Videography

Videography and photography share a foundation — light, composition, optics — but moving images have their own demands around motion, audio, frame rate, and narrative pacing. This section is built for photographers who shoot video or want to start, covering the transition from stills to motion: the gear decisions, the technical differences, and the storytelling skills that make video work compelling rather than just competent.

Hilarious Parody Of Political Ads Feature Photoshop Experts Mudslinging Each Other

In this humorous parody of network TV's coverage of political races, PhotoshopWorld released this video that features several negative campaign ads that slam the likes of Scott Kelby, Pete Collins, Matt Kloskowski, and RC Concepcion. If you have ever used Photoshop, you'll get a kick out of some of the ridiculous jabs made at each of these expert users in this video.

Assassin's Creed Meets Parkour In This Real Life Film - Behind The Scenes

Devin Graham is no stranger to danger, as seen in his previous projects like Epic Rope Swing or Camera Warfare. He is back with a new project, which follows a professional freerunner around the city, dressed up as Altair, the main character in the video game Assassin's Creed. This video shows you how Devin used a Glidecam to get his footage, and a green screen for a tricky fx shot.

The Tutu Project: An Inspiring and Refreshing Project That Aims To Fight Breast Cancer

Photographer Bob Carey has taken the fight against cancer into his own hands with the most unusual of tools: a man-sized pink tutu. By creating a combination of whimsical and emotionally charged self-portraits, Bob's project tugs at the heartstrings and spreads awareness in a humorous, yet touching, way. Check out the amazing photos and story in this video, which was produced by PocketWizard.

'100' Showcases People From Age 0 to 100 In Just 150 Seconds

Dutch Filmmaker Jeroen Wolf shows us the span of a lifetime through many different individuals. Going from infancy all the way to 100 in just 150 seconds, this short film is appropriately titled, "100". No matter how simple the nature of the video is, there's something very compelling about this short film.

12.5 Years Of Self Portraits

Photographer Noah Kalina was one of the first people to make a viral video on Youtube, back in 2006, when he posted a clip made out of self-portraits he took of himself for 6 years. He called it "Everyday", and got over 23 Million views. It got so big back in 2006, even the Simpsons made a parody about it.

How Amazing Colorization Of Black And White Photos Are Done

In the past, we've featured some amazing colorization of black and white photos. The results and impact of the photos were quite impressive and well receive by most people. No matter if you prefer the colored photos or the originals, you can't deny that the technique itself is pretty great.

What If Andy Warhol Had Instagram And An iPhone? Enter Flam Wenders

Considered to be one of the "most respected Instagram artists", Flam Wenders works with taking Instagram photos of sushi, girls making the duck face, and street signs put him in a class with everyone else all on his own. He Instagrams, he doesn't Instaf***around. Yeah... It's Friday!

BTSV: The Girls of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Shoot

I am an old school Tekken fan. There was a time when I could compete against my little brother, one handed while only watching his controller. Back then my true loves were photography and the obscenely hot girls of Tekken. So you can imagine my excitement when they put out a quick BTSV for the upcoming release of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 featuring the girls of Tekken.  

Behind the Scenes of Back To The Future Hoverboarding

Back To The Future may be my all time favorite series of movies. Ever since BTTF2, I've been patiently waiting for scientists to create a hoverboard but for some reason we still aren't there yet. When they filmed this iconic scene, CGI still was in its infancy and so good old fashion ropes and harnesses were used. In this video you can see this rig in its testing phase. 

Improve Photography Shows us How to Shoot the Stars

Idaho photographer Jim Harmer over at ImprovePhotography.com takes the time to give you the low down on shooting the night's Milky Way. All you trolls out there be nice cause Jim froze his butt off on this one and he is just so damn likable.

A Behind the Scenes Look at Tim McGraw's "Car Stories"

Joey L teams up with Variable to capture Tim McGraw on his ranch. Unfortunately there isn't any narration in this BTSV but you do get to see what went into the final and to drool over their use of a RC helicopter mounted Epic Red. You can see the final video in the full post.

How To Make A Surf Video

If you live near the coast you have probably considered shooting stills or videos of the local surfers. If you've ever tried it (I have a few times) you know that it's much harder than it looks. Vimeo Video School put together a great 4 minute video that goes over the basics of shooting your first surf video.

Surrealistic Light Painting Video Animation

It's all about light painting today. German collective group, Lichtfaktor took what we normally see in photographic form and made a dreamlike video animation for the brand dENiZEN™. Taking only five nights to film, this crew spent many hours planning and rehearsing the story line and, incredibly, no post production was needed once they were done filming.  

Samsara Is The Most Beautiful Movie That You Can't Afford To Miss

This movie appeals to every photographer due to the stunning visuals. Shot entirely on 70mm film, Samsara is a movie that spans twenty five countries and took five years to make. Not only does it encompass the grand scope of humanity, the visuals are simply mesmerizing. Be sure to watch this trailer in HD and full screen to experience the full effect.

