Frame Rate

In my previous post I mentioned that I recently had the opportunity to work as a consultant with a new client, teaching her the basics of the video production process. Training others in my profession is fairly new to me, and this was the first time I had done it in a formal setting. In retrospect I think everything went very well. Allow me to run down a few of the things I learned. The lessons gained might help you with similar projects, or with client relations in general.

1. BE PREPARED - Two days before my client was to arrive I sat down with a co-worker and we went over all the things we needed to cover in our two day session. Not only did we discuss the important topics, but we also discussed how we would apply the technical skills to the practicality of producing a video. This is a lot better than waiting until the client shows up and saying something like, “Um… let’s see… where would you like to start?”
2. PROVIDE AN OUTLINE - Much like a syllabus from Algebra 101, the outline will allow the client to know exactly what will be covered and will give him or her space to take notes when necessary.
3. KEEP THINGS FLUID - My client came in with certain expectations and a certain knowledge before we even got started. There may be things your client already understands. Give them the opportunity to tell you what they’re looking for. This may take you off topic a little, but don’t worry. Listen to their thoughts and questions. Address them if a simple answer is required. If more groundwork needs to be laid first, then gradually come back to your outline and lay the foundation.
4. ALLOW THE CONCEPTS TO SINK IN - This is where I made one of my mistakes. While discussing the topic “Depth of Field” I moved too quickly into the next subject before giving my client time to absorb the information. Plus, I had neglected to let her handle the camera herself. Don’t move too quickly. Give the client time to go over the material another time if need be. And definitely let him or her get their hands dirty by using the equipment.
5. DON’T JUST TELL, DEMONSTRATE - It’s one thing to listen to someone talk about working with cameras, lighting, or grip equipment. It’s another thing entirely to listen as you watch them work with that equipment. If you find yourself training someone in any skill, whether it be cinematography, drawing, painting, photography, sculpting, etc. show your client by demonstrating techniques yourself. This is where it may be helpful to have an assistant with you. My co-worker and I worked in tandem during our two-day training sessions - I would instruct while he demonstrated. I would instruct while he set up equipment for the next lesson. Or he would instruct while I sat in during a lighting demonstration.

When we concluded, I felt that the training was a success, but did feel that we fell short in certain areas. However, the main goal here is to give your client, student, etc. the information he/she needs to go out and start developing his/her own craft.

One of the things people struggle with in the digital video medium is creating a smooth, rich slow motion effect. In film you can simply overcrank the frame rate and create slow motion, free from duplicate frames. If you own the Panasonic HVX or Varicam you can now do the same thing in the HD video world. But what about those shooting DV? Ordinarily when you shoot DV footage, bring it into your timeline, then slow it down, you can tell that frames are being duplicated. The footage doesn’t look quite as sharp and it has a slight jittery feel. Here’s a little trick I learned from reading The DVX Book by Barry Green. First, shoot your original footage in 60i, using a shutter speed of 1/120. When you load the footage into your timeline, slow it down to 40%. This will give you a nice, rich slow motion look with no duplicate frames.

If you looked at video footage side by side with footage shot on film, the average viewer would probably tell you that film just looks better. They may not be able to tell you why, but most will be able to tell that there’s a difference between the two mediums. That’s why videographers have employed techniques to make their footage look more like film, including shooting at 24 frames per second.

Shooting at 24fps is the film standard, while the video standard is 30fps. A few years ago, companies like Panasonic introduced 24p into their video cameras — a setting which allowed video cameras (for the first time) to shoot at 24fps, just like a film camera. The letter “p” in “24p” stands for “progressive,” meaning that an entire frame of video is captured at once, just like it would be in a film camera or a still camera. Before the introduction of 24p, interlaced video was the standard. Interlaced video means that two “fields” are blended together to create one frame. First, the odd numbered lines in a video field are scanned, then the even numbered lines. Put them together and you have an entire picture.

Making 24p available to videographers was a step toward making video look more like film, but there are many more techniques that must be employed besides 24p, like proper lighting, camera movement, and depth-of-field. Now with the rise of HD, 60p is not too far away. 60p means that 60 progressive frames are captured, not just 24. Now there’s a debate on the rise as to whether 24p is a limitation in the face of higher res HD video. Take a look at this article from Videographer and leave your comments.

One of the things I’ve learned when shooting on-camera interviews is that you have to pay close attention to your background and how you frame up your shot. Otherwise the image may not look level.

In most interview situations, you aren’t going to arrange your shot where you are looking at the background straight on. This will make the image flat and uninteresting. You want to create depth by offsetting the camera slightly, allowing the background to recede into the frame.

