How to Create a film look with Final Cut Pro X

Learn how to give your video footage a dramatic “film” look by diving into some color-correction and effect features of Final Cut Pro X in this week’s DSLR Video Tips with Rich Harrington and Robbie Carman.

You’ll learn:

• The tools: Get to know the tools in Final Cut Pro X that can help you achieve a film look with your video footage.
• The post-processing: Learn how to use those tools to create a stylized film look with Final Cut Pro X.

Check out both the sample video above and this week’s complete episode on lynda.com.

More Preparation for Multi-camera Shooting

There’s a lot involved when setting up a shoot with multiple DSLR’s- preparation and planning are key. Finding the location that works for you is important, and lighting it for multiple cameras is a challenge.

On this week’s show, Robbie Carman and Rich Harrington walk you through the key elements for a multiple DSLR camera shoot. They’re joined by Director of Photography Jim Ball for additional tips. You’ll learn the following:

• Preparing for a Multiple DSLR Camera Shoot. Learn what to think about before you shoot. Multi-camera is all about planning and preproduction.
• Scout the Location. Walk through a venue and learn to spot potential problems–and opportunities with your shooting location.
• Lighting for Multiple Cameras. Figure out how to work with available light and position new lights inconspicuously to enhance the scene.
• A DP’s Perspective on Multi-camera Lighting. Learn how a director of photography approaches a multi-camera production.
• Matching Cameras. You need to preserve seamless cuts between angles. Learn what needs to be done before you shoot.

Check out both the sample video above and this week’s complete episode on lynda.com. We’ll help you get the best performance, and make editing a breeze.

Long Exposure Time-lapse Essentials

In order to capture a moving street shot, I turned to long exposure. To really see the lights and energy of the scene, I wanted to elongate the action.  Here’s the logic I applied to the shot.

1. First I set the camera to manual mode to avoid any significant settings changes from shot to shot.  With timelapse, you want to see variation over time, so the last thing you want is an aperture or shutter changing.
2. Next I stopped the camera all the way down and shot ƒ/22.  This let the least amount of light into the sensor.
3. I set the shutter speed to create the sense of motion.  In this case I found that 2.5 seconds was enough for the look I wanted.  People and cars standing still (at the intersection) were relatively clear, while those in motion became a long streak.  I also wanted the lights to take on a starburst.
4. Lastly I refined the ISO to achieve a proper exposure. In this case a value of ISO 800 was needed to get the shot.  This was due to the smaller sensor of the OM-D E-M1 and the fact that I was stopped down so small.

Once the shot was done, assembly was easy.  We’ve covered these techniques already on Photofocus.  Here’s the highlights of my workflow.

1. I used Adobe Camera Raw to develop the files and sync the same settings to all images.  In this case a slight Clarity and Curves adjustment helped.  Noise reduction was also used.
2. An image sequence was created.
3. The image sequence was imported into Adobe After Effects.
4. I interpreted the sequence at 12 fps (half the frame rate I needed).
5. I stretched the image to 200% and turned on frame blending. This forces a motion blur between shots (essentially a series os short dissolves) to emphasize the streaking.
6. I used keyframes to create a zoom on the shot.

All in all, post processing was only 10 minutes to create the shot.  I am happy with the end results and continue to explore using smaller apertures and longer exposures when shooting timelapse shots of nighttime activities or subjects that involve water or wind.

For more on photography, be sure to check out Photofocus.com

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Using a Click Track to Create a Music Video

When you’re working on a music video and need to record a commercial or promo that’s tightly tied to a music track, it’s important to think ahead for post-production. Recording with a click track gives you the ability to sync multiple cameras and multiple takes across several locations. Using consistent, sequential audio cues, known as a click track, will help you sync your visuals in post.

On this week’s show, Robbie and Rich walk you through the benefits of using a click track when recording a musical performance.

This week we cover

• Using a click track: Learn how to use a click track in the field to synchronize multiple cameras.
• Creating a click track: Learn how you can create a click track before you shoot your footage.
• Playing a click track in the field: We’ll go over your options for playback with a click track while on set.
• Recording with a click track in the field: We’ll take you in the field to record a music video.
• Syncing in post–production: Learn how to sync your audio and visuals using a click track.

Check out both the sample video above and this week’s complete episode on lynda.com. We’ll help you get the best performance and make editing a breeze.