 

The iPhone 5 Should Be Your Next DSLR

Most of us use our phones mainly for things that are not phone calls. Probably the most popular use of phones these days is snapping pictures, this is why the next iPhone got a totally different look that will change the way we take photos with our phones - a look that most of us know very well. And not only that: the resolution and glass are going to be way better.

Albert Watson Tells The Stories Behind His Most Iconic Images

For the second episode of his show called Capture, Mark Seliger sits down with the great Albert Watson to discuss his most memorable images. He tells the stories of how he photographed Alfred Hitchcock, Christy Turlington, a Las Vegas dominatrix, and Mick Jagger as a leopard.

Using a Miniature World With Green Screen

We are in an age where CG dominates today's movies and cartoons. While the effects can be pretty cool, it can be refreshing when people work old-school and create a work based off green screen and creativity. 

GoPro Action: Blair Bunting Takes to the Skies in an F-16

Besides being an excellent photographer, Blair Bunting (who you may remember from our Lamborghini Aventador video) is an avid aeronautics hobbyist. He recently had the opportunity to photograph a U.S. military F-16, which was an honor in itself. But when he was offered the chance to fly in the jet, the experience was once in a lifetime. Check out the GoPro madness!

Revenge Of The Great Camera Shootout 2012 From Zacuto Pt.2

A few days ago I posted part one of the almighty Great Camera Shootout 2012 by Zacuto. In the last video it introduced nine clips by nine different cameras by nine different cinematographers. In this video the cameras are revealed in the blind testing that literally traveled across the world.

RAW Timelapse Tutorial Part 1 Breaks Down All Your Gear Needs

A few weeks ago Rebecca posted "How To Shoot A RAW Timelapse: New Series By Preston Kanak" which was an introduction to this series. This video is part one of Preston's free tutorials on making compelling timelapses, which covers hardware options. Intervalometers, batteries, motors, sliders, and bears, oh my! Very informative stuff from Mr. Kanak. 

This Pac-Man Fan Film Will Blow Your Mind (Behind The Scenes Video Too)

It's true, I have a soft spot in my heart for fan films, but this short is simply too good to ignore. James Farr took his passion and turned it into a script, and then over the course of a year was able to put together this project with the help of many other talented folks. This looks better than most video game movies Hollywood is putting out these days!

Why TTL is Joe McNally's Default Flash System Over Radio

Here is a 13 minute video of Joe McNally testing out the range and application of the built-in and SB-900 flashes. If your knee jerk reaction to TTL is that it's too limited and too problematic watching this demonstration by Joe may just have you giving TTL transmission use a second look.  

Social Experiment - What It Feels Like To Be A Freelancer

As photographers, many of us work on a freelance type basis. Though this is geared toward other freelance artists, 'Don't Get Screwed Over' came up with a social experiment where people could experience what it would feel like to be a freelancer. People who passed by the table had an opportunity to make $5 based on drawing something simple that what was requested of them.

Adapting Your Commercial Project Cross Culturally

Anyone who works commercially knows how important it is to adapt the product you deliver to your clients needs; this is especially true when dealing cross culturally. Voodoo Partners in Germany does an excellent job of this as they take us behind the scenes in one of their recent Jewelry commercials to be aired in Qatar.

This Batman Movie Was Made With Action Figures

I'm usually not a huge fan of stop motion videos but this 6 minute short by Derek Kwok and Henri Wong is incredible. Every detail of this video from the lighting to the sound is top notch. The design of the action figures and their animations were sometimes so good that they appear to be real. Even if stop motion isn't your thing, this video is worth checking out. 

Impressive Slow Motion Video Using The Sony FS700

With just $500 and 4 days to film, Luke Neumann of Neumann Films created one heck of a slow motion video with the new Sony NEX-FS700. What sets this video apart from all the others is that in at least every clip something or someone is flying through the air. With 24 frames per second we are able to see a ridiculous amount of detail captured on video.

Matching Image With Sound For "The Dark Knight Rises"

One of the greatest experiences in watching films is when the sound and image work together in a cohesive unit that drives the intended emotions home for the viewers. Creating that experience takes the work of highly skilled professionals, like Hans Zimmer and Richard King.

Gary Land Cranks His Lighting To Eleven

Have you ever been walking through the mall or flipping through a magazine and found yourself breaking down the lighting of all the advertising images you see (or at least trying to)? I seem to be doing that all the time, sometimes without even realizing that I am doing it. Well one photog's images in particular always leave me guessing.

Incredible Lord Of The Rings Special Effect Done In Camera

In Lord Of The Rings the Hobbits, who are supposed to be very small, are required to interact with much larger humans. I always assumed they did this by recording each actor separately and then combining them in post but I was very wrong.

How To Photograph A Spacedive: BTS With Red Bull

Red Bull is about to attempt a feat never accomplished before. Stratos is the name of the project where Red Bull will attempt to have Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian skydiver, free fall over 22 miles above the Earth and in the process break the speed of sound.

