Digital SLR Video and Filmmaking For Dummies E-Book

John Carucci

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 502

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013

Beschreibung

Step-by-step guide for using your digital SLR to make quality video With digital SLR cameras becoming more and more popular as replacements for standalone video cameras, this book helps photographers become better videographers and shows videographers how to incorporate DSLRs into their work. The book includes an overview of the DSLR video tools and process and shows how to establish camera settings for effective capture, light a scene, get sound, and achieve the film look. The book also offers the basics on editing footage into a final product using common video editing tools. * Offers everything needed to shoot, produce, and edit a professional looking videos using DSLR video equipment * Written for both professional photographers and videographers and those just starting out * Includes the steps for applying information to a film project, including developing a screenplay, approaching shooting like a cinematographer, and directing * Contains a walkthrough of common video projects including making a music video, a wedding video, and video greeting card Digital SLR Video and Filmmaking for Dummies is designed to help photographers ramp up their video skills, videographers add DSLRs to their toolkits, and amateurs begin shooting their own short films and videos.

Leseprobe

Digital SLR Video & Filmmaking For Dummies®

Published byJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.111 River StreetHoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2012956399

ISBN 978-1-118-36598-4 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-40176-7 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-40177-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-40178-1 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

John Carucci has written more than a hundred articles on photography, video, and technology. His work has appeared in many publications including American Photo, Photo Insider, and Popular Photography, where he served as a contributing editor.

Carucci works as an entertainment news producer for Associated Press Television, where he conducts studio interviews, covers field assignments (red carpet events, news events, interviews, and so on), writes scripts, and edits both television packages and online segments. He has covered numerous events in his role as producer, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Super Bowl, and the Tony Awards. In addition to his television work, he also writes general news stories on the entertainment beat. Prior to that appointment, he was a photo editor covering sports, national, international, and features.

Carucci has worked behind the camera as a producer and director for numerous video projects and has directed several music videos.

Dedication

To the usual suspects: an actor, director, and a captain.

Author’s Acknowledgments

It’s hard to make a movie by yourself, and it’s even harder to write a book by yourself. With that in mind, I have a lot of people to thank, both those directly related to the book and those, well, directly related to me.

Let’s start with the folks at Wiley, starting with executive editor Steve Hayes for giving me the opportunity and having the patience to continually modify the plan to accommodate my busy schedule. Thanks to my editor, Linda Morris, for working with my ever-changing schedule that made the planet in Star Trek II after the Genesis project was tested on it seem stable.

Thanks to my agent, Carol Jelen, for finding this project and finding me. I appreciate all of your help.

My gratitude goes out to everyone that appeared, answered a question, and provided some assistance. And once again, thanks to Jillian, Anthony, and Alice for providing a base.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone].

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions and Editorial

Project Editor: Linda Morris

Executive Editor: Steve Hayes

Copy Editor: Linda Morris

Technical Editor: Mike Loomis

Editorial Manager: Jodi Jensen

Editorial Assistant: Anne Sullivan

Sr. Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case

Cover Photo: © Alexander Zhiltsov/iStockphoto

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Sheree Montgomery

Layout and Graphics: Jennifer Creasey, Joyce Haughey

Proofreaders: Lindsay Amones, Toni Settle

Indexer: Steve Rath

Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies

Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher

Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director

Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director

Publishing for Consumer Dummies

Kathleen Nebenhaus, Vice President and Executive Publisher

Composition Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Digital SLR Video & Filmmaking For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/digitalslrvideoandfilmmaking to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Newbies

Students

Photographers

Videographers

Conventions Used in This Book

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Joining the DSLR Video Revolution

Part II: Control the Camera, Control the Movie

Part III: Fixing It in Post

Part IV: Becoming a Filmmaker

Part V: The Part of Tens

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Joining the DSLR Video Revolution

