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FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 12/15/2017 2:30:24 PM 376 September 2018 Cover.indd 1 7/23/18 8:54 AM DEVELOP | PACKAGE | PITCH | FINANCE | LICENSE | DISTRIBUTE C olu e u er i eo er co e tures ® Plug-in Buyer’s Guide The Inside Story of ettin st rte it plu ins c n e inti i tin ut on t Oscar-nominated “Garden Party” orr e re ere to elp t s er r re in ee t t ou l into fil fes by Peter Zunitch ti l n see n un no n n un pe s ort fil or fe ture n s to ourself t t is so in t t it How to Buy and Use Stock Media: eser es n sc r ut t t is e ctl t ppene Stock Media Buyer’s Guide to ot of us l st ul en e ent to t e o puter no in ere n o to u n use stoc e i c n ni tion esti l t t s p rt of t e confer e confusin ut re on to le rn ore ence in os n eles AFM by Mike VanHelder by Tina Hoffman and John McCabe
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VIEWFINDER Videomaker e po ers people to e tt e or i eo in t t inspires encour es n e uips for success e o t is uil in co unit of re ers e isitors ie ers tten ees n r eters
pu lis er e itor tt e or OTT O ssoci te pu lis er trice or
irector of content i e il el e e eloper t erine les The term OTT has been in the video n in e itor icole eunesse vernacular for a few years now, but is ulti e i e itor ris onlu still not widely used or understood by rt irector p oto r p er us n c ierer the masses. OTT stands for “Over The Top” and refers to the delivery of me- contri utin e itors e n err eter iesterfel dia content, including but not limited le ssi to video programing over the internet, ris ce tes usurping the need for cable or broad- l no cast television infrastructure. r e In practice, the majority of Ameri- cans are constant consumers of OTT irector of s les n content in the form of Netfl ix, Hulu, usiness e elop ent err or YouTube, Vimeo and numerous other ccount e ecuti e in s o web-based media content channels. gathers revenue from advertising telep one While we have become accustomed based on the popularity of the media. to this type of video delivery, most of Others offer VOD (video on demand) r etin fulfill ent us do not pause to contemplate the on a pay-per-view basis. Subscription n er iff n rness paradigm-shifting implications of this services offer commercial-free content
increasingly popular means of con- to those who pay a monthly fee. irector of fin nce tep en e suming content. For media makers, monetizing me- ccount nt n e For most of its history, video-based dia for and through OTT distribution media content has only been acces- channels requires strategic thinking. sible through some sort of tethered, Savvy, enterprising producers will fi nd dedicated hardware. Viewers were more and more opportunities to do su scription infor tion also held captive by programming so as viewers continue to choose OTT i eo er u scription ulfill ent schedules, forcing us to plan our content over traditional television and n ro e enue ico lives around our favorite shows if we cable options. It not only allows you telep one wanted to watch. to reach a niche audience with a high e il custo erser ice i eo er co OTT liberated media from the level of interest in the programs you ress tyranny of both tether and time. Now, produce, it also allows you to reach n ro e enue ico content can be consumed on any more people on multiple screens telep one f screen, anywhere at any time, but it without the barriers of tethers and isn’t just the delivery of TV that has timetables. Reaching that niche audi- changed. The sales model for televi- ence also sets you up to sell embed- sion content has been up-ended as ded ads to resource providers who well. Traditional over-the-air broad- want to get their products on front of cast television content was fully your viewers. ideoma e 088 is pu lis ed mont l ideoma e n 6 ang ove funded by advertising. As a result, ad- For many who wish to monetize Avenue i o A 6 0 ideoma e n All ig ts ese ved Rep odu tion o t is pu li ation in w ole o in pa t wit out w itten onsent o t e pu lis e is p o i ited e vertisers often infl uenced the program their media, OTT may be the land of ideoma e name is a egiste ed t adema p ope t o ideoma e n Edito ial soli ita tions wel omed pu lis e assumes no esponsi ilit o etu n o unsoli ited mate ial content itself. Cable TV introduced opportunity. Edito ial elated p otos and a two e eived unsoli ited e ome p ope t o ideoma e ingle op p i e in anada u s iption ates one ea issues a subscription model for generating in anada p epa ment e ui ed unds Fo eign elive p epa ment e ui ed unds end su s iption o esponden e to ideoma e 6 ang ove revenue. Advertising still had its place, Avenue i o A 6 a issues o ideoma e a e availa le o o de online at www videoma e om o alling ustome e vi e at 800 8 6 e iodi als postage paid but cable companies made their mil- at i o A 6 and additional mailing o i es anada ost nte national ail ales Ag eement 00 8 6 A ER end add ess anges to ideoma e 6 ang ove lions by selling more channels of con- Avenue i o A 6 A A A A ER lease send anadian add ess anges to tent to an audience that was hungry o iaga a Falls nta io E 6 8 ideoma e ma es no ep esentation o wa ant e p ess o implied wit espe t to contents contents for more options than the few major t e ompleteness a u a o utilit o t ese mate ials o an in o mation o opinion contents ontained e ein An use o elian e on t e in o mation o opinion is at t e is o t e networks could deliver. tt e or is Videomaker s u lis er itor use and ideoma e s all not e lia le o an damage o in u in u ed an pe son a ising out o t e ompleteness a u a o utilit o an in o mation o opinion ontained full screen OTT, in its various fl avors, takes pag- in t ese mate ials ese mate ials a e not to e onst ued as an endo sement o an full screen ou c n co ent on t is rticle oin online p odu t o ompan no as t e adoption o p omulgation o an guidelines standa ds o es from each of these models. Some e ommendations print i eo er co rticle print content is offered free to viewers and PRINTED IN USA
