Discovered on www.dvcreators.net

Why is this such a hot topic?

First of all, let's reflect on what we really do (no matter what kind of video projects we're creating):

We are all storytellers.

If you're making a marketing video, you're telling the story of why your viewers should buy your product. An educational video on topography tells the story of surfaces and dimensions. A how-to video might tell the story of how to build a deck, or make Indonesian cuisine.

Your video project has a goal- to sell, to educate, to entertain, to communicate, to persuade. If your video looks and sounds amateurish, few- or no one- will buy your product, learn your material, support your cause, laugh at your jokes or be scared of your monsters.

The reason DVcreators.net teaches, in our workshops, CDs and other resources, so many techniques, secrets and tricks for making your finished project look world class is that with high production values, your viewers' minds open and they are put into a captivated, entranced state in which they are *experiencing your story*, not merely watching your edit.

The next time you're in the middle of a really great film at a theater, look around at your fellow audience members. They are not aware of you, or the exit signs, or even of the fact they are in a theater. They are so entranced with the story, they are completely focused on the movie and have lost all awareness of anything but the story. They are truly on a desert island, out in space, or in Middle Earth.

Now look up at the screen. Obviously, with your budget and timeframe, you can't duplicate the sets, Elijah Wood is not an option for your spokesperson, and the Digital Domain special effects are a bit beyond your reach.

But what CAN you achieve?

Can you shoot your subjects with the same framing? Can you shoot a slower, non-interlaced frame rate? Can you use the same camera moves, angles, coverage and creative composition? Can you shoot with nice lighting, shallow depth of field, reduce video artifacts and have good color balance and saturation?

YES YOU CAN!!!

And if you do only those things, your projects will be much closer to Hollywood standards, and your viewers will "smell the popcorn"- meaning when they view your project the same chemicals will be triggered in their brain as the movie theater, meaning they will focus on your project and it will be a winner.



Here are Seven Secrets of Shooting Video to Look like Film, arranged roughly in least important to most.


#7 Secret of Shooting Video to Look like Film: Fog
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Next time you watch a favorite feature film, watch as the hero enters his or her flat. The shafts of sunlight streaming in through the windows form striking diagonals in the frame, infusing the scene with drama and (literal) atmosphere. Waitaminnit- have they forgetten to dust for the last decade? Did they just burn a souflée? Or has a crowd of chain-smoking fiends just left?

Actually, they've simply run a fog machine on the set before shooting to "put some particle in the air". For some of you, picking up a $50 - $100 fog machine at a musical instrument or DJ supply store or catalog will add a nice dramatic touch to your interior shots (but mainly if you have darker walls, direct sunlight coming in through the windows or a pro light kit with a hard light).

The farther away an object is, the more fog is between it and the camera lens, meaning that distant objects are more indistinct, leading to sort of a shallower depth of field-type effect.

This technique is not for everyone, but for digital filmmakers or people shooting commercials or marketing projects that need a filmlike atmosphere this qualifies as a BIG SECRET! Shhhh! Don't tell anyone!



#6 Secret of Shooting Video to Look like Film: Shoot 30p or 24p
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
NTSC Video is recorded with about 60 interlaced fields each second while motion picture film is recorded at 24 full frames per second. So it makes sense that if you have a camcorder that will shoot 24 or 30 full frames every second, what you shoot will look more "filmic" (or at least less "videoey") in its motion.

DVcreators.net shoots in 30fps non-interlaced mode (30p on the XL2, "Frame Mode" on the Canon XL1S & GL2). The only time we shoot in normal, 60 field interlaced mode is when we're purposely trying to get a videoy look- to make something seem like it's on TV, for example- like a news or sporting event.

What about 24p? I might get flak for this, but I actually prefer shooting 30 fps to 24 fps- even though 24 IS the frame rate of film, 24 gets too "stroby" or "staccato" on some camera moves, where 30 is just a bit smoother- enough to take some of the "staccato-ness" out while retaining the cool, filmlike, unvideolike motion look.



#5 Secret of Shooting Video to Look like Film: Add depth with smooth moving camera shots
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In many camera moves, panning, tilting, dutching and even zooming, the camera itself stays in the same place- atop your tripod.

This changes what you see in the frame. But it does not change the relationship between any objects in the frame. For example, if someone's head is hidden behind a foreground plant, no amount of tilting or panning will reveal that person.