Chapter 1: Going from Still to Video in a Single Camera

Making Movies with Your DSLR

Understanding the SLR part

Figuring out the digital part

Changing a lens

Defining DSLR Users

Deciding Whether to Get a DSLR

Understanding why DSLRs are not quite the same as a video camera

Seeing how DSLR is familiar to still photographers

Thinking in Movie Terms

Putting It All Together

Realizing that half the movie is shooting it

Making your movie sing in post-production

Figuring out what to do with your movie

Chapter 2: Exploring DSLR Video Capabilities

Selecting the Right Camera

Working on a budget

Blowing the budget

Using something just right

Understanding Camera Controls

Breaking Down the Numbers

Sensor resolution for movies

Frame rate

Scan types

Outlining the Main Functions on Your DSLR

Moviemaking shutter speeds

Key DSLR functions

Knowing Your DSLR

Canon

Nikon

Olympus

Pentax

Sony

Panasonic

The Eyes of the Camera: Breaking Down Camera Lenses

Discovering the Tools of Tapeless Capture

Size matters and so does speed

Protecting your card

Chapter 3: Keeping Your Camera Steady

Using a Tripod

Keeping a good head on your shoulders . . . er, sticks

Simplifying with a monopod

Creating stability without a tripod

To Have and To Hold

Camera rig systems

Breaking down the rig components

Other handheld devices

Moving the Camera with Support

Camera dolly

Using a crane or jib

Chapter 4: Audio Matters

Deciphering Audio Capture Choices

Internal audio

Portable digital audio recorders

Explaining Microphone Flavors

A microphone designed for DSLR

Microphone accessories

Connecting Your Audio Device

Understanding Wireless Transmitters

Recognizing the Importance of Monitoring Audio

Part II: Control the Camera, Control the Movie

Chapter 5: Shooting Video with Your DSLR

Nailing the Fundamentals of the Shoot

Understanding exposure

Putting it all together

Keeping the Camera Steady, Eddie!

Handholding like an SLR doesn’t work

Not wanting, but needing, to use a tripod

Using a rack system for steady holding

Shooting to Edit

Shooting Just Enough Variations

Watching and Learning from the Movies

Varying Focal Length

Mastering Shot Structure

Maintaining Continuity Between Shots

Chapter 6: Getting Creative with Your Shoot

Controlling Aperture for Effect

Understanding depth of field

Reciprocity at work

Factors that affect depth of field

Finding the Best Angle

Employing angles effectively

Let the camera do the walking, er . . . moving

Playing nice with your dolly

Using Camera Filters

Mounting filters: The choice is yours

Shooting day for night

Tooling with Camera Effects

Keen on green screen

Shooting your very own chroma key

Using Time-Lapse Photography

Making a time-lapse movie

Calculating your time

Chapter 7: Breaking Dawn Over Light Sources

Understanding Why Lighting Is Critical

Taking Advantage of Natural Light

Looking at Passive Versus Proactive Lighting

Seeing Why Not All Light Is Created Equal

Color temperature

The daylight spectrum

From dawn to dusk

Understanding Incandescent Light Sources

Candlelight

Tungsten illumination

Household bulbs

Working with Location and Studio Lighting

Dealing with Artificial Illumination on the Scene

Night light, dark and bright

Shadows and highlights

Working with High-Intensity Discharge Lamps

Sodium vapor

Mercury vapor

Metal halide lighting

Loving the Way That Neon Glows

Coping with the Unpredictability of Fluorescents

Making the Scene Look Better

Chapter 8: BYOL: Bringing Your Own Light

Selecting Lighting Solutions à la Carte

Using on-camera video lights

Exploring lighting kits

Using non-conventional lighting

Understanding the Basic Nature of Lighting

Mastering three-point lighting

Discovering main light

Working with a fill light

Using a backlight

Looking at four-point lighting

Discovering even more lights

Using reflectors to complement lighting

Improvising a reflector

Making Dramatic Lighting Easy

Making Rembrandt proud

Playing the angles

Doing a simple green screen illumination

Complementary color

Avoiding Lighting Pitfalls

Remaining diligent of all lights in the scene

Seeing why too much texture may get you in trouble

Keeping your eyes on the subject’s face

Watch out for lens flare

Chapter 9: Reigning in the Frame

You Got Framed!