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376 P12a Viewfinder.indd 2 7/23/18 9:10 AM Church Video Conference.indd 48 7/23/18 10:33 AM Go Mobile e in on t e o in Videomaker on our o ile e ice lon it pps t t elp uic ocus i eo pro ucers on loc tion o to www.videomaker.com/r/676. September 2018 IGTV Videomaker.com (Free, Android & iOS) (Free, iOS, Android coming soon) A oci l p oto n Free Subscription to i eo s rin o crus is e YouTuber Magazine DCV f ou e n tips to i nt nst r citin t e o ile I Available for s re for est li tin for so eone s ust rele se li e stre in it l sses oul ppreci te it Videomaker Readers ne co unit it ettin frustr te n ou e i eo er te is t it in st n lone i eo t e l unc of it ne issue of ou u er pp focuse on eli erin lon o c n R ine ou u er i s to for ertic l i eo e ne pp t t lets users si ult neousl T C little it of n elp ou u e cre tors uil llo s users to uplo ertic l stre to ou u e itc itter occasional refl ection isn’t bad, but l r er f n se n ener te i eos up to n our in len t n ce oo n ore too much refl ection can be distract- ore re enue e turin ore Sony a7 III – Low Light Test – in r ise e li t s up s i ition to t e st n lone pp t see s to e prett e insi er tips fro ou u e ISO noise as I can to minimize the refl ection, t e u ill lso e ist it in so e out t e o c is t t superst rs spotli t on free We set out to fi nd out how the Sony a7 ile eepin t e li tin loo in t e in nst r pp so users not onl oes it let ou stre to resources in lu le to ou u e III does in low light. Starting at ISO100, oo ition ll ou c n pi ot on t nee to le e nst r to ultiple soci l e i pl tfor s content creators and techniques we ramped the ISO up to the maximum t e l sses o n r isin t e ccess content si ult neousl it lso lets ou ie for pro ucin n r etin to see t t point noise is intro uce i er o e t e e r ere t e successful i eos t e l test into t e picture tc t e i eo to see urrentl t ere re no on all comments in one unifi ed chat nor ll oo e in t e e rs o issue of ou u er is il le t e results eti tion options il le for re r less ic pl tfor t e co it just enough so that it’s not very no i eo er re ers c n videomaker.com/r/911 cre tors on ut t t coul ents c e fro t on t e one notice le on c er ut enou si n up for free su scription of c n e in t e future s ill not u le ess of co ents fro to limit how much refl ection is ou u er t i eo er co e p rt of t l unc ut e ll diff erent social platforms, though. seen. Glasses usually fi t tightly ster ou u e ec it out e e plorin n testin s o ents re sorte pl tfor enough that they’ll stay in place like to elp cre tors oneti e fter e o c pp oes inclu e this. It may be slightly uncomfort- l unc spo esperson for nst fe sic settin s li e s itc S N le for t e t lent ut ill usu ll O N help in losing refl ections. r tol in et een our p one s front C oo luc ce oo n nst r to n c c er n utin n Following on the success of our or ore o to et er re t in on ou u e s un utin t e ic lso if ou on t June Church Video Production i eo er co r 912 i eo s rin pl tfor s ile nt to e ot ere e er one Conference in Berkeley, CA, it s uncle r et er eit er of t e co entin ou c n i e t e uni in us on ce oo Videomaker will be hosting an- facebook.com/VideomakerOnline ill e le to c llen e ou u e fi ed chat if you want to as well. other educational conference it is cle r t t e re ll it out ition ll to eep t in s run Sony a7 III – Slow Mo Test ollo us on itter on producing video for houses footage – 120fps twitter.com/videomaker ou t oin to see ore i eos nin s oot l ile stre in of worship this fall. We’re on o c fe tures itr te pt We got our hands on the Sony a7 III and tc us on ou u e n i eo t ilore fe tures co the hunt for expert speakers tested the S&Q mode (slow and quick). youtube.com/videomaker in out on ot pl tfor s ilit connecti it onitorin n to join us in Atlanta, GA, this We shot 120fps in HD and tested the us on oo le t s ti e for i eo to o e for ulti c st stre persistence October. To fi nd out more or to quick function, shooting 1fps. Take a look videomaker.com/GooglePlus r n e ol e s i nst r pre l unc et test s el get in touch, head to at the footage yourself to see the quality. ollo us on nst r e in stro onst e t t e t i on n o er one t ou videomakerevents.com contents videomaker.com/r/906 @videomaker nnounce ent e ent is for s n cre tors ere le to tr it contents tc in lon fro i eos fro out e response fro t ose o full screen .... Talk to us online! our f orite cre tors use it s er positi e full screen Love Videomaker? Tell the world! Share your videos, find extra content, talk to us! We want to know who you are. print print
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376 D12 What's On.indd 4 7/23/18 9:11 AM 376 D04 Quick Focus.indd 5 7/23/18 9:11 AM NEW GEAR Designed to Capture More
Nikon’s ikon’s New ew SuperzoomSuperzoom Camera amera Has as aa 125X125X Optical ptical Zoom oom LensLens D ’s ew ideo ic e-L icrophone is ade for i S ideographers
Nikon’s new COOLPIX P1000 is a potentially ground- t this year's id on microphone giant de icro- This microphone breaking superzoom camera with an impressive phones announced the VideoMic Me-L. This new off er- seems to be ap- 125-times optical zoom. ing is a light and portable microphone for iOS devices. It pealing to those The P1000's headlining feature is its zoom range. targets vloggers and other videographers who depend who like to vlog or Nikon claims this camera sports the world’s most power- on their phones to capture video on the go. capture video on ful 125-times optical zoom lens — a 24-3000mm f/2.8-8. “The original ideo ic e is one of our most acces- the go with their Also featured is 250-times Dynamic Fine Zoom — which sible mics and the world’s most popular microphone mobile device. is equivalent to a 6000mm focal length. for mobile audio says Damien ilson de . “The Besides it working But a large