Technical Know How
How to... filming
Filming tips and tricks
Film and Television Technology
Jul 2nd
Television Technology
Part 1 Television Technology
is for any beginner film maker, who wants to have a solid technical foundation to build on. It is also recommended to those, who feel to need a refresher on the fundamentals of film and television technology. This is the first module of a three part series.
Why should you have a strong technical foundation of Film and Television?
Someone could argue technology is changing so fast, that you have a hard time to keep up. Everything is done with sophisticated computer chips in a ‘black box’. The only thing you should know is what goes in and what comes out. It is more beneficial to concentrate on the filming techniques in order to move ahead.
This is exactly what the sales and advertising industry relies on, a technical more or less uneducated buyer, who can be manipulated with clever commercials and adverting to buy certain products.
The benefits of technical ‘Know How’
You don’t have to rely on the ‘experts’, who want to sell you anything. Instead you can add your own knowledge to make a more accurate decision. Let me put it this way; it serves like a compass, which navigates you through the ever increasing info and products for sale.
If you are, or want to become a television professional – communicate effectively with technical staff and do some trouble shooting, or perhaps solve a technical challenge, you need to know the technical fundamentals of television broadcast.
You have to understand the basics of how an image is generated, recorded, transmitted and is viewed. Develop a base of technical fundamentals for television technology to enhance your skills.
Complement your film school knowledge with the technical aspects of film making.
A film school or college alternative
Don’t have the time and money to go to school.
Do you need to have results fast?
Do you prefer to learn at your own pace, whenever you want?
How about a home-study with various forms of delivery?
- A complete course with a PowerPoint presentation, as well as a full and complete e-book and complementary podcast.
- An e-book that provides an easy reference so you can find the information you need, quickly.
- The podcast is delivered as a mp3 file so you can easily listen to it from your computer, CD player, or on-the-go through an mp3 player or iPod.
- A course, delivered in straight forward, easy to follow language with many full colour illustrations to ensure maximum comprehension.
The benefits of a home-study:
- Self-Paced: no more rushing to complete assignments, or trying to squeeze your life in around your courses.
- Comprehensive Reference Materials: have everything you need to reinforce your learning handy, and take it with you for on-location reference.
- Easy Formats: view the presentation using just your web browser, and the e-book only requires Adobe Acrobat, which is a free download.
- Comprehensive: e-book, slide show, and podcast cover all angles, and provide multiple study methods for different types of learners.
- Affordable: home study courses are much more affordable then classroom driven courses at film school so you can learn more for less.
What topics should be covered?
- TV-Principles and transmission
- Scanning – interlaced/progressive
- Video-, and frequency modulation
- Vertical-, and horizontal synchronisation
- Camera and monitors
Summary
A course, which provides you a great technical background, you may have found lacking when
producing a film. A straight to the point, affordable and simple to use home study course can
be your alternative or better complementary technical education to college or film school.
Remember, extraordinary results is no accident, applied knowledge makes all the difference.
How to Video like a PRO / Part2 – Improve your filming
Jun 22nd
Learn how to make every shot count, whether you are filming a movie or a family gathering.
Video like a PRO
You have a camcorder, you know how to use it, but you want to learn the art of film making. Now you want to understand what film making is all about, so you can utilize your camcorder and its features to your advantage. Avoid common mistakes, add some flavour to your productions and get great results every time. Get started and learn the fundamentals of:
- Setting up shots
- Using manual controls
- Lighting and sound
- Preparing your camera
Video Know How is about following the right rules and guidelines of good filmmaking and applying it when needed for best effects.
Here are some film making rules, guidelines and tips you want to know about
- Rules of well composed shots
- Tips for shooting great video
- Avoid seven camcorder mistakes
- Mastering the art of lighting
- Tips and tricks of the industry
- How to add some spice
- Helpful audio recording tricks
- When and how to use manual adjustments
Of course you can surf the net, study the local paper and find a course in town or a local venue. But what if the course is spread out over a whole term, it doesn’t cover all your needs, or fits in your busy schedule. Learning from books, magazine or the internet has its challenges and often provides only little snippets here and there.
Are you on a tight budget and prefer to learn at home with your own equipment?
How about a home study…
- Which covers all the points mentioned above
- Self-Paced: no more rushing to complete assignments, or trying to squeeze your life in around your courses. Finish in your own time, when you can give it your full concentration.
