DSLR Cinema and Video Journalism

Tools for Cinematic and Documentary Storytelling by Kurt Lancaster

Dog Day DSLR Afternoon

Thierry Dauga‘s dog, Poupou, steals the show in this charming DSLR short covering the life in the day of a Canadian dog.

Thierry mentions how his eight year old dog is becoming more calm as he gets older, but he didn’t slow down for his new acting career.  Poupou is a runner, but some shots required him “to stop and stay still,” Thierry says in an interview. He wasn’t used to being asked to stop for his closeup! So Thierry devised a tried and true plan.

“I started to use little treats to reward him when I was doing what I wanted him to do and he understood very quickly and was rapidly playing the game!” Thierry exclaims.

Many of the shots were “were realized on the spot, at the first try,” Thierry beams proudly. Initially, Thierry wanted to discover if he could shoot a short story using a storyboard with fifty shots. It worked. His storyboard process was so controlled in shaping his composition, Thierry took photos with his zoom lens and reviewed them on his computer. He then “took note of the focal length for each photo test,” placing a “mark on the lens to locate the focal length” he wanted. In this way, Thierry says he was “able to respect the focal planned in the story-board.”

 

One of Thierry Dauga’s storyboards for Belle Journée

.

His shots take advantage of the DSLR’s ability to work with shallow depth of field, while at the same time creating a sense of intimacy difficult to achieve with standard (small chip) prosumer video cameras.

Thierry explained how he had shot video before with the “regular” video cameras, but he feels that three “main advantages of a dslr are in relation to its iso sensitivity, focal length, and depth of field.” In addition, he says he “was able to decrease the ISO noise, to know at all times which focal lenght I was using while shooting, and also to be able to decrease the depth of field (with the dslr features of small aperture and big cmos sensor).”

The control of the image — especially as it related to his vision designed in his storyboards — allowed him to help execute the film he had envisioned.

Using a Canon 7D, Thierry shot with 25, 50, 85, 110, and 400mm (for the sun and moon shots). Although he has since purchased a viewfinder, follow focus, and a matte box, he shot Belle Journée bare bones style. His settings were at ISO 320, 1/40 shutter at 24p, while he kept his iris wide open for his lenses (ranging from f/3.5 to 5.6). He manually white balanced with a grey card. Thierry also used Canon’s Faithful picture style with an S-curve at: 58,60;200,202.

With underexposed shots, Thierry set the shutter to 1/30 of a second and increased his ISO to 640, 800, and 1250. Shots that were over-exposed, he set the shutter to 1/50 and decreased the ISO to 160, then used a variable ND filter to “finalize the exposure,” he explains.

Thierry’s film may have been an experiment in determining if he could pool off a DSLR short, but more than the multitude of so-called wanna-be filmmakers doing their “test” video, he provides a short film that expressed heart and a story-arc.

 

Using CineStyle for “Grand Canyon Winter” with the Canon 5D Mark II

Shooting in the winter with a DSLR can be a bit tricky due to the high chance of getting blow-out in the exposure. DSLRs—although great in low light situations—are notorious for easily blowing out the highlights. Hollywood cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, ASC, says that you need to treat the exposure range as if you were shooting on reversal film stock. Not much room in the exposure range to play with.

When Hurlbut first used the Canon, he said, “I treated the 5D like I was exposing reversal film stock, you had to get it close to what your final product would be.” (http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2010/03/30/color-correction-put-your-best-foot-forward/).

What was used:
Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
ISO: 160
Shutter: 1/40
Lens: Zeiss Contax 50mm f/1.8
Aperture: f/8
Filter: Tiffen HT Ultra Clear (55mm)
ND filter: Light Craft Workshop ND fader (55mm)
Zacuto Z-Finder Pro
Picture Style: Technicolor’s CineStyle
Editing, color grading, and sound: Final Cut Pro X
Music: http://incompetech.com/

Shooting recently in the Grand Canyon after a snowstorm gave me a chance to find ways in overcoming the limitation of the DSLR exposure range.

