Videography

As a music lover myself, the Grammys is one of the few awards shows I sit down to watch year after year. This something interesting happened I had never seen before; a commercial featuring Willie Nelson singing Coldplay's The Scientist actually outshined the live performance from Coldplay moments before. [Read Full Article]

Here's a nice little BTS from Moxie Pictures showing what kind of work goes into the making of a 30-second spot for Samsonite. The purpose was to show off Samsonite's spinners, a series of travel luggage featuring 4 independent wheels that can swivel in any direction to maximize maneuverability. The video gives a good insight into the level of production planning, logistics, & post production that go into making a commercial of this level. Click here for the full post.

In this series of videos aimed towards novices, Vincent Laforet and Blake Whitman from Vimeo Video School give you a breakdown on the lenses used in video production and their specific characteristics. This video is aimed at beginners, so seasoned shooters might want to pass, but it's shot and organized so well even if you know the difference between a wide-angle and a standard lens you still might want to give it a look, especially video #2. They go into details regarding how focal length effects framing, compression, depth-of-field, distortion, and they're proper uses for storytelling, dialogue shots, and providing context within your frame. Click here to see the full post.

It takes more than a nice a camera and an amazing landscape to make stunning images. Vimeo user Dana Saint traveled with his girlfriend for 5 weeks and didn’t just capture great footage, but he also wrote a wonderful voiceover to go with it. It starts a bit slow but picks up in the last few minutes, with shots going by so fast I had to re-watch it several times over again.

Even though most of you have shot models before, you may never come across one this thin. Ioana Spangenberg is a Romanian born model that has a 20 inch waist. Not only is she unnaturally thin, but she eats 3 meals a day and snacks in between... (Continued)

By now most of you have probably seen OK Go's music video for "Needing/Getting", either during the Superbowl or from the millions of people who circulated it across the web right after. They just released the first in a series of behind the scenes videos that show how they made this awesome ad, check it out!

London Fashion Week is fast approaching and GQ magazine in the UK decided to put together a shoot sponsored by Mercedes-Benz. Instead of the "usual" shoot that includes models and luxury cars (think of every music video ever made), GQ chose to go in a slightly different direction. More details and the video are in the Full Post.

Here is another video that shows the HDSLR capabilities of Nikon's recently announced D800. Although the plot may be quite corny, this short film shows some incredible examples of the D800's HD image quality. Need more D800 info? Then click here for everything else D800 on Fstoppers. Enjoy!

Curious to see what video looks like on the new Nikon D800? Photographer, Sandro Miller gives us a sneak peak in this short-film he created using only the Nikon D800. See how he tackles all the different lighting and motion challenges in the full post.

The Canon C300 can utilize a Gamma Curve called Canon Log to increase it’s usable dynamic range to a remarkable 12 stops (explained in detail here). Kevin Ritchie spent a day at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly just testing it out, and I think the results are a great real world example of the power of the C300/Log Gamma combination. Shots look clean at 6400 ISO! Is anyone else as excited for this camera as I am?

In this behind the scenes video from Vimeo (say that five times fast!), we get a look at the wide variety of gear that is used to capture the action at Winter X. From freelance photographers and videographers to full-scale production efforts, this video has a little bit of everything. See the video, which displays a staggering amount of gear, in the full post.

Photographer Lewis Carlyle at Sun Gallery Photography has been exploring some amazing landscapes and sharing their beauty in his series American Photographic. This video explores Garden of the Gods in Colorado, including info on the challenges of shooting there, as well as a history lesson. What landscape destinations are on your list to visit?

We haven't posted a deal here recently because, well, there really hasn't been many deals since the holidays. One of our favorite crop lenses, the Sigma 17 -50 2.8 OS, is currently under $600 (retails $669) for the first time in a long while. Click the full post to hear why like like it so much.

Remember when Apple released the new version of its flagship video editing program Final Cut X? If not, you might want a refresher course with Conan O'brien. Basically the backlash was almost unanimous, and it made many of us thankful we chose Adobe's Premiere as our editing software of choice. Well today there is an upgrade that apparently fixes most of the complaints from FCP X users. [Read More]

We’ve featured slow motion videos before, and this one is right up there with the best in terms of it’s motion rendering. Shooting with a $500 Canon 550D/T2i, Sacha Powell put together this powerful video using Twixtor to slow down some of his shots. It really goes to show that you don’t need the most expensive gear to make amazing visuals. You'll want to watch this fullscreen.

