Recent Videography Articles

An In-Depth Analysis of The Hateful Eight's Cinematography

Matt Workman is a cinematographer and the founder and host of the Cinematography Database Show. On this particular episode he offers an in-depth analysis of the cinematography of Quentin Tarantino’s "The Hateful Eight," shot by Director of Photography Robert Richardson.

[Video] The 5d Mark III and The Jaw-Dropping, Head-Scratching Sport of Radball

Canon France has just released what has got to be the most interesting promo video for a new camera in some time. Not only do we get a sneak peek at the video quality and capabilities of the 5d Mark III, but we also get a look into the sport of Radball: something I can only describe as "soccer meeting BMX meeting Urban Outfitters."

Shanks FX Attempts to Recreate Aurora Borealis with Household Items

Joey Shanks, better known by his YouTube handle Shanks FX, has released another YouTube video based around the idea that Hollywood effects can be achieved by anyone and with only household items. This time he attempts to recreate the legendary Aurora Borealis (or Northern Lights), one of the seven wonders of the world, with just some sheets of fabric and a handful of fans. Combining those few fans, fabric, and just a little bit of precise lighting with just a touch of videography editing magic, he suddenly has one of the world wonders in his garage. Check it out!

Get the Catchlights of Your Dreams: A Tutorial to Build LED Ring Lights in Any Shape

Photographer and educator, Tony Northrup, was inspired by Fstoppers' own Dani Diamond's awesome larger-than-life ring light and put together his own tutorial video showing you how to build a light source in just about any shape you set your mind to with supplies picked up at a hardware store. This nifty little tutorial will get you up and running in an afternoon with catch lights that'll make your buddies green with envy and left scratching their heads.

Over 1,500 4K Video Clips Available Free for Commercial Use

Philadelphia based Director of Photography Mitch Martinez thought the world needed access to more 4K footage for free. So, he collected clips he shot from all over the United States and created a catalog with over 35 different categories of footage on his website just for that. An even cooler aspect of this collection: it's free for commercial use as well.

Laugh with Us at This Preposterously Overpacked Camera Battery Shipped from DHL

I don't know about you guys, but I sometimes get some pretty questionable packing from Amazon, but this far exceeds anything I've ever encountered. Youtuber Ottar Gilason works for a camera store and the amount of packaging DHL included on an order for a single camera battery charger is downright hilarious.

Watch the Evolution of VFX Through Academy Award Winning Movies

This brilliant video edited by Nelson Carvajal shows just how much visual effects have changed throughout movie history. The video starts with 1977's Star Wars and ends with this year's nominees for "Best Visual Effects". It wasn't until 1977 that the Academy Awards created an official category for "Best Visual Effects". Although, until 1995 the Academy Awards occasionally fell back to its old umbrella of "Special Achievement Academy Award".

Victoria - An Entire 140 minute Action Movie Shot in One Take

I'm not usually one to watch indie films or go to film festivals. However, when I watched the trailer for "Victoria" recently, I was blown away by the technical difficulty of what the production crew had accomplished. This Berlin made movie has now been featured in dozens of film festivals and has won some big awards. Why? All 140 minutes of action throughout the film were shot in a single take.

BLACKBIRD - The Mill: The Automotive Industries' Newest Secret Weapon for Filming

From the company that pioneered the use of virtual car reskinning for video use, comes the newest innovation of film technology. The Mill, in partnership with JemFX, Performance Filmworks, and Keslow Camera, launched their new product onto the scene, dubbed "Blackbird." Resembling a mix of a Caterham 7, a dune buggy, and maybe some sort of Batman-esque type vehicle, the Blackbird is a small electric car that has pre-mapped tracking points on it to allow for easy replacement in post.

Beautiful Behind-the-Scenes Video from 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' at Comic Con

With Comic Con in full swing this week we are all waiting patiently for the next big reveal in the world of cinema and sci-fi. Today is that day as we are brought through an outstanding BTS video from "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Blasting onto the scene with never before seen footage of Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and many more as they show us what delicate hands of J.J. Abrams we are in. Seeing the combination of practical and visual effects we are sure to find a true sequel to the original trilogy that was released almost four decades prior.

[Funny] The New Revolution In Beauty

My buddy Jesse Lash just posted this video on his Facebook and I had to share it with everyone here on Fstoppers. Check out this hilarious video from film maker Jesse Rosten titled "Fotoshop by Adobé". Enjoy! Click Here for Full Post With Video.
The Poor Man's Drone: Get Yours for Less Than $60

Drone footage is everywhere nowadays and it probably makes you want to buy one! However, not everyone can justify the price of a good unit. So how about a device that costs less than $60 and can take advantage of your GoPro? Looking at Nicolas Vuignier’s latest creation it seems to be quite fun and it could even replace a drone in some applications even though it’s not as practical.