zoom range isn’t all that this camera’s pack- The P1000 looks like it’d be ideal for applications like new ideo ic e-L’s Lightning connector and plug-and- with i S devices ing. It's also got a 16-megapixel sensor that can capture wildlife videography and sporting event capture. “... cap- play functionality is a great addition to the ideo ic it’s a directional microphone. This means it will pick up 4K UHD video and offers an ISO range up to 6400. Nikon ture a favorite ballplayer from the top tier of a stadium family introducing the latest i S devices to de’s more sound from the front and cancel out unwanted or also says the camera will have a fast autofocus system or fill the frame with celestial objects like the moon, that made-for-purpose mic. distracting noise from the sides or the back. and offer a number of manual controls and user-friendly normally only a telescope could reach,” says Nikon. The ideo ic e-L is the latest model in the id- Thanks to the lightning connector the ideo ic e-L functions, like built-in Wi-Fi. This superzoom's control layout looks to give users eo ic e series and shares a similar design to the is also reversible for shooting in selfi e mode, a mode The camera also includes the latest Nikon EXPEED easy access to a function button, command dial and previous versions in the line. often used by vloggers. image processing system and Dual Detect Optical VR mode dial. It includes a focus mode selector and a con- It’s built with an aluminium body and sports a 1.2- The e-L transfers all of its audio digitally through its technology for 5-stops of camera shake compensation. trol ring that can adjust settings like white balance and inch condenser capsule. It also comes with a furry Lightning connector to the i S device it’s connected to. This should help sharpen up images and reduce blur, manual focus. For videographers who adjust settings windshield to keep that pesky wind from messing with owever there’s also a 3.5mm headphone ack so you especially helpful with the long zoom range. often, these modes could prove pretty handy. your audio in addition to an ad ustable rubber mount. can monitor and playback recordings to check the audio.
Sony Finally Announces Long-Awaited 400mm F2.3 G Master Prime Lens Leica laims ew ompact amera Shoots Both Photos and 4 ideo
Sony recently announced the highly anticipated FE Leica has unveiled their new -Lux compact point-and- 400mm F2.8 GM OSS large aperture super-telephoto shoot camera targeting those looking to shoot both prime lens. photos and video. It’s the first large aperture super-telephoto prime hile it’s clear that the -Lux is aiming to attract pho- to be added to the E-mount lineup and it’s been tographers it is capable of shooting D 4 video at 30 designed for sport and wildlife capture. Sony claims fps so it’s not completely shutting out videographers. that the lens can produce “brilliant image quality with This makes the -Lux a potentially charming buy for extraordinary focusing speed and precision” while still hybrid shooters. staying lightweight, being the lightest lens in its class. because of its optical design, which consists of three The -Lux combines a Leica D ario- lmar 8.8- fl eeting moments are captured spontaneously in split The FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS lens has two newly fluorite elements as well as a reduced number of ele- 132mm f3.3-64 and a 1-inch 20 P sensor increasing seconds says Leica. developed high-speed XD — extreme dynamic — Lin- ments deployed at the front of the barrel and use of fl exibility. It off ers a continuous shooting rate of up to dditionally it’s designed with a 3-inch touch screen ear Motors that drive the lens’ focus group, achieving magnesium alloy components. 10 frames per second a 15-times optical zoom and a display and can share images wirelessly through i-Fi up to “a 5x improvement in moving-subject tracking The lens also uses an 11-blade circular aperture that 4 -point autofocus system that Leica claims can “keep or Bluetooth. performance,” according Sony. helps it produce velvety bokeh. up with fast-moving sub ects. s said before the -Lux isn’t ust a photographer’s The motors should also minimize lag and instability The FE 400mm F2.8 GM OSS features four customiz- The -Lux also features 5-axis optical image stabiliza- camera. It can shoot video, too, so those who have the as well as control noise level with quick, accurate and able focus-hold buttons, a Full-TIME DMF switch, a focus tion which should help combat camera shake when need to switch between shooting photos and videos contents contents contents quiet autofocus performance. ring with Linear Response MF, three different optical shooting handheld. can do so. It records at 100 Mbps, has an ISO sensitivity In total, the 400mm F2.8 Prime lens weighs just stabilization modes and a function ring that offers Pre- “Its components are all perfectly matched to each up to 25600 and can save 8 P stills from 4 video. The full screen full screen slightly over 6 pounds. Its lighter weight is possible set and Function settings. other from the sensor to the lens. This ensures that -Lux comes in two colors light gold and midnight blue. print print
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376 D05 New Gear.indd 6 7/23/18 9:14 AM 376 D05 New Gear.indd 7 7/23/18 9:14 AM REVIEW REVIEW Sony a7 III
