Recent Videography Articles

Is the Rotolight Neo the Ultimate Portable Video Light? Fstoppers Gets an Exclusive Hands-On Preview

This week I was invited to the head office of Rotolight in Pinewood Studios, London to check out one of their flagship products, the Rotolight Neo. This is an LED light that can mount to your camera or can be used off camera using boompoles or light stands. This constant light source that can run off six AA batteries claims to be industry leading in areas such as brightness and color accuracy. But at $399.99, is it a worthy investment?

How to Use Color to Manipulate Emotions

The Verge has released a video that shows how blockbuster movie makers are using color to show certain moods and to make you feel different ways when watching a scene or movie. There is a science behind why particular colors draw out certain emotions, and they delve into what exactly Hollywood does to get that specific look. Blue and orange are the most used, it's not quite clear why, but they are. According to the video, it might be because it makes the actors pop against the background.

Three Ways to Use a Reflective Umbrella

In this simple lighting tutorial, I discuss three different ways to create softly lit and dramatic images with a single reflective umbrella.

Droning in the Snow: 'Alpine Adventures' Is Some Next Level Scenery

After browsing through Vimeo a bit, I was mesmerized by one of the aerial videos I saw. Owning and flying a drone for quite some time myself, I look to create unique aerial photography and smooth aerial video. One thing I have realized is how important location can be, and while being stuck in New Jersey and not traveling too far away, I think I have been abe to capture some pretty cool things around me. After watching this video that Joshua Cowan created, I am absolutely blown away by the content he has created from his trip to Europe. It is videos like this that inspire me to keep flying and looking for new things to create.

Recording Audio Without Using a Lav or Boom, Comparing on Camera Mics

One of my goals for this year is to start working on videos again. A few of the projects I have in mind require a microphone to help capture better audio, since we know the built-in mics are not really that great. Jay P. Morgan's latest video from The Slanted Lens hits the web and couldn’t come at a better time for me.

Answering the Most Important Lesson in Photography

Ted Forbes has done it again. He has a way of stating the obvious in a way that elevates the thought from pedestrian to poignant. Here, he attempts to answer a fan letter about the most important lesson he's learned in photography.

Great VFX: How You'll Never Notice It

We all know that visual effects have come a long way in recent years, but it’s always worth remembering that the best of the lot are the kind you don’t notice. This video – a wonderful tribute to VFX – is a smart way of showing off exactly what can be done.

'Planet Earth II' Is BBC's Most Cinematic Series Yet, Here's How

How did technology make "Planet Earth" so much more cinematic? If we go back to how it was done back in the day and compare it to the technology we have today, it's quite a leap. Back in the day 35mm was the broadcast standard. The 35mm cameras were bulky and heavy, they were perfect for studio and not for the shots that they needed. In the filming circles and the BBC insiders saw 16mm film as being for amateurs. But, thanks to David Attenborough first taking his 16mm camera out to shoot abroad and coming back with footage of animals never filmed before, it changed opinions. This made the program that later became one of the best wildlife documentaries of all time.

Filmmaking Tips: How to Create Different Moods in Your Videos

Being a filmmaker gives you a lot of power to manipulate the emotions of the viewer. This can be achieved in several ways. Peter McKinnon shows examples of the same clips edited with various techniques to evoke entirely different moods.

Audio Recording Basics: Using Shotgun Microphones for Documentary Video Production

Audio is arguably the most important facet of any film or video production. There is a saying that goes: “Audio is 70% of what you see,” which means that sound makes up more of the experience than the visuals do. So while we may spend a lot of time planning for what our shot looks like, it’s even more important that we mic it properly for the best audio recording possible.

Custom and Lightweight Mounting Solutions from Ram Mounts

As many of you I'm sure, I have boxes full of various grip gear: magic arms, C-clamps, A-clamps, ball heads, Studs, and more. I love grip gear. I absolutely love the versatility and functionality each piece has both in its dedicated uses or how you can always come up with new and imaginative ways to solve any problem. There are a ton of items out there made specifically for photography and cinematography but some of my favorite lesser-known grip supports are Ram Mounts. Cheesycam.com seems to feel the same way in one of their newest videos.

Color Grading the V-Log L Color Profile on Panasonic GH4

The imminent release of the Panasonic GH5 has caused quite a stir within indie filmmaking circles with it's powerful array of video recording tools built in, notably 10-bit 4:2:2 4k recording. Sadly, Panasonic will once again activate the V-Log L color profile recording capabilities as an additional purchase. So is it worth the additional cost?

IKEA Reminds Us How To Live With Light

We as photographers capture light. It's the fastest thing we know in space and time, and we try make it still to enjoy and share with others. It's the one thing we as photographers use every time we press the shutter button. To change from looking at photography for inspiration we can follow Chase Jarvis's advice and look at a Swedish Furniture design company IKEA to show us how they think about and use light, and about how we use it and how we don't.