The two things I did:

  • Advice 1:  Use a neutral density filter. I chose Light Craft Workshop’s nd variable fader, mounted on my Zeiss Contax 50mm f/1.4 lens. When you want shallow depth of field and want to maintain an open aperture, then the ND filter is the way to go. Otherwise, you can use a high shutter speed, but when working with a film-like look for video, then keeping the shutter speed at 1/40 or 1/50 is preferred.

Working in collaboration with Canon, Technicolor scientists spent twelve months developing a picture style designed for filmmakers planning to engage in postproduction color grading—the process of not only of fixing color in post—but for digging out the widest range of exposure possible in Canon EOS cameras.

According to Technicolor, CineStyle “… optimizes the dynamic range in the image by leveraging the capabilities of the Canon imaging chipset” (http://www.technicolor.com/en/hi/cinema/filmmaking/digital-printer-lights/cinestyle). It does this by using a log color space rather than linear. Linear provides for an equal distribution of data bit information; logarithmic information allows for bits to be distributed into the darks and highlights in order to provide more detail in these areas. Qvo-Labs claims that the log 8-bit color space (found in Canon DSLR’s video mode) can reach a “close equivalent” of 12 bits! (See Qvo-Labs detailed explanation:
http://www.qvolabs.com/Digital_Images_ColorSpace_Log_vs_Linear.html)

Shane Hurlbut agrees. With the new “color science behind” the CineStyle, Hurlbut says he is “finding much cleaner results in the post color correction process.” (http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/2011/05/08/technicolors-new-picture-style-cine-style/)

For this project, I also wanted to bring motion to the shots. Cinematic motion is like poetry in the film world, so I used my Kessler Crane Pocket Dolly Traveler mounted to a Manfrotto 501HDV head (and Cullman carbon fiber sticks). See Figure 1.

Fig. 1. Setting up a push-in shot at the Grand Canyon with the Canon 5D Mark II and the Kessler Crane Pocket Dolly, Manfrotto 501HDV head, and Cullman tripod. (Photo by Stephanie Petrie.)

The wind was strong shooting the windchill down to the low teens. Dressing warmly is key. Several shots I had to get down on my knees, which got my legs wet. Should have brought ski pants.

Once the footage was shot, with a side stop at El Tovar to eat lunch, I dumped the footage onto my MacBook Pro (quad core with 8GB of RAM) and external G-Tech mini hard drive (FireWire 800, 7200 rpm, 750 GB).

However, unlike shooting with one of Canon’s Picture Styles, where you do not need to do any work in post, the CineStylerequires you to do postproduction work, otherwise the image looks washed out and flat. It holds extra data in the bit-space, but you won’t see it until you go into postproduction. See Figure 1 below for the flat look of CineStyle.

Fig. 2. This original image comes across flat in the raw CineStyle picture style.

The next image, Figure 3, reveals the color and contrast range after applying color grading techniques in Final Cut X.

Fig. 3. This screen grab reveals the depth of the range of color and exposure after color correction was applied.

I attained this look by adjusting the highlights, midtones, and shadow levels. Above the line increases the value, while moving the circle below the line decreases values. I adjust the midtones down to help remove the wash in the CineStyle image, making the overall image darker, and increased the highlights to make the image brighter.

Fig. 4. The adjustment tools in Final Cut X, providing the tools needed to remove the wash of the CineStyle, digging out the data for the high dynamic range of the image.

Pomfort (http://pomfort.com/plugins/dslrlog2video-tryandbuy.html) sells an S-curve look up table (LUT) that automatically makes these adjustments for you, but at $179 it’s a bit pricey, so I adjusted by eye. It looks like the price is now $29, it may be worth investing!

This blog was originally posted:  http://masteringphoto.com/shooting-%E2%80%9Cgrand-canyon-winter%E2%80%9D-with-the-canon-5d-mark-ii-and-editing-with-final-cut-x-2/

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Kurt Lancaster, PhD, is the author of DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video, Focal Press, 2011 andVideo Journalism for the Web: A Practical Introduction to Multimedia Storytelling, Routledge, 2012. He teaches digital filmmaking and multimedia journalism at Northern Arizona University’s School of Communication.

