Advanced camera workshop 1

 We began the advanced camera workshop 1 by building on our already strong knowledge of not only the camera but also in film making and certain techniques that are used to improve the shots you are taking. We did this as a class as the filmmaking techniques are slightly different from our opening sequence that we completed for our first-year coursework. This means there is new equipment and techniques that we need to become confident with in order to successfully film out music videos. 

 

We use black magic cameras, when setting up these cameras on the tripod it's important to start at the bottom and move your way up when adjusting in order to get a good base and then you can make finer adjustments further up the tripod. White balance is the colour temperature of the image, this needs to be adjusted in different environment as there are different types of light indoors for example in oppose to in a studio. This can be changed by pressing the white balance option on the top of the screen and selecting the mode you would like. Exposure is the amount of light that is let into the lens of the camera, this effects the brightness and the clarity of the shot, it can be adjusted by using the exposure rim on the lens of the camera to make desired shot. 

On the top left-hand side of the camera screen there is the shutter speed this had a number and a degree sign, there is also fps this means frames per second. Shutter is measured in degrees, it is to do with motion specifically blur, when the shutter is at 180 degrees this has the same motion blur as natural life, as if you were looking at the object moving with your eyes. Lower numbers on the shutter such as 90 degrees make the image very sharp with little to no motion blur, this is important for musical performances so you can clearly see the movements as well as filming things such as dancing and gymnastics. Higher numbers on the shutter such as 360 degrees make the motion softer, this gives the film a dreamy feel and can also create a very romantic atmosphere as the shot feels a little warmer. If you want to shoot in slow motion, you need a higher frame rate as the camera takes more photos per second in order to catch more activity on screen. 

For our opening sequences we used zoom lenses, these are very wide and can zoom all the way in, these lenses are very good for sets that need a lot of shots and don’t have a lot of time as they are quick between shots as no time is needed to change the lens. 

 

 

Prime lenses do not have any zoom, they have specific lens for specific shots with different zooms, this is because they are made for that exact distance and zooms and therefore make the shot at that distance much better. The number on the lens are millimetres. To focus these lenses you must use a tape measure, attach one end to the focus plain on the lens as seen below, then measure to the object or subject you wish to film, then use the rim on the lens to select the correct distance for he shot to be in focus, this is measured in both feet and meters. 

 

An 18mm lens is a more zoomed out shot, this would be used for dance in a music video for example as you need to see all the dancers and their movements. Furthermore, for performance elements of the video where you want to see the whole band set. The 25mm lens is like the 18mm as its still a wide shot but is a little bit more zoomed in, could be used of your set is not as wide as the 18mm and perhaps you require a little bit of a narrower shot compared to the 18mm. 

The 50mm lens is for a mid-shot, this gives the shot a natural look and is perfect for when two people are talking as the width of the shot works for this activity it can also give you a very nice depth of field as the focus and lighting can be used together to make very nice shots. 

The 85 mm is for close ups and is a very nice shot as the face is not distorted at all, as the lens is built for this specific purpose it creates a very nice close-up wraps around their face in a nice way and if the shot is created properly can create a beautiful shot. 

 

 

 

It is important when creating the shot to use the digital screen when position the subjects so that you can see that it would look like on screen when made, then when filming you should use the lens to make sure everything stays in perfect focus especially when using prime lenses if subjects are moving. 

Furthermore, when filming a band as can be seen above you can make a much more interesting shot if you change the composition of the subjects and play with the depth and proxemics and height, this helps to make the shot much more interesting. Also light for what the camera sees not what it looks like in real life as this is what will be on screen.