Considering proper composition

Using the rule of thirds

Remembering the people aesthetic

Keeping the frame simple

Using the background

Art Directing the Scene

Framing the subject

Being creative with shadows and reflections

Taking advantage of symmetry

Beginning mise-en-scene

Breaking Down the Shots

Moving the Camera the Wrong Way

Too much camera movement

Too much zoom

Panned and panned and panned

Tilting frames

Subject disappears from view

Objects disappear from the edge of the screen

Chapter 10: Making the Most of Audio Capture

Recording Sound on the Scene

Capturing sound with the camera’s built-in microphone

Using a camera-mounted microphone

Taking a step up to a separate microphone

Identifying Audio Problems

Using a Separate Sound Recorder

Getting Around Those Audio Pitfalls

Working around limitations

Maintaining proper levels

Watching the meters

Using headphones

Staying close to the subject

Seeing why two channels are good, four channels are better

Audio file types

Adding Sound Effects

Finding sound effects

Making your own sound effects

Part III: Fixing It in Post

Chapter 11: Building Your Editing Suite

Picking the Best Computer for the Job

Are you a Mac?

Or are you a PC?

Naming conventions out the windows

The systems are not that far apart

Understanding Workstation Requirements

Minimum speed need not apply

The nexus of processors

Graphic cards

Random access memory (RAM)

Cache-ing out

Spin your hard drive at 7,200, please

Port types

The Accessories Make the Outfit

Adding an additional monitor

Keying in to keyboard types

Of mice and men

Using a video cassette deck

Picking the Software That Suits Your Needs

Checking out free software

Using pro software

Exploring inexpensive options

Chapter 12: Getting to Know Adobe Premiere Elements

Getting the Concept of Non-Linear Editing

Choosing from an Abundance of Non-Linear Editing Software

Deciding on Premiere Elements

Breaking down the interface

Looking at the Quick versus Expert view

Checking out the new features in Expert view

Understanding the Requirements for Running Premiere Elements

Windows

Mac OS

Supported formats

Looking at the Timeline

The Organizer

Tooling around

Bringing in the media

Importing video files

Ingesting from camera

Setting your scratch disc

Implementing an Efficient Workflow

Setting Preferences

Setting up your movie

Customize your workspace

Save early, save often

Looking at Premiere’s Key Features

Instant Movies

Transitions

Video effects

Audio features

Making titles

Chapter 13: Making Your Movie

Creating Your Movie Project

Putting It All Together

Transferring content from the camera card

Importing movies from a hard drive

Dragging and dropping in the timeline

Setting ins and outs

Trimming it, scrubbing it

Using Smart Trim

Adding tracks

Resizing tracks

Assembling the edit

Using the Snap option

Negotiating Audio Matters

Mixing audio

Get those levels right

Separating tracks

Observe audio with your eyes through waveforms

Dressing Up Your Movie

Transitioning one clip to the next

Titles make the movie

Adding a static title to your movie

Create a rolling or crawling title

Chapter 14: Taking Your Edit to Infinity and Beyond

Making Elements Sing

Using keywords for metadata

Tagging in Organizer

Smart tagging

Changing a clip’s speed by using Time Stretch

Reverse the playback of a clip

Using Time Remapping

Grabbing a Freeze Frame

Exporting Your Movie

Chapter 15: Presenting Your Movie

Creating a Self-Playing Movie

Controlling File Size

Using a conversion program

Checking out your movie

Sharing and sharing alike

Other choices for conversion programs

Considering Intellectual Property Rules

Burning to DVD

Showing Your Movie on Facebook

Sharing Video on YouTube

Sharing Video on Vimeo

Chapter 16: Archiving Your Movie Files

Finding the Best Archiving Solution

Archiving with external hard drives

Burning to DVD

Backing up to tape

Considering Sony XDCAM

Using media cards

Trying online storage

Managing Your Content

Organization made simple

Using Adobe Elements Organizer

Saving graces

Exercising Common Sense

Redundancy is redundant, and it works

Staying current on backup formats

Constantly migrate the important files

Part IV: Becoming a Filmmaker

Chapter 17: Doing the Preshoot Work

Figuring What You Need

Scouting locations

Shooting on a soundstage

Considering props and costumes

Gathering Your Assets, Er, Actors . . .