Fixing the Exposure Triangle Beyond Camera Settings

Throughout the past month, we’ve tackled the exposure triangle—the critical way to get properly exposed photos and videos. Remember your camera and lens have three essential controls that affect how much light comes into the camera: the aperture or opening of the lens, the shutter speed (how long the shutter opens), and the ISO (the sensitivity of your sensor).

But a problem as tough as exposure can still be hard to crack. What happens when you can’t get more light into the camera and the shot is dark? How about when you want shallow depth of field and the shot is overexposed? Sometimes you have to look past the camera and make external changes to get the results you want.

This week we cover

• Controlling exposure beyond camera settings:
How do you know when it’s time to stop pushing buttons on the camera and make a physical change to your shoot?

• Adding light:
Is your shot underexposed? When is it time to add more light—or reposition your subject?

• Adding filtration:
Too much light can also be a problem. Did you know that you can give your camera a “pair of sunglasses” when shooting in bright light?

DSLR tutorial: The Exposure Triangle

When shooting video, exposure requires an almost scientific understanding of light. In this tutorial, explore a straightforward way to get strong, well-exposed shots with your DSLR. Watch more athttp://www.lynda.com/course-tutorials.... 

Understanding GoPro Bodies

GoPro cameras are great for time-lapse, underwater, and aerial photography. This tutorial takes a detailed look at GoPro cameras. Watch more at http://www.lynda.com/course-tutorials....

Elevate Your Video Camera

A great way to create more interesting video perspectives is to raise your camera higher. Positioning the camera above any scene gives a unique view—and putting the camera into motion from that position can result in really dynamic shots.

In this week’s video, we look at a couple of tools for raising your camera up higher, and discuss techniques for getting the most out of elevated shots.

This week we cover

• Using a monopod to extend your reach. Learn why a monopod is one of the easiest ways to get the camera up higher and extend it into a scene.
• What is a jib? A jib is an extremely popular way of elevating the camera, while also putting it into motion. We’ll check out all the various features and parts of a jib system.
• Operating a jib. Catch up with director of photography Jim Ball and learn about some hard-won techniques for operating a jib.
• Real-world examples.  We’ll evaluate several elevated shots from a recent music video shoot, breaking down what worked and what didn’t.

How Do I Mount and Control a GoPro Camera?

From its origins as a surf camera to its current incarnation as a flexible tool for any project that needs a small, durable, and capable camera, GoPro has become synonymous with go anywhere, “get the shot no matter what” productions.

Smaller than your fist and providing endless mounting options, GoPro cameras allow you to get shots you never thought were possible—especially where larger, more expensive cameras won’t work.

In this week’s episode, we’ll take a look at the iconic GoPro camera and how it can become even more flexible with different mounts, and the GoPro App, which allows you to remotely control your GoPro from mobile devices.

This week we cover

• Essential GoPro mounts: A huge advantage of a using a GoPro is how easy it is to mount it in different situations. We’ll show you some of our favorite ways to do it.

• Remote app: You can control your camera using the free GoPro App, available on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. We’ll show you how to connect it to your GoPro, and both record and view shots. We’ll also show you how to change the settings on your GoPro camera directly from the app.

• Real-world examples: We’ll evaluate several shots from a recent shoot, including some using a GoPro on a quadcopter. We’ll break down what we liked and what we didn’t.

With its versatile mounts and a powerful remote app, GoPro cameras make a great addition to any filmmaker’s kit. Be sure to check out both the sample video above and this week’s complete episode on lynda.com.

What is the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera?

Blackmagic Design is well known for its reasonably priced video post-production products, including interfaces and adapters. Recently they’ve also started making cameras, including the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, Production Camera 4k, and Pocket Cinema Camera—all with high-end features and great price points.

On this week’s episode, we’ll take a look at the small, yet capable Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera.

About the same size as a traditional point-and-shoot stills camera, the BMPCC is capable of shooting video using Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and now, the compressed RAW format as well, all to a fast SD card. It’s a versatile camera that we’re sure will be in the hands of lots of filmmakers.

This week we cover

• Getting to know the camera. We’ll explore the details of the Pocket Cinema Camera, including its ergonomics, which lenses to use, crop factor, power, and firmware.
• What to look out for. No camera is perfect, and we’ll show you some of the limitations of the Pocket Cinema Camera.
• Workflow. The Pocket Cinema Camera can shoot Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) in a couple different modes and soon it’ll be able to shoot RAW video. We’ll take a look at how to best handle files coming off the camera.
• Real-world examples. We’ll evaluate several shots from a studio shoot, breaking down what we liked and what we didn’t.