Sony a7 III more than two stops greater than ing screen is one Review conducted with a number of E-mount lenses the typical camera, the f/4 aperture of the reasons it’s is not hard to work with. The second chosen over the lens is our favorite Sony lens, the FE a7 III. With that 85mm f/1.4 GM with a cost of $1,800. said, the sen- A wonderful focal length for portraits sor on the GH5 or interviews, this glass is special and is much smaller allows for a superb image. Offering than the a7 III’s, great looking bokeh with good sharp- so it’s a tradeoff. by Chris Monlux ness, it’s a lens to be experienced. Sony includes The last two lenses — the FE 16- hybrid autofocus 35mm f/2.8 GM and the FE 24-70mm (AF) in the a7 f/2.8 GM — both cost $2,200. These III. That means The Hybrid are great lenses, with typical focal the camera uses Shooter’s Dream lengths and a good value. However, both contrast and f/2.8 is not necessary with this cam- phase detection era. We’d recommend you save the to gain focus. Sony he Sony a7 III is a solid cam- possiblepossible whenwhen wewe can.can. WeWe alsoalso divedive money if you’re considering a wider Phase detection era. It’s got everything a budget into the custom menu to make sure www.sony.com T into the custom menu to make sure aperture for low light performance; AF is fast but not shooter needs. It also captures up to thatthat wewe cancan findfind allall ofof thethe menumenu opop-- it’s just not needed. very accurate, whereas contrast AF is tery life. The new battery allows for
120 frames per second (fps) in full HD tionstions wewe maymay wantwant toto accessaccess quickly.quickly. We shot in UHD 4K at 24 frames per slow but accurate. Combine the two at least double the performance of STRENGTHS and up to 30 fps in UHD 4K. Add in AsAs wewe getget ourour bearings,bearings, wewe alsoalso likelike second and a bitrate of 100 megabits and you get fast and accurate — and the prior model. When shooting • Two log picture profiles two different log picture profiles and toto setset upup thethe picturepicture profilesprofiles wewe wantwant per second. After making sure we had it works pretty well. In situations video, we experienced at least a two • Two hours plus - Battery Life a price tag of $2,000, and you have a toto shootshoot onon —— somethingsomething thatthat cancan the correct SD card for the data rate, where pulling focus is too difficult, hour lifespan per battery. Depending formidable camera. But that’s not all, bebe trickiertrickier thanthan youyou wouldwould expect.expect. we were just about ready to go. We like off a gimbal, jib or drone, it’s on how much we used the monitor WEAKNESSES it’s also has a full frame sensor with SonySony hideshides S-Log2S-Log2 andand S-Log3S-Log3 inin thethe going to be your best option. How- and at what brightness, we saw our • Sharpness loss when shooting 120fps better than average low light perfor- picturepicture profileprofile presetspresets underunder PP7PP7 forfor ever, a trained eye and a deliber- battery last as much as 40 minutes • Battery wall charger not included mance. Those are just the video fea- S-Log2S-Log2 andand PP8PP8 andand PP9PP9 forfor S-Log3.S-Log3. THE A7 III’S LIGHT ate camera operator will still get a more or 20 minutes less. Addition- tures; throw in the ability to capture Panasonic,Panasonic, Canon,Canon, andand FujifilmFujifilm makemake WEIGHT MAKES IT A better focus faster than allowing the ally, we are happy to report there are up to 10 RAW photos per second at findingfinding thethe loglog functionfunction easiereasier withwith machine to choose what to keep in no inherent overheating issues with SUMMARY GREAT RUN-AND-GUN The Sony a7 III shoots up to UHD 4K 24.2 Megapixels (MP) and you have a clearerclearer labels.labels. focus. It passes for some situations, this camera. Sure, if you are shooting hybrid shooter’s dream. TheThe FEFE 28-70mm28-70mm f/3.5-5.6f/3.5-5.6 OSSOSS isis but shouldn’t be the default. outdoors in the sun at 100 degrees, and has good low light performance. CAMERA. The a7 III can be compared to thethe kitkit lenslens forfor thethe a7a7 III,III, andand costscosts it’s possible you could run into some With a budget friendly price, its full another Sony camera in its third $400$400 dollarsdollars alonealone (in(in thethe kitkit itit isis anan Photo features issues, but we didn’t experience any frame sensor makes it a good choice iteration. Released last year, the a7R always start with a fresh format of the The a7 III is a great hybrid camera. during our testing. The biggest issue for video and photo shooters alike. III is a very similar camera, but the cards in the camera. We clean the lens Shoot video, shoot photos — either when it comes to the battery of the a7R III gives you more resolution at SONY HIDES S-LOG2 and sensor, and perform a check on way you’re covered. Its 24.2 MP full a7 III is that the camera doesn’t come RECOMMENDED USES 42 MP and 1.3 million more pixels AND S-LOG3 IN THE PIC- the battery life. frame sensor can shoot up to 10 with a charger, just a USB cable. Sony • Narrative Filmmaking in the monitor, justifying the larger We enjoy shooting with mirrorless fps full resolution RAW for up to 89 will get $80 more out of you if you • Documentary Filmmaking and price tag of $3,000. Both cameras TURE PROFILE PRESETS cameras like the a7 III. Along with frames, and up to 10 fps in full resolu- require a separate charger — and it’s Journalism share a larger battery than their mark UNDER PP7 AND PP8. internal sensor stabilization, its light tion JPEG for 177 frames. Get astound- likely you will. However, with the • Corporate and Event Videography II counterparts. weight makes it a great run-and- ing 14-bit color when shooting photos longer battery life, you won’t need to • Marketing Video Production gun camera. We like the camera’s and up to 15 stops of dynamic range. buy as many extra batteries. additionaladditional $200$200 dollars).dollars). ThisThis isis aa goodgood monitor, especially since it’s bright When shooting stills, the autofocus is • Online Video Production In Use The first thing we do with Sony fitfit ifif youyou don’tdon’t havehave anyany EE mountmount lens-lens- enough to preview your shot even in key. We found it to be quite fast — not Tests • Casual Video Production cameras is reassign the buttons to es.es. ForFor thethe majoritymajority ofof thisthis reviewreview wewe direct sun with its brightness set to quite as fast as its big brother the a9, There are a few tests we do on every contents suit our muscle memory. For some, shotshot withwith fourfour differentdifferent SonySony lenses,lenses, sunny weather. What we don’t like is but still worth using. camera that comes through our contents leaving them alone might be the best whichwhich SonySony providedprovided toto us.us. that it’s still just a tilt monitor — not doors. We test the low light perfor- full screen option, but since we shoot on a lot First,First, thethe FEFE 24-105mm24-105mm f/4f/4 GG OSSOSS a fully articulating one. The a7 III is Battery Life mance, rolling shutter and moire. To full screen $2,000 of different cameras, we re-assign LensLens costscosts $1,300.