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Videography - Tips, Tricks, and Gear
13 years ago
Every time I post a new video I get a lot of comments and notes from folks asking how I did this or that, what kind of camera I have, what lenses I use, etc, etc. In reality, subject matter and editing style are really what makes a video, but having the right equipment for the situation and knowing how to use it definitely helps as well. That and I'm tired of getting the same questions over and over, so here it is!
As for my editing style, there's not much to say really: I point the camera at cute things and add music. Can't get simpler than that! Most of my editing is very basic.. the whip-pans in my con videos and the 'freeze-frame' effect in the 'Hangover' video are mostly camera tricks.. I do very little editing to get those effects.
Note that I'm just answering common questions regarding what gear I use. I'm happy to share what works for me, but part of being a good videographer is figuring out what works for you. For years all I carried was a small camcorder and a cheap tripod and honestly, there's something to be said for keeping it simple (and cheap!).
Main Camera: Panasonic GH1 - Love this camera. I run hacked firmware to increase the video bitrate and quality. Uses a micro 4/3rds lens mount so I have a bunch of different lens options.
Second Camera: GoPro HD Hero - I originally bought this for drag racing, but carry it with me at most cons. Only really useful for outdoor shots. The new Hero2 is *fantastic* for its size indoors and in low light though. For proof see any of
coyotesnack's recent productions. I see these things exploding in popularity.
Old Camera: Casio EX-FH25 - Consumer superzoom that does high speed video. Not used much any more because quality is poor. I used it for every video up untill Furry Connection North 2011 and carried it permanently mounted to a tripod which doubled as a shoulder stabilizer.
Lighting: I use a Fotodiox 312AS on-camera light just about any time I'm shooting indoors or at night. A little fill light goes a long way in separating the subject from the background. In all honestly though, it's *way* too bright for close-up shots, which is pretty much all I do. It's big and bulky and I rarely ever turn it up past 10%.
Lenses: For most of my footage I use a 7-14mm F/4 Lumix ultra-wide angle and a 20mm F/1.7 lumix prime. I also carry some old Canon 28mm and 50mm primes and an old Canon 75-205mm zoom that I picked up on ebay for a few bucks.
Stabilizer: I started off with a homemade stabilizer before upgrading to a Glidecam HD-2000 Pro. The ability to invert the stabilizer and the ease of balancing makes it far superior to other stabilizers like the Merlin, IMO.
Vest: After adding a heavy lens, light, and more weight to increase stability I broke down and bought a Steadicam Merlin Arm and Vest. They're expensive.. but try carrying a 15 lb stabilizer with an outstretched arm for 3 days straight and you'll soon discover how invaluable they really are. Also, they don't really make your footage more stable, they just make your job easier. In fact they tend to fuck up your footage until you take the time to really learn and practice filming with them.
Whip-pans: I use these in a lot of videos and get a lot of comments about them. Just spin the camera (on a stabilizer) 360 degrees on two separate video clips and splice right in the middle. Generally the blurring during the whip is great enough that you don't even need to add a 'dissolve' transition between the two clips. It helps to know what background music you're going to be putting video clip to so you can get the tempo right. The real trick is stopping the camera instantly without causing it to 'bounce'. It just takes practice and I only get it right about half the time.
'Freeze-frame': As popularized in the 'Hangover' video. *Everybody* asks about this >.> All I did was have the suiters stand very still and slowly walked the camera past them. I then sped it up and slowed it down during editing to get the desired effect. That's it, simplicity is key!
That answers the basic questions I think, if you have any more here's the place to ask!
As for my editing style, there's not much to say really: I point the camera at cute things and add music. Can't get simpler than that! Most of my editing is very basic.. the whip-pans in my con videos and the 'freeze-frame' effect in the 'Hangover' video are mostly camera tricks.. I do very little editing to get those effects.
Note that I'm just answering common questions regarding what gear I use. I'm happy to share what works for me, but part of being a good videographer is figuring out what works for you. For years all I carried was a small camcorder and a cheap tripod and honestly, there's something to be said for keeping it simple (and cheap!).
