DSLR Video Tips and Tricks

In advertising and marketing there is a technique used for estimating product life cycle and sales called the "Adoption Curve". This technique estimates likely take up of the product by segmenting customers into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. 

Explaining this technique by way of example on the take up of DSLR for film and video, that would place Vincent Laforet ( http://blog.vincentlaforet.com/ ) as an innovator, Philip Bloom (http://philipbloom.net/) as an early adopter, those shooting DSLR from late 2009/early 2010 as early majority, etc. Acquiring a Canon Rebel T2i in 2011 and only using it for video in early 2012 places me firmly in laggard territory. 

There are benefits no matter which category you are in. The named individuals have gone on to get significant internet following with associated sponsorship deals for their advice and guidance on how to make the best use of the DSLR for film having been the first professionals to use the products for such. Personally, being firmly at the back of the queue, the benefit for me has been learning from everyone else's mistakes.

Whilst I have been wedded to ENG style video cameras the move to DSLR for music video and film-like aesthetic has required that I undertake some research into this area. Thanks to Youtube and Vimeo there are a lot of great tutorials out there for everyone from beginners to intermediate and even those "gettin' paid". 

Here is a play-list of short video tutorials http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLz5hmAGOJ9oUluiub-51A5rLc_G4CRQSH  that have grabbed my attention since acquiring a 7D and more recently the 5D MkIII. The clips include tips and tricks for capturing shots; setting up your camera; lighting techniques and sound. Anyone from holiday/family shooters to the seasoned wedding video pro would benefit from them.

As a self confessed laggard a rule I adopt is 'don't reinvent the wheel?'. When there are so many great free tutorials out there with people willing to share their ideas all that is needed is to invest some time to watch. What a great way to fill commuter time.

Happy viewing.

One Direction

It's been a fairly hectic October/November period. I completed and delivered the first in a series of edits for a three day music show. Almost there with the remaining products due for DVD release. I was also at 'World Travel Market' (WTM) doing a corporate shoot for an international exhibitor and in between working with a youth TV project for the fifth season of a magazine type show due to be aired in spring 2014. I have been directing the film crew on location for a few episodes.

Self Shooter v Director
Taking a brief from the producer one has to ensure that the key content required is captured to broadcast standard. One has freedom to make the shots as visually enticing which I like. Being a self-shooter in the most part, the latter is right up my street. Although I have worked in collaboration with one or two others, directing a full crew has provided a different experience and one I'll cherish for several reasons.

The multiple role of a self shooter is often ignored, not only by the client but the shooter themselves. Everything from concept, research, location survey and recce to sound engineering, interviewing, directing and editing is undertaken by a single individual.This certainly has its advantages in terms of speed, flexibility and reduced costs. The disadvantages are often the compromises made, especially the legal minefield that broadcasters are so cautious about.

As a self shooter it is tempting to throw caution to the wind regarding location recording and what many of my peers pride themselves on, 'guerilla' shooting. Ambient music, posters and advertising logos may creep into a production for web or client content but for broadcast this is certainly not to be overlooked and therefore something that the Director has to be mindful of.

Managing a team of young adults on set or location requires diplomacy, constant approval and respecting the different roles played by each of the team. I must confess that I paid most attention to the sound engineer and may have reminded the presenter/interviewer one too many times that nodding acknowledgement was preferable to "mmm".

Balancing time constraints with framing the right shot and correct lighting is the most challenging. For a team or crew, time is money and often the talent and subject have limited time available. On occasion surroundings were challenging with unsightly clutter or white walled backgrounds (shadows). Even on location the cameraman may offer alternatives from his/her experience which you have to choose to accept or go by your artistic principles when directing. As a self shooter the flexibility of a quick turn or change of angle could remedy problems. Equally being responsible for the edit means you know how far you can push things and make them work in post. Filming for someone else you remain aware that your work will be judged differently.

Ultimately working as either a self shooter or part of a crew, you have to be clear about your role and responsibilities, be confident and deliver the product accordingly. The foundation for this ... a well devised and articulated plan which you do your utmost to stick to.

Canon 5d Mk III
I used the 5d at the WTM shoot. I found the small form ideal for manoeuvrability and getting artistic cutaways. Some prior practice and preparation balancing the Zoom H4N line out with the camera input also meant that sound capture was great and in stereo.

