Making movies
Filming on your camera
Make 2023 the year you start creating great movies. In the first part of our new series, we take you through the basic video functions already at your disposal Words by Adam Duckworth
NEW SERIES!
“The key is understanding your tools, then putting them to practical use” using 1/50sec shutter speed. Get the exposure right by changing ISO, aperture, or using ND filters. That means one essential buy is an ND filter to go on the front of the lens. These can be individually graded filters, but for maximum flexibility a variable ND is easier. While you can manage without one, if you’re shooting on a bright, sunny day at ISO 100 and 25fps –
WHILE MANY IMAGE makers attempt to create narrative in their still images, video is a medium specifically designed to tell compelling stories. If you are a keen photographer with a modern digital camera and some knowledge of camera settings and techniques, you have a huge advantage. As
with still image making, the key is understanding the tools available, then putting them to practical use – so let’s start there. When taking stills, you juggle shutter speed, aperture and ISO to get the correct exposure; this is the traditional exposure triangle. In video, it’s the same – although these are often called shutter angle, iris and gain by old-school cinema buffs. As in stills, aperture changes the exposure and depth-of-field, while ISO alters the sensitivity of the sensor to light. High ISO will lead to noisier images, while low ISO is for more saturated colours and fine details, especially when there’s plenty of light. The biggest difference in shooting video is that you don’t change your shutter speed to alter the exposure. Instead, shutter speed is set as close as possible to twice the frame
Welcome to a brand-new series designed to help novice filmmakers get to grips with the essentials of making movies. In every issue throughout 2023, we’ll be covering key parts of the process, including camera skills, audio advice and editing tips. Follow along each month, and by the end of the year you’ll have all the advice you need to be the next Spielberg! Your tutor is Adam Duckworth, editor-in-chief of our sister title Pro Moviemaker, and in this first instalment he covers off-key camera functions and settings.
CODEC CRACKING Video settings can seem indecipherable to the layman
rate you’re shooting at. This idea has worked well since the dawn of cinematography and gives a natural, flowing look to footage. If you go to high shutter speeds thinking it will capture action in more detail, the resulting footage appears as lots of oversharp frames that look ‘digital’ rather than ‘filmic’ and smooth. In the UK, most video is watched at 25fps, so you should stick to
SPIN THE WHEEL If you’re avoiding the video settings on your camera, read on!
Issue 103 | Photography News 31
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