frame.

Reading further,.. Tom and James points about ND filters and shutter speeds are good guides. And they lead to lighting and exposure.
For greatest flexibility in colour grading and to reduce image noise, you want to keep the vast majority of what the camera sees well inside it's dynamic range, that is, nothing underexposed of overexposed.
Adding ND's when your shooting outdoors in daylight is one solution to limiting the brightest objects, so is using 'Silks' to shade and diffuse the the light on the subjects.

A 'Fleckie' is a hand held bounce to reflect more light at the subject, a lot of Fleckie kits come bundled with Silver, Gold, White, Half Gold Half White, reflective surfaces, and with a Diffuser as the center element the reflectors are zipped around.
A Fleckie can also be used to add extra light in to dark areas of a frame - a shaded doorway or under a bridge - so that that section of the frame is no longer under exposed compared to the rest of the frame.

I prefer to shoot with Incandescent lights (rather then Fluro's and LEDs), and use a Lee filter kit to control colour balance, diffusion, etc etc.
Running a lighting dimmer can help you balance between what is under exposed and over exposed - a scene with a person lying in bed watching TV with a bedside lamp on, and in the shot, you can set the exposure so the lamp is the upper limit of the dynamic range, then have a Redhead ( 800watt incandescent light at 3200Kelvin ) bounced off multiple walls and set to a level that adds just enough light to stop any area of the frame being underexposed.
The scene will still be dark enough to match the mood or feel, but when it comes to colour-grading in the edit, you can choose what areas of the frame to darken of lighten without breaking the CoDec in to blotchy patterns on the screen.


Lenses, Focusing, and Actors.
A roll of Red and a roll of Yellow electrical tape are your best friends now, followed closely by a white 4B pencil.
(Or as many colours as you have performers - they get one colour each / Presumes you don't own a follow-focus rig)

Get the actors to practice where they are walk through a scene several times.
Then get them to do it slowly. As they go, wherever they stop for more then a few seconds, put a mark on the floor with a few inches of tape.

Now you can get someone to stand on those marks, and can ( carefully!! ) mark on the lens barrel with the white pencil a set of focus points, relating to where each target point in the scene as sharp focus using the expanded focus in the LCD.
( On a feature film, this would be done with tape measure or laser measures, but the lens markings used on those sorts of lenses are far more accurate then almost any SLR lens. )
If you can, get an assistant to Pull Focus while you concentrate on the framing.
And for multiple Focus Pulls, add a number next to the mark to indicate which order to hit the marks in.


Tripods and Stability - the longer the arm is, the smaller the increment you can pan or tilt smoothly.
Get a tripod with a bowl head if you can, or a spirit level guide to be able to set the tripod head square to the ground.

The wider a lens is, the less shake and wobble it will show when used handheld.
When working handheld with no camera rig, tuck your elbows in to your body and twist from the waist or spin on your feet - this will stop your hands wobbling left to right or up and down.


Clapper Boards,... Get one, or get the App for your Tablet.
Everytime you push record, that Clapper board should already be in the center of your frame.
Your editor will love you for this, as it means every shot will have the correct shot/angle/take/roll numbers and information right there on the screen, so if your notes go missing, the data is where the editor can find it.

Also on Clapper boards - use the ones with the coloured bars if you're using a real clapper and not the apps. Those colours are reference colours for the Colour Grading to use.

Before each scene, stick a colour reference board in front of the camera and record a few seconds footage - again this is reference for the Grader.


Editing.
Choice of NLE program is user subjective, my preference is for Edius, others can recommend Vegas, Premiere, FCP-X, AVID.
Use which ever program makes sense to you. Start with iMovie or Windows Live Movie Maker, you will figure out quickly when you need to move on to something bigger and better.
To begin with, concentrate on just straight cut edits.
Then learn what L and J cuts are.

Once you've got a draft done, play it with the sound off, if it seems to drag, it's too long.
Try playing edits in reverse, if they look right going forwards and backwards, they usually are right.

Now, for editing, here's the biggy.

Get up and walk away from it on a regular basis - besides the leg cramps and bug eyes, your mind will need a break from it. You will see more about what's right and wrong with an edit if you are looking at it with fresh eyes.

[Julie]

We're finally done, guys! Thanks for all the help!

If you want to watch it, here it is. Filmed with K01 + DA 40 & DAL 18-55 and K30 + DA* 55, edited entirely in Windows Live Movie Maker.

In case you don't understand what the whole thing is about, then in a nutshell:

School project that we were assigned to do as a final for AP Lit. We got characters assigned from novels that we've read (in this case, Bump from Malamud's The Natural, Avdotya Raskolnikov from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, and the Fool from Shakespear's King Lear). We were also assigned a random setting and some elements that needed to be incorporated into the video (Saw Doctors meet and greet, a peculiar sense of smell, and a time traveling character). So if it doesn't make any sense to you guys, I guess it's fine... the audience viewing it should know what's up because they were supposed to have read these works too.

And btw, it looks quite nice when you watch it full 1080HD; worth waiting for it to load!

You Tube

You Tube

[PiDicus Rex]

We got characters assigned from novels that we've read (in this case, Bump from Malamud's The Natural, Avdotya Raskolnikov from Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment, and the Fool from Shakespear's King Lear). We were also assigned a random setting and some elements that needed to be incorporated into the video (Saw Doctors meet and greet, a peculiar sense of smell, and a time traveling character). So if it doesn't make any sense to you guys, I guess it's fine...

That's no less of a challenge the the conditions for "48 hour film" competitions.

Watching, it's making me smile.

So, can we tear it apart on a technical level as a session in "Pentax Forum's How To Make Better Videos" course?

First hint,... you need a tripod with a fluid head if you're going to be making more videos.
Photographic heads are great for stills, but they don't pan or tilt smoothly.