The very important concept of ADDING DEPTH- adding the third dimension- to your shots is at the very heart of making your project real and captivating your viewers.

Television screens, computer screens and theater screens are FLAT. Your viewers don't have the benefit of stereoscopic vision to give them depth cues (like in reality)- to ascertain which objects are closer and further from them.

Building depth into your footage is essential for creating and maintaining the cinematic illusion, for drawing your viewers into your project and having them be entranced by your DV creation.

Along with some other ways to add depth, discussed later, a big secret to putting depth into your shots is to actually move your camera through space.

Only by moving the camera does the relationship between foreground and background objects change- which is a key to establishing depth to your shots. With foreground objects moving against the background, the viewer perceives your project in three dimensions instead of the flat surface it's being viewed on.

Using moving camera shots judiciously and tastefully, interspersed in a series of "locked-down" tripod shots will give your production a bigtime look and feel.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

* * * reasons to move the camera * * *

- To reveal something that was not in the frame before

- To follow a moving subject- from the side, front, back or top

- A move towards the subject builds and focuses intensity and interest in the subject

- A move away from the subject relaxes interest, "distances" viewer from subject

- A POV (point-of-view) shot with a moving subject necessitates a moving camera- like running down an alleyway

- To establish (and later re-establish) a location- after a series of MCU (medium closeup) or CU (closeup) shots, a WS (wide shot) with a moving camera can re-orient the viewer to the location of the scene and re-establish and reinforce the mood of the location

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

* * * Moving camera shot vocabulary * * *

- move to the left - track left or crab left

- move to the right - track right or crab right

- move forward - dolly in or track in

- move backward - dolly out or track out

- move up - pedestal up or crane up

- move down - pedestal down or crane down

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Here are some options for moving your camera through space:

Handheld:

Take your camcorder off the tripod and you have a handheld shot. Move the camera carefully and move smoothly, like a jungle cat or ballerina, and you can get interesting, dynamic moving camera shots. Unfortunately, you can also end up with Blair Witch.

You can perform many camera moves, from dollies to trucks to crane shots handheld, but it is very difficult to duplicate the precision and steadiness that comes with using a mechanical device to move the camera. Interesting moving shots can be sometimes obtained by carrying a camcorder waist-high by the top handle.

A wide angle setting (zoomed out) is best when moving with a handheld camera, as longer focal lengths will magnify small hand movements too much. Image stabilization features will help with tiny hand tremors, but not with larger unsteady hand movements.

Of course, with a scene that is meant to have traumatic or violent motion, from chasing a bad guy- to experiencing an explosion, car accident or earthquake, handheld is the only way to go.

A special use of a handheld camera, in the hands of an expert, is to add life to a static shot with subtle but controlled random motion- resulting in a more lively energy, reality and immediacy than a locked down (tripod) shot.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Camera stabilizers:

If you see a moving camera shot on TV or a film that looks impossibly fluid and smooth, like the camera is floating or gliding through the air, chances are the camera operator has a camera stabilizing device. These units dampen all the camera jiggles and bumps that occur when shooting while walking or running.

There are some inexpensive stabilizers that do an amazing job of smoothing out moving camera shots- you can run alongside a car or person walking, up and down stairs, through an alley or over rocky terrain and the resulting shot looks like the camera is flying smoothly through space.

You can also simulate dolly, track and crane moves with most camera stabilizers with much better results than handholding the camera.

Here's our recommendation:

http://www.dvcreators.net/products/steadytracker.html

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jib arms:

One huge secret for adding a dramatic, bigtime Hollywood look to your project is to use a jib arm, which mounts onto your tripod's legs and allows you to move the camera in a sphere from about 9 feet high to ground level. A jib arm, even when not moving, lets you get impossible or difficult shots, like directly over the subject shooting straight down, or moving underneath looking straight up.

There is nothing like the spectacular look of a camera swooping from ground level to 9 feet up in the air in one smooth, fluid motion. The depth that is added to your shot by the major foreground against background movement, revealing things that were not visible a moment before, is really unattainable by any other method.

That's why cranes are used in almost every Hollywood film made for decades. Remove the crane shots from almost any Hollywood movie- and you'll find it's lost many captivating, dramatic shots, and thereby part of its impact.