 

Run and Gun DSLR Work at Occupy Wall Street

When shooting on the run, it’s important to travel light. Spending a weekend in New York City to see Robert Wilson’s production of Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Danfung Dennis’s 5D Mark II documentary, Hell and Back Again at the Film Forum, I squeezed in some time to shoot the Occupy Wall Street protest in Zuccotti Park.

I had easy access to many different subjects and I handheld all of the shots (with no rig attached to the camera). I kept the camera close to the subjects so as to get their audio clear on my mic (see details below).

Not planning to do any heavy production, I only packed the Canon 5D Mark II body with two Zeiss Contax lenses (purchased used at KEH.com) — 50mm 1.4 and 35mm 2.8 — as well as my Sennheiser ME62/K6  (great for dialogue), as well as one battery and charger. Outdoors, I wish I had brought along my ME66 shotgun mic, but I couldn’t find my good windscreen, so I utilized my low profile ME62.

Light run and gun setup: Sennheiser with Lightwave windscreen and ETS stepdown XLR to minijack cable. Magic Lantern was used to monitor and adjust levels. Zeiss Contax 50mm 1.4 and 35mm 2.8 lenses were used with a Lightcraft ND fader.

I attached it to the hot shoe mount using a shockmount, and plugged it directly into the mic input of the 5D using the new XLR to minijack camera balun, the ETS PA910 series, providing a low to high impedance connection to the camera. In other words, in a pinch, it’ll provide decent audio when you don’t have a separate digital audio recorder on hand (such as the Zoom H4n or a Tascam DR100). (For sale at Markertek for about $62.)

Most importantly, I  utilized the Magic Lantern, so I could see audio meters while recording and monitor the audio by plugging into the AV port of the 5D.

I shot the project handheld with no strap, no DSLR rig. The omnidirectional aspect of the ME62 picked up a lot of side and background noise, but it ended up adding to the atmosphere of the piece. Furthermore, I stood close to the subject, so the microphone was less then three feet away. I shift my head to the left, while hand-holding the camera, so the subject being interviewed would look at me and not the camera.

My friend, Stacey Sotosky, edited using Final Cut X.

A good shock mount can be purchased here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554681-REG/Pearstone_DUSM_1_DUSM_1_Universal_Shockmount_for.html

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Kurt Lancaster, PhD, is the author of DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video, Focal Press, 2011 and Video Journalism for the Web: A Practical Introduction to Multimedia Storytelling, Routledge, 2012. He teaches digital filmmaking and multimedia journalism at Northern Arizona University’s School of Communication.

How to overcome audio weaknesses of DSLRs by Wes Pope

There are three major weaknesses to recording audio directly into any Canon or Nikon DSLR camera: there is no way to see levels while recording, you cannot listen on headphones, and there is no good pre-amp or phantom power (to power a microphone) built into the camera. It is my guess that all of these issues will be addressed in some way by the manufacturers in the near future, but in the mean-time, here is my solution:

 

I use an external audio recorder such as the Zoom H4n or the Tascam DR-100. I then use a step-down cord (from Sescom), to run a signal out of the recorder into the camera’s mic jack. This solution allows me to put the best possible audio into the camera and also creates an external audio recording in case anything goes wrong, like a cord connection coming loose. Otherwise, without visible recording levels or headphone jacks, there is no way to know for sure if you are getting anything in the camera. I find that more than 90% of the time the audio I send into the camera works fine and I can avoid having to sync the external audio recordings.

