5 Composition Ideas You Should Try in Your Next Shoot
Cinematography and photography have some areas of crossover, and one such area is composition. Here are five ideas for how to angle your next shoot that might make all the difference
Cinematography and photography have some areas of crossover, and one such area is composition. Here are five ideas for how to angle your next shoot that might make all the difference
Music videos have been some of the most condensed displays of cinematic creativity for decades now, and there is a lot that can be learned. Here is a breakdown of some excellent lighting used in a music video.
With the level of stabilization now featured in most smartphones, you might already have a powerful vlogging tool in your pocket. However, a few add-ons can take your device to the next level, and this rig might be the ultimate iPhone vlogging setup.
In television and film, scenes in cars are a staple and so common you could be fooled into thinking it's easily done and with one technique. Well, that's not the case.
Final Cut Pro X is Apple's video editing software that has been steadily growing in popularity over the years. Here are five of the best plugins you can get for it and examples of what they do.
Color is fundamental to photography and videography, but the way color is used is not always the same across both mediums. It isn't uncommon for videographers to make some common mistakes with their color grading, so here are the ones you ought to avoid.
Often being successful in any creative field is equal parts talent and knowing how to run your business. Yet for a lot of us, we spend the least amount of time educating ourselves on good business practices. The beginning of the new year is a great time to remedy this.
Cinematography and photography might be separate disciplines in most regards, but there are a lot of crossovers, particularly when it comes to lighting. That's an area each profession can borrow from the other.
If you haven’t had a chance to watch Julia Hart’s recent film, I’m Your Woman, make a point to add it to your list. Bryce Fortner’s photography isn’t just eye-candy, it shows what you can do when you use style along with intention.
Sometimes you need to ensure that you set your shots apart from the norm, which is easier said than done. Well, this is one example that really achieved what it set out to do!
Getting good audio is essential to creating a quality video. The Lark 150 from Hollyland is positioned as a turnkey solution for easily recording two subjects without the need for a tangle of wires. Whether you’re just getting started with video or are looking for a competent wireless option, you’ve got to hear what this piece of kit can do!
The anamorphic look is attractive and loved by many videographers and filmmakers. The problem is, it costs a lot to achieve, and prices itself out of reach for most videographers. But what if you could effectively fake it?
As Gray Kotzé points out, there are bushels of reviews for entry-level cinema lenses on the web, lenses you might look to pick up on sale maybe. However, most feature films are shot on prohibitively expensive lenses that were always intended to be rented out over their multi-decade lifespans. The cost for these lenses puts them out of reach for most filmmakers who aspire towards ownership, but, if you have a budget and you're looking to shoot feature/cinema quality films, it's important to understand what's available for rent.
One of the greatest advancements in consumer video products in the last decade or so has been the appearance of affordable and portable stabilization devices. Handheld gimbals allow you to get smooth, professional footage in almost any situation, and this fantastic video tutorial will give you five tips to get more out of yours.
I wanted something to control my exposure when shooting videos but I didn't want to sacrifice quality with a variable ND filter. To my surprise, the magnetic system by Freewell has been better than expected and even has features for photography that have replaced my older equipment.
If you are a photographer and you are thinking of diversifying your skills by learning to shoot video, understanding the basic camera settings as they apply to video is one of the first steps. This great video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of setting your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, as well as why an ND filter is an essential piece of gear for video work.
No matter how good your video work is, if you do not have solid audio to accompany it, it will not be a successful final product. One of the most important steps for capturing good audio is knowing which type of microphone to use. This excellent video will show you three different types of microphones for use in video work.
Elf is undoubtedly a Christmas classic, but the 2003 film was low budget, and the idea of creating a lot of the visual effects in-camera had many senior people worried it couldn't work.
Sure, the big faceless corporation is just out there to get money out of you, but hidden right in front of you could be a masterclass in lighting, production design, and short story telling. This video takes a look at how Ikea made use out of a highly skilled director and production team to create this simple yet effective advertisement.
Have you ever considered introducing a slider in your videography kit? This video reviews the compact Smartta SliderMini 2 and also compares it to the Rhino Slider. Which one would you choose?
A hyperlapse can revolutionize a video project, or even become one of its own. However, for the best results, a mechanical slider is usually recommended. In this video, find out how to create a great hyperlapse, hand-held.
With the exponential growth of content creation, trying to pick out the best gear can be daunting, especially if you are unfamiliar with it all. The market for microphones is constantly growing as brands dish out new models faster than they did several years ago. With many competing brands out there, which one should you get?
Have you tried using old film lenses for video creation? There's quite a charm to it.
Panasonic is overlooked in a number of areas in the industry, but video is certainly not one of them. With this latest firmware upgrade, could Panasonic be cannibalizing their own more expensive camera though?