- Comprehensive Reference Materials: have everything you need to reinforce your learning handy, and take it with you for on-location reference.
- Easy Formats: view the presentation using just your web browser, and the e-book only requires Adobe Acrobat, which is a free download.
- Comprehensive: e-book, slide show, and podcast cover all the angles, and provide multiple study methods for different types of learners.
- Affordable: ALL-CAM courses are much more affordable than classroom driven courses in film school, so you can learn more for less.
Course Materials
The camera course comes complete with a PowerPoint presentation, as well as a full and complete e-book and complimentary podcast. The e-book provides an easy reference so you can find the information you need, quickly. The podcast is delivered as an mp3 file so you can easily listen to it from your computer, or on-the-go through an mp3 player or iPod.
This camera course is perfect for everyone – from amateur film makers to intermediate videographers – and will help you advance your camera and shooting skills to the next level.
The Presentation
At the core of the camera course is a comprehensive slide-show, which includes detailed graphics, pictures and sketches to fully illustrate each concept. The presentation is formatted as an interactive file, which can be viewed in any web browser – on your computer, laptop, or portable device.
The presentation format includes options to view with preview slides and without – so you can select the viewing style that suits your learning method. You can easily use the forward and back buttons to move through the presentation, so you can review a concept or skip to the section you want to view.
Demo – Click bottom left corner to start. All buttons are active, enjoy!
Summary
With the ALL-CAM Camcorder ‘Video like a PRO’ course you will receive:
- A complete and thorough reference that will teach you exactly how to work with your camera to get the best shooting results.
- A guide for shooting terminology and a reference of how your camera can be used in different situations.
- An easy-to-follow course that includes tons of photos and graphics, written in a clear, non-technical language.
With the ALL-CAM Film making estudy camera course you can quickly and easily learn to set up perfect shots, have great lighting and add interest to every shot. Make your next video look more professional than ever, for much less than attending a live class.
The 3 Steps to Video like a PRO
Jun 15th
Know your camcorder
Step1 – Know your camera to maximize capabilities
Complement your film education by adding a base of technical knowledge.
You don’t have to know how the engine under the bonnet of your car works to be a good driver, nor do you need to know how a camera functions to take a good photograph or produce a video.
However, quite often good results are left to luck. To have more confidence and consistent good results in film making, it helps to know how your camera functions. By knowing the limitation of your equipment, you don’t have to waste time on experiments to make a certain scene work and look good. You know exactly what to do with your equipment, to achieve the desired result with video and sound.
Other advantages of the right camera Know How:
- To be able to rectify any little hiccups with your Equipment
- Camera Care and Damage Protection
- Choosing the Right Camera for You
- Enhanced Communication with Professionals
- Increased Confidence with Equipment
- Awareness of Equipment Limitations
So what should I know about my camera to be able to tick all the boxes above, isn’t it just a matter of reading the user manual of the camera?
The operation manual is certainly a good start and is a ‘must’ when you really want to utilise all features of your camcorder. However, it just covers a fraction of the topics listed above.
Keep in mind, that the camera is only one tool in the production chain. What happens when you need to change it? Suddenly a different camera can be a challenge to operate. You need to have a broader understanding of the whole concept in order to choose and adjust the settings on the camera to capture the best of the scene.
You can compare your cameras user manual with a city map. It only fits for the one model and no other. Your technical knowledge, on the other hand, works more like a compass, it supports you in every situation.
How about an ALL-CAM /e-Study home-study which covers this foundation of camcorder Know How?
A course with the following objectives:
- Principles and functions of camcorders
- Distinguishing different types of camcorders
- Features of different types of camcorders
- Components of camcorders
- Limitations of different types of camcorders
- Common handling mistakes
- Camcorder terminology
- Preparing your camcorder for shooting
- Features and benefits of your camcorder
Why ALL-CAM /e-Study
The course comes complete with a flash-presentation, as well as a full and complete e-book and complimentary podcast. The e-book provides an easy reference so you can find the information you need, quickly. The podcast is delivered as an mp3 file, so you can easily listen to it from your computer, or on-the-go through an mp3 player or iPod.
It is delivered straightforward in easy-to-follow language and includes many full-colour illustrations to ensure maximum comprehension.