When shooting with a jib arm, you'll need to run a video cable to a safety monitor, a small LCD, or a TV to frame your shot. You'll also find a wired or wireless remote for your camcorder is handy to start and stop recording as well as focus and zoom.


Crane shots are used for many reasons:

- to establish (or re-establish) a location by swooping from an overhead shot down to frame the subject

- to reveal something outside the frame, like a tripod pan- except with foreground against background motion, which adds depth

- to follow a subject- like a pan or tilt except with foreground against background motion

- to scan a subject from top to bottom or side to side


The SkyCrane Jr. is our recommendation- made from steel so it does not wobble like many inexpensive jibs. It also has a cable drive system allowing you to tilt the camera while operating the crane- so you could start a shot above a subject shooting straight down, then move the camera down to the ground, tilting constantly to keep your subject in the frame.

http://www.dvcreators.net/products/skycranejr.html

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dolly:

A dolly is a soft companion made of cloth that can be persuaded to shoot your entire project for you. Just kidding. Actually, dollying means to mount your camera on wheels and push it down tracks on the ground as you roll tape. Some inexpensive dollies use special wheels on your tripod and PVC pipe for tracks.

A move towards or away from your subject is called dollying in or out, while a lateral dolly move (to follow a moving subject, for example) is called a tracking shot or truck.

When you use the zoom button on your camcorder, it doesn't look "Hollywood" because the relationship between objects does not change. Zooming is just magnifying the image- like moving a flat photograph closer to you. In films, the camera physically moves in ("dollies") towards the subject which mimics what you see when you're actually interested enough in something to get up and move towards it. This creates foreground vs. background movement.

Even though dollies are a mainstay of Hollywood production, professional dollies are not used much by the rest of us because of the expense and hassle of laying dolly tracks.

Our advice, instead of using a dolly, is to duplicate dolly moves by:

1. being very smooth with a handheld camera

2. using a camera stabilizer and keeping the camera as level as possible and moving as smoothly as you can

3. using our killer low budget production secret: Rent or borrow a wheelchair, sit down, hold the camcorder steady, and have an assistant push you slowly and smoothly along a predetermined line or arc. On smooth surfaces, this works just as well as a dolly, and can produce dolly and truck moves that look like a million bucks!

A dolly move in an arc around a subject is a magnificent looking shot. If you speed the first part of the move in postproduction then ramp the speed down to normal, you have the most trendy- but still cool- shot of the early
21st century.

Sometimes a shopping cart, baby stroller, skateboard, bicycle, motorcycle, or rollerblades can work great for a moving camera shot.

If you need a tracking shot of someone walking down the street, why not drive down the street to get the shot? It is sometimes called a "truck" shot after all!

Shooting from a moving car is definitely a way to get a moving camera shot. To stabilize the camera, a foam-filled (not goose down) pillow, piece of foam rubber, or doll filled with small particles (Aha! That's what those Beany Babies are good for) placed over the passenger door will work well.



#4 Secret of Shooting Video to Look like Film: Use Shallow Depth of Field
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
This is a HUGE secret- itself alone worth the price of reading this FAQ.

One big thing distinguishing content shot on film to most video is the natural shallower depth-of-field of a film camera.

What is Depth Of Field (DOF)? Close one eye, put a finger close to your other eye and focus on it.

Now, while still holding your finger up, focus on the far wall.

Notice your finger is now blurry, because your eyes are focused on the wall. Now focus on your finger again. Notice objects in the background become blurrier.

The range of distances from your eye- or from a camera lens- that is in acceptable focus is called the "depth of field".

If you have a shot in which close objects and far objects appear all in sharp focus, this is called a "deep depth-of-field".

If you have a shot in which objects at a certain distance are in sharp focus, but objects closer or farther are obviously out of focus, this is called "shallow depth-of-field".

35mm film has a significantly larger imaging surface than most DV cameras, which usually have 1/4" – 1/2" CCDs. Based on the relative size of the imaging surface, the rules of optics dictate that video cameras will have a much greater depth of field than film.

And that's the big problem. When you're shooting video, this extreme depth of field means that every object in your composition— foreground and background— is likely to be in sharp focus, leading to a confused, distracting composition in which the audience is not sure where to focus, making it much harder for you to tell your story. And making what you shoot look very videoy and amateurish, much different than a bigtime feature film.