I recently had the chance to speak with Chris Menges about his newest project, "Waiting for the Barbarians." Menges’ insights into the art (and underlying politics) of filmmaking are a must-read for anyone looking to tell stories with film.
Have you been considering getting into filming weddings, but not sure where to start? Here are six first steps to help you get started.
As much as photography has gained from 2020's relentless releasing of cameras, videography has arguably gained more. Canon's new, affordable (for a dedicated cinema camera) video-centric body is another stellar option with just a few caveats.
If you’re a content creator who also does a lot of live streaming and vlogging, check out this ultimate home desk rig complete with lighting, sound panels, monitors, stream switcher, teleprompter, and more.
When it comes to camera gear, the lens is probably one of the most important piece of equipment you can buy. In many cases, upgrading your lens will probably make a far greater difference than upgrading anything else. This is why it's important for photographers and videographers to understand all the different types of lenses that are available.
Photographing the stars is tricky and requires some know-how and preparation. Creating a time-lapse video, at night, of those same stars adds another level of difficulty on top.
2020 might have been a dreadful year for just about everyone, but it's been nothing short of an incredible year for new cameras.
When you look at Apple’s “Shot on iPhone” videos, oftentimes what’s left unsaid is the amount of extra gear beyond the iPhone the cinematographers had to use. Whether that’s expensive drones, camera stabilizers, or underwater gear, chances are, if it’s on Apple’s website, it’s not only shot with an iPhone.
If you're looking for tips on how to slowly lift the tension of your film, watching Thomas Bezucha's new film, Let Him Go, will serve you well.
ISO performance on cameras has improved exponentially over the last decade, and now you are able to use higher values than ever before more or less without punishment by way of noise. Sony's new videography titan is raising that bar even further it seems.
Color grading is a profession in and of itself, which means the technical know-how, the theory, and the nuance, all run very deep indeed. However, some methods are more powerful and useful than others, and this one particular tool could greatly impact your work.
Only a couple months ago Zhiyun announced their latest camera stabilizer Crane 2S. Now, Zhiyun has added a pack of additional accessories to give you more tools to create professional looking videos.
2019 CES award-winning YoloBox looks like a tablet monitor when you unpack it, but it so much more than that. If you’re planning on streaming an event like a wedding live on location, it’s the only device you need to connect to your cameras and sound equipment, so you can share it with an online audience on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch, all at once.
This fantastic looking Monster energy drink commercial was made in a fairly easy to replicate way. Here is a behind the scenes look at what went into creating the shot.
With the increase in complexity of modern cameras, comes a disparity in the output and performance of a camera based on how it has been setup and optimized. Here is a guide to getting the most out of the new Sony video titan.
Making your footage more cinematic doesn’t mean that you’re constantly trying to make your films look like a Hollywood movie, but it does mean that there are some tried and tested techniques for making your shots more interesting and aesthetically pleasing. Here are 10 great tips from experienced filmmaker Mark Bone.
Whether you're a filmmaker, videographer, or just a stills shooter, there's a lot that can be learned from some of the greats of cinematography.
Insta360 brings its staple 360 camera into 2021, and it’s a joy to use.
If you've every tried keying out a person you know the NLEs have improved a lot over the years. After Effects can even give you a workable cut-out without a green screen now. But what are the professional movie making folk changing to now? What's next?
Will LIDAR be the future of camera focusing? Imagine being able to use your vintage lenses that gives you a level up with a unique looking image in video with auto focus, bypassing the camera's internals and "seeing" in the dark. The DJI RS2 can do this very well now. This video shows us how we'll be able to do just that.
Many rules in photography and videography have been constant for decades. However, some of them were formed to accommodate limitations in older technology, so are they still relevant?
Where usually we can only sit in awe of a videographer's creation, this time you can learn exactly how it was done.
Shooting 4K at 120 fps is kind of a niche feature and something many may not even think about, but having it available when you need it is pretty great. Now that 4K has become more standard in the DSLR and mirrorless market, we are starting to see more cameras capable of shooting 4K at 120fps.
We've posted some of his behind the scenes videos on here before, because this director's innovative use of technology to film some of the most visually appealing commercial videos to ever hit our screens is unparalleled. Here he is, explaining how he used his robots to make a mind-bending shot of a slice of lime falling into a glass.
DJI have launched their second iteration of the Ronin gimbal, and this hands-on review will take you through exactly what's changed and how good it really is.
With the onset of the pandemic and slowdown in production, income from stock photography has become an increasingly important source of revenue for many photographers. Getty Images and iStock have recently announced a new program to provide grants to emerging photographers interested in entering the stock photography market.