Free updates
Technology is constantly changing – so fast that many courses are obsolete within a few months. This ALL-CAM /e-Study course is continually updated to incorporate changes in technology, and every course you sign up for includes access to all future material. Never have to worry about falling behind the latest trends as ALL-CAM /e-Study has you covered, at no extra cost.
Whether you are a video amateur, new to film and TV or just want a refresher, ALL-CAM’s Camcorder Technology course is a great choice. This easy-to-use camera course covers the technical side of camcorder use thoroughly, and includes photographs and diagrams to ensure each concept is clearly understood.
Each topic contains easy-to-follow steps and illustrated diagrams, and will allow you to increase your knowledge of, and confidence in your camcorder.
Help – How do I utilise my camcorder for best results?
Jun 11th
The 3 Steps to Video like a PRO
Switch to record, aim, press the start button, zoom in/out and stop. This is how you do film making, don’t you?
We all have done it this way and found the results of our video can be rather poor and boring.
To produce a compelling video of a birthday, wedding or your holiday memories, you have to follow a proven plan, the rules of good video and apply a few tricks which add a little spice to your production.
The user manual doesn’t explain how to shoot an interesting video. On the internet you may find little pieces of advice, but hardly anything which shows or explains the basic concept of film making.
On the other hand, who wants to go to school again spending hundreds of dollars and many hours of traveling to attend a camera course in town?
How about a film making home e-study, which offers the following advantages:
1. Self-Paced: no more rushing to complete assignments, or trying to squeeze your life in around
your courses. Finish each module on your own time, when you can give it your full concentration.
2. Reference Materials: have everything you need to reinforce your learning handy, and take it with
you for on-location reference.
3. Easy Formats: view the presentation using just your web browser, and the e-book only requires
Adobe Acrobat, which is a free download.
4. Comprehensive: e-book, slide show, and podcast that cover all the angles, and provide multiple
study methods for different types of learners.
5. More affordable than classroom driven courses, so you can learn more for less.
Last but not least, you follow an easy proven plan ‘The 3 Steps to Video like a PRO’
- Maximize camera capability
- Improve your filming
- Fine tune your editing
By following this formula you are able to produce a video production, which leaves your audience in awe and admiration.
Find all your filmmaking, camera and video know how from the one address – ALL-CAM /e-Study.
- Well structured straight to the point, easy to follow downloadable ‘How to…’ film making and camera courses for the beginner and intermediate camera user.
- Constantly updated material keeps you abreast with latest developments in the industry.
- The latest articles and videos about film and television technology widen your horizon on the subject.
- Support and backup to resolve any technical or film making problems you may encounter in the future.
- Courses focused on the technical aspects of film and television, which complement your film making skills.
- Technical television and camera know how from high school-, and college-, up to university level.
Whether you are a home video maker, an amateur filmmaker or an aspiring producer, you can benefit from ALL-CAM’s e-Study courses. Learn how your camera and equipment works and utilise all features for outstanding results.
Complement your existing film knowledge by integrating the technical aspects of filming, and have the base knowledge you need to get the most out of every filming opportunity.
Make your camera work for you, instead of working around it.
ALL-CAM ‘s unique e-Study camera course topics:
- Camcorder Technology
- Shooting
- Camera Care
- Damage Protection
- Film & TV Technology
- Television Production
- And more…
DON’T WAIT! Grab special offers, free videos and articles while available. Learn online, at your own pace, while you attend film school, or just whenever you want to improve your technical film knowledge.
ALL-CAM courses offer:
- Unique Content: Learn tried and proven methods from an experienced camera technician. Find out how to manage your camera with confidence – whether you are using it for movies, TV, or your own personal entertainment. Get only the valuable information you need to enhance your skills, instead of having to muddle through filler content to get to the good stuff.
- Several Delivery Methods: videos, podcasts, and e-books cover all the angles in a fun, easy to learn manner. Photos and diagrams help you understand the lessons at hand.
- Free Updates: become a lifelong learner, and keep abreast of all the new trends in film technology today with a lifetime of free learning updates on any course you purchase.
Don’t wait another minute – start improving your technical filming knowledge and see just how far a great background in camera technology can take you!
Stay tuned for The 3 Steps to Video like a PRO
Part1 Know your camera to maximize capabilities
Take your holiday memories to the next level! With the help of a little audio device
Jun 7th
If you are like me and want to enjoy the moments and holidays, running around with a camcorder looking for good vantage points and do video filming is just too much. I prefer a small digital still camera, which fits in my shirt pocket and take snap shots and do some video filming with this camera, if I feel like it.