How Templates Can Improve Your Video With Ease

If you are a shooter or video producer, you know that there are many things that go into creating great video. Sure, using the right gear is key. Composition and lighting are key. But after the video is shot, shot selection, pacing, and color correction have to be considered for the edit. Then there are graphics. Titles, lower thirds, transitions, and the like have to be designed and animated. There are tons of parts that go into making one complete, great-looking video. And it’s hard to master every aspect of video production – not to mention the fact that time and budget constraints make things even harder.

Fstoppers Reviews Cinevate's Updated Duzi Camera Slider for Video Production

Camera sliders are often one of the first accessories that independent filmmakers purchase, just after a tripod and microphone. The simplicity in their design and valuable ability to create subtle motion instantly add production value. Cinevate recently updated its Duzi slider to its fourth version, and I got a chance to review one this past week.

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.

Filmmaker Tips: Dolly Camera Movement vs. Lens Zoom

There are two types of motions in video that look similar, but are accomplished in different ways, each having a unique effect on the audience. One of them incorporates moving the camera on a track. The other uses the optical zoom of the lens. In this video tutorial you will learn what's the difference between those techniques and when to use them.

Film Riot Shows How to Compose Audio in Adobe Premiere Pro

I've always had this issue with regards to the sound design of video and how to actually get something that is usable for the video you are working on. It's either getting audio from a stock library, having a friend compose something, or making it yourself. And the latter is really very time-consuming, and I'd rather focus on the stuff I enjoy and am good at, like shooting photos or video. Once I watched the latest video by Film Riot, it seems like the problem of finding audio might be over.

'Seasons of Norway': A Next-Level Time-lapse

If you've ever dabbled in time-lapse photography, you know what an incredible amount of effort goes into making a very short video. From the prep work, to setup, shooting, and editing, you're often looking at a couple of hours for a few seconds worth of video. Well, Morten Rustad invests a bit more time than that: roughly 20,000 kms traveled, 200,000 photos on 20 terabytes of hard drives, and two years of time invested. The result is an incredible seven-minute video that puts Norway's beauty on full display.

How the Focal Length of Your Lens Affects the Look of Your Video

Have you ever seen those amazing shots that show a subject holding its place in the frame while the background falls away or becomes extremely compressed? This is called a "dolly-zoom," and you've likely seen an example in films such as "Jaws" and "Goodfellas." While we don't typically use a dolly-zoom when filming interviews, we can learn a lot from studying what happens to an image at different focal lengths. In this video and article, I'll discuss the visual effects created when choosing a wide versus telephoto lens for documentary-style interview productions.

The Importance of B-Roll Footage for Creating Engaging Videos

Have you experienced watching 30-second clips that felt long and boring, while some 10-minute videos seemed engaging and interesting? It's not always about the length of the footage. It's about how you tell the story.

Filmmaker Makes Us Second Guess What the Real Horrors of Our World Are

Filmmaker Walter Stoehr just released his newest project, "Horrible Prospects." It's a timely short with all that is going on in our world; with a new president in the U.S., there is much that is unknown for the future. But what goes bump in the night is actually more scary than you might think.

Making Visuals Great Again: TV Hires Adventure Photographers to Capture Younger Audience

YLE, a Finnish Broadcasting company, were on a mission to attract a younger audience. They needed to make a change to their strategy and get some new programs produced. They knew these shows had to tell stories that were going to speak to a younger audience. Stories that would captivate the senses - and get people excited about the outdoors, to travel and explore.

Five Great Tips for Cinematic Video Lighting

If you're just starting out in video, lighting can be one of the most daunting things to learn. Knowing all the lighting rules and just as importantly, how to selectively break them to create your own personal vision, is a huge undertaking. This video provides some great tips to get you off and running.

Using Low Camera Angles to Create More Dramatic Images

As photographers, we're often found shooting familiar subjects in everyday spaces. It's not uncommon for us to be found in some rather precarious positions from time to time as we invest ourselves in attempts to separate our images from the rest. Whether it's squatting down in the mud or climbing up a tree or a sketchy ladder, we do what it takes to get just the right angle to portray our subjects in the most appropriate way. In this short video, Photographer Ted Forbes talks about how shooting at a lower camera angle can help add depth and drama to your photographs.

What to Look for When Picking a Frame for a Video Interview

In a previous article, I shared some tips on scouting locations for a documentary video shoot where interviews would be captured. The next step is to decide on a frame that complements your talent, topic, and tone. In this video, we discuss background elements we see in potential frames, any why one “look” might work better than another.