Whether its working on the latest screencast on how to remove your ex from that photo of last nights party, or creating a masterpiece for the world to see with a 1,000 picture composited image. Maybe it's even pixel pushing late nights to get that rounded corner perfect on a login tab for your clients website we all are addicted to PHOTOSHOP. Whatever it is click the full post to see the video.

There’s something to be said for painstakingly creating an entire scene by hand, out of nothing but paper. The thing you say is WOW! British production company Blink, with direction by Joseph Mann, worked with a team of paper artists to create elements for this Peugeot ad. See the full post for the ad as well as a behind the scenes look at all the work put into this awesomely crafted commercial.

This viral video is not as boring as the title of it leads you to believe. With over 3 million views and growing, videographer Juuso Mettälä records two fishermen fishing under ice, upside down. The effect is visually impressive. Check it out in the full post.

To keep chugging along through the daily grind, most of us have to make work fun so that it becomes, well, less like work. Darrel from BGS Studios is a fantasy and sci-fan photographer who obviously loves what he does: making the fantasy just a little closer to reality. Click here to watch the BTSV and see the finals from his Marvel-Comics-inspired Emma Frost shoot.

Photographer Tim Mantoani has been working on a 5-year project called “Behind Photographs”, where he has been capturing the artists that were responsible for some of the iconic images that have shaped our culture. In this video he talks about his process a bit more, and shows the rare 20x24 Polaroid camera he used. Very cool historical piece here, it’s an interesting juxtaposition showing the photo with the photographer.

How would you react if security officers told you that you were breaking the law by photographing a building from public property? One British photographer was faced with just that question, and here is how he reacted. View the full post to see the video, which is funny, sad, eye-opening and jaw-dropping all at once.

The filmmakers at Louder Than 11 shot this documentary in Yosemite Valley and have made it freely available for anyone. While most of this visually-rich film shows bouldering, it’s all about the stories of the climbers, including the filmmakers themselves, who talk about balancing their passions for climbing and filmmaking. This has arguably some of the best graphics and editing I’ve seen in a rock climbing video. Shot on an AF100.

French outdoorsman Sebastien Montaz-Rosset likes to play in the mountains. He discovered a second passion while there, which was shooting photos and videos. Sebastien has made some amazing pieces, especially for not having any formal training. Check out the videos in the full post to see his unique approach to getting some creative shots for his adventure films.

When Dwayne's Photo, based in Parsons, Kansas, ceased processing Kodachrome film, it was the end of an era spanning 75 years. This ten minute mini-documentary by Xander Robin affords us a view into the history of Kodachrome, the process used to develop it, and insight from the employees of Dwayne's who worked with the film regularly. Check out the full post for the video.

The BBC has produced some of my favorite shows of all time. Their newest program called Earthflight captures amazing HD video from the skies as they put you literally on the wings of wild birds. I really can't imagine how they got these shots of eagles stalking unsuspecting flamingos but it's definitely not filmed on a Gopro Hero. Click the full post to check out the amazing view in full HD glory!

Why does a group of creative artists take their gear on a 230 mile, 25 day backpacking trip? The Muir Project is why. This team not only creates masterful images in remote places, but they're able to endure rough terrain and heavy packs. Hiking for 25 days with a 75lb pack is crazy, but the images are worth it. For the BTS video and a teaser, check the full post.

"The French Navy labeled this day a double code red prohibiting and threatening to arrest anyone that entered the water. Kelly Slater described the day by saying "witnessing this was a draining feeling being terrified for other people's lives all day long, it's life or death. Letting go of that rope one time can change your life and not many people will ever experience that in their life.""

Talk about a dream assignment for a photo journalist! Photographer Peter Hapak was asked to shoot all the major protests that took place worldwide in 2011 for Time magazine. This year Time chose to go with a group of people instead of an individual for it's prestigious "Time Person Of The Year" award. See the full post for the behind the scenes video and more.

A unique behind the scenes look with Joe McNally in his Sense of Sight cover story (A National Geographic Production - circa 1992). Talk about a blast from the past. It's great seeing his thought process and work ethic through the entire process. It shows that no matter how old this video is, there's still a lot to be learned from watching the master at work. Check out the full post to see the video.

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.

31 megapixel? with a wireless interchangeable lens (yes, a wireless lens!)? and all of that inside a phone? at least that's what the guys from WVIL claim. Watch this video from CES 2012 (world's largest consumer technology tradeshow in Las Vegas) and tell us - is it real or is it fake?