Video filming requires some preparation and is really the way to go, when you want to capture any stage performances, film moving objects and capture the sound, which goes with it.
When you think about it, it is often the sound, which can make a huge difference in a video production. So all we need is a perfect sound, which goes with our snap shots and short video clips.
This is exactly what we will do.
High quality sound Slide Show – Pictures, Video
I will explain, how to add high quality stereo sound to your holiday slide show with the help of a little highly versatile audio recorder. So the next time you take part in a once in a lifetime experience, take your audio device and place it as close to the action as possible to capture the perfect sound and use the camera independently to take as many snap shots from different angles and vantage points as you can. If you want to, use the movie feature of your camera to capture short video clips without worrying about the audio.
At home in post production keep using your favorite slideshow software or video editing program, just add the sound of the audio recorder for a spectacular slide show / movie experience.
Caution!
For any video clips, the audio recorder needs to be synced with the camera or cut and shift the audio timeline to the appropriate video clip in post production.
So how do we put it together?
Now here comes the real advantage of the setup. Let’s start with the part you perhaps thought of already:
- First you open our favorite video editing program and import the pictures and video from the camera and add the relatively poor sound track from the camera onto one of the audio tracks.
- The stereo sound of the audio recorder goes onto the other tracks of the editing program.
- Now here comes the trick, use the sound track of the camera as a reference to synchronize the audio recorder sound tracks of the little video clips. Add the sound of the audio recorder, wherever you think is appropriate. When you are happy with the result, you may remove the camera sound track.
- Once you have completed your fine tuning and editing, you can end up with amazing results in your overall production.
When this is done properly, the audio from the voice recorder gives the impression as it is recorded by the camera.
Professional / domestic camcorder – Camera courses
May 30th
Allcam/eStudy camera courses and film making tips and tricks. The technical aspects of film and television.
The picture quality of domestic camcorders has improved dramatically over the last couple of years. Especially with HD video, which is now available for under $500. However, these low end camcorders come with a major setback – audio recording capability!
Perhaps one of the reasons the external microphone socket has been removed from low to mid range camcorders by almost every manufacturer is to keep manufacturer cost down and sell the more expensive semi professional models.
As you know, good audio can make or break a video production. To get the sound right, in a lot of cases you should take advantage of a good external microphone or even go wireless.
The solution!
Now you can have it all. Use a low to mid range camcorder and end up with a perfect audio track in your production! The same results as using a wireless microphone but cheaper! Simply add a small and independent audio recording device that is positioned where needed – close to the action! With an option for an external microphone connected to the digital audio recorder, this device opens a field of even more sound recording possibilities. All of that with a price tag cheaper than most wireless microphone setups!
So how do we put it together?
Now here comes the real advantage of the setup. Let’s start with the part you perhaps thought of already:
- First you open our favorite video editing program and import the pictures and video from the camera and add the relatively poor sound track from the camera onto one of the audio tracks.
- The stereo sound of the audio recorder goes onto the other audio tracks of the editing program.
- Now here comes the trick, use the sound track of the camera as a reference to synchronize the audio recorder sound tracks. When you are happy with the result, you may remove the camera sound track.
- Once you have completed your fine tuning and editing, you can end up with amazing results in your overall production.
When done properly it sounds like a professional video production. The audio from the voice recorder gives the impression as it is recorded by the camera.
Manual camera adjustments (White balance, Shutter speed)
May 19th
The first thing you should do is to consult your user manual, find the appropriate dials, and get familiar with the adjustment and their effects. Next time when you shoot the ultimate video, you get the desired results, fast.
The most common adjustments you can manually change on your camera are the focus, the iris or aperture, white balance and shutter speed.
Modern camcorders and cameras have very efficient electronics to adjust for sudden changes in light temperatures. Over the years the automatic adjustments in video cameras have improved dramatically. A modern camcorder delivers excellent results in automatic mode.
Shutter Speed
However, there may be some occasions, where you want to achieve a special effect with your shutter adjustment, the backlight is so strong, that you need to compensate a little with the manual iris adjustment and keep the focus on manual, so the auto-focus doesn’t get irritated with a constantly changing scene.
So what is a fast shutter speed for?
