Geekscape Intro Film Tips: Making Cinematic HD Videos

Nowadays, a $200 Flip camera can let you shoot sharp, vivid, somewhat shaky HD videos. Given the ease of use, portability, and native H.264 format, we are all in for a treat, as YouTube.com videos are already looking better and sharper.

If you like the Flip and simply want to shoot less shaky videos get an attachment like the iKan Basic Fly Kit.  It screws into the bottom of your Flip and its dual handles will let you shoot with both hands supporting the camera.  If you want to include some dynamic moves into your footage remember these two tips: a) slower movements will look better and b) move using your upper arm, shoulders, or hips, as these larger muscles will create smoother pans and tilts.

For those of you looking to make your video standout, here are some tips on how to get that oft coveted, yet hard to achieve cinematic look. All of these are just tips and suggestions as getting cinematic footage is a multi-million dollar Hollywood profession that takes lots of practice and years of reading “American Cinematographer” magazine.  So, you may be asking “why would you want to do this?” – well a) better looking footage will increase the enjoyment people get from watching your videos, b) your videos will stand out from the pack of HD Flip videos, and 3) lastly cinematic shots will help you accentuate your storytelling skills.  

If you want to get shots of your friends farting or tea bagging one another, stick with the Flip.  If you want to film your friends doing crazy action stuff, get a Go Pro Hero HD.  If neither of these apply, please keep reading.

1) CAMERA

Rent or invest in a DSLR.  The king of the castle is the mighty Canon 5D Mark II.  Its full frame 35mm still photo sized sensor will let you shoot gorgeous images with barely a sliver of the frame in focus.  This will let the background become a nice soft and then only what you want your viewers to look at will be in focus.  With this top of the line choice you will also get proper sound input controls as well as the deepest settings menu around.  At $2500 it tops the price lists.  

At approximately $1200-$1600, the mid-level options include the Canon 7D and the Nikon D7000.  Even though Nikon will soon release a D800 to compete the 5D Mark II, the Canon cameras still seem to take the cake when it comes to video.  The Canon 7D is one of the few DSLRs that can shoot slow motion, and we know even Jello becomes interesting in slow-mo.  The D7000 does not over-crank, but does have an amazingly low-light sensitive sensor and some of the best auto-focus technology on the market.  It is also a really great still camera.  Both of these cameras have digital sized sensors, which are sized closer to a 35mm motion picture negative. With these smaller sensors, a larger cross section of your shots will have sharp focus. This is actually a good thing, as the probability increases that what you want to have in focus will actually be in focus.

In the under $1000 playing field, there are two more solid choices: the Canon Digital Rebel T2i and the Nikon D3100. Both of these have the smaller sensors with fewer settings and controls.  For basic shooting needs they are ideal and can both delivery a cinematic look.  Both of these cameras come with a good lens and if your budget is tight that is very useful.  If you have some room in the budget, you will want to get the body-only versions of the mid to upper level cameras and invest in a set of lenses specific to your needs. 

As will any tool, the more practice you get with it, the better your results will be. In general, all of these cameras will let you capture beautiful 1920p x 1080p images, but are not ideal for acquiring good audio.  If that’s important to you, pick up a Zoom H4n Handy 4-Track Recorder, which will get you stereo audio in almost any situation.

2) LENSES

All the light beams that are recorded by your new HD digital sensor, must first pass through your lens. As you can imagine, the better the lens, the better the result.  Books have been written about the subject, but please keep the following in mind.

a) Your best bet is to acquire a fast wide zoom. A wide lens is useful for storytelling. Your wide lens will already be a bit cropped when shooting on one of the smaller sensor cameras, so it will feel a little bit closer than you imagine. Additionally, a zoom let’s you reposition quickly and can this can be done easily while rolling.  Additionally, a single zoom is often all you need to carry around, so no need for a heavy lens bag.

b) Lenses tend to get less sharp when you shoot them closest to their maximum aperture (also known as F stop). The ideal aperture to shoot at for most lenses is 5.6.  In low light conditions, you want access to something with a 1.4, 1.8, or 2 written on the barrel.  In regular light conditions, those lenses will look even better at 5.6 then lenses whose maximum aperture is say a 4.0.

c) Do a lot of research on the lenses you intend to buy.  It is best to stay with the top brand names, but some value-brand lenses are great and will be an awesome addition to your set. Since lenses are often free of many electronic bits and usually built well, they will often outlast your camera.  So besides taking good care of them, check our Craigslist.org as you can frequent get a great deal on used lenses that are so well preserved, they glass is mint condition.

d) While it will affect every frame of your video, the lens is not as important as what you are placing in front of the camera, wether it is lit, and whether it is in focus.

3) SUPPORT

Similar to a Flip, handholding a DSLR will result in shakiness to the footage.  Since it is bigger and heavier than the Flip you will most likely already be holding it with both hands. To take things to the next level, you will want to look into one of Red Rock Micro’s hand or shoulder based supports.  These will give you superior control over the camera with some of the benefits of a tripod, but lots of flexibility in movement.  I highly suggest trying these out at a camera store or rental house prior to purchase as everyone I know seems to have a particular favorite and often finds all others uncomfortable.

4) SETTINGS

Like lenses, there is lots of info out there about all the different settings and how certain combinations will get you some sweet and diverse looks.  When you are ready for that, you will know to go out looking for that.  In the meantime, I urge you to set your camera to full auto and pay close attention to only two settings.

a) Focus: There is nothing wrong with using auto-focus, but if your camera doesn’t support it during movie mode or it is guessing dead wrong, make sure you step in.  Focus is consistent at the same distance from the camera at any focal length.  So if your subject is moving at the same speed and direction as you, then you would never need to change focus, even if you decide to zoom in.  The best way to get a good focus setting is to turn your camera to manual, zoom in on your subject, and focus on something with a pattern, like an eyebrow.  Then zoom out and compensate according depending on whether the subject moves closer further from you.  Professional camera operators and assistants will often measure the distance to several spots on a film set before the shoot, so that during the shoot they can use those references to help adjust focus when an actor moves.

b) White Balance: Due to the many different sources of light we find in the world, cameras need help determining what the correct color of the light is and how to visually represent the color of white in your footage.  While this setting can often be corrected later, it is best to get it right while shooting.  Indoor lights tend to be yellowish, fluorescents tend to be greenish, and daylight is rather blue.  Set the camera to the correct preset for your location and you should be fine.  Forget to set it or not double check that the camera got it right automatically and your footage and peoples faces and clothes will look a little to yellow, green, or blue.

5) LIGHTING

The guaranteed method to getting lit subjects and a proper exposure is to put your subjects into the path of a light source and shoot them with your back towards the light.  While this is considered boring by professional standards, it works.  What you need to avoid is putting your subjects in front of a strong light source without having a good way to get some light on their faces.  If you don’t, the camera will probably expose for the background light source and you will have shot silhouettes.  If you expose for their faces, you are still in trouble, as they will appear to be floating in a white blob.  Lighting is another whole profession in itself, but for basic shooting, just be aware of it and make sure that what you want people to see has good, strong light on it when you shoot.

6) PRACTICE

As I have mentioned several times, you must practice with your camera to get good at making cinematic HD videos.  The more you shoot and then watch your work closely, the better you will get.  When you have free time, read American Cinematographer and watch lots of other people’s work on YouTube.com and Vimeo.com.  Fellow shooters love showing off their cool DSLR footage and explaining how they got it. And, most importantly, as with any passion – have fun doing it!