A few rushes of day 1 were prepared in the evening for broadcast on the client's local channels (their time zone being some four hours behind GMT).  The client was pleasantly surprised and most happy with the image quality having some prejudgements about size and quality.

Now let me get back to that music show edit.

T
  

Canon 5d Mk III and Atomos Ninja 2

I've succumbed! Full frame frame DSLR and an external recorder acquired this month in the form of the Canon 5d Mk III and Atomos Ninja 2. Shall we call it my early birthday present?

I had considered the Canon C100 but three things affected my decision - price, price and flexibility. Whilst I've read good reviews of the C100 it seems it really needs an external recorder like the Ninja 2 for recording footage that can be better manipulated during editing and grading.

The stock 5d MkIII camera body costs 50% less than that of the C100! Also affecting price were additions to both cameras that I would have to purchase which would push the budget upwards.

Ideally for the creative process, footage should be captured with as much colour resolution as possible for manipulation in post (edit, motion graphics and colour grading). Both units capture footage in 4:2:0 only. 4:2:0 retains only quarter the colour (Chroma) data of the luma for any given resolution. 4:2:2 has half the colour resolution.

4:2:0 may generally look good to the eye, but if you need to do heavy manipulation, like green screen, it can result in distortion around objects. This becomes increasingly noticeable with high contrast coloured areas when using graphics and titles. This is where the Ninja 2 field recorder comes into play as it records 4:2:2. There are many other benefits which I won't go into now but you can check them out here ... Canon 5d mark III firmware (hdmi output) and the atomos-ninja 2 recorder.

The Mk III offers significant flexibility in that not only can stills be captured alongside video but the much hyped break through in RAW video capture, means that there may be a further aspect of longevity for the 5D over and above the C100. Of course, full frame is another key factor.

I took the bare bones 5D out to test this week for a corporate shoot. The environment required a more 'run and gun' set up for cutaways, etc. I used the camera with 20-70mm zoom lens and a monopod. For interviews a tripod. No need to state that the footage looks great but I feel this type of situation may have been an area more suited to the C100. 

For controlled environments like music videos and film shorts, etc., I'm really looking forward to the Mark III/Ninja 2 experience.

T

Resolutions, Broken Promises and the Elusive Work / Life Balance

When I promised I would try to write a piece for this site at least twice a month as part of my new year resolution it was on the back of seemingly getting over a significant project at work. 

This project had required so much of my time and energy I did not even get to take my full year's annual leave. I had to take forward 13 days to the new performance year and lost three in the process. Having secured a promotion at the turn of the year,  the day job has once again eaten into my personal life. So much so that at times I have little energy to focus on my passion for filming.

How can it be a passion when I am too tired for it? Filming and editing requires some of the most intricate and time consuming techniques and like the day of an exam one's mind should always be rested and relaxed when engaging the process. Like chief officers and staff, the edit is demanding and unforgiving. Unlike work, however, the rewards for completing a digital media project are extremely self gratifying.

I write this note whilst I await the full render of that music video I've been telling you about. The base / underlying performance is now on the time line with different POVs and cuts and the artiste lip synced. I'm just about to edit in two cutaway stories.

If I do say so myself ... the visuals look great. Another weekend and it'll be finished.

By the way I took two of my days leave to get this far. The weekend ... well I played/DJ'd a diplomats gig. It was great but I kept on thinking about the video. Must be out this summer. Not a promise just a need for gratification

T

Want great video? It's all in the edit ... er ... no!

Fantastic shoot, great footage and logged/transferred to FCP. Not much left to do completing the video, right? Well, er ... no. In fact the serious work has just begun. The organising.

Not many people appreciate the amount of effort from an editing perspective that has to go into any creative piece such as a music video. Yes you could put two cameras on a live band and switch between angles and close ups but I think we would all get pretty bored having seen that so many times. Unless of course the music it is promoting is really great, in which case footage of a goat grazing in a field could be used. But the edit is only the final part of the jigsaw.