 

Let’s talk about the Sescom step-down cords for a moment. In general, line level is an amplified signal and mic-level is an un-amplified signal, meaning much less power is running through the line. If we run a line-level into the mic jack on the camera, the sound level will be way too hot to record. Headphone level is not quite as hot as true line level, but still too hot to run into mic level. Therefore, Sescom makes cords appropriate to the individual device. The Zoom H4n does not have a line-out jack, so we are trying to take a signal from the headphone line down to the camera and also use a splitter so that we can still listen on headphones. They make this cord that is set to the right level and has a built-in splitter for headphones (note that -25dB is the amount that headphone level gets stepped down to get to mic level):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/750963-REG/Sescom_LN2MIC_ZMH4_MON_3_5mm_Line_to_Mic.html

 

In the case of my Tascam DR-100 (and many other recorders), there is a line-out jack in addition to a headphone jack. In that case, Sescom makes this cord (not splitter necessary and -35dB is the amount the signal gets stepped down):
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/746643-REG/Sescom_LN2MIC_TASDR100_LN2MIC_TASDR100_Line_Out_to.html

 

In the case of using a Zoom H4n and a shotgun mic, running audio into a Canon 5D Mark II, 60D, Rebel T3i (600D)—where you have manual control of audio—and using the Sescom patch cord (providing a -25dB step down), follow these steps:

 

1) Set an input level to achieve a proper level where your peaks are maxing between -12 dB and -6 dB (and never hitting 0 dB).

 

2) Set the headphone level quite high, between 90-100, then don’t ever adjust it! If you have this level set too low, you can actually end up adding hiss to your in-camera recording. (When using a recorder such as the Tascam that has a line-out jack, you skip this step).

 

3) Use the audio preview levels inside the camera to adjust the levels to exactly match what you are seeing on the recorder. Once this relationship is set, as long as you don’t adjust you headphone out level or the level inside the camera—then the level you are seeing on your external recorder should be approximately accurate. In other DSLRs that do not have a manual level setting you can skip this step (I would recommend running your own tests in the case of the Nikons that have High, Medium, and Low pre-sets).

 

Then when you work with a wireless lav mic, there are two additional places to set a correct audio level:

 

1) Mic sensitivity level on the transmitter.

 

2) AF Out on the receiver.

 

One final tip: when I work in this way, I leave the recorder recording all day long and only stop and start the camera. Audio files are relatively small and I want to keep it simple when it comes time to catch a shot and not accidentally forget to start my recorded.

 

I mount the recorder above the camera using an inexpensive bracket from Custom Brackets (approx. $40). There are dozens of manufactures who make more expensive rigs for DSLRs. I tend to shoot as much as possible on a tripod, so I find my simple bracket works well in most cases. It also gives me a place to mount my shotgun since it frees the hotshoe as a place to mount my wireless receiver.

 

As for solving the pre-amp issue, the Tascam is a tiny bit cleaner than the Zoom (based on reviews at transom.org—I haven’t been able to discern a difference). However, neither is great. My next solution is to look into a pre-amp upgrade to the Tascam from Oade Brothers. Powered mics are another solution (such as the Rode NTG-2—but this is not necessarily the cleanest possible audio).

 


Wes Pope is a Lecturer at Northern Arizona University, where he teaches in the Photojournalism & Documentary Studies program. Formerly, Wes was a photo and video journalist for 15 years and recently earned an MA in Documentary Film and History from Syracuse University. This post is excerpted from Video Journalism for the Web: A Practical Introduction to Documentary Storytelling by Kurt Lancaster (Routledge, 2012).

 

 

Final Cut Pro X Tutorial: Syncing Audio

 

Most DSLR shooters are already aware of PluralEyes and DualEyes. But the new version of Final Cut X will also sync external audio recorders with DSLR audio files. This lesson shows you how. Frankly, I’ve never been able to get my version of PluralEyes to work successfully. As more users try this new feature in Apple, perhaps it’ll be hit or miss — but when I did a test this morning, it worked well.

 

Syncing external audio

I tested with a Rode NTG-2 shotgun microphone hooked up to the left channel of the Tascam DR-100, and just used my Canon 5D Mark II’s built-in mic as a reference.

 

After importing the files, follow these steps:

 

1) Select the video and audio clips to synchronize


Film Post Production

 

This will create a new synchronized compound clip:

 

new final cut pro

 

2) Drag this to the storyline and right click it, selecting “Open in Timeline”

 

This will reveal the compound clip:

 

post on Final Cut X

 

3) Play the clip and make sure that everything is lined up properly. Next we need to replace the original.

