Search results for: video tips solutions how to shoot a short film
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by Steven Gladstone · Posted
Whether you’re a student or a seasoned veteran, selecting the right camera can make your head spin with questions. Does sensor size matter? What’s the difference between 4:2:0 and 4:2:2? Do I really need a camera that can record 8K? What about raw? We’ll explain the key components that help a camera produce cinematic images, and in doing so, hopefully help you make that all-important decision.
Evaluate Your Needs and Your Budget
Before considering certain cameras, you must know your needs and your budget. And be realistic. If you are a student
by Steven Gladstone · Posted
In addition to working on commercials, documentaries, and feature-length films, I’ve experienced the pleasure and misery of working with low-budget and first-time filmmakers. Most of these filmmakers tend to make the same mistakes and, sadly, I must admit that when I’ve made my own short films, I’ve gone down the rabbit hole and made some of the same mistakes against which I’ve cautioned others. So, in hopes of helping you prepare for your production, I’ve outlined a variety of problems that often plague the low-budget and first-time filmmaker
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
Time lapses feel a lot like photography during capture stages and a lot like video during the editing process. Creating them is a common progression for photographers looking to dip their toes into video and motion because you can start making high-quality time lapses with your current still photo equipment. If you are starting to tackle time-lapse projects, applying some video tricks can help smooth out your final product.
The Absolute Basics
I’m hoping that by the time you make it to this article you already have a basic understanding of how
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
These are trying times for all. The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, has led governments to take drastic actions, put strains on businesses, and has affected all individuals in a personal way. It is incredibly important that we all do our part during this time. As photographers and filmmakers ourselves, we want to make sure that there are some key guidelines out there to help prevent the spread of the virus and keep everyone healthy and happy.
Do: Maintain Social Distancing
I’m hopeful you all have heard of social
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
Time-lapse videos have invaded nearly every form of media in recent years, even breaking into our social media apps with the recent development of the hyper-lapse. These types of videos can be quite difficult to make, especially with the time requirements inherent in capturing and transforming a lengthy event into a few seconds of footage. They can also be some of the most stunning and interesting videos to watch. To capture even better photos and videos for time-lapses, here are some tips that will help elevate your imagery.
Work in Manual
by Jill Waterman · Posted
Ami Vitale has a remarkable affinity for life-changing events. A native of South Florida, Vitale was a self-described shy, gawky child who, like many young girls, possessed little confidence. The assessment of a grade school teacher, who told her she was not very good at English, stuck with her for years. “I just thought that I had no ability as a writer, or as a creative person,” she says. “I remember thinking I was going to become an engineer because I had almost perfect math scores on my SAT.”
Photographs © Ami Vitale
by Steven Gladstone · Posted
You’ve shot, edited, and finished your film. You’ve sent it off to the festival circuit, and you’ve been getting accepted. Congratulations. And yet, each festival is asking you for promotional material, on-set stills or behind the scenes (BTS) video. Sadly, all you have is a picture or two from just before you started shooting, and one that the crew sent around—of you, passed out from exhaustion—at the end of the shoot. But getting good on-set stills and BTS video, that’s tough. I know, I’ve been there. It is hard enough just getting the film
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
Lights! Camera! iPad? Believe it or not, the Apple iPad Pro (Late 2018) has gotten good enough to be an outstanding tool for filmmakers. Its versatility makes it useful, regardless of what part of the production you are working on. Standard productivity concerns are easily handled; apps for teleprompters, clapboards, and scripts are common; and if you want, the rear camera is capable enough to record high-resolution UHD 4K with surprising
by Steven Gladstone · Posted
It starts with a finished script. Unless you are intentionally doing something different, the finished shooting script is the structure that supports the film. There will be many questions that aren’t answered by the script and will require the director’s input; however, without the script, no one will even know what questions to ask. So, it really does begin with the script, and once you have the finished shooting script, you are ready to begin.
Step 1: Break Down Your Script
Have you broken down your script? How many actors, how many
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
In the old days, you needed a lot of film and a lot of luck to capture a photograph of a meteor streaking overhead. Today, thanks to the digital revolution in photography, we have a much better chance of getting great photos of shooting stars entering Earth’s atmosphere. Why? Because with digital cameras, you can take hundreds, or even thousands of cost-free photos per night of a meteor shower.
Here are some tips to get you geared up and prepared to get the shot!
Planning
Meteors can hit the upper atmosphere at any time, but there are some “
by BH Event Space… · Posted
In this B&H Event Space video, filmmaker Brandon Li shares his favorite techniques for creating a story out of purely improvised material. His strategy for creating a film is heavily dependent on the unexpected, and for using those unexpected elements to fuel creativity. Working without scripts or storyboards, it is part of his plan to have events go not according to plan. Li guides you through his filmmaking process, using clips from his many improvised films to underscore talking points. Topics discussed include: planning your shoot to
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
Now you are really on your way to becoming the director or cinematographer you always dreamed of being, or at least getting your feet wet with the idea. If you aren’t you can check out the first three parts of this series: Getting Started, Helpful Tools, and
by Steven Gladstone · Posted
Most of the time with small-budget pieces, shooting on location is a necessity, and all too often the choice of location is made from among what is available. I know the feeling well, although I’ve had a few instances where that restriction benefited the production. For example, I once used the subway tunnel walkway under 14th Street, in Manhattan, to shoot the POV of a patient for a medical commercial. Another time, I shot an entire scene on 35mm film using the light bouncing from a window on a building across the street from outside the
by Steven Gladstone · Posted
There is an old truism, “To write a movie takes one person, but to make a movie takes an army.” Turning an idea or words on a page into a finished film/video can essentially involve an army of people: those who raise money, break down and budget the script, run the casting, act in the project, crew the film, edit the project, and handle the distribution. Your film/video can end up having hundreds of people working on it by the time it’s finished, with each of these people necessary to finish the project. For our purposes, let’s concentrate on
by Allan Weitz · Posted
If you ask photographers what they consider important when choosing a camera, the aspect ratio of the sensor seldom enters the conversation. Megapixels? Yes. Sensor size? Yes. Burst rates? Yes. Aspect ratio? Seldom.
Aspect ratios are determined by the form factor of the camera’s imaging sensor, which among consumer cameras are typically 3:2 or 4:3 rectangles. And while photographers weigh the pluses and minuses of MFT, APS-C, and full-frame sensor formats, few photographers care about the actual shape of their camera sensors.
"Aspect ratios