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.

Slide don’t Roll

Do ever see your self wanting to go in for a slow push to prevent a boring static shot or do a push-pull to get that sudden effect that your talent has realized something new to advance the plot. A camera slider is an amazing device that is great for settle movements, a simple push in and graceful pull away from you subject. A camera slider is a great alternative when the budget or the space is not available to use the bulkiness of a normal dolly. A camera slider is usually a thin and some what long device that can be put on the floor, table or tripod and rest a camera on its sliding plate to be similar of a dolly on a track.

Camera sliders are very simple to use, put your camera slider on a table the floor or on your tripod, and depending on the size tripods. Next is to put the camera on a 1/8^mm screw which is used on many camera for support or on the quick release if available then move the camera on the rails and there you go a cheap and easy to use Dolly all basic designs.

The best thing about the slider is the price and the fact it as not that hard to make, here is a slider for under $200 Amazon and a video from my favorite YouTube channel “Indy Mogul” (a Volg on how to enhance your film making.) 

Below are some links to more tutorials and test shots.

How to Build
Test Footage
Photography Test

Christopher Nelson and AVID

Yesterday November 15, 2010 I was able to sit in on a presentation of “Lost” editor Christopher Nelson at Full Sail University. Christopher Nelson career with lost starts in season three and at the presentation for Avid he told the audience of his hardships while editing the television show. Although the event was hosted to advertise Avid editing software we really got to see and hear the inside scoop of how the editing is done for a popular Television Show. Christopher Nelson describes the days as long over 24 hours at time and even more time as the series came to its close. Christopher discussed a episode in which the graphic did not meet the vision of him and the director of the episode but had no choose as it was to expensive to get another company to render better effects, in order to save the footage Christopher said he added high frequency shake to keep you eyes away from the bad CGI. Christopher is able to create an epic episode where a plane is crashing and during his summers create stunning and simpler cuts in “Mad Men”.

Nelson discussed his past and how he use to cut film with his hands back in the day to now where he just does everything in his office on a simple to use editing system that can now be installed on a laptop computer. Nelson say he enjoys having the ability to take a Friday night off for a even then edit while on a plane, he also said it help while editing Lost and Mad Men at the same time. At the end of his presentation we got to ask him question and his advice for future directors was to speak of the emotion you want and if that doesn’t work describe it to me technically, and never say you dislike a actors performance because its your job to make it look good.

The Nikon D7000

In late September Nikon released new camera the Nikon D7000. The Nikon D7000 is another model mid-class Nikon DX-format Digital-SLR camera the update to combined the features of the D300 and the D90, adding newer features like full high definition Video recording to 1080p, and its auto focus feature while capturing video. Nikon was the first to release a DLSR with video recording capabilities with the model Nikon D90, after that competitors such as canon released cameras the Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 7D that help dominate the market with there feature of full HD, Nikon counters with the Nikon D3000, and now the Nikon D7000 adding a continuous auto focusing system while recording video. The Nikon D7000 Camera body currently sold out is $1,199.95 at B&H Photo and the D7000 Competitor the Canon 60D is $100 cheaper. The cost extra cost is buying you 30 more point focus to the D7000 39-point auto focus system, an extra SD slot for twice the memory, and I shot .7 seconds faster for a grand total of 6fps.

Nikons key Features:

-16.2MP CMOS sensor

-1080p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone

-ISO 100-6400 (plus H1 and H2 equivalent to ISO 12,800/25,600)

-39-point AF system with 3D tracking

-2016 pixel metering sensor

-Scene Recognition System (see 2016 pixel sensor, above) aids  metering + focus accuracy

-win SD card slots

-3-.0 inch 921k dot LCD screen

-New Live View/movie shooting switch

-Full-time AF in Live View/movie modes

-Up to 6fps continuous shooting

-Lockable shooting mode dial

-Built-in intervalometer

-Electronic virtual horizon

-Shutter tested to 150K actuations

-Records 20 minutes of video before cool down

Video Links:

Test Footage from the Nikon D7000

D7000 and the canon 60D low light comparison

D7000, and canon 7D comparison video

D7000 Depth of field test

D7000 Auto-focus video

Nikon D7000

Nikon new release of new DSL D7000 is now available.