Few things are as exciting as seeing a good skier rip down a steep powder slope in high quality video format. Yet one can wonder what science is behind these movies ? How hard is it to film a good ski movie ? In this post I will tackle a few of the techical sapects of making a good ski movie, starting with temperature, moving on to lighting and finally communications and stability.
Temperature can be a definite drag when it comes to digital equipment. Depending on the camera, it will often tend to freeze in cold weather. The direct consequence of this is a dramatically reduced battery life. One tip that is often mentionned is to keep battery packs close to the body to optimize filming time. Also ski bars seem to be a drag for condensation. When entering prepare for a a period where you cant operate the camera. It should eventually return to normal levels but can be annoying. Finally, filming means less activity than other skiers so you might want to consider putting on an extra layer to stay warm.
Ligthing deals obviously with a lot of white snow. Increasing shutter speed will decraease light exposure on each frame but will also cause a variation in focus. You might want to consider a polarized lens in order to get a good balance focus and lighting. For communications, a walkie talkie is definetly recommended in order not to miss any of the action and to coordinate shots. For stability, a mono pod can be a good idea but unfortunatly they are not very stable for larger lenses, which are often essential for quality action shots. A good old fashionned tripod will procure quality, shake free shots but it can be difficult to follow the action with these.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Video Shutter Speed tips
Shutter speed is defined as the speed as which the mechanical door between the light and the film opens and closes. A quicker shutter speed will indicate a shorter time at which light flows into the camera. Common shutter speeds for video cameras are for example 1/60, 1/500, 1/1000.
Lets now discuss the effects of shutter speed on video output. Blur on a video camera occurs when action takes place whil the shutter is closed. To prevent this from happening you can increase the shutter speed. The shutter speed is independant from the frame rate. In other terms, playing with the shutter speed will vary the exposition on each frame. Needless to say that a higher frame rate is often used in sports.
Now, what are the other consequences of playing with shutter speed ? Shutte speed has a direct impact on the amount of light needed to capture a good image. Logically, the faster the shutter speed, the more light you will need because the exposition will be diminished. Another interesting effect of shutter speed is the image stability. Holding a video camera by hand and capturing a good image can be a dauting task. Slow shutter speeds will indeed increase the shaking effect because there is more time between expositions, so more room for shaking.
Another concept worthwhile mentioning is the apperture. Apperture is the size at which our door opens. The apperture controlls the amount of light entering the camera as well as the depth of the field. The larger the opening, the smaller the depth of field, and vice versa. This adjustment can be decisive in getting that right picture when shooting in the outdoors, since landskapes and light intensity cross over the need for an crisp image.
Lets now discuss the effects of shutter speed on video output. Blur on a video camera occurs when action takes place whil the shutter is closed. To prevent this from happening you can increase the shutter speed. The shutter speed is independant from the frame rate. In other terms, playing with the shutter speed will vary the exposition on each frame. Needless to say that a higher frame rate is often used in sports.
Now, what are the other consequences of playing with shutter speed ? Shutte speed has a direct impact on the amount of light needed to capture a good image. Logically, the faster the shutter speed, the more light you will need because the exposition will be diminished. Another interesting effect of shutter speed is the image stability. Holding a video camera by hand and capturing a good image can be a dauting task. Slow shutter speeds will indeed increase the shaking effect because there is more time between expositions, so more room for shaking.
Another concept worthwhile mentioning is the apperture. Apperture is the size at which our door opens. The apperture controlls the amount of light entering the camera as well as the depth of the field. The larger the opening, the smaller the depth of field, and vice versa. This adjustment can be decisive in getting that right picture when shooting in the outdoors, since landskapes and light intensity cross over the need for an crisp image.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Filming Sports
Filming Sports
Filming sports can be a pretty big challenge ! Depending on the sport, it can be high action or calm, and will require different filming techniques to properly capture the event. One of the firsts questions that are asked is should I use a tripod ? I guess it depends on the sport you are filming. If filming a soccer match it might be hard to keep the camera on the ball if there are a lot of passes. The downside is that you lose on stability. I would recommend using a tripod for sports where the idea is to create the best action shot for promotional use. If on the other hand I wish to capture a larger segment of a sport with constant action, for instance a game of soccer or football that lasts an hour or more, beiing tripod free means your quicker to get the action, at the cost of stability control. Time to pull out those hand held skills !
Preparation is an important part of filming sports. Arriving 30mins to an hour in advance before the game will help in finding the best location. Also it can give you a chance to discuss the object of the film with the coach and players. Be aware not to get too close of the action to avoid getting nailed by a ball or a player. Viewers appreciate dynamic views so the ground level is a sure bet. If filming for a coaching analysis it would be best to have a higher view.
It is recommended to maintain a high F-stop while filming if you can adjust this setting on your camera in order to properly capture the depth of the event. A larger F-stop will require slower shutter speeds and produce images with larger depths of field. Finally, filming the surroundings of the area is always a good idea for viewers are often desensitized to the sport alone. The objects that can hold a story themselves, or without revealing much triggers viewers imagination and attention.
Whats best is when you have a genuine interest for the sport, which helps you capture its spirit ! Hope this post on sports filming tips is helpfull !
Tom
Filming sports can be a pretty big challenge ! Depending on the sport, it can be high action or calm, and will require different filming techniques to properly capture the event. One of the firsts questions that are asked is should I use a tripod ? I guess it depends on the sport you are filming. If filming a soccer match it might be hard to keep the camera on the ball if there are a lot of passes. The downside is that you lose on stability. I would recommend using a tripod for sports where the idea is to create the best action shot for promotional use. If on the other hand I wish to capture a larger segment of a sport with constant action, for instance a game of soccer or football that lasts an hour or more, beiing tripod free means your quicker to get the action, at the cost of stability control. Time to pull out those hand held skills !
Preparation is an important part of filming sports. Arriving 30mins to an hour in advance before the game will help in finding the best location. Also it can give you a chance to discuss the object of the film with the coach and players. Be aware not to get too close of the action to avoid getting nailed by a ball or a player. Viewers appreciate dynamic views so the ground level is a sure bet. If filming for a coaching analysis it would be best to have a higher view.
It is recommended to maintain a high F-stop while filming if you can adjust this setting on your camera in order to properly capture the depth of the event. A larger F-stop will require slower shutter speeds and produce images with larger depths of field. Finally, filming the surroundings of the area is always a good idea for viewers are often desensitized to the sport alone. The objects that can hold a story themselves, or without revealing much triggers viewers imagination and attention.
Whats best is when you have a genuine interest for the sport, which helps you capture its spirit ! Hope this post on sports filming tips is helpfull !
Tom
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