I helped my friend Razzie who drums for the Moisties film a gig they did with Stranger Cole - a legend in Jamaican Ska music. Here is an insert from his interview.
The above was shot on my 5d with a canon 50mm 1.4 and a Shure videomic under house lights. Below I switched to a canon 135mm 2.0 L lens.
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
wedding video
I helped a friend film their wedding last weekend. The shoot re-educated me about two things - 1) the importance of having a good solid tripod and 2) the limitations of using slr zoom lenses for video.
Weddings can be tricky events to cover. They are similar to news and documentary filming in that you only get one crack at it... so you better be well prepared. During a wedding ceremony you need to balance coverage and discreetness. For this I decided to hire a fairly long zoom lens - Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L.
The lens performed beautifully. The images were superb and it was a joy to use. I hired mine from Topic Rentals for nz$64 + GST per day. They retail at around nz$1855 +GST.
In addition I also purchased a 77mm ND Fader off Trademe for nz$105. I now own three of these faders (52mm, 67mm) and really like using them when shooting video. Find out more about ND Faders.
Getting back to my first two points... unfortunately I wasn't able to find my video tripod for the wedding and had to resort to using my much less sturdy stills tripod. This was very limiting especially when using the longer focal lengths of the 70-200mm. I was having to lock of the ball joint head and remove my hands completely to get a decent steady shot not to mention trying any panning or tilting. I was also completely paranoid about the safety of my camera and hired lens on such a flimsy set of sticks. A good tripod should be strong and have enough weight to stabilize the rig. A good fluid head is also a must. This will make a huge difference to the end product.
Secondly I have realised that you should not expect to manually zoom in any usable fashion. SLR zoom lenses are much stiffer than video zooms resulting in jerky push-ins and pull-outs. Never again will I take for granted the smoothness and ease of using a servo nor the focal range they afford.
On review of my rushes I found I was guilty of changing my frame at crucial moments in effect losing those moments because it was unusable footage. I also attempted to reposition myself to improve my view of a certain moment and ending up missing the moment altogether.
In my footage I see the photographer running in and out of frame, darting here and there. Although I am using a dslr I must remind myself that in this case I am not a photographer but a videographer. Whereas the photographer tries to capture the moment, a videographer tries to capture an event including all the 'I do's' and the 'You may kiss the bride's'.
So lesson of the day?... Get the right gear. If you don't have the right gear then be prepared to operate within it's limitations. Have patience and utilize the camera's strengths by doing the basics well.
On a positive note the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L is a beautiful lens that when used appropriately can be a powerful tool for photographers and videographers alike.
Weddings can be tricky events to cover. They are similar to news and documentary filming in that you only get one crack at it... so you better be well prepared. During a wedding ceremony you need to balance coverage and discreetness. For this I decided to hire a fairly long zoom lens - Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L.
The lens performed beautifully. The images were superb and it was a joy to use. I hired mine from Topic Rentals for nz$64 + GST per day. They retail at around nz$1855 +GST.
In addition I also purchased a 77mm ND Fader off Trademe for nz$105. I now own three of these faders (52mm, 67mm) and really like using them when shooting video. Find out more about ND Faders.
Getting back to my first two points... unfortunately I wasn't able to find my video tripod for the wedding and had to resort to using my much less sturdy stills tripod. This was very limiting especially when using the longer focal lengths of the 70-200mm. I was having to lock of the ball joint head and remove my hands completely to get a decent steady shot not to mention trying any panning or tilting. I was also completely paranoid about the safety of my camera and hired lens on such a flimsy set of sticks. A good tripod should be strong and have enough weight to stabilize the rig. A good fluid head is also a must. This will make a huge difference to the end product.
Secondly I have realised that you should not expect to manually zoom in any usable fashion. SLR zoom lenses are much stiffer than video zooms resulting in jerky push-ins and pull-outs. Never again will I take for granted the smoothness and ease of using a servo nor the focal range they afford.
On review of my rushes I found I was guilty of changing my frame at crucial moments in effect losing those moments because it was unusable footage. I also attempted to reposition myself to improve my view of a certain moment and ending up missing the moment altogether.