 

4) In the Inspector window, click on Audio, and uncheck the original source file, while keep the new file checked:

 

 

5) Make the mono channel stereo


Since the shotgun mic recorded only in one channel (left), you will only hear the audio coming from that one channel. If you want it coming through both left and right, then select the external audio clip and open the Inspector panel (Command-4). Expand the Channel Configuration and select: “Dual Mono.”

 

Final Cut X

 

This will put the one channel of audio into both channels.

 

Steps to fix a synchronized clips issue:

Re: synchronized clips default to 720 not 1080

created by Jarrod1856 in Final Cut Pro X - View the full discussion

Here is an easy work around…

FYI – I shoot video with the Canon 7D and record audio with the Zoom H4n.

  1. Syncronize your clips
  2. Select the new synced clip; then select New Compound Clip in the FILE menu
  3. Select the appropriate settings with the CUSTOM options
  4. The new compound clip is Synced in your desired settings and can be dropped into the timeline

BTW- Be sure to deselect the audio captured by the camera mic in the audio menu for best results, otherwise the synchronization process will defualt to including the audio from the camera and your external mic.

Final Cut X: Preparing files and backing up projects

Preparing files and starting a project

Without any pre-rendering, I can import my DLSR footage and start editing right away. You can edit the raw H.264 files from DSLR fine, without pre-rendering. And: Not more decompressing slowing down my workflow!

 

Reports, however, say that for best — an perhaps quicker — response time, it’s recommended that you convert to Apple ProRes.

 

Here are the steps to make it happen:

 

1) Create a New Project (projects are the movies you create on the timeline from your footage)

Open Final Cut X and select New Project (name the project) — Final Cut will keep (and show) your entire media library for all of your projects, so naming them and keeping your footage in organized folders is essential and wise.

 

Post Production

 
A) You can choose to set the video properties to your first clip or custom set it.

 

B) Set audio and render properties.

 

2) Create a New Event (Events are folding containing all of your project files)

Select File –> Import (or Import From Camera)

 

The Event Library list is on the left and the import choices on the right:

 

Final Cut

 

3) Choose the files you want and take note of the variety of choices you can make on import, such as “Create optimized media” — this is where you can ProRes your files. The software will also analyze video and audio issues, as well as attempt to sort into groups of people onscreen.

 

FCPUG

 

A) Select your clips and tell the computer to either add it to an existing Event or create a new one.

 

B) Under Transcoding, check “Create optimized media” and Final Cut X will render it into an Apple ProRes 422 — and render it in the background as you start examining your clips and even editing them. The original files will get replaced by the ProRes files as it completes the render.

 

C) Also note you can select “Analyze for stabilization and rolling shutter” — allowing Final Cut to tell you what part of the clips contain undo shakiness and/or rolling shutter. You can correct them later. (It’s not doing it for you until you decide you want it to happen.) See, for example, this menu screen after I chose this selection:

 

Final Cut Pro X

 

It not only lists the files with “Excessive Shake,” but it marks it on the clip where the shakiness occurs, so you can fine tune it in the Inspector window, later. In addition, you can select color balance analysis, select shots that contain people (for organization, especially good for documentary interviews). Furthermore, Final Cut will also examine audio issues (and tell you which ones have issue after you select).

 

Backing up projects

You can back up your projects and transfer it to another hard drive by right-clicking on the Project (click on the Project icon, bottom left, then right click on the project.

 

Select Duplicate Project.

 

 

You’re provided with several choices, including where to send the backup. Select the hard drive you want the files sent:

 

 

Select the type of duplication: The first choice is for standard back-ups. The second will copy all the files listed in your project, including unused ones. The third choice will only duplicate what you’ve used and create a new Event for it. Select Include Render Files if you want the backup to include all of the background render files from your project (recommended).