If you select a high shutter speed, the camcorder will capture very quick snapshots of the image as it is moving, meaning it appears sharper.
There is a downside. Because the image is captured in short bursts, the result is, that the picture will seem to jump from one frame to the other, giving the clip a jerky movement.
A good application for this effect would be any sports video-making.
When watching the footage frame by frame afterwards, you have an excellent tool to analyse your golf swing or tennis technique. With slow shutter speed fast moving objects become a blur.
Playing around with shutter speeds is the best way to see what they do, each camera is different. Take some time to see exactly what yours is capable of, and then use the different shutter speeds, which produce the effect you desire.
Another interesting effect is the writing on a passing truck. Next time you see one, try it. The signage becomes more readable with certain shutter speeds.
Waterfalls and fountains can look amazing, especially when filmed against the brightness of the sun. Using a fast shutter speed freezes the water droplets as they fall down. A slower shutter speed creates a more flowing and softer scene.
White balance
How can we see the differences between sun and fluorescent light?
White balance can be best judged on the human face. If you think it is not right, change the white balance manually. Keep in mind, if you decide to use your camera on manual white balance and you go into another room with different light conditions or outside, you must adjust manually every time or you will definitely see red or blue faces.
Summary
Even though automatic camera adjustments are pretty much perfect on a modern camera and camcorder, manual adjustments are the ideal way to add some creativity and special effects to your video. However, it is the camera adjustment together with the right framing and timing, which makes up a good video production. The same attention and even more needs to be given to the right sound recording. Bad audio recordings can ruin your whole video production.
DSLR Video – Camera courses and film making tips
May 18th
Allcam/eStudy camera courses and film making tips and tricks. The technical aspects of film and television.
DSLR Video – Turning a setback into a superior feature!
(With the help of a little pocket device)
DSLR’s employ excellent interchangeable optics and larger image sensors, which results in superior picture quality. A larger sensor doesn’t provide any higher resolution, rather it allows for narrower depth of field by controlling the aperture and focal length of the lens. The narrow DOF allows the videographer to isolate a subject from the scene and therefore give the scene a more “filmic” look.
Now with HD recording, video images are in the same ballpark of professional video cameras.
Even the recording media (flash memory) is often the same with both camera types. Video compression and output is often the same, AVCHD codec, which allows you to use the same video editing platform.
What is holding you back?
Of course, camcorders and photo cameras are purpose built. The camcorder has features that the still camera hasn’t and vice versa. For starters, DSLR’s lacking a power zoom, LCD viewfinder and exposure aids like peaking and zebra you find with professional camcorders. Last but not least there are no adjustments to the resolution and frame rate, which is important when you have to match and mix your footage.
In this article I will address only one setback of a still camera, when it comes to video filming, the sound or audio. Often DSLR’s are equipped with simple monophonic microphones, which don’t allow any electronic adjustments whatsoever. So if you can’t connect an external microphone, you end up often with a pretty poor sound track on your production.
The Solution is an independent high quality and extremely versatile audio recorder. If applied properly, the results can be as good as using a wireless microphone in a camcorder setup for a fraction of the price. The featured audio recorder is so small and versatile, that it can be positioned close to the action. With just centimetres or a few meters away for interviews or stage performances, you bring your audio in the final production to a whole new level.
Caution!
The audio recorder needs to be synched with the camera and/or cut and shift the audio timeline to the appropriate video clip.
The Bonus!
This is a real beauty. While you are on location, you may as well take advantage of your DSLR and take some nice still shots of the scenery, objects and people. Add these pictures into your production, if you want to emphasise a point or make a statement.
How do we put it together?
Now here comes the real advantage of the setup. Let’s start with the part you perhaps thought of already:
- First you open our favourite video editing program and import the pictures and video from the camera and add the relatively poor sound track from the camera onto one of the audio tracks.
- The stereo sound of the audio recorder goes onto the other tracks of the editing program.
- Now here is a trick, use the sound track of the camera as a reference to synchronise the audio recorder sound tracks. When you are happy with the result, you may remove the camera sound track.
- Once you have completed your fine tuning and editing, you can end up with amazing results in your overall production.
When done properly, the audio from the voice recorder gives the impression as it is recorded by the camera.
Summary
Even though the DSLR has its setbacks as a video camera, the video capabilities are nothing short of a revolution. The creative videographer will embrace them because of the new tool they provide ‘shallow depth of field’.
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