Recent Videography Articles

A Tribute to Discomfort Tells the Inspiring Story of National Geographic Photographer Cory Richards

In a short film created by media group Blue Chalk, photographer Cory Richards discusses his growth as a photographer and his experiences shooting in some of the most beautiful-and dangerous-places on earth. Essentially homeless after dropping out of high school at 14, Richards credits the observance of the "richness that comes with struggle" for his initial education as a visual storyteller.

New Film Looks to Document First Unsupported, Winter Crossing of Iceland

Iceland has become a naturelovers' playground and a hotspot for adventure photographers looking to visit the home of some of the most popular Instagramable locations on Earth. But many travelers visit the island nation during the warmer and more accessible summer months. Winter is when most of the country is covered in snow and ice and tourism drops dramatically. But that isn't stopping four British adventurers from attempting something that has never before been accomplished; crossing the country unsupported in the heart of winter in what they're calling "The Coldest Crossing."

Five Easy Transition Techniques Done In Camera

Transitions can be very useful in your video to move between scenes instead of just having the end and inserting the new one. There are several different transitions to use, some are very creative and some involve some great skills behind the computer. There’s a few transitions that can be done all in camera and can help you change them up.

14 Years In Just Four Minutes:  Whole Life Of a Teen In One Timelapse

Many photographers try to take on cool on-going photography-related projects, and many break in just few days or weeks. You know what i'm talking about - 365 projects or 1 Second Everyday kind of projects. Dutch filmmaker Frans Hofmeester, took on one of these projects and took it to the extreme. He filmed his newborn daughter every week from the day she was born all the way until she celebrated her 14th birthday.

Canon's Rumored 6K Cinema Camera: Is Canon the Right Brand for Cinema?

There aren’t many brands that have been so thoroughly lambasted over the past few years as Canon, and for good reason. Despite their reputation as a manufacturer of durable, functional camera tools, they are notoriously tight fisted with their technology. But what has looked like antiquated engineering is starting to look more like a calculated long-term strategy to play the field as it lays. With rumors emerging about a new 6K cinema camera to rival Sony’s Venice, Canon looks like it might be ready to play a new game.

Dreamland: The Coolest Bike Ad Out There

I came across this video while just browsing around and it ended up being one of those videos that just took me back. I'm a huge nerd when it comes to drones, but also a huge fan of some good drone work for photography and videography. I expected this video to just be a narrative/documentary about a mountain biker, when suddenly it turned into much more. Flying through the trees, up to the mountains, into caves, and out to the snow and ice; this video takes you on one big journey with the mountain biker himself.

Finally! An Updated Version of Redrock Micro's "One Man Crew" Motorized Slider

The One Man Crew from Redrock Micro was a treat for small interview productions, whereby a fully automated slider could capture subtle camera moves and add tremendous production value. It wasn't without a few issues though, and for the last few years we had been hearing about a version 2 that would address these. Redrock has finally delivered.

Things to Consider Before Buying a Teleconverter

Tony Northrup and Chelsea Northrup continue to offer up informative videos to help photographers understand and Learn the Art and Science of Photography. This latest video has Tony breaking down: the pros and cons of using teleconverters, how using one effects your focal range, image quality, aperture, and autofocus capabilities. So if you've been thinking about buying a teleconverter, this video may help you make a more informed decision before picking one up.

Are Black And White Images Still Important?

This video describes the relevance and importance of black n white films. And all the points can be said for black and white photography. We mostly shoot in color, because we can. Our cameras give a very sharp photograph and the raw file gives us the ability to change it to make sure everything is evenly exposed. But when we think about the images that we hold dear, it's often printed photos of our parents, grandparents and family members.

How To Create An Animated Look With Real Life Objects

German motion graphics studio Sehsucht recently created a fantastic promo video for o2 Think Big. Unlike most commercials today, these guys decided to do almost everything by hand. Check out the finished product below and then the BTSV in the full post. I bet you will be pretty surprised by what is "real" and what isn't.
Basic Tips for Every Beginning Filmmaker

Everyone starts somewhere, and the world of video and filmmaking is no different. Whether your aspirations are to get a YouTube channel off the ground or to break into full-length feature films, starting off on the right foot when you're a total beginner is easier than you may think.

‘Confusion Through Sand’ is a Hand-Drawn Masterpiece Two Years in the Making

Ornana Films is a small production company based in San Rafael that is no stranger to awards. They took home the Jury Award at the SXSW film festival in 2012 for their short "(notes on) Biology" which continued on to win several other awards that same year, including Exceptional Short at Santa Fe Independent and the Grand Jury Prize at FFF. Two years later at SXSW, they premiered their latest short "Confusion Through Sand" to much acclaim. Now, after a year of waiting, the hand-drawn masterpiece is online for free along with a behind-the-scenes video documenting the work that went into this brilliant animated short.

Interview with Commercial Photographer Erik Almas

PHLEARN has just released part two of their interview with Erik Almas – which continues to be one of my favorite interviews with a photographer recently. It’s refreshing to see an interview that not just explains the technical aspect of shooting and storytelling, but the reasoning behind them. Erik is a great example of technique and creative vision working together.

How to Make a Sunset or Sunrise Time-Lapse

Time-lapse photographer Matthew Vandeputte has created a dense tutorial on how to create the Holy Grail of time-lapses: sunsets and sunrises, free of flicker.