 

 

Final Cut Pro X a dream for DSLR filmmakers

I was at the April 12, 2011 FCPUG meeting in Las Vegas and from what I saw, I couldn’t wait to get Final Cut Pro X. And yesterday morning when I saw a Tweet that Apple had released it on its App store, I purchased it right away, testing it out with Canon 5D Mark II footage shot at 1920×1080 24P on my way to Hawaii.

 

Before proceeding, I highly recommend reading “Final Cut Pro X – A first Look” by Steve Martin, where you can see plenty of screenshots. He provides a quick overview of the big picture of the software with a lot of screenshots — most importantly covering some of the major differences to Final Cut 7.

 

Final Cut X for artists not engineers (some initial thoughts)

The difference between the new software and the old was the lack of an intuitive interface — a design more for engineers than artists. Remember, for those out there screaming that Apple has betrayed them (see USA Today’s “New Final Cut Pro editing software draws mixed reviews”), the original version of Final Cut was a refit of Macromedia’s editing software. Apple — so long known for its intuitive design in their other software (and hardware) — lacked that strong feature in its own pro editing software, until now. By starting over from scratch, they’re going to make many people upset, because everything has to be built back up from an entirely new design.

 

See Focal Press’s Mastering Film site for the full article:

http://masteringfilm.com/final-cut-pro-x-a-dream-for-dslr-filmmakers/

 

Final Cut Pro X – negative reviewers failed to clue in

Reading some of the negative reviews and articles on the new release of Final Cut X makes me wonder why people don’t research before they purchase.

 

Most of the negative reviewers out there — especially comments from Apple’s App store — failed to do their research. They’re surprised about such lack of features as no full version of Color, SoundTrack Pro, no compatibility with earlier versions, multicam support?

 

They actually went out and purchased a totally revamped piece of software — essentially a version 1 — and expected all of these elements to be in place?

 

Do your research people. Larry Jordan’s been mentioning this for some time and a recent blog post from a Los Angeles Final Cut User Group meeting states that Final Cut X “will not be ready for professional use.” He told the group to keep Final Cut 7 and do your professional projects on it and run the new version, test it out, and wait until it meets your need as the software evolves.

 

What we get — an intuitive interface, facial recognition, background rendering, fantastic organization tools, slick design, ease of use, color correction where I can actually figure out how to mask a person’s face and key frame it without having to use a manual — far outweighs what is not currently there.

 

Here, I’ll provide some counter-arguments to the detractor’s missing features:

 

Fails to open Final Cut 7 projects

Hello? Did you not read that Final Cut X was built from scratch for 64-bit processing? Would you expect AVID, Premiere Pro, or Sony Vegas to open in Final Cut X — which is essentially a new software program?

 

Yes, Apple took advantage and kept the same name, when they probably should have come up with a new one so as not to confuse those who don’t do their research.  And they should state outright that it’s not compatible with Final Cut 7. They took advantage of the marketing power of the Final Cut name. Get over it. The old version of Final Cut evolved from Macromedia and Apple never designed the original interface. Haven’t you ever wondered why Final Cut up to now was extremely non-intuitive, never felt like an Apple product?

 

This new version feels more like Apple far more so than the earlier version of Final Cut ever did. This is the design they should have provided ten years ago when Vegas came out, blowing the doors off of the pre-Final Cut X with its background render (never had to sit around and wait back in 2001) and its intuitive interface.

 

Walter Murch didn’t have half the features of Final Cut in 2003, when he edited Cold Mountain with it. (See Behind the Seen: How Walter Murch Edited Cold Mountain Using Apple’s Final Cut Pro and What This Means for Cinema.) His pioneering efforts forced Apple to evolve and change the software so it could approach a professional status.

 

A version 1 software, such as Final Cut X, will not have everything in it and it will be buggy. Perhaps Apple could have called it Final Cut X Pro I (reboot). We need to push our projects and send requests to Apple to meet the professional demands. From what everything Apple has said, they’re not going to ignore you. Later versions of the software will likely have most everything you need (except for Final Cut 7 compatibility, it’ll unlikely happen since it’s a new architecture).