In my footage I see the photographer running in and out of frame, darting here and there. Although I am using a dslr I must remind myself that in this case I am not a photographer but a videographer. Whereas the photographer tries to capture the moment, a videographer tries to capture an event including all the 'I do's' and the 'You may kiss the bride's'.
So lesson of the day?... Get the right gear. If you don't have the right gear then be prepared to operate within it's limitations. Have patience and utilize the camera's strengths by doing the basics well.
On a positive note the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 L is a beautiful lens that when used appropriately can be a powerful tool for photographers and videographers alike.
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Me and my 5D
The Canon 5D mk2 was my second dslr camera. My first was the Canon 40D. I think what was most appealing about the 5D was the full frame sensor. I'd never used a full-frame camera before but liked the idea of realising the full potential of my one and only prime lens - canon 50mm f1.4. That the 5D also shoots HD video was further justification for my pricey acquisition. Well not that pricey considering my previous camera, the Panasonic DVX100, cost over $5000 nzd. But to be honest... video production was only a secondary motive.
I was hardly aware that there was so much enthusiasm for these HD capable DSLRs from video producers around the world. Of particular interest were the 7D and 5D followed shortly by the 550D, all by Canon. Nikon also had HD ready DSLR's that fell out of favor with its users for some reason I don't remember and didn't really care. The Irony now is that many Canon HD DSLR users attach older Nikon manual focus lenses to their canon bodies because 1) they are better than the Canon manual focus lenses and 2) they are easily made compatible via a cheap lens mount adapter whereas Canon FD lenses are a night-mere to use with Canon EOS cameras and don't really work.
After playing around with the 5D a bit it wasn't difficult to see what all the hype was about. The picture quality is jaw-dropping at first. Much of its mystique is about... How can such a small little camera produce such stunning pictures? Then, after the initial amazement one comes back to reality about its many limitations and the focus quickly turns to how its power can be harnessed.
I came from a television / documentary making background so my demands differed from those of movie makers. Most concerning to run and gun style operators was the lack of audio recording facilities. Despite a number of peripheral companies developing work-around products weak audio capabilities continue to limit the practicality of the 5D. It is also very small which is great for holding up to your eye but not so with out-stretched arms. Thus followed a wave shoulder rigs, lcd viewers, follow focuses and the like... some of which costing more than the camera itself. After hours of online window shopping / fantasizing about elaborate rigs and pimped out monstrosities I finally came to a more minimal solution.
Although there is much ground to cover I am now at a stage where I feel confident in using my 5D in a professional environment. Part of the appeal of these cameras is the excitement of the unknown taking it's users on a journey of discovery. Kinda like Captain Kirk on Startrek but not as cool and more geeky.
I was hardly aware that there was so much enthusiasm for these HD capable DSLRs from video producers around the world. Of particular interest were the 7D and 5D followed shortly by the 550D, all by Canon. Nikon also had HD ready DSLR's that fell out of favor with its users for some reason I don't remember and didn't really care. The Irony now is that many Canon HD DSLR users attach older Nikon manual focus lenses to their canon bodies because 1) they are better than the Canon manual focus lenses and 2) they are easily made compatible via a cheap lens mount adapter whereas Canon FD lenses are a night-mere to use with Canon EOS cameras and don't really work.
After playing around with the 5D a bit it wasn't difficult to see what all the hype was about. The picture quality is jaw-dropping at first. Much of its mystique is about... How can such a small little camera produce such stunning pictures? Then, after the initial amazement one comes back to reality about its many limitations and the focus quickly turns to how its power can be harnessed.
I came from a television / documentary making background so my demands differed from those of movie makers. Most concerning to run and gun style operators was the lack of audio recording facilities. Despite a number of peripheral companies developing work-around products weak audio capabilities continue to limit the practicality of the 5D. It is also very small which is great for holding up to your eye but not so with out-stretched arms. Thus followed a wave shoulder rigs, lcd viewers, follow focuses and the like... some of which costing more than the camera itself. After hours of online window shopping / fantasizing about elaborate rigs and pimped out monstrosities I finally came to a more minimal solution.
Although there is much ground to cover I am now at a stage where I feel confident in using my 5D in a professional environment. Part of the appeal of these cameras is the excitement of the unknown taking it's users on a journey of discovery. Kinda like Captain Kirk on Startrek but not as cool and more geeky.
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