$1,300. BecauseBecause thethe lowlow around the same price as the Pana- Prior to the a7R III, all Sony Alpha test the low light performance we print the buttons to be as consistent as lightlight performanceperformance ofof thethe a7a7 IIIIII isis sonic GH5, and the GH5’s articulat- cameras suffered from a short bat- start at the lowest ISO, keeping the print
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376 R01 Sony a7 III.indd 8 7/23/18 9:17 AM 376 R01 Sony a7 III.indd 9 7/23/18 9:17 AM REVIEW REVIEW Sony a7 III Sony a7 III
TECH SPECS formance in every camera they offer, Bright, tiltable rear monitor and they make it very hard to ignore Lens Mount: Sony E-Mount Video Clip Length: Up to 29 Min their products. Sony is good at check- Camera Format: Full-Frame Built-In Mic: With Video (Stereo) ing the boxes. Pixels Actual: 25.3 Megapixel Autofocus Points Max Resolution: 24 MP: 6000 x 4000 • Phase Detection: 693 What Sony Needs to Work On Aspect Ratio: 3:2, 16:9 • Contrast Detection: 425 Sony lenses look great, but are focus Sensor Type/Size: CMOS, 35.6 x 23.8 mm Viewfinder Type: Electronic by wire. With focus by wire, when the Still Images: JPEG, RAW Viewfinder Size: 0.5" focus ring moves, instead of actually Movies: AVCHD Ver. 2.0, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, XAVC S Viewfinder Pixel Count: 2,359,000 controlling the elements in the lens, it’s creating an electric signal relay- Audio: AC3, Dolby Digital 2ch, Linear PCM (Stereo) Viewfinder Eye Point: 23.00 mm ing the information. This isn’t as big Memory Card Type: SD/SDHC/SDXC/Memory Stick Pro Display Screen: 3" Rear Touchscreen Tilting LCD of a deal for photo shooters, but for Duo/Memory Stick PRO HG-Duo (921,600) video, it creates a disconnect between the user and the focus point. Focus by Image Stabilization: Sensor-Shift, 5-Way Buffer/Continuous Shooting: Up to 10 fps at 24.2 MP wire lenses will feel less responsive Video Format: for up to 89 Frames in Raw. Up to 10 fps at 24.2 MP for when in use. Because of this, many • 3840 x 2160p - 23.98/25/29.97 fps (60 Mb/s XAVC S up to 177 Frames in JPEG. Up to 8 fps at 24.2, P video shooters choose to avoid focus H.264) & (100 Mb/s XAVC S H.264) Up to 6 fps at 24.2 MP, Up to 3 fps at 24.2 MP by wire lenses. How many times have you seen a Sony shooter with Canon • 1920 x 1080p at 100/120 fps (60 Mb/s XAVC S via \ Connectivity: 1/8" Headphone, 1/8" Microphone, HDMI lenses? Probably quite often. This H.264) & (100 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264) D (Micro), USB 2.0 Micro-B, USB 3.0, USB Type-C isn’t as connected to the image quality about the Panasonic GH5 and the can capture up to 8 fps for up to 50 • 1920 x 1080p at 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps (50 Mb/s Wi-Fi Capable: Yes as one might think — the feel is just a6500, but we’ll also be looking at frames when shooting in RAW and the Nikon D7500. up to 100 frames in JPEG. XAVC S via H.264) Battery: 1 x NP-FZ100 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Bat- much different. The last thing that Sony needs to The Panasonic GH5 is the most Last up is the little brother to the • 1920 x 1080p at 50/59.94 fps (25 Mb/s XAVC S via tery Pack, 7.2 VDC, 2280 mAh work on is their cameras’ ability to likely rival to the a7 III for video a7 III, the a6500. At $1,300, you get H.264) & (16 Mb/s XAVC S via H.264) Dimensions (W x H x D): 5.0 x 3.8 x 2.9" / 126.9 x 95.6 x capture more than 8-bit video inter- shooters. With internal 10-bit color, the same resolution options and • 1920 x 1080i at 50/59.94 fps (24 Mb/s AVCHD via 73.7 mm nally. Smaller sensor cameras like cheaper lenses and loads of video in-body image stabilization. What assists, it’s a camera that is hard to ig- you don’t get is a full frame sen- H.264) & (17 Mb/s AVCHD via H.264) Weight: 1.43 lb / 650 g nore — short of its small image sen- sor; the a6500 uses an APS-C sized YES, THE A7 III HAS sor. Both cameras offer the same high sensor instead. Additionally, for WEAKNESSES, BUT YOU frame rate options at the same reso- video shooters, the a6500 is miss- aperture constant and adjusting the This is in line with the a7R III and lines on the chart will show if there lutions and both have in-body image ing independent headphone and shutter speed to counteract the in- the a6500. However, the a7S II is still are any concerns with the moire. We ALSO GET LOADS OF stabilization. If you are choosing mic ports, so you will have to find creased light from upping the ISO. We the best performing low light camera saw a sharp picture without any danc- STRENGTHS. between the two cameras, it comes another solution for monitoring any tested in both full frame and super out there. ing lines throughout the chart, even at down sensor size and how important audio input. 