However, if your background contains a lot of straight lines, like window blinds, door frames, window sills, or bookshelves, your image may look like it’s on a slant although your tripod head is perfectly level. This is simply an optical illusion caused by the placement of the camera in relation to the background. So what can be done about it? The first choice would be to select a location with a different background. However, I understand that this can’t always be done. Sometimes you have to use what you’ve been given. If you can’t change your location…

• Always make sure your subject is level first. Trying to compensate for the background by tilting the tripod head will usually make things worse, because then your subject will look slanted.
• Create more space between the subject and the background. Then zoom in to your subject. Open up your aperture as much as possible. This will throw the background out of focus and will blur the angles in the background.
• Frame out those unwanted straight lines as best as you can. If you can’t, try to find a plant, some books, anything to hide them.
• Try adjusting the angle of the camera in relation to the subject and the background. Creating a steeper angle will force the straight lines to recede more into the background.

As always, some trial and error will occur here as you explore different possibilities. Unfortunately, locations can’t be perfect 100% of the time, but sometimes a slight angle in the background is acceptable. The human eye can make the adjustment if the subject is level and framed appropriately.

This year’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival is rapidly approaching. If you’ve never had the opportunity to attend, I would highly encourage you to do so. The caliber of submissions gets higher every single year, and this year marks Sidewalk’s 10th anniversary (so you know there’s going to be some special stuff).

As always, Sidewalk will soon be airing promotional commercials to garner interest in the festival. What’s special about the promo this year is the fact that I had the opportunity to work on the shoot as Director of Photography. Filament Artists produced. The 30-second spot was filmed with Alabama talent and Alabama crew, right here in Birmingham. Hopefully it will further highlight the talented filmmakers and the growing film production market here in our community.

We shot the commercial with the Panasonic HVX-200 in DVCPro50 format at 24fps. To read more of my insights into this particular camera, check out two previous posts, “First Impressions” and “Some Considerations.” I won’t give away anything about the commercial’s concept. You will just have to wait until it airs. There’s a possibility that the spot will also screen before each film in each venue during the festival. But ultimately that’s a call left up to the good folks in the Sidewalk office. Until then, look for the commercial on WBRC Fox6  and Bright House cable.

How can I be a better cinematographer? That’s the big question among many production enthusiasts as they try to hone their skills and improve their craft. It’s a question I constantly ask myself, which is why I have books on lighting and cinematography. One can never grow complancent with where they are professionally. When you start out, you may not have any idea what your style is, but the more you shoot, the more your style will develop. Your camera style is influenced by two major factors — 1. Practice and 2. Immulation. As you continue to shoot you will also seek out other cinematographers whose style you appreciate. Then you will ask yourself, “I wonder how he did that?” which will lead you on a quest to figure it out and perhaps adopt certain facets into your own camera work.

One of the things I really like to do when I’m shooting is to capture the little details in close-ups and extreme close-ups. And I always offset those details to one side of the frame. Sometimes the beauty of a scene is found in those details that, from a wide shot, wouldn’t be all that impressive. It could be the worn edges of an old book, a tree limb swaying in the breeze, or the wrinkled hand of an elderly person. Shooting the small details focuses your viewer’s attention on what you want them to look at. It gives you control of the scene. How many times have you watched a video where everything was shot wide or in medium shots? Not very interesting. Why? Because this is how we view life through our own eyes. When you are shooting for video, the most interesting shots are from different and unique angles. Show your viewer the world in ways they they don’t ordinarily consider. That makes for more interesting footage. Good luck as you continue to work on your own projects, and keep shooting.

I came across this juicy little website yesterday — FreshDV. If you work in DV, HDV, HD (anything video) either as a professional or a hobbyist, you will love this site. It has an RSS feed, so you can subscribe to their blog. They have tutorials on topics like calibrating a light meter, working with Adobe Production Studio, and how to find financing and distribution for your film projects. They also have reviews on the latest gear, videos from conferences like NAB, and a podcast. I’ve already started listening to one of their recent discussions on the Sony EX1. This is a great site with a wealth of information. If you’re in to video, you need to check it out.

Since I purchased my DSLR back in January I have been uploading pics to Flickr as quickly as I can take them. It’s nice to be able to get back into photography after such a long hiatus. I haven’t really been serious about it since my college days. Photography is such a great exercise in cinematography. When shooting film or video, every frame should stand alone as a great still shot. That’s something to keep in mind next time you’re out on a shoot.