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DSLR Video: High End Looks on a Middle Class Budget

Goals of session

‣ Benefits DSLR cameras

‣ Gear selection

‣ Planning for the shoot

‣ Exposing the shot

‣ The editing process

From Still to Motion‣ A photographer’s guide to creating video

with your DSLR

‣ Full color case study with hands-on activities

‣ 6+ hours of training videos

‣ www.peachpit.com/stilltomotion

‣ Free sample – tinyurl.com/fs2msample

‣ 35% Off with Code TOMOTION (order from peachpit.com)

Why Shoot DSLR VideoThe Benefits of DSLR Video

AESTHETIC BENEFITS

‣ Great Depth of Field

‣ Filmic Image

‣ Creatively Invigorating

‣ Smaller Profile

.Depth of Field

.Depth of Field

Depth of Field

FILMIC IMAGE

.FILMIC IMAGE

FILMIC IMAGE

Technical Benefits

‣ Lens Selection

‣ Lowlight Performance

‣ Smaller Profile

‣ Tapeless Workflow

LENS SELECTION

LENS SELECTION

LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE

LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE

LOW LIGHT PERFORMANCE

.Smaller Profile

Smaller Profile

Smaller Profile

TAPELESS WORKFLOW

TAPELESS WORKFLOW

TAPELESS WORKFLOW

THe CONS

‣ Tapeless Workflow

‣ Sync Sound Workflow

‣ Add-on Gear Essential

‣ New Skills

TAPELESS WORKFLOW

SYNC SOUND WORKFLOW

SYNC SOUND WORKFLOW

ADD ON GEAR ESSENTIAL

ADD ON GEAR ESSENTIAL

Selecting a Camera BodyWhat to Choose When It’s Video You Want

Selecting a Camera Body‣ Which video enabled DSLR you choose

is largely a matter of personal preference

‣ We highly recommend you actually try out or test a camera before deciding on purchasing it

‣ You can't do much with the footage if the camera doesn’t shoot the frame rate or resolution that your project requires

Ergonomics

‣ How the camera feels in your hands is an important part of choosing a video enabled DSLR.

‣ Size – The body you choose should fit your hands well.

‣ Weight – Pro bodies (or bodies that have battery grips installed) tend to be heavier which provides a nice counter balance to longer lenses.

Sensor Resolution

‣ When it comes to sensor resolution and video, don't let the megapixel count influence your choice of a camera body.

‣ Choose a camera body that meets the megapixel requirements of your still images and don’t worry about sensor resolution for video.

‣ The 21.1 megapixel Canon 5D MKII that has a max resolution of 5616 x 3744 when taking still photos.

‣ When shooting video at 1920 x 1080, your effective megapixel count is only 2.1 megapixels!

Full Frame Vs. Cropped Sensors‣ A full frame sensor is one that matches

the size of a 35mm film frame and the sensor is approximately 36mm x 24mm.

‣ Manufactures like Canon, Nikon and Panasonic have different sizes for their cropped sensors or smaller sensors but generally adhere to standardized sizes based on the APS (advanced photo system).

‣ Cropped (or smaller) sensors multiply the focal range of any given lens.

Full Frame Vs. Cropped Sensors‣ As a general rule of thumb, the larger

the sensor the greater the influence on depth of field (DOF).

‣ Put simply, a larger sensor will allow you to blur the background easier than a smaller sensor with the same lens.

‣ A driving force in the popularity of video DSLRs is that their sensors are gigantic. Those large sensors allow for a much greater control in the depth of field (which many equate to a cinematic look).

Crop Factors

‣ 1.3 – Crop factor used by Canon on some of their 1-series bodies that use a APS – H sensor like the 1D Mark

‣ 1.5 – Crop factor is employed by Nikon for all of its non-full frame

‣ 1.6 – This crop factor is used by Canon for their APS-C bodies like the 7D and the Digital Rebel

‣ 2.0 – A large crop factor ratio that’s used by Micro Four Thirds image sensors like the one featured on the Panasonic Lumix GH1 DSLR

Frame Rate Options

‣ 60 fps (59.94 fps)Common frame rate for 720p HD Can be used for overcranking

‣ 30 fps (really 29.97 fps)The most common frame rate for broadcast in the U.S. and other

‣ 25 fps The common frame rate of video used in Europe and around the world that use the PAL standard.

‣ 24 fps (23.98 fps) A rate that closely matches that of film

Frame Rate Options

‣ For footage that mimics film, a good choice is to record 24 (23.98) fps

‣ For footage that is going to be used for broadcast 30 (29.97) fps is a good choice (1920 x 1080)

‣ If working with the Phase Alternating Line (PAL) standard, you’ll use 25fps.