[Video] "The Camera": Modest Gear, $50 and an Inspired Mind

"The Camera" is a haunting short film by Peter Lewis about a girl who finds an old polaroid camera that produces some unique and unexpected results. Using modest equipment: Canon Rebel T2i, Canon 50mm f/1.4, Tamron 28-200mm f/3.8-5.6 and a $50 budget, Peter knocked this film out while on vacation in Nags Head, North Carolina. Even more impressive is that this is Peter's first film and he produced the entire thing himself including, filming, sound, the musical score and post production. Well done!

One Part BTS Video, Three Parts Victoria's Secret

The holiday season is almost behind us and if you've spent any time watching college football tv then you've probably seen the new holiday Victoria's Secret commercials. The creative team at VS always makes some of the most high intensity commercials year in and year out. This year they have at least three different themes and one of the directors is even Michael Bay (creator of the greatest movie of all time Transformers 2). Of course VS can't give away all their secrets so don't expect to be shooting Adriana Lima on a white horse anytime soon! Hopefully you can at least pass these videos off as educational should your gf or wife question this content :) Two more videos in the full post. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_4l_LpvL1M
Fotodiox Packs Powerful LEDs into Flat, Compact Package

Fotodiox just announced some very flat, very compact AC/battery powered LED edge lights for use in video productions. My experience with Fotodiox LEDs has been relatively positive, with strong power and excellent color consistency. The new lights, called FlapJacks look to be an excellent addition to your lighting arsenal.

Ten Tips for Recording Slow Motion Video

DSLR Guide, created by Simon Cade, is one of my go-to resources for all things film and cinema. With almost a half-million subscribers and over 21 million views, his channel is an awesome resource for anyone interested in becoming a film maker, particularly those who are DIY-savvy or on a budget.

TimeFest 2011: Behind The Scenes With The Top Timelapse Shooters

Tom Guilmette is now a pretty regular name on Fstoppers because his BTSVs in the field of video are some of the best we have seen. In the video below Tom travels out west with Eric Kessler to film BTS footage of some of the top timelapse shooters of our time. My personal favorite is Tom Lowe and we haven't heard much from him in the last year because he is still working on his timelapse feature film. Check out the video below to learn from the best.
[Video] Filmmaker Andrew Stanton Breaks Down Storytelling

Oscar-winning writer Andrew Stanton, who’s credit list includes WALL-E, Toy Story, and Finding Nemo among others, was featured in a recent TEDTalks Video sharing his insights onto storytelling, and what it takes to make them compelling enough to captivate an audience. There is a ton of great information here, and it really does go to show that content is king… You can have the biggest camera and tons of talent, but if your story is lame, no one will watch your stuff! Language in the video is NSFW.

Why and How Does Hollywood Still Shoot Movies on Film?

Cinematography has been transformed by the arrival of high-end digital cameras, bringing huge advantages to the entire workflow. So why do some directors prefer to shoot on film and what does this process look like?

Old School Cool: The Leica Factory Before World War II

Take a trip back to a time before World War II where the idea of a portable 35mm camera was just becoming a reality. Filmarchives Online brings us an amazing peek into the Earnst Leitz Optische Werke factory in Wetzlar, Germany sometime between the two World Wars.

What Makes Music Creepy: More Music Theory for Filmmakers

Do you ever find yourself having an emotional reaction to a movie and you're not quite sure why? If you're making movies, you need to spend time being intentional with the music you select. It's too powerful a tool to leave in the drawer.

Working with Candlelight in Cinema - True Practical Lighting

Even though technology has come a long way, you have to have some kind of lighting in order to film. Generally, cinematographers bring in giant ARRI lights to help make a scene look realistic, but for the BBC TV series "Wolf Hall," they opted for a more natural approach. Cooke Optics TV sat down with cinematographer Gavin Finney to talk about how he used candlelight as the only source of light during nighttime scenes.

STROBE: How Lexus Created This Complex Stop-Motion-Like Video Using Practical Effects

Stop motion is one of the oldest and historically most popular tricks in the industry. It was used in many great films, music videos, advertisements and children's TV shows for many years. Recently Lexus decided to take the stop motion idea and combine it with some cool practical effects to create their new TV advertising spot. In order to execute their idea, they hired 40 engineers and many stuntpeople to help them with that complex task.

Film Review: We Owe It to Humanity to Learn About Sebastião Salgado Through 'Salt of the Earth'

Documentary photographers, fashion photographers, businessmen, housewives, househusbands, you, the world – everyone should know the name and works of Sebastião Salgado. His work has moved millions of social workers, doctors, politicians, economists, and photographers alike. His work moves humans because it is human. This might mark the second or third film review on Fstoppers, but it’s rare and extremely fortunate that we should have the ability to engulf the pleasures of what can easily be called the most soul-entrancing art documentary in the world that is “Salt of the Earth.”

How to Make a Boring Location Look Cinematic

There will come a time — likely more than one — where you have to shoot in a dull location. While this can be disheartening, it's manageable if you know how to make it look more appealing. In this video, see behind-the-scenes of a shoot and how one cinematographer transforms any space.

Why Every Cinematographer Should Spend More Time Practicing Photography

While photography and videography are different, they share many common aspects. Starting with one, and then also learning the other is an excellent idea to improve your craft and potentially open doors for more jobs by becoming more versatile. In a recent video Matti Haapoja released on TravelFeels, he explains to us why he believes shooting stills is crucial for videographers.