Shallow DOF helps you tell your story. Hollywood cinematographers use a shallow depth of field to organize their composition, putting their subject in sharp focus and the background out of focus. The human eye is naturally attracted to the subject, and not distracted by the background.

Using shallow depth of field also puts depth into your shots by cueing the viewer to what elements are closer or farther away from the camera.

Shallow DOF looks super cool! When your viewers look at your project, one of the key factors that will make them say "Wow! That looks like Hollywood!" is using shots with shallow depth of field.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Recipe for Shallow depth of field

Getting shallow depth of field out of a DV camcorder takes a little effort- and a larger area to shoot in. Here's the three step process:

1. Make sure your iris is open all the way. A wide open iris will give you the shallowest depth of field.

2. You need your foreground subject well away from the background and the camera far from the subject.

3. To accentuate the shallow depth of field effect, zoom in as much as possible.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Woops- too bright for shallow depth of field?

You're outside in broad daylight. You open your iris all the way because you want to get shallow DOF to get a really cool-looking shot.

Hold on! You're way overexposed! So, follow these steps:

1. Turn on your camcorder's ND filter.

2. Switch to negative gain (like –3 dB) if possible.

3. Still too bright? Try screwing on additional ND filters- like a .6 or .9 - or even both at the same time.

4. Then, to fine tune exposure without using your iris- here's a BIG SECRET: Leave your iris wide open, but tweak your shutter speed up slightly to reduce exposure to get exactly the right exposure for your shot- but not so much that motion starts to look stroby. Hopefully a setting in the 90 to 120 range should work without making motion look too staccato.

Awesome!


#3 Secret of Shooting Video to Look like Film: Shoot with a diffusion filter
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Why will shooting with a diffusion filter make such a big improvement in the visual quality of your footage? Why do some call it "instant filmlook" and "instant magic"? Why do we shoot with diffusion filters pretty much all the time?

There are several reasons. One is that video cameras have a built-in electronic edge sharpening process that is applied in realtime to lines of high luma and chroma contrast as you shoot.

35mm film is much higher resolution than video, and without this sharpening filter, video looks too "fuzzy" or "blurry"- exposing the natural low resolution of Standard Definition video. If your camcorder allows you to dial the "sharpness" down, try it- you probably won't like it.

But this sharpening filter, though a necessary evil, is a "video giveaway"- the edge harshness it produces is a key characteristic of video and informs your audience subliminally that your project "wasn't worth shooting on film".

Tiffen diffusion filters, like the Soft F/X 3 filter, cancel out the "harshness" while still maintaining the sharpness of the image. Wow! That's magic! How does it do this? Well, Tiffen has been designing filters for broadcast and film for 65 years, and they've won numerous awards, and, well, maybe it is magic.

If you zoom in on fine detail with the Soft F/X 3 filter, like individual strands of hair, you see that the harsh "video edge" has been transformed into a smooth, beautiful image but maintaining sharp, crisp edges- still in perfect focus.

Facial wrinkles are softened, lights and windows take on a dreamy glow, whites, light areas and glints from metal, glass and jewelry "flare" or "bloom" outward subtly to produce a magical, captivating look that entrances your viewers, allowing you to better tell your story. Which is the goal of DV creation in the first place- to put your viewers in a captivated state where they are experiencing your story and not merely "watching your edit".

Except for video professionals, your viewers won't be aware you shot with a filter- your footage will just look "beautiful" to them. People and objects will look much better than they do in real life.

Since Tiffen filters are used in practically every feature film, your viewers will "smell the popcorn"- associating your project with the big budgets of Hollywood and not amateur productions.

For years, shooting commercials in Portland, I got choice gigs because my footage looked better than other production companies- even though their cameras were much more expensive. My secret? The Tiffen Soft F/X 3 filter!

Another advantage of shooting with diffusion is that your footage will compress better for web and CD delivery- and even DVD, because compression codecs have trouble with sharp, harsh, high contrast edges.

Tiffen offers a range of filters. The number at the end indicates the "strength" of the filter- a 1/4 or 1/2 is the most subtle, a "5" is the strongest. But the numbers don't really correlate between filter types- a ProMist 1 is stronger than a Soft F/X 3.



What filter should I buy?

- We think the ideal filter to start with is the Soft F/X 3 filter- a beautiful look for almost any project.

- For a very subtle effect, get the Soft F/X 1.