The custom firmware developers over at Magic Lantern recently released a new version of their firmware for the Canon 550D, 60D, 500D and 50D which adds an HDR function to video recording. A release for the 5Dm2 is out for beta testing at the moment. The footage looks a little stilted when there is motion, but this is still pretty incredible considering the firmware is free to anyone who wants it! See the technical bts video.

Product photography can get pretty tedious at times, but this shoot for the new Volvo FH 540 is on another level. Tim Bjorn shows us how to shoot a massive, shiny vehicle all while having an incredible workflow and paying much attention to detail. Check out the full post and see how you can incorporate these techniques into your shots where you're model is larger than your lights can cover.

We just received another great installment of video comentary with the incredible wedding videographers at Visual Masterpiece. Even if you hate weddings you will be able to appreciate the talent that goes into each of their videos. Check out the full post to see the BTSV and the finished product as well as a breakdown of the gear that they use on every shoot.

The new Nikon D4 has some amazing capabilities on paper, and by now most people have seen the amazing video by Corey Rich. The video below demonstrates many of the D4's new video features, including using an iPhone or iPad to control the camera, clean HDMI out onto an external recorder, and selecting the crop modes. Nikon really did this one right, but it looks to me as though that the focus tracking makes the aperture breathe, which would make it unusable during recording. See if you can spot where he knocks the camera over by mistake!

Update: Also, check out the full post for a demo of the D4 working with the new WT-5 wireless transmitter and the iPad.

I thought I'd start at Fstoppers posting about the newest add-on to the RED camera family. The Red Scarlet-X. If you don't know what RED is, take a second, stop reading, open a new tab on your browser, and visit WWW.RED.COM. For those of you that know about RED and their amazing cameras you're fully aware that they released the RED SCARLET-X this past November of 2011. The camera starts at an amazing low(er) price of $11,700. For a camera that shoots RAW and looks that close to true 35mm at just under $12,000 is just insane! Until the release of their most anticipated camera, the RED EPIC-X( no release date yet ), the Scarlet-X is still currently the camera to beat in its price range. Click the full post to see what I'm talking about

Justin de Reuck takes us with him on his job of taking photographs of fighter pilots in flight. Though there is no dialogue, the visual element speaks for itself. Photography is difficult enough as it is, but try doing it under excessive g-force and being upside down! He almost makes it look too easy. If you think this is cool, check out the full post to see an F18 pilot with his GoPro camera. You don't want to miss seeing this!

The guys over at SLR Lounge created a killer new bag called the "ONE" bag that can be used to hold just about anything you need. A couple weeks back they created a kickstarter project to help raise money to produce the bag and they also created a BTSV that explained how they shot the kickstarter video. If you are at all interested in video then you should check out their 2 latest videos that focus on 2 different shots in their promo. Check out the full post for the second video.

Check out this video from Corridor Digital! I love graffiti and street art, and it's a great lesson to all of us on how mixing and matching media can make an addictive, fun video. The fake door shot reminds me of so many shows and cartoons I saw growing up. If you think about it, they mixed graffiti, acting, and stills for an awesome end product. I want to see one of our readers do something similar with photo stills! I can't help but think Corridor Digital's style in this video has incredible, untapped power in the advertising world. What do you think? And which one of you is going to top this?

If you've watched an american football game, you've seen those cool shots from high up in the air. They come from a camera called the Skycam which was actually invented by the same people who designed the Steadicam used in movie productions. It's basically a remote camera controlled by four computer driven suspension cables. But what happens when everything goes wrong and the camera comes crashing to the ground? Well that's exactly what happened during the 2011 Insight College Bowl Game featuring Iowa and Oklahoma. Luckily the camera missed landing on any of the players but it sure did come close. Check out the full post to see a behind the scenes video on how the Skycam works.

Have you ever wondered what happens to your checked luggage after you check into your flight and leave it to be loaded on the conveyor belt? Well this video will show you just what happens to your prized belongings when they enter the hands of the airlines and the TSA. Six cameras were mounted in what looks like a pelican case so every angle could be documented. Obviously all of the bag handlers were aware they were being filmed (so who knows how authentic this 'experiment' actually is) but it's still pretty interesting to see how your bag gets from the Delta Terminal to your final luggage terminal in another city. Am I the only one who thinks if I did this the TSA inspectors would have turned my cameras off or changed their position? They never seem to leave my carry on lenses alone yet these video cameras go untouched. Nevertheless, thumps up to Delta for a creative advertising campaign.