35 modes. When shooting full frame, Rolling shutter is a simple test the closest resolution. No matter what a larger sensor is to your work. If you we saw that noise was introduced in where we look for a wobbly image lens we used, we saw no moire. the GH5 offer 10-bit color, capturing plan on taking any pictures for print, Final Thoughts to the picture at ISO 6400, and the by panning the camera left and right millions more colors. We’d expect this the full frame sensor of the a7 III will The a7 III is a solid camera. Yes, it has image was usable all the way up to at increasing speeds, starting at a What Sony Does Well to mean the camera would have to be be the best choice. a few weaknesses, but you also get 25600. Past that and the image loses slow rate and building up to a whip Sony is very good at making new larger, likely much larger, but think The Nikon D7500 is another op- loads of strengths. From a long battery significant detail. pan. We pointed the camera at a light technology and including it in every about if the a7 III offered 400mbps tion and a good choice for hybrid life to great low light performance, On the a7 III, you can shoot either stand so that we could observe how camera they offer. S-Log, 4K and even 10-bit internal capture — talk about a shooters. It’s the only DSLR that Sony makes it a solid choice among in full frame mode or cropped super much of a bend the rolling shutter high frame rates are included within game changer. shoots 4K available for close to the its contemporaries. If you’re a hybrid 35 mode. This will allow you to do effect creates. Sony nailed it, the their sub-$1,000 cameras. Full frame price of the a7 III, even though it’s shooter on a tight budget, the a7 III a no resolution loss zoom on a lens, camera has very little rolling shutter 4K was a Sony-only option until the Marketplace $750 less. There’s no in-body image should be strongly considered. just by changing the crop of the effect — you won’t see any wobble or Nikon D850 camera came around. Full frame 4K is pretty rare, in fact stabilization (IS), but with the price contents contents sensor. In super 35 mode, the crop jello effect on your image when pan- Sony also tends to choose affordable outside of Sony, the Nikon D850 difference, you could afford a lens Chris Monlux chooses to shoot in a log profile contents factor is 1.5 times. When shoot- ning quickly. and easy to obtain media, and cam- is the only camera to offer it. So with IS. The sensor is larger than the as often as he can. He is also Videomaker’s Mul- full screen ing in super 35 mode, noise started To test moire, we pointed the a7 eras are fully customizable from but- instead, let’s look at similarly priced GH5 but not quite full frame. The timedia Editor. full screen a full stop sooner at 3200 and the III at our DSC Labs sine zone chart. ton reassignment to a custom menu. cameras to see what value Sony of- APS-C sized sensor shoots 20.9 MP You can comment on this article by going on- print image is usable only up to 12800. Through panning and tilting, the fine Add in industry leading low light per- fers in the a7 III. We’ve talked a little — very close to the a7 III — and it line: www.videomaker.com/article/19514 print
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376 R01 Sony a7 III.indd 10 7/23/18 9:18 AM 376 R01 Sony a7 III.indd 11 7/23/18 9:18 AM REVIEW REVIEW Rotolight Anova PRO 2 Bi-Colour
Rotolight TECH SPECS than four hours without Dimming and color control Beam Angle: 50° running out of juice. Be- ing able to move the light Anova PRO Color Temperature: 3150 to 6300K around without being an- Color Accuracy Standard: CRI 96, chored by a power cable TLCI 91 is very nice. This would be a good set-up for 2 Bi-Colour Dimming: Yes lighting at events where Expected Lamp Life: 100,000 Hours power is not as easy to Fixture Dimensions: 17.3 x 19.4 x access or would cause a 4.2" / 44.0 x 49.3 x 10.7 cm (Includ- tripping hazard. If you need to use a ing Yoke) filter on the Anova PRO by Chris Monlux Fixture Weight: 7.36 lb / 3.34 kg 2, Rotolight made it very (Including Yoke) easy to swap them in Connectors: Battery Plate 1 x, and out. With the pull Flexible, Portable, Round of a couple pins, a filter V-Mount slides in and is secured. Because the though with a slightly smaller range Yoke Mount: TVMP/ Hex Bolt light is LED, having the filters practically than the Anova PRO 2, and can run Fixture Mount: 5/8" Receiver on the bulbs isn’t a fire hazard. When off a V-mount battery, but its not DMX equipped with a gel, the fit is so nicely controlled and does not offer built-in Yoke Type: Yoke/Bracket he Rotolight Anova PRO 2 is both a filmmakers. This bi-color LED light andand eveneven filmfilm flicker.flicker. OurOur onlyonly dislikedislike that you could even forget it was there. CineSFX or the Designer Fade option Tvideo light and strobe for stills, but gives you flexibility regardless of the forfor thesethese featuresfeatures isis thethe clumsinessclumsiness ofof AC Input Power: 110 to 240 VAC, of the Anova PRO 2. Next is the Lumos how well does it work for both? The color of light you are working with. It thethe menumenu usedused toto executeexecute them.them. NaviNavi-- 50 / 60 Hz Photography 300GT-MK-55 for $1,250. Lumos only light is very innovative; a hybrid light can run off a V-mount battery, so you gating around the menu is difficult even gating around the menu is difficult even DC Input Power: 15 VDC As a strobe, the Anova PRO 2 is super supplies the CRI value, but its not bad lines up perfectly with the growing can use it anywhere. With a CRI rating ifif youyou knowknow wherewhere you’reyou’re headed.headed. handy. It has no recycle time and can with a CRI of 95. It can also run off a AC, External Battery market of photographers who are also of 96 and a TLCI of 91, the numbers Power Source: shoot high speed up to 1/8000 shutter V-mount battery and features DMX look promising. On top of all that Its InIn UseUse speed. That means you can do more control, but lacks CineSFX and Designer Rotolight fully dimmable from zero to 100 per- We used the light for a few different in less time and don’t have to wait on Fade options. Last up is the Litepanels www.Rotolight.com cent power and can be equipped with projects, trying to use it in real world the subject be in contrast with the white the light. For wireless control, it has Astra Soft for $1,710. It has a CRI and optional 6-leaf barn doors. shootingshooting situations.situations. TheThe firstfirst useuse waswas of the table. In the end, the Rotolight an