With the temperature averaging just above freezing over the past few days in January my evenings after work and the weekends have been spent reviewing footage, laying out the main clips and testing effects and looks that will add that bit of fairy dust. In fact my plans are always:

First step
- log and capture/transfer: depending on tape or card;
- identifying best takes;
- naming the files;
- organising them into appropriate bins;
- Colour coding fro best takes references

Second step
- reference to the storyboard (for a music video usually reference to the song, unless one is really arty and does a contrast),
- identify the best performance clips of the artiste (it is their promo after all ),
- choose the cut away shots that reference the story,

Third step
- ensure that all shots selected are well composed and recompose where necessary using basic motion,
- basic colour correction and white balance if required

Fourth step
- the above may already include some insertion to the time-line,
- if not, set up the sequence including compression settings,
- ensure syncing to the music
- identify edit points/cut ins by placing markers on rhythmic points  along the time-line
- insert clips to time-line (moving around clips, etc to taste, look and feel)
- duplicate the sequence (tip after every change 'save' and after every major edit duplicate). This means you always have a back up should you make a major error.

Fifth step
- take a break

And that's what I did. In fact I went to Trinidad for Carnival 2013. More of which next ...

T

February ... I blinked and missed it

Looks like my new year resolution was broken after the first month. I wanted to keep my entries to this blog weekly but failed miserably in month two, February. I've got a good excuse and I'm sticking to it. A dirty four letter word with an o and a k in it ... WORK.

The video work which is taking over more of my life than I expected. During February we arranged to complete the last days filming for my music video which included shots in the Caribbean. We also were planning the edit and organising some of the footage already taken.

So I went on my annual pilgrimage to Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival 2013. It was awesome! I took for company my Canons 7D and 600D as well as 24-70mm USM II lens and a nifty fifty. I also took along a shoulder rig, filters and Macbook for ingesting and storing files. Collectively they weighed more than my usual Z1 stuff. However, the quality of footage captured made up for all the hassle received at customs and bruises on my shoulders.

There were three phases to my holiday. The video shoot, the parties and the carnival shoot.

For the video shoot and for continuity we used the 7D and the zoom lens to get some tropical and beach shots. The artiste wasn't in the mood on the morning I met her and she decided that to relax the vodka I had would be her breakfast, lunch and ... well there was none left for dinner. Rock-star stuff but it worked. We got some marvellous shots and I hope the final edit proves that. Can't wait to get that finished this month.

The parties aka fetes were great! A little expensive ... but great. Army, Shades, Beach House, Soca Monarch, Calypso Monarch, etc. were all fantastic. On nights where I did not go to parties "the Avenue" (formally known as Ariapita Avenue) is the place to hang with its Uptown Bars and nightlife.

I got an idea for a documentary whilst there and tried out my three key questions on a few friends. The answers they provided gave me confidence that I had a good basis for a documentary. I took along the 600D with the nifty and an EV eng mic to the Avenue and interviewed a few of the local people. I also took that camera with me most places to get cut away shots, etc. The low light shots gave me incredible satisfaction.

I also got a nudge from a friend who belongs to the committee of one of the masquerade bands, Bliss, that it would be possible to have exclusive access to the band whilst they were on the road for Carnival Monday and Tuesday. How could I miss such an opportunity? A phone call and visit to the office to share my credentials resulted in a media pass and identification T shirts.

It was an enjoyable experience having the opportunity to have such unfettered access and the resulting footage was magnificent. Well you can judge for yourself here .... Savage Tuesday (Diary of a Mas Band) This was filmed using the 600D and the zoom lens with shoulder rig. The viewfinder helped greatly with the framing of shots and positioning of the camera at low angles, something that would not have been possible with the 7D.

Overall a great holiday with my DSLRs and a productive February 2013. Music Video and Olympic edits my work for March ... all work and no play.

Tony

Best Video Camera 2013

One of the music producers credited with influencing the art significantly in the 20th century is Lee 'Scratch' Perry. Having started his apprenticeship with Jamaica's Studio One and Coxsone Dodd in the late 60s, he later moved to Amalgamated Records, Joe Gibbs Studio around 1970. Any student of Dub, Dance and of late Dub Step will inform you that Perry's use of the effects unit of the time, the echo chamber, and basic two and four track mixer/tape recorders were stretched to the limit to produce some of the most innovative sounds of the time. This included sampling which we take very much for granted today. His development of reggae music through remixes, dubs and overdubs was done out of necessity. And, necessity is the mother of invention.

