Shooting with the Canon C300

Learn about the Canon C300 in this tutorial. This popular camera is becoming widely usedWatch the follow-up movies within this series at http://www.lynda.com/Video-Shooting-V...
 

This specific tutorial is from the Video Gear Weekly series presented by lynda.com authors Rich Harrington and Robbie Carman. The complete course is presented as a weekly lynda.com series and offers reviews and tips on the latest video gear, from cameras like the Blackmagic 4K and GoPros to lighting, accessories, and adapters.
 

The Ultimate Camera Support Rail

I know what some of you are thinking… what the heck is that!?!

It’s a camera support rail… that I’ve heavily modified for a special reason. I’ve been looking for a way to shoot with multiple cameras on a single tripod. This combination lets me attach up to 5 cameras to a single tripod. This is really useful for video shooting as well as time-lapse (as I can get multiple angles/compositions of coverage at once).

The rail system attaches to my tripod (it matches an Arca-Swiss style plate). On the rail are two small clamps (with room for a third) to hold each camera body. At each end is a GoPro mount.  This can hold 4-5 cameras at once. Cameras can be angled in each direction for 360˚ of coverage of an environment.

This is a cleaner shot of it (although it was shot in my hotel room in Tokyo, so no perfect studio lights here).

The Pieces

Here are the pieces I used to build this (and for those of you familiar with Really Right Stuff the quality is high and so are the prices).

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• BHERO3-B: GoPro Buckle Adapter Plate          2  @ $39.00  =   $78.00
• Mini-Clamp Package                                            1  @  $110.00  = $110.00
• CB-EC: Camera Bar End Connector                    2 @  $30.00  = $60.00
• B2-mAS: 38mm clamp with dual mounting       2   @   $60.00 = $120.00
• CB-18 Package: CB-18 and Mini Clamps           1   @   $245.00 = $245.00
  • CB-18: 18-inch Camera support bar   
  • B2-mAS: 38mm clamp with dual mounting   
  • B2-FAB 38mm clamp with threaded socket  

TOTAL $613.00

Features

• The clamps are a safe way to attach any camera with an Arca-Swiss style plate.

• The rail has a built-in bubble level to get a straight shot.
• The clamps can be repositioned side to side.
• The center cameras can be mounted either direction.
• The GoPro buckles work with standard GoPro mounts so you can connect the cameras.
• I used the bendable knuckles included with each GoPro to create a camera that can be angled to shoot in any direction for greater flexibility.
• The whole unit weighs about 5 pounds without cameras attached.
• The open spaces in the bar make it lighter and allowed me to attach aVulture Equipment Works strap for easy carrying.

I am quite pleased with how it’s turned out.  I was able to easily gather a lot more options when shooting video and time-lapse (safe to say I tripled my output os usable shots).

Geeky… yes.  Pricey… uh huh.  Virtually indestructible… absolutely.

Direct Link to Adobe SpeedGrade

The Adobe workflow is known for its exceptional integration between apps. Premiere Pro and SpeedGrade have a great relationship. SpeedGrade CC is a powerful color grading system with a streamlined interface and in this course I will show you how to work with the SpeedGrade workflow directly from Premiere Pro.

Extending the Power of Premiere Pro: Direct Link to Adobe SpeedGrade

To learn more, I’ve created an exciting course called Premiere Pro: Creative Cloud Updates, for Lynda.com

http://www.lynda.com/course-tutorials/Direct-Link-Adobe-SpeedGrade/126763/156267-4.html

Adobe Premiere Pro CC has some very exciting new features and updates.  It’s important to stay on top of these new features so you can maximize your experience and workflow as you’re in post production. This course is dedicated to the video producers and editors who need to leverage the latest Premiere Pro tools and techniques fast.  I will cover all of these new features, which include: a customizable user interface, quality and format improvements like the enhanced Mercury Playback Engine, timeline tricks, and media management techniques, and the best audio, multicamera, and closed captioning workflows.

Topics in this course include:

• Switching between audio waveforms and video
• Creating a new sequence
• Integrating scripting with the Story panel
• Working with different camera formats
• Selecting and nudging clips
• Using dupe-detection markers
• Copying and pasting ranges
• Nesting sequences
• Relinking offline sequences
• Color grading with the Lumetri Deep Color Engine
• Adjusting clip volume
• Automatic syncing with audio waveforms
• Recording multicamera edits
• Adjusting timing and display of captions
• Exporting multiple clips/sequences

You can check out the class here - http://www.lynda.com/course-tutorials/Direct-Link-Adobe-SpeedGrade/126763/156267-4.html

I’ve Never Watched a Video That Couldn’t Benefit From Being Shorter

The primary place video is watched these days is on mobile devices. This means small screens and lots of distractions.  Add in changes in the human attention span, and I can’t emphaize enough to keep the total run time low to avoid viewer fatigue.

Here’s a simple idea: Keep your videos short. It is better to have five 3-minute videos than one 15-minute episode. I try to keep most client videos to less than 10 minutes (in fact less than 5 in almost all cases).

With the rise of the web, videos tend to be consumed during things like work breaks, downtime, and airplane flights. Others will use them during commutes on the morning train or the subway. Think of video as portable, on-demand learning or entertainment.

Here are some strategies to keeping the runtime down:

• Limit the number of topics covered. How may points do you need to make?  I try to stick to one (with a hard limit of three).
• Can the video be split? If a topic runs too long, look to see if you can create shorter segments that stand alone.  This way the viewer can download Part 1 and start watching it while they’re waiting for the rest to download or be released. There’s nothing wrong with multiple parts.
• Get a fresh opinion.  Show the video to other people and note when they first look away from their screen or at their watch. That’s when they started to get bored.

Shorter is better…. 

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?

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.