 

 

Missing Apple Color

I was able to shape a mask over a person’s head, and by clicking on keyframes, I was able to map the motion of the person’s movement without any fuss or frustration—or a manual. I figured it out intuitively. I provide a screen shot here (lesson coming in a later post):

 


 

The version built in to Final Cut X meets all of my editing needs. If it doesn’t meet yours, you still have your old version. No one’s preventing you from using it.

 

Missing Sound Track Pro

Final Cut X accesses audio libraries quite nicely and I can layer and mix sounds. I still have SoundTrack Pro and I can still use it and import a fully mixed file into the new version of Final Cut, if needed.

 

In short, I can focus on my edit as storytelling and not worry about all the clunky engineering, poorly-designed interface issues of the early versions. I can  start having fun editing, instead of being frustrated half the time.

 

I like what David Leitner said in Filmmaker Magazine, as cited in Apple Insider:

 

  • “Great design, like great music, is almost always foreign at first, if not disturbingly strange,” David Leitner wrote for Filmmaker Magazine. “You have to spend time with it. But if it is great, and if you invest your attention, it will change the way you look at the world. After using FCP X for a week, Premiere Pro looks to me like the past.”

 

As for AAF or OMF audio files for Pro Tools exporting, Automatic Duck, has an export app available for Final Cut X users: http://www.automaticduck.com/products/pefcp/.

 

Multicamera support

You don’t think they’re working on this now?

 

Final thoughts

This is not the end of the world for Final Cut editors. I’ve been using it and teaching it for over three years and have never been happy with it. It’s extremely frustrating to teach and use — until now. It’s a new beginning and I’m not going back. The pros far outweigh the cons. If you want what you’re missing, stick with Final Cut 7 until it meets your needs.

 

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Kurt Lancaster, PhD, is the author of “DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video, Focal Press, 2011.” He teaches digital filmmaking and multimedia journalism at Northern Arizona University’s School of Communication.

The $100, 3-point light kit

DSLRs are known for low-light capability and many shooters have been able to get some nice shots with natural lighting setups — especially in documentary work. But sometimes you need some lights to make the scene shine with cinematography power. But if you’re on a super low-budget framework, or you’re a student trying to build your own setup, you already know a good light kits cost a lot of money.

 

For example, a Lowel Omni 3-point lighting kit costs about $900:

 

For about $900 the Lowel light kit is outside many student and super low-budget filmmakers.

 

It’s got a nice set of barn doors to shape light direction, cords, tripods, and a carrying case. But that’s the price of a Canon Rebel T3i — which is what many of you saved up to get in order to make movies. Another $900? I’m not doing it.

 

I’ve consistently told my students — and I’ve built one myself — to go to Home Depot and build your own kit, with a couple of inexpensive items from B&H to supplement.

 

Bare bones light kit: ~$100

Three aluminum work scoops:

 

A work scoop lamp about $8 each (three for about $24)

Because the scoops come with clamps, you can hook these on door knobs, bed posts, doors — whatever is available on your shoot.

 

Three extension cords:

 

25′ ~$9 each for a total of about $27.

 

Daylight lamps (or whatever color temp you want):

 

2-pack 100W daylight CFL about $4 (three sets for about $12).

 

Aluminum foil: Get at your local grocery store — around $5. Use this to act as your barn doors, but never enclose your scoop, since you need the heat to breath!

 

One other key tool is a reflector — allowing you to bounce light or use as a scrim to defuse light.

 

Impact’s 32″, 5-in-1 reflector for about $39.

This is an essential tool for lighting, providing you with silver, gold, and white combos. Even if you’re outdoors using natural light, this is a great tool to bounce light back into the performer’s face.

There it is, for just over $100, you can build a workable light kit. And at the equivalent of 100-watts, these CFLs are more than adequate for DSLR lighting setups. Throw them in a duffel bag and you have a nice portable kit.

Anything else is just extra.

 

Extra

Sometimes you may be in a place where you can’t clamp your aluminum scoops, so you may want some light stand tripods to clamp them. The Smith-Victor Ravens from $33-40 each (price differences reflecting height extensions from 6′ to 8′).