integrated Elinchrom Skyport HSS TLCI rating of 98 when in tungsten and for an interview setup. Shooting in a STRENGTHS for an interview setup. Shooting in a helped us achieve the look we wanted flash receiver. If you don’t already have 95 when shooting daylight. This light Build Quality smaller room, we had the task of light- • Can Power off V-mount battery smaller room, we had the task of light- — a dark-colored object turning against a Elinchrom transmitter, a wired trigger also features DMX control and battery- This thing is stout. Made mostly of inging interviewsinterviews withwith threethree differentdifferent subsub-- a pure white background. can also be set up. How nice would it powered operation. However, you will • Dual video and photo function metal and some hard plastic and jectsjects inin thethe samesame roomroom whilewhile attemptingattempting A neat feature of the Rotolight is its be to be shooting video with a light and have to pay extra for the modules that weighing 7.36 pounds, its ready for a toto makemake eacheach shotshot uniqueunique fromfrom thethe last.last. shape. The reflections of the round light then quickly use it as a strobe without make that possible and the special video WEAKNESSES long life and hard use. The Anova PRO 2 was our fill light in were especially nice when shooting re- any more set up? If you are a video and features are also missing from this light. • Expensive accessories The barn doors are very unique and thisthis situation.situation. TheThe fillfill isis thethe lightlight thatthat flective surfaces like the front of a lens. photo shooter, the Anova PRO 2 an look like the iris of a camera. How- fills in the shadows created by the key The review unit we received came exciting offering from Rotolight. Final Thoughts SUMMARY ever, they don’t come included with (primary)(primary) lightlight andand determinesdetermines howhow in a hard plastic case. If you opt for the Built rugged, the Rotolight Anova PRO The Rotolight Anova PRO 2 is a round the light; adding the barn doors will much contrast there is in the image. The barn doors, you might consider the kit Marketplace 2 has some really unique features that LED light for both video and still use. cost an extra $250. Although we like fill light is typically a soft light because that includes the case for $500. It’s a There are many aspects of a light that are perfect for the hybrid shooter. If If you are a hybrid shooter, you’ll the way they look, because the light is it’sit’s meantmeant toto fillfill inin hardhard shadowsshadows withwith-- hefty price tag, but keeping your gear will determine its cost. The quality of you need a strobe and a video light, soft, they aren’t very effective. When out creating more. The Anova PRO 2 did want to know about it. out creating more. The Anova PRO 2 did safe will save you money over the long the LEDs, both in build quality and in there is loads of value here. However shooting products, repositioning the aa goodgood jobjob asas thethe fillfill —— thethe factfact thatthat it’sit’s run. The locking clasps of the case are quality of light, needs to be consid- if you just need a video light, there are light did much more to control where dimmable made it easy for us to dial in easy to engage and disengage. ered, but the build materials of the a few things to consider. If you want a RECOMMENDED USERS the light went than using the barn thethe rightright amountamount ofof lightlight toto givegive usus thethe The yoke of the light gives good fixture also play a big role. The Anova swiss army knife for a light, you should Narrative Filmmaking doors. On top of that, the barn doors contrastcontrast ratioratio wewe wanted.wanted. movement when needed. It’s a baby PRO 2 is also very unique because it consider the Rotolight Anova PRO 2. Documentary Filmmaking limit your ability to point the light Next, we used the Rotolight as our pin and is easy to secure. When using can be both a strobe for stills and a and Journalism down because they run into the yoke. main light for shooting products on a V-mount battery, we noticed that the constant light for video. Let’s look at a Chris Monlux found the perfect natural light in contents Marketing Video Production The Anova PRO 2 has something aa productproduct table.table. TheThe tabletable andand backback-- battery can get in the way of a full range few lights you might consider along- south France. He hopes to get to shoot there contents Rotolight calls CineSFX. These are dif- groundground werewere bothboth white,white, andand ourour goalgoal of movement from the yoke, but this is side the Anova PRO 2. again soon. He is also Videomaker’s Multimedia Editor. full screen ferent strobe and flickers to emulate was to make sure the white table is over dependant on the size of the battery. We The first is the ikan Lyra LB10 for full screen $1,680 different practical light. Options include exposed.exposed. ThisThis eliminateseliminates anyany off-white-off-white- tested it with an Anton Bauer Cine150, $800. It has a high CRI of 96 and a You can comment on this article by going on- print strobe, lightning, fire, TV, welding light areasareas onon thethe table.table. However,However, itit requiresrequires which allowed us to shoot for more TLCI rating of 98. It’s also bi-color, line: www.videomaker.com/article/19515 print
12 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 13
376 R03 RotoLight ANOVA PRO.indd 12 7/23/18 9:20 AM 376 R03 RotoLight ANOVA PRO.indd 13 7/23/18 9:20 AM REVIEW REVIEW Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art
Sigma