Beneath The Diaper: A Hilarious BTS Interpretation Of Anne Geddes

By now, we have all heard of Anne Geddes, the photographer famous for capturing moments of babies dressed up in various outfits, posed on beautiful sets. The World instantly fell in love with her. No matter how difficult the job, she always makes it look easy. Have you ever wondered how she gets the shot and makes everything look so effortless?

Team CoCo Plays With Olympic Slow Motion Camera

Slow motion is fantastic, that I'm pretty sure we can all agree on. It makes everything more awesome. The awesome works so well at the Olympics, that Conan O'Brien wanted to see if he could recreate the stunning visuals captured during the Olympic events and transfer that greatness to comedy. So he rented one and tried it out. Does it work?  

Heck yes it does.

 

DCP Productions Puts the Geico Money Man into HDR Video

If you watch TV shows through any medium, there's a decent chance you've seen Geico's new Money Motorcycle Man. DCP Productions was kind enough to give a little behind the scenes on how they utilized 3D capture technology to video the money man and give him an HDR look.

Behind The Scenes Video Of Building Robotic Camera Rigs For The 2012 Olympics

A few weeks ago we posted an article about the robotic cameras that were being placed at various venues for the 2012 London Olympics. With this video by Lefteris Pitarakis, you can take a closer look at these rigs and how they're operated, and hear from the Associated Press Photographers who are installing and operating these Canon 1DX rigs.

 

Slow Motion Video Of Fire Breathers Shot At 2,000 FPS

As a pyromaniac I am instantly satisfied by watching a fire breather spit flames in any way. But show it too me in ultra slow motion at 2,000 FPS and I am mesmerized! Chris Bolton is the creator of this short video titled "First Time". Essentialy, the premise of this video is quite simple, lots of fire breathing, really really slow, from lots of different angles.

The 'Ugly' Modeling Agency - The Agency For Atypical Models

Featured on National Geographic's show 'Taboo', this modeling agency is unique in the sense that it doesn't represent people you would normally think of as 'models'. They represent people who specifically have interesting features about them, that make them stand out in a unique way. Amazon Eve, the world's tallest female model, is one example.

WWII Video Replaces Guns With DSLRs + Behind The Scenes + Explosions!

We've featured videos from Devin Graham before, as he's best known for his hugely popular Epic Rope Swing and Dubstep Violin videos. In this new video, Devin has been working with WWII groups to add more action films to his portfolio, this video definitely shows that he knows what he is doing. Hit the jump for the behind the scenes video! 

Crappy Green Screen Footage? Fix It Like This!

I have been learning a ton of video know how in the past few months from watching the tutorials over at VideoMaker. I recently shot a green screen video for some background compositing and didn't take as much time as I should have setting up the lights for the green screen (the subjects on the other hand were flawlessly lit, haha).

Use Protection: HDMI Lock For Canon 5D

Video monitor manufacturers SmallHD have recently released a port cover for the Canon 5DmII that prevents the HDMI port from getting damaged due to an accidental, uncontrolled removable of a mini-HDMI cable. This video makes you hold your breath as they drop a camera from the HDMI cord, but the Port Protector seems to hold strong. A very handy add-on to save you from a potential costly repair.

A Timelapse View Of Earth At Night From The International Space Station

The timelapse videos we see from NASA get better and better. This time, Knate Myers took photographs taken from the International Space Station and put them together to make this beautiful time lapse video. “Every frame in this video is a photograph taken from the International Space Station.”  

Von Wong Shoots Superbowl Leather Designer

Benjamin Von Wong gives us some tips for shooting with less than optimal conditions as he goes to work on models wearing pieces made by master leather worker Cecilio Martinez. This latest and last installment of Ben's European tour finds him in Spain, without power, light stands, experienced models or the ability to speak Spanish.

Behind The Scenes With Zak Noyle: What It Takes To Create Amazing Surf Images

Zak Noyle is one of the world's most respected surf photographers, and in this two-part documentary by RedBull, we get a fascinating glimpse into his world. From his photographic mission and technique to the training that he undergoes to be able to stay afloat in some of the world's largest surf, this mini-doc has it all.

The Copter Kids Show Off Aerial Slow Motion

Thanks to remote controlled copters, aerial photography and video has brought some fantastic new content to the scene in the last few years, especially from guys like the Copter Kids. For their latest video, the Copter Kids grab the new Sony FS700 and take it to the skies alongside a motorcycle with some awesome results.

 

 

Re-Creating the "Blow Job" Effect

A couple months ago, we posted images from a series of portraits shot by Tadao Cern that were described as "blow job portraits". Kai and crew over at Digital Rev TV put together a fun video trying to re-create this effect using some interesting tools on a handful of models, while "keeping stimulated" by trying a new technique. Can you keep a straight face while watching this?

A Lesson In Composition For Video

Tom Antos is a freelance film maker who likes to share his tips and know how online with people just like you. In his latest lesson he addresses composition for film making and video.