DJI Announces X5 and X5R Micro-Four-Thirds 4K Cameras for Inspire 1 Drone

Traditionally offering drone technology to the creative imaging market, DJI ditched its common GoPro-oriented drones in favor of a device with its own included camera. Now, DJI offers professionals a way to capture higher-quality video in a package that is specifically suited for drone photography and that capitalizes on a larger, micro-four-thirds sensor size.
The Making of a Viral Video Featuring the Apple Watch With Casey Neistat

The creative genius that is Casey Neistat, for me, is next to none. The pure drive and passion this man has for what he does brings inspiration and motivation to my career and even my daily life. Late last week, Neistat decided to up and create his own viral video around the launch of the Apple Watch, and this is how he did it!

Some of the Best Cinematic Showreels of 2016

An attention-grabbing showreel can be one of best ways for you to put your video work out there. Whether you shoot weddings, commercials, narrative films, or wildlife, putting together a short, visually appealing montage of your best work is essential for your clients to see your abilities and quality.
Be Creative with Your Edits Like These Japanese School Girl Ninjas

What started out as a couple of school girls playfully creating a video ends up as an ad spot for Suntory's C.C. Lemon. This is not an educational video so much as another good demonstration of how low cost gear and some skilled editing can turn out pretty awesome, that is, if the camera shakes don't make you nauseous. A lazy Sunday afternoon is a good time to take this inspiration, your creativity, a cell phone camera and a couple of fast moving Japanese school girls to go make your very own ninja video.

Chase Jarvis Explains Why Creating and Sharing Your Photos Is Only Half the Work

In this episode of Chase Jarvis RAW, a fired up Jarvis goes off on a thoughtful stream of consciousness and details why so many photographers or filmmakers might not see the engagement they are looking for with their work. To him, it's because they likely stop working once the content has been created and shared, and they don't go on to interact with their community or audience. What's the trick to doing that? Check out the video for some very real suggestions on how.

A Beautiful Aerial View Of The Serengeti Taken With A Remote-Controlled Drone

Will Burrard-Lucas is a professional wildlife photographer who took aerial footage of life in the Serengeti. His BettleCopter drone took to the skies and captured a variety of life that was beautifully captured. From the primal feeding instincts of a hyena to the group of hippos lazily spending their afternoon submerged in water, this video is worth a watch.

Adobe Rush Video Editing: Is It Any Good?

I spent a Sunday in Paris with a friend, Jason Boone, who's made a video about Adobe Rush and what makes it such a good video editing tool. It has been presented as being easy, syncs over Adobe Creative Cloud and has a lot built in to make you a more productive editor. This video shows whether that's true.

Director Of Young Thug's 'Wyclef Jean' Shows You How His Music Video Fell Apart [NSFW]

There is always something going wrong on set. Always. It could be something minor, like the gaffer forgot to tape a section of a stinger or something major, like the talent shows up hours late and then refuses to get out of the car. That's what happened to Co-Director Ryan Staake in his latest Vimeo "Staff Pick" video of rap artist Young Thug's "Wyclef Jean."

How Wildlife Filmmakers Are Getting Closer Than Ever Before

In the last few years, advances in technology have allowed for filmmakers to do some pretty amazing things. With the accessibility of cameras like the Go-Pro, the gap between amateur and pro is narrowing. Enter award-winning wildlife filmmaker John Downer and his quest to push the remarkable. Filmmakers are putting these high-resolution spy cameras in everything from fake rocks to swimming ducks and to motorized piles of snow... and the resulting footage is remarkable.

"Snap Focus" Pulls Focus On DSLRs Using Bicycle Brake Levers

Filmmaker Brandon David Cole recently started a Kickstarter Campaign for an interesting new product called the "Snap Focus". This device uses brake levers like those found on bike handlebars to add tension through an interchangeable gear system, turning the focus rings of DSLR lenses, effectively creating a very quick rack focus adjustment. Check out Brandon's Kickstarter page for more details on this sweet looking focus puller.

Are Modern Camcorders Worth It?

When I worked in camera marketing, one of the toughest sells around the mid-2010s was camcorders. Why spend hundreds or thousands of dollars when a DSLR can give you equivalent image quality and, on paper, do more? YouTuber Tom Buck answers that question after a couple of months of using one.

How to Build Your Own Studio or Video Lights

Cheap and decent quality LED lights can be found online easily these days; however, sometimes, you have to make specific sacrifices in either quality or function to get those cheaper prices. That's when DIY comes in.

‘Treasures of Zakynthos’ BTS Videos Showcase the Joys and Challenges of Time-Lapse Production

Polish cinematographer Maciej Tomków’s “Treasures of Zakynthos” is a beautiful, award-winning time-lapse that highlights the titled Greek island. Going far beyond only filming for the final project, Tomków also took the time and care to create incredibly well-done behind-the-scenes videos that give a true sense of what production is like shooting epic time-lapses. If you’re passionate about photography or videography, you’re going to love these "Behind the Time-lapse" creations.