'Voices of Jerusalem' Is a Stunning Video Tour of the City

Jerusalem is an incredibly historic city overflowing with people and culture, and successfully capturing and representing its many facets is not an easy undertaking. This amazing short film certainly pulls it off.

low key portrait of man with tuque

Mastering how to control and manage light is essential to becoming a proficient photographer or videographer. If you are new to using off-camera lighting, this short video by Film Riot provides an excellent demonstration of how a single light can be used to produce a variety of effects.

Vaginas Are Beautiful: A Photo Project

The best creative projects will leave a permanent impact on someone, whether that's the photographer, subject, or viewer. The best projects will move the world. Renowned sex and relationship expert Layla Martin set out to help women feel more comfortable in their own skin by showing them and their partners pictures of their genitalia, and the results are remarkably powerful and moving.

Thump: A Trailer for Matty Brown's New Film that Will Make You Want to See More

I posted about Matt's work a while back, but during the past few months he has been working on creating and directing his new film, "Thump." The film is about a little boy who becomes more and more worried about how his heart may stop beating after watching his grandfather pass away from a heart attack. The idea alone is powerful, and after watching some of Matt's other work, I can see this film really being one of his best.

"What Democracy Looks Like" Is a Fascinating Snapshot of Trump Inauguration Weekend

Inauguration weekend was an absolute whirlwind for Washington D.C. as well as the nation at large. Opposing forces converged on the nation's capital, and this short film from NPR is a striking encapsulation of the events and people of varying personalities, gender, beliefs, race, and walks of life that made their voices heard as Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States.

8 Problems With The DJI Osmo Raw

Chinese drone manufacturer DJI turned heads in 2016 with the release of the Osmo Raw, the world’s first handheld Steadicam system with RAW video capabilities. The appeal was obvious; the ability to capture enough data for effective color grading in post production, whilst utilising the portability and effective steadicam technology from the original Osmo. We spent 3 months with the Osmo Raw, and despite some success, major issues piled up.
Everything You Might Not Know About the GH5

This week I had the pleasure of visiting Adorama in NYC, for a deeper look at Panasonic’s groundbreaking camera. While there, I discovered some interesting specs that aren’t being talked about. Let’s take a look at the innovations and pitfalls of the camera at a deeper level.

Tips for Scouting Locations for Your Next Interview Video Shoot

When doing a documentary-style video production, an interview or series of interviews is often at the heart of the content. Uncontrollable lighting, background noise, and the size of the space you have to work in all play a significant role in capturing a quality testimonial, so location scouting to check on these is an important facet of our production process. In this short video, Joshua Pardon and I explore two rooms at a location and discuss what we look for when making a decision on where to set up for a shoot.

Battle of the Sensor Sizes: Phantom 4 Pro vs. Phantom 3 Pro

As most of us know, DJI came out with the Phantom 4 Pro a few months back and decided to add a few collision/infrared sensors to it along with putting a larger sensor inside of the actual camera itself with a mechanical shutter to allow for more control of the camera. After my buddy, Vin, got his Phantom 4 Pro, I realized this whole sensor size thing was no joke. I expected better quality when compared to the Phantom 3 Pro, but not this much. I decided to run a few tests comparing photos and video with the two drones going head to head.

FotoDiox Mirage Trio Novelty USB Multi Device Charging Dock

The Mirage Trio by FotoDiox is a novelty multi device charging dock that can charge up to 3 devices simultaneously. It's design is similar to an A series camera from Sony with lots of intricate details, including removable lens and lens cap.

The 10 Best Uses of Color in Film

I was initially drawn to photography mostly because of color. I find its usage both beautiful and fascinating and a power narrative tool. This great video celebrates some of the best uses of color in all of film.

Vimeo Launches Review Pages

Vimeo launched the upgrade to their Profile Pages a couple of weeks back and they aren't sitting back. They just came out with Review Pages, based on team and client collaboration. It's a space for notes that can be made at certain points of a video.

18 of the Most Creative Music Videos

The music video might be the perfect vehicle for an artistic statement: It's succinct, it has a built-in springboard, and it's conducive to both abstract and literal statements. Here are 18 of the most creative and interesting music videos out there.

Power Up the Alt/Option Key in Premiere Pro

Shortcuts for Adobe Premiere Pro are like the force is to a Jedi. The alt/option key on the keyboard allows you to remove some time-consuming drags of footage across the timeline. It speeds you up. Moving footage around on your timeline can often be exactly that: a drag. Enter the alt or option key.

How to Detect and Eliminate Color Casts From LED Video Lights

Often, lower-priced LED panels will have a color cast that can be difficult to correct in post, particularly if you're working with mixed lighting. This great video shows both how to detect the issue and how to correct it.

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."

You'll Soon Be Able to Shoot Log Video on Your Smartphone

Your smartphone is about to take another step toward becoming a professional videography tool. Filmic Pro will soon be releasing an update that will include a log mode, increasing the app's versatility and capabilities all the more.