Taking the next step with your cast

Rehearsing your actors

Doing a table read

Writing the Screenplay

Breaking Down the Screenplay

Understanding character types

Discovering the three-act structure

Writing the treatment

Starting small and building

Crafting your character’s dialogue in your screenplay

Chapter 18: Roles in the Filmmaking Process

Exploring the Behind-the-Scenes Roles

Producer

Director

Director of cinematography

Camera operators

Screenwriter

Script supervisor

Sound technicians

Production designer

Stunt coordinator

Casting director

Going Far Behind the Scenes

Production assistants

Gaffers and cohorts

Working with Talent

Staying on top of acting lingo

Working with actors

Finding actors

Knowing the Post-Production Experts

Film editor

Special effects editor

Sound effects editor

Chapter 19: Managing the Day of the Shoot and Beyond

Directors Direct

Directing your movie and keeping friends

Understanding why directing is like politics

Figuring out the importance of the clapperboard

Shooting the Movie

Recognizing the need for multiple takes

Shooting your movie out of order

Arriving prepared

Cleaning your lenses

Creating a shooting schedule

Working from a shot list

Planning for Your Edit

Doing a sound check

Logging each shot

Managing continuity

Backing up your stuff

Chapter 20: Your Red Carpet Premiere Awaits

Holding a Private Screening

Creating a virtual screening

Dabbling in the festival waters

Pondering the Film Festival Circuit, Major League Edition

The Cannes Film Festival

Sundance Film Festival

Toronto International Film Festival

Other film festivals

Considering Online Film Festivals

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Improve Your Filmmaking Skills

Plan Your Shoot

Tell a Concise Story

Shoot to Edit

Use the Proper Tools for Stabilization

Understand Your DSLR Like the Stats for Your Favorite Team

Bring Your Own Lighting

Never Skimp on Composition

Remember to Get Plenty of Cutaways

Don’t Forget About Sound

Watch a Lot of Movies

Chapter 22: Ten Steps to Creating a Music Video

Find the Right Song

Determine What It Takes to Produce It

Have a Concept for the Video

What Type of Music Video Do You Want?

Break Down the Beats

Work from a Script

Use Light Effectively

Get the Lip-Synching Down Pat Before Hitting Record

Follow Through on Every Sequence You Shoot

Shoot to Edit to the Umpteenth Degree

Chapter 23: Ten Wedding Video Techniques

Have the Right Equipment

Anticipate the Action Before You Can Follow It

Capture the Necessary Moments

Create a Narrative Through Interviews

Monitor Your Audio

Shoot a Healthy Dose of B-Roll

Pay Attention to Focal Length

Try Some Tricks

Make It Happen in Editing

Be Responsible and Finish the Job on Time

Chapter 24: Ten Tips for Creating a Documentary

Know the Topic You’re Going to Cover

Plan Your Shoot Well

Have the Right Equipment

Have a Plan for Shooting

Make Contact with Sources Before Shooting

Don’t Under/Overestimate Your Social Skills

Have a Strong Narrative

Shoot Much More Than You’ll Ever Use

Using Still Photos

Watch Documentaries to Understand Narrative

Cheat Sheet

Introduction

It’s hard to imagine Alfred Hitchcock giving his cameraman instructions for shooting a scene with a DSLR. But then again, would anyone in 1982 believe video was viewable on anything other than 25” concave tube? Or that anything could ever compete with the quality of film?

But in 30 years, the world of cinema has changed, with many feature films shot digitally and sophisticated special effects features bundled into free programs for the masses.

But perhaps the most liberating technological advancement has to do with the ability for the consumer-level digital single-lens reflex camera to capture high-quality high-definition movies. That’s a game-changer.

Ten years ago, if somebody said you could make movies with the same camera used for still photos, I would have questioned his sanity. If he went on to say the quality would look as good as a Mini-DV tape, I’d wonder if he inhaled some sort of toxic mold. But if he carried on about the camera’s ability to capture movies in full-frame HD, words like “bonkers,” “delusional,” and “preposterous” would come to mind.