Focal Length

Looking to shoot your next feature and add a cinematic continuity to improve your cinematic value is to understand what a focal length is and how to use it. A focal length is the basic measurement of what is seen in the lens. 50mm lens for a full frame camera is a normal lens that basically the same focal length a person sees. Any thing below 50mm is normally a wide lens and based on its distortion (can bee scene on the edges of the frame and the wide the lens the more of a fisheye effect you get)in the lens can change the lens from a wide to a fisheye. Once you go beyond 50mm you start in to a telephoto lens (zoom lens), next is choosing the right lens for your film is to understand the effect you want with a wide you can fell far away from your character but if done right you can be extremely close to your character like in the film “Raising Arizona”  a normal lens is like the styles of Robert Rodriguez and last is the telephoto which is great to make a small crowd larger. Once you pick a focal length you should sick with that focal length for example if you have a 24mm on for your close up every time you go back to that close up you should stay with 24mm because a change from 24mm to 35mm can disturb your viewers viewing on the shoots being scene. There are many lenses to choose from and many ways to apply them and focal length even change with format being shot on for example if you are shooting with a 16mm film camera all focal length need to be doubled in order to compare the focal length (24-25mm is – to a 50mm lens for a 35mm camera.) thanks for reading and remember to keep your focus.

Increase your Value

Today topic is making your work in to a cinematic piece of are by using inexpensive ways to increase the production value with out breaking bank. I know the plan is to hit up YouTube and be the next YouTube star, or you just want people to see your work but in order to get view you need to understand you need to focus on one audience, then you need to advertise your product (video) through a social network like Facebook, and MySpace these are good site where your friends will see the videos and if they are good they will want to share with there friends.

Now this is the part where I try to tell you some faults and how to improve them like the first thing I see in videos are the two shots of people speaking, sure dialogue is important but it not suppose to be boring, and the best way to improve this through a cut between lines and understanding the 180 rule (Which I will discuss next blog). Another thing is get a camera man with a steady hand if every shot you use is static (aka your camera sitting on a tripod) a great and inexpensive way to juice up a camera shot is getting a Wal-Mart $10 skateboard for a mini push dolly and make you some epic pulls, pushes, and what ever you can come up with a skateboard.

Now live performances I know its hard to record a concert and even with one camera and the best way to do this is focus on one song. First is to focus on the singer for the full song of your chose because it is hard to dub lyrics to the singer sing something different. Next for every other song take video of the rest of the band and some wide shots and at the end you will have one have to edit the video to the lead sing video and try to make a music.

That the blog this week I hope it helps, now grab your camera, your script and your talent and make a movie.