- Anyways, on to what I use now: -Main Camera: Panasonic GH1 - Love this camera. I run hacked firmware to increase the video bitrate and quality. Uses a micro 4/3rds lens mount so I have a bunch of different lens options.
Second Camera: GoPro HD Hero - I originally bought this for drag racing, but carry it with me at most cons. Only really useful for outdoor shots. The new Hero2 is *fantastic* for its size indoors and in low light though. For proof see any of
coyotesnack's recent productions. I see these things exploding in popularity.Old Camera: Casio EX-FH25 - Consumer superzoom that does high speed video. Not used much any more because quality is poor. I used it for every video up untill Furry Connection North 2011 and carried it permanently mounted to a tripod which doubled as a shoulder stabilizer.
Lighting: I use a Fotodiox 312AS on-camera light just about any time I'm shooting indoors or at night. A little fill light goes a long way in separating the subject from the background. In all honestly though, it's *way* too bright for close-up shots, which is pretty much all I do. It's big and bulky and I rarely ever turn it up past 10%.
Lenses: For most of my footage I use a 7-14mm F/4 Lumix ultra-wide angle and a 20mm F/1.7 lumix prime. I also carry some old Canon 28mm and 50mm primes and an old Canon 75-205mm zoom that I picked up on ebay for a few bucks.
Stabilizer: I started off with a homemade stabilizer before upgrading to a Glidecam HD-2000 Pro. The ability to invert the stabilizer and the ease of balancing makes it far superior to other stabilizers like the Merlin, IMO.
Vest: After adding a heavy lens, light, and more weight to increase stability I broke down and bought a Steadicam Merlin Arm and Vest. They're expensive.. but try carrying a 15 lb stabilizer with an outstretched arm for 3 days straight and you'll soon discover how invaluable they really are. Also, they don't really make your footage more stable, they just make your job easier. In fact they tend to fuck up your footage until you take the time to really learn and practice filming with them.
- Effects -Whip-pans: I use these in a lot of videos and get a lot of comments about them. Just spin the camera (on a stabilizer) 360 degrees on two separate video clips and splice right in the middle. Generally the blurring during the whip is great enough that you don't even need to add a 'dissolve' transition between the two clips. It helps to know what background music you're going to be putting video clip to so you can get the tempo right. The real trick is stopping the camera instantly without causing it to 'bounce'. It just takes practice and I only get it right about half the time.
'Freeze-frame': As popularized in the 'Hangover' video. *Everybody* asks about this >.> All I did was have the suiters stand very still and slowly walked the camera past them. I then sped it up and slowed it down during editing to get the desired effect. That's it, simplicity is key!
That answers the basic questions I think, if you have any more here's the place to ask!
It's pretty cheap and they have a free trial version.
Do you have to deal with Rolling Shutter problems because of the type of sensor the GH1 has? (CMOS) I'm currently dealing with this CCD thing of vertical smear on bright spots, which is quite destructive -_-
The GH1 and essentially almost all DSLRs out today that can shoot HD video has rolling shutter.
I think that vertical smear is coming from the lens and not the sensor.
Fursuiters *want* to be filmed, which is the main reason my videos are 99% suiters. I shoot very dynamically with a steadicam which means I'm always whipping the camera around, and that has led to lots and lots of scrapped shots as bystanders suddenly realize they're in frame.. If I'm reviewing my videos and I see somebody actively trying to get away from my camera, I throw that shot away. I personally don't like being on camera out of suit, so I try to be as sensitive to that issue as possible.
If you have some free down time (a.k.a. Rendering), you should update this journal with your GH3 and talk a bit about it!
And any other new equipment.
I could run a similar panel at furnal equinox 2014+...
I mounted my 20mm prime on the GH1 as backup footage but liked the result so much I barely used any of the shots I took with the GH3. Just goes to show you don't need a brand new camera to take good video. The 4 year old GH1 is still going strong. It cost me $350 (+ glass) :)
GH2 video is way better than Canon EOS video, not sure about the GH1 but regardless it's a great camera that you're running around with!
All of my con videos to date was shot on the T3i and 18-55mm kit lens. Another great, old-ish (2 years) inexpensive dslr.