‣ For footage shot 1280 x 720, then 60 (59.94) fps is the best choice for broadcast in NTSC based countries and 50 fps for PAL countries.

Recording Length Limitations‣ Most video enabled DSLRs format their

memory cards using the Windows FAT 32 file system.

‣ This system limits files to 4GB or about 12min of continuous recording.

‣ Other manufacturers impose even lower limits due to hardware performance.

‣ This limit sounds like it might be crippling but in most cases you can work around it.

Recording Length Limitations‣ Plan Breaks– If recording an interview

estimate how many questions you can get in 12minutes. If you’re recording a concert, stop after each song.

‣ Minimize down time – Have a second card ready to go. We keep a second card in the strap to speed things up.

‣ Stagger Coverage – If using multiple cameras, don't start or stop them all at the same time. You can get overlapping coverage between two or more cameras.

THe GeaR You’ll NEEDSome Must and Nice To Haves

MUST HAVES

‣ Fluid-Head Tripod

‣ Viewfinder

‣ Audio Recording Device with Microphone

NICE TO HAVES

‣ Camera Support

‣ Fast Lenses

‣ Follow Focus

‣ External Monitor

‣ Lights

‣ Matte Box

‣ Laptop

SMALL HD

Panasonic via AJA

Using a Follow FocusWhen a follow focus really matters

Make a PlanGet your thoughts on a page

Making a Plan

‣ Storyboard

‣ Sketch

‣ Camera

‣ Shot list

‣ Lighting diagrams

Photoshop for art Direction‣ Shoot test shots in a raw format

‣ Organize with Adobe Bridge or Lightroom

‣ Open in Camera Raw

‣ Color grade to desired look

‣ Share with crew for lighting direction

Exposure TriangleUnderstanding the relationship between settings

Impact of Light and Motion on Focus

‣ If you’re shooting a lot of motion, pay close attention to both the amount of light as well as the quality of light

‣ The less light that’s available, the larger an aperture you’ll have to use in order to record a properly exposed image.

‣ This means that your depth of field will decrease and it will be much harder to keep your subject in focus.

‣ If you or your subject are moving, it get’s even more tricky

theExposureTriangle

I S O

Shutter Speed Aperture

The Window

‣ Imagine your camera is a window with shutters that open and close.

‣ Aperture is the size of the window. If it’s bigger more light gets through.

‣ Shutter Speed is the amount of time that the shutters are open. The longer they’re open, the more that comes in.

‣ Inside the room and are wearing sunglasses. Your eyes become desensitized to the light that comes in (like a low ISO).

OUTDOOR SHOOTINGYou can’t overpower the sun

NO MATTER HOW GOOD you are, you can’t completely control the sun.

It will move in your scene and destroy continuity.

Lowlight SHOOTINGDon’t be afraid to push it

Creating great shotsThe choices that go into a shot

QP Card PHOTOVISION

Canon EOS 7D 300.0 mm 1/60 ISO 160 4.5

Canon EOS 5D 50.0 mm 1/60 ISO 100 10.0

Canon EOS 5D 50.0 mm 1/60 ISO 640 1.4

Canon EOS 5D 105.0 mm 1/30 ISO 1600 4.0

Canon EOS 5D 28.0 mm 1/60 ISO 800 2.8

Canon EOS 7D 95.0 mm 1/60 ISO 200 2.8

Canon EOS 7D 35.0 mm 1/80 ISO 100 3.2

Canon EOS 7D 58.0 mm 1/50 ISO 100 2.8

Canon EOS 7D 24.0 mm 1/60 ISO 1250 1.4

Canon EOS 7D 17.0 mm 1/60 ISO 640 2.8

Canon EOS 7D 50.0 mm 1/60 ISO 1600 1.8

Canon EOS 7D Lensbaby 1/200 ISO 100 5.6

Canon EOS 5D 28.0 mm 1/60 ISO 600 2.8

Canon EOS 7D 28.0 mm 1/50 ISO 100 2.8

Canon EOS 5D 24.0 mm 1/60 ISO 100 2.8

Canon EOS 7D 55.0 mm 1/60 ISO 100 4.5

Sync Sound WorkflowAudio will Often Come from Two Sources

Why record dual sound?