Black wrap: http://www.filmtools.com/blacstudfoil.html

Black wrap, good for blocking light like a flag.

 

The Smith-Victor Raven RS75 light stand tripod for about $38. Three of them for just under $115.

 

The full package with light stands, aluminum foil, and assuming you already have a duffel bag, it will cost you less than $220. That’s the cheapest 3-point light kit I’ve come across.

 

Another inexpensive 3-point kit:

One of our reader’s pointed out the Cowboy Studio kit on Amazon (see comment below):

 

For under $70, this kis is a great option.

You will not have as much control as the scoops — where you can wrap tinfoil around them, but for general lighting, this is likely a nice setup, but I haven’t used this kit.


Scrims, flags, and C-stands

For those of you with an extra budget, I found the following equipment useful for more advanced work:

 

Scrim and flag kit:

 

The Westcott 24″x36″ fast flags scrim kit: $160

This puts you into some of the higher budget equipment, but it includes the fold-up storage bag and:

  • 2- Frames 24″ x 36″
  • 1- Black Single Net Fabric 24″ x 36″
  • 1- Black Double Net Fabric 24″ x 36″
  • 1- Artificial Silk Fabric 24″ x 36″
  • 1- Black Block Fabric 24″ x 36″

These are designed to be attached to C-stands:


Avenger C-stand with arm and clamp: ~$160a c-stand by itself will cost about $100, but the clamp and arm is useful for hanging the flags, scrims, and reflectors.

So for about an additional $480, you can up your game with how you control your light with two C-stands and a scrim/flag kit, but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you really need it. In either case, if I had the choice of purchasing a $900 light kit and the DIY scoops and have money left over to get a a couple of C-stands with a scrim and flag kit — that’s where I would put my money and it’ll still cost me less than ~$700!

The $100 kit is a good place to start and you can work your way up to the light stands. Only get the C-stand with scrims if you know you need it, and only for those advanced enough to use them for their full benefit.

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Kurt Lancaster, PhD, is the author of “DSLR Cinema: Crafting the Film Look with Video, Focal Press, 2011.” He teaches digital filmmaking and multimedia journalism at Northern Arizona University’s School of Communication.

The Psychology of the Lens: Patrick Moreau creates filmic intimacy with DSLRs

Patrick Moreau of Stillmotion in Toronto and San Francisco (http://www.stillmotion.ca/) shapes such strong intimate images at weddings, that the NFL hired him to shoot “The Season: Super Bowl XLV” (http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-the-season/09000d5d81e3bdb3/The-Season-Super-Bowl-XLV) and Callaway hired him to create intimate profiles of Callaway golfers. (http://www.callawaygolf.com/Global/en-US/articles/2011/thewinnersvideos.html)

 

With a background in psychology, Moreau engages “psychology to tell stories” in his documentary work and now in his commercial work. He explains that psychology “helps us really understand the people we are working with as well as the stories we are trying to tell and how we can use our equipment to tell those stories better or in a more relevant way.” It’s not a set formula, but rather, it’s being present and making conscious decisions when it comes to camera and lens selection.

 

A fleeting, but intimate moment of an NFL player’s worried furrowed brow captured in Stillmotion’s NFL video shot with DSLRs, The Season: Super Bowl XLV.” The long lens and shallow focal depth isolates the player and shapes the psychology of the drama Moreau helped craft through lens choices. (Image courtesy of Stillmotion and NFL.)

A wider lens and deep focus allows Moreau to capture his subject in a space that reveals the character’s emotions in an intimate way. (Image courtesy of Stillmotion and NFL.)

 

Moreau tells me in an interview at the National Association of Broadcasting (NAB) convention in Las Vegas (2011) that the psychological filmmaking process “forces us to question everything we are doing [and it makes us] really think about why this lens or why this camera tool.”

Click here to read the complete article at Focal Press’s, Mastering Film blog (http://masteringfilm.com/the-psychology-of-the-lens-patrick-moreau-creates-filmic-intimacy-with-dslrs-at-stillmotion/).