- If you want a subtle filmlook but without the magical, dreamy look, without the blooming from lights and whites, a very safe filter to shoot with all the time is the Black Diffusion FX 3. (Protects your lens also!)

- The Black Pro Mist 1 is similar to the Black Diffusion FX 3 but reduces contrast more- it will bring detail out of shadow areas, and help you avoid blown-out highlights.

- The Black Pro Mist 1/2 is even more subtle than the 1.

Center spot
- An interesting diffusion filter is the Center Spot. This filter helps you somewhat simulate the shallow depth of field characteristics of 35mm film by maintaining perfect sharpness in the center area, while diffusing the periphery of the frame. In this way, detailed, busy, distracting backgrounds are softened, leading your viewer to focus on your subject, and thereby your story. Very trendy, very cool looking effect.

For more info on filters:

http://www.dvcreators.net/products/tiffen_filters.html


#2 Secret of Shooting Video to Look like Film: Use a professional light kit (when feasible)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Out of everything you invest in in your DV creation pursuits, probably the second most important thing, in terms of making an instant, dramatic improvement in the quality of your finished projects, will be using a decent light kit.

Lowel asked us to design the ultimate low cost professional light kits, and we did- the DVcreator Kit 1, 44 & 55. We have used this exact kit in 1000 training events around the world because of its quality, versatility, portability and reliability.

The DVcreator Kit 1 includes the Tota-light for a strong, broad key light that can also be bounced off the included Tota-brella for a soft light Source. There's also a flexible, focusable Omni light with gel frame, gel assortment and barn doors, plus the versatile 250 watt Pro light- an ideal rimlight for the smaller shooting situations we DV creators encounter.

This kit also contains a Tota-flag to reduce spill, three of the new, smaller, more stable Uni-stands, all cables and a secure extra bulb carrier, in a self-contained hardshell or soft case.

Any of you who have seen the dramatic difference in our "before" and "after" shots http://www.dvcreators.net/events/dvrev_day_1.html at our trade show seminars realize the huge difference a light kit can make in almost any shot.

The good news: instead of thousands for most pro light kits, the entire DVcreator Kit 1 is only $799 (with soft case)! ($100 more for hard case, $67.50 more for all the bulbs.)

This kit is rugged and reliable- I've had one similar kit since 1988, meaning it's cost me less than $4.50 each month to have high quality, professional lighting when I need it. (It's one of the only things I own that will never be obsolete!) It's versatile enough to light an interview, one-shots, two-shots, group shots, product shots, and a large variety of other situations.

Remember, faster GHz, more GB, more processors, a better monitor, software upgrades and in most cases a more expensive camcorder will result in zero improvement to the visual quality of your work. Zilch. Nada. Nyet. Non.

The DVcreator Kit 1, used competently, will make a huge, dramatic, instant improvement, making your footage, and thereby your finished projects, sparkle and shine with a high-end, professional Hollywood look.

More info at:

http://www.dvcreators.net/products/dvck.html


The DVcreator Kit 1 includes:

1 Pro-light with 4-way barndoors
1 Omni-light with 4-way barndoors
1 Tota-light
3 Uni-stands
1 Tota-frame
1 set Tota/Omni Assorted gels
1 set (2) Flexi-shafts
1 Tota-flag
1 Tota-brella
1 lampak
1 GO-85 Hard Case or Soft Case

If you would like a professional soft box, the Rifa-lite 44, plus a stand added to your kit, it's an additional $350- or $500 for the larger, 500W Rifa 55 soft box.



#1 Secret of Shooting Video to Look like Film: Sharpen your Cinematography Skills
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The most important secret of shooting video to look like film is:

Your knowledge.

Expert cinematographers are lifetime students, constantly investing time and money in honing their skills.

Here are a few ideas:

- Watch TV commercials, music videos and films- study every aspect of the production- lighting, composition, camera moves, everything. (Some TV commercials (including car, tennis shoe and beer) are incredibly well shot. (ReplayTV can be quite valuable- it allows you to quickly skip past the TV shows and just enjoy the brilliantly shot commercials)

- Order our "DV Enlightenment" DVD to learn how to use existing and your own light to make everything you shoot look cinematic and beautiful. The best $75 you will ever spend on video production gear.

- Buy our "Shooting Awesome Video" CD for just $24.95 to get all the basics in one place (if you haven't already!)

- Drop by our shooting forum - ask questions and share tips!