‣ Internal microphone quality

‣ Automatic Gain Control

‣ Difficulty in monitoring

‣ Challenge to keep constant levels

Dual Sound WOrkflow

‣ Use sync source

‣ Record enhanced camera audio

‣ Record “real” sound with professional microphones plugged into a mixer

‣ Record to file-based recorder

‣ Synchronize in postproduction

PluralEyes

‣ Place video on one track and audio on another track

‣ Files are synced based on sound, no timecode required

‣ Audio levels can be normalized

‣ Huge timesaver

‣ www.singularsoftware.com$149

Public Service Announcement Case Study

The POSTPRODUCTION WORKFLOWThere are Extra Steps... But it’s Worth it

The WORKFLOW

‣ Transfer to Field Drive and Mirror

‣ Determine Editing Format

‣ Identify Storage Requirements

‣ Transfer to an Edit Drive

‣ Determine Transcoding Specs

‣ Organize Media

‣ Transcode Media (optional)

‣ Edit

Transfer & BackupThe first transfer to critical

LAPTOPS IN THE FIELD

‣ Laptops serve as “loading stations”

‣ Consider using multiple stations

‣ Stations don’t need to be the latest and greatest hardware

‣ Stations should have:

‣ Ability to connect to card readers

‣ Portable drives

‣ Archiving devices like Blu-Ray burners

transferring from Field Storage‣ Never edit directly off of field storage

‣ Transfer all field assets to redundant media drives

‣ Keep all field storage drives secure until project completion and archive

‣ Field storage drives are like “tapes”on a shelf

Card Readers

‣ FireWire Readers

‣ Lexar or Hoodman

‣ ExpressCard

‣ Laptop with an ExpressCard slot

‣ Frees up ports for drives

‣ Multiple Card Reader

‣ Slower

‣ Ability to walk away

PLAN FOR STORAGE

‣ Storage space is consumed relatively fast.

‣ Canon 5D Mark II

‣ 1920 X 1080 at 30 fps needs approximately 320 MB of card space for each minute of footage

‣ A 32 GB CF card will hold about 100 minutes of footage

‣ Often use bus-powered drives for field

ORGANIZING MEDIA FOR EDITGet your selects made

Common Media Folder Approach‣ 01_Original Footage

‣ Card images or cloned copies

‣ 02_Selects

‣ Footage picks

‣ Adapt as needed

Renaming Files

‣ Optional

‣ Can use descriptive names

‣ Adobe Bridge

‣ Includes batch rename option

‣ Can preserve original name in metadata for future

Make Selects & Transcode‣ Transcode only selected footage

‣ Reduces transcode time

‣ Removes extraneous footage

‣ Reduces storage burden

Why Transcode?Sometimes you will.... sometimes you won’t.

Why Transcode?

‣ Once the footage has been transferred, you'll may need to convert it to a format that can be edited.

‣ Ideally, video you edit should be optimized for the editing system you’ve chosen to edit with.

‣ Convert the files into a standard video codec that supports real-time editing.

Why Transcode?

‣ While H.264 files are small, they do not often make good source files.

‣ Have heavy compression that drains your computer's processors to decode.

‣ Must choose codec that is a healthy balance for quality and size.

Why Transcode?

‣ Not great in Final Cut Pro

‣ Motion JPEG OK

‣ H.264 terrible

‣ Doable if you don’t mind rendering and spinning beach balls of death

‣ Does work in latestAvid, Premiere Pro, and Sony Vegas

EditTime to tell the story

Choosing the Right System for Editing‣ Processor

‣ RAM

‣ Connections

‣ Hard Drives

‣ Video Card

Going 64-Bit

‣ Make sure you are using 64-bit OS

‣ Windows 7 or OSX Snow Leopard Recommended

‣ Make sure to update plug-ins and drivers to be 64-bit

‣ Add more RAM to take advantage of 64-bit benefits fully

‣ 2GB per core is a “good start”

‣ Go for fast RAM

64B i t

Premiere PRO CS5

‣ 64-bit Performance

‣ GPU-accelerated Mercury Playback Engine for faster responsiveness

‣ Make sure you upgrade or have proper video card.

‣ Make sure you download drivers

‣ Work with DSLR video natively

Color GradingUsing After Effects or Photoshop

Color Grading

‣ Advanced manipulation of colorfor storytelling purposes

‣ Black & White

‣ Special Effects

‣ Glows

‣ Grain & Stock Simulations

‣ Two powerful choices

Retiming FootageChanging frame rates for technical and stylistic reasons

Methods to Change Speed

‣ Conform

‣ Interpret

‣ Process

ResourcesThings to help get the job done

www.facebook.com/dslrvideo

forums.creativecow.net/dslr

podcasts.creativecow.net/dslr-video-podcast

From Still to Motion‣ A photographer’s guide to creating video

with your DSLR

‣ Full color case study with hands-on activities

‣ 6+ hours of training videos

‣ www.peachpit.com/stilltomotion

‣ Free sample – tinyurl.com/fs2msample

‣ 35% Off with Code TOMOTION (order from peachpit.com)

EFFECTIVE SITE SURVEYS

linkedin.com/in/richardharrington

facebook.com/RichHarringtonStuff

youtube.com/rhedpixeltv

twitter.com/rhedpixel

DSLR Video: High End Looks on a Middle Class Budget