Having access to a couple pieces of basic equipment: a mic, echo unit, a mixer and recorder; and no means of updating at a time when reggae and other recorded music tastes were developing at a rate of knots, Perry was inclined to experiment in order to keep up with the pace set by other hungry musicians and producers looking to break into the market.

I recalled the story of Perry when I consider the access to the equipment many of us have at our disposal today. Yet, we neither learn to master them nor maximise on their potential before we move on to the next and latest bit of gear.

I wonder what he would have produced with a 16 track digital desk hooked up by lightpipe or firewire to Pro Tools or Cubase on a Mac Pro with in excess of 150 virtual tracks and unlimited effects? Having access to both inboard and outboard gear and various microphone options would have created what new sound? Let's say he had an HDV camcorder or two or even a DSLR, what movies would be in the offing? Given that he was into production, then editing may have been his thing, what masterpieces would he have created with FCP 5/6/7 or Premiere? Such resources are available in many homes now.

With regard to film and video. The new range of Sony F cameras look great. So do the more affordable Canon C series. Panasonic's about to deliver another bargain buster upgrade to the AF101. The recession may have many wondering how to afford these updates. Can the serious hobbyists keep up with the small production units? Is DSLR still relevant? Should I cash in on my old tape based camcorder?

Stop!

What would Scratch do?

Well by example he has shown that the best equipment is what you have right now at your disposal. Before you make that next purchase or upgrade have you made the best possible production with the resources you already have? For a benchmark just do a web search and put in best production with camera x or camera y or lens x or y or mixer x or y. You'll be surprised at the awards, commendations and commercial success many have had with the same equipment you have within your grasp right now. Challenge yourself, be creative with what you have and you'll be the richer for it in more ways than one.

T

Zoom Lens for DSLR Filming? Anathema!

Having cropped sensor Canon DSLRs in the form of the 600D and the 7D I've acquired a range of budget and pro spec lenses. I mostly have primes for shooting video/film in the form of the Tokina 35mm, Canon's 24mm f1.4 and 50mm f1.4/f1.8 variants. The Tokina 11-16 wide zoom is in there too.

In preparation for my video shoot I took the Canon 7D on test with these range of lenses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey-npUSM1Po&feature=share&list=UUFCN1av1-tVLnhT8P0Y3LbQ The settings in camera were neutral with sharpness, contrast and saturation tuned down - usual dslr settings for film. Now whilst I got some great images and clean shots something was missing. The images appeared just a little soft and in grading colours did not pop as I would have liked. And this may of-course been due to low light conditions.But I couldn't help but feel something was missing.

Having continually read during research on filming with DSLRs that its not the camera but the lens that is important, I decided to push the boat out and acquire a good (and what I call) all rounder. What I really needed in my arsenal was a mid-range zoom. Options included the 24-105mm L lens or the 24-70mm f2.8L. Either would be my first foray for an L branded lens. Had I gone on price alone, the longer range lens would seemingly offer a better deal at £580. However, at the time of purchasing Canon just released the usm II version of the 24-70. All reviews, including those from trusted sources such as Ken Rockwell (http://www.kenrockwell.com) and Michael Maven (http://michaelthemaven.com) indicated this new generation of lens was the one to get.

With the lens costing almost double the camera it was going on at £1470, best price was an important aspect of the purchasing decision too. DigitalRev provided the best "trusted source to price ratio" (TSPR). I purchased from them before via Ebay though this time I shopped direct (http://www.digitalrev.com). A security email and response within 24 hours and the lens arrived 4 days later.

To say that I am blown away with its performance is an understatement. Both for photography and filming it is the first lens in the bag. And each time I use it I get more impressed. I have been reviewing some of the music video footage we shot using it paired with the Canon 7D. In post, even under extreme magnification and zooming, the images remain sharp. In fact there is little need to add sharpening back in post despite it being reduced in camera. Colour needs little if any correction and so time spent on grading is for artistic reasons only - look and feel.

We take it out on Day 3 of the video shoot tomorrow and I am looking forward to the day, if for no other reason than to continue putting this lens through it's paces.

My prime lenses remain relevant, I continue to be impressed by the Tokina 35mm especially for portrait and close ups. However, with constant f2.8 throughout the focal range, the latest Canon 24-70mm incarnation offers a very useful option especially for travelling light.