I Can See the Light!

Today I would like to talk you about lighting. Now first off, I just want to start by saying, I am not a professional and I don't have professional lighting equipment.  Now that said, I have used many different things to light my scenes. I have used flashlights, flexible lamps, work lights, but most commonly used would probably be sunlight. Yes, whenever possible I use the sun as my ally. But for those pesky inside scenes I use at least two light sources. Although the proper way to do it is call three point lighting system. A light on both sides of my subjects called: key light and the fill light. Having a light on both sides of the subject helps reduce shadow on the face or whatever you are filming. In the diagram below they also show a backlight. The backlight helps to separate your subject from the background. Even if you light your set properly that does not excuse you from color correcting your film in the end. So go ahead and shine some bright lights in your friends eyes, and have fun with it. 

                                             Diagram from http://www.desktop-documentaries.com/

Do You Hear That?

Last week we talked about sound, so this week I thought I might go back and be a little more specific about some of the technical things. One of the down sides to filming with a DSLR is that the big manufacturers decided to put Auto Gain Control (AGC) in their camera’s with no way to turn it off. Now some of you already know why this is a bad thing, I on the other hand had to learn this the hard way. You see, AGC fills in empty space with noise, so if you are trying to get a nice shot with some dialogue, don’t use the internal microphone. There are ways around AGC, mine being the H4N Zoom microphone/recorder. I just filmed a wedding this weekend and I hooked up my wireless lavalier microphone to the H4N Zoom and received a quality sound to accompany the video. Although this does mean more steps in post production. Now I have done a little research and I have found a third party firmware that allows your camera the option to turn off the AGC. This download is free and is called magic lantern. I plan to download it and we will see if that helps reduce the hum when a microphone is connected to the camera. Wish me luck!

Control Your Own Destiny!

This week I want to talk about sound. To me, sound is the most important aspect of your independent videos. So many people have these big expensive cameras that give them full HD video, but their audio sounds like a radio station thats out of range. Sound in the film industry is like the primary colors of art. In the early twentieth century silent films were produced, because sound in films had not been done yet. Today in modern times, most films are produced with sound. The average person does not watch a movie without sound, but the average person does listen to music without video. Sound is a key element.

http://vanishme.com/

To get better sound, you need to control your environment as best as you can. By this I mean, to cut out as much background noise as possible. Some things to look out for are ceiling fans, refrigerators, air conditioners, open windows, a neighbor mowing the lawn or even people talking in another room. The more you can cut out the better your sound will be.  If you can afford a microphone, other than the one on the camera, then I do suggest buying one. I personally bought the H4N ZOOM microphone/recorder (pictured above). It is a nifty little recorder for not a lot of money. It is great for picking up dialogue or just recording sounds for sound effects. You can use this microphone in several different ways: you can attach it to your camera, or you can record sound separately and match it up later in post production. There are plenty of other microphones out there that wont break the bank, so don’t let sound ruin the perfect take and you take control of your own project. 

Dare to Compare!

This week I decided to revisit last weeks topic about picking a camera. So I am going to take the two cameras that I mentioned last week and put them side by side for you.

Nikon D7000

www.digitaltrends.com

• EXPEED 2 Image Processor
• 1080p HD Video Capture
• 3.0" 921K-dot LCD Display
• 6 fps Continuous Shooting
• RAW + JPEG Still Image Capture                        
• Twin SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Slots
• 3D Color Matrix Metering System
• i-TTL Flash + Speedlight Compatibility
• 39 Point AF System
• Works with 60+ NIKKOR Lenses

www.northlight-images.co.uk

Canon 60D

• 18MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
• 1920 x 1080 HD Video Capture
• SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card Slot
• Vari-Angle Clear View 3.0" Flip-Out LCD
• DIGIC 4 Image Processor
• 5.3 fps Continuous Shooting                           
• Works with all Canon EF and EF-S Lenses
• ISO 6400 - Expandable to 12800
• HDMI Output to HDTV
• In-Camera Editing Options

They both look very similar and have similar features, so which one is better? Well, the answer to this question lies with you personally. I truly believe it is all preference. I feel like the Nikon takes a little bit better of a still photo, but the Canon does a better job of video. Someone else out there, maybe even you, might think that the Nikon is better in every way. Now like I told you last week I ended up getting a 60D. I will also say that it is not perfect. One thing that I wish Canon had on the camera is the twin SD slots, I strongly considered the D7000 for that reason. The D7000 has 39 points of autofocus and the 60D only has 9. The 60D is made from a polycarbonate resin which is not as sturdy as the D7000s magnesium-alloy body. It’s the small details that can sway a person either way. So make sure to pay attention to those small details. So, do you dare to compare?