The ISO sensitivity on today's flagship DSLR cameras is pretty amazing. They are so amazing in fact that for the first time, NASA is able to use Nikon D3 cameras to create night time timelapse videos as the earth sleeps. You've probably seen a bunch of these stunning videos here but now we are able to see who is responsible for capturing the raw images from orbit. Mike Massimino takes you behind the scenes with astronaut/photographer Mike Fossum as he talks about his passion for long exposure photography from space. The audio is pretty rough so use headphones if you have trouble hearing.

Well it's Christmas Eve here in the US and many of you are about to have a blast opening up some cool photography gadgets (or I hope so at least). But in the meantime, Eve Hazelton created a really thorough video on how to light an interview or one person scene easily and effectively. Eve is the director of photography for the film Underwater Realm which we've feature a ton on Fstoppers (check out their great BTS videos here). Her work is so helpful that Philip Bloom featured an interesting article on this video over on his blog. Check it out if you prefer an image breakdown of lighting instead of the video format. Hopefully you guys can start using some of these techniques in your own videos especially if you ever submit to our Behind The Scenes Contests down the road.

The Canon vs. Nikon video has gone viral these past few weeks. The behind the scenes video was just released so I thought I'd share. If you missed the actual video, click here to see the original post. A big thank you goes out to Fstoppers reader, Marten, for submitting this video to us.

Hey guys, my name is Lauren and I'm the newest addition to the Fstoppers team. Having lived in Charleston for a while, I have many friends who are huge surfers. This campaign video is super creative and it has really sparked my imagination. Even if you're not the least bit interested in surfing, the use of these portable neon lights can be used for all sorts of photo projects. This glow-in-the-dark surf session was part of the cider company Strongbow’s “Welcome to Summer” campaign. Click the full post to watch a second video explaining how they used Electroluminescent wire (EL Wire) to light up their suits and boards. Maybe this will spark some imagination for those of you who still need to create a video for our Behind the Scenes Contest.

If you are from the US, then chances are every Monday night your television is tuned into football. Monday Night Football is a cultural staple in North America and one of the largest traveling media productions around. ESPN sports announcer Mike Tirico (surely you recognize his voice) gives a great commentary to this slideshow of behind the scenes images as you get a tour throughout the entire Monday Night Football experience. Everything from the meetings, the cue cards, the commentary booth, the cameras, and the production trailers are included in this fun look into one of my own favorite sports (not sure what happened to the audio guys though). It's pretty incredible to see this circus of technology and then realize this whole team travels the entire country week in and week out.

Realm Pictures has been working on "The Underwater Realm" (one of the most ambitious indie film attempts I've ever seen) for months now and have been coming out with great BTSVs along the way. The team recently realized that they need to film parts of their movie in an underwater studio and to do this they need to raise more funds. The team has turned to Kickstarter.com to help out but they aren't just asking for money. If you pledge $50 you will receive a special edition copy of their movie "Zomblies" and 10 in-depth video tutorials on indie film making tips like the one below. In the video below Dave shows us how to make a safe and explosion on an indie budget. If you feel like helping these guys out head over to Kickstarter and pledge today.

With just under three weeks left until the deadline of our 2011 Behind The Scenes Contest, our readers are really hitting it into high gear by turning in some awesome videos! Some of the ideas you guys come up with are really clever and a refreshing alternative to the boring "glamorized music videos" we receive daily. Wedding photographer Jaroslav Repta (based out of Bratislave, Slovakia) recently filmed an entire wedding from the perspective of his camera by mounting a GoPro Hero on his DSLR. Having started off as a wedding photographer myself, I found it really interesting to watch some of the conditions Jaroslav had to work in, and how his creative eye made the most of every situation. Weddings are tough with harsh sunlight one second and low light action the next, but Jaroslav shows how he (and tons of other fstoppers) work quick to find an interesting image. Love or hate weddings, I think everyone will get a kick out of seeing the hustle and bustle required at every wedding.

These days it's not surprising to find out that most of what you see in a movie or commercial is completely green screened or created with CGI. So I was pleasantly shocked when I saw the behind the scenes video for the outdoor clothing company Quechua's latest advertisement. The slow motion footage of wild animals interacting with hikers and campers is nothing sort of amazing. Hopefully you guys enjoyed this video as much as I did. Click the full post to watch the final video. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!