14-24mm TECH SPECS not have lens flares, so if you want Tight, responsive control rings Focal Length: 14-24mm any imperfection in your image, it’s going to be hard to achieve. Whether f/2.8 DG Maximum Aperture: f/2.8 that’s good or bad obviously depends Minimum Aperture: f/22 on if you like lens flares or not. Camera Mount Type: Canon EF There are some more obvious HSM Art Format Compatibility: downsides, however. For video shoot- ers to take advantage of f/2.8, they 35mm Film / Full-Frame Digital need to be able to control the amount Sensor of light when shooting outdoors or by Chris Monlux Angle of View: 114.2° - 84.1° when light is in abundance. This is where neutral density (ND) filters are Minimum Focus Distance: your friends. Put some sunglasses Wide 10.24" / 26 cm on your lens and the light is con- Magnification: 0.19x trolled. However, this lens has no filter and Heavy Optical Design: 17 Elements in 11 threads, so you will need to use filters in a matte box. If not already available, Groups the added cost should be considered. Diaphragm Blades: 9, Rounded We also noticed some vignetting market are not as wide, but have a Sigma f you are not considering Sigma andand smooth. smooth. The The lens lens lacks lacks stabiliza stabiliza-- Weight: 40.57 oz / 1150 g when at f/2.8 at 14mm, however only longer zoom. The Sony FE 16-35mm tion,tion, but but this this isn’t isn’t likely likely to to be be needed needed when shooting stills. When shooting f/2.8 GM costs $2,200, and since Sigma www.SigmaPhoto.com Iwhen buying a new lens, you’re making a big mistake. Their Art series anywayanyway because because of of how how wide wide the the lens lens video using our camera’s cropped doesn’t offer an FE mount, Sony users
lenses are synonymous with excep- is.is. Lastly, Lastly, for for those those who who want want shallow shallow Nikon D850 using Nikon AF-S NIKKOR sensor, the edges of the sensor that will need to add in the cost of a lens STRENGTHS tional build and image quality. The depthdepth of of field, field, this this is is achievedachieved mostmost 14-24mm f/2.8G ED for our tests. see the vignetting are not part of adapter. The Sigma MC-11 works great • Stout build-quality 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art is exactly easilyeasily with with a a close close focus. focus. With With a a 10.9 10.9 Every lens we compared it to cost the viewable image. Additionally the and costs $250. Canon makes the same • Sharpness over the full coverage of what you would expect — a solid lens inchinch minimum minimum focus focus distance, distance, you you a minimum of $600 more than the lens has some focus breathing when focal length as the Sony in the Canon the lens at an affordable price. The lens looks cancan focus focus on on a a subject subject nearly nearly on on top top of of Sigma, and in the case of the Sony, zoomed into 24mm or when wide at EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM for $1,900. as good in use as it does on paper, but thethe lens. lens. Shoot Shoot at at 14mm 14mm and and you you can can $900 more. Just keeping up with 14mm. Focus breathing is when the We are a big fan of this focal length for WEAKNESSES it isn’t without some flaws. shootshoot a a 6 6 foot foot tall tall person person from from head head to to those lenses would make it a great field of view changes when the focus video shooters using cropped sensors. • Heavy The lens is available in either Canon toetoe at at just just 11 11 inches inches from from their their face. face. value, and it did just that. In fact, it’s is adjusted from infinity to minimum An APS-C sensor makes a 16-35 in to • No filter thread EF mount or Nikon F mount and cov- WeWe tested tested the the lens lens on on a a multitude multitude sharper from the center all the way to focusing distance — not great for a 25-56mm. Last up, is the Tamron SP ers a full frame sensor. Sigma says ofof cameras cameras along along with with comparing comparing it it the edges. But, it’s also significantly video work. 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD for $1,200. SUMMARY that it has virtually zero distortion at toto other other similar similar lenses. lenses. We We shot shot the the heavier than all of them — though this We mentioned earlier that this lens It’s a bit longer in focal range and a infinity focus and while this is mostly lenslens on on a a Sony Sony a7 a7 III III with with a a Sigma Sigma is a result of the larger elements used is heavy. Weighing 1150 grams, it’s hundred dollars cheaper. The Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM true, the word “virtually” is key. It’s MC-11MC-11 adapter, adapter, a a Canon Canon 1DX 1DX Mark Mark II II to optimize performance. the heaviest in category of wide angle Art is a great looking and nicely built super close, but we did experience f/2.8 zoom lenses. Of the lenses we Final Thoughts lens. Don’t look past Sigma during some very slight barrel distortion from What to Expect compared, the Sony FE 16-35mm and Recommendations your next lens search. the lens. Barrel distortion is when THE BUILD QUALITY OF The build quality of this lens is top- f/2.8 GM weighs 680 grams, the Canon Every Sigma Art lens we have used vertical or horizontal lines look like THE THIS LENS IS TOP- notch. It feels great in the hands. The EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM weighs has been excellent. Sigma has made it RECOMMENDED USERS convex curves. Think of how a barrel focus and zoom rings are tight and 790 grams and the Nikon AF-S NIK- hard to choose other lenses through • Narrative Filmmaking bulges out; that kind of bend is what NOTCH. IT FEELS GREAT responsive. It only has one switch to KOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED weighs 997 the value they offer and the high stan- • Documentary Filmmaking and you experience with barrel distortion. IN THE HANDS. engage or disengage autofocus. That grams. The only lens that is close to dard of build quality. It’s a heavy lens, Journalism Although slight, we did see a bit of this switch is not easy to accidentally click the weight is a lens we didn’t get to offers minor distortion and has focus • Corporate and Event Videography kind of distortion at the edges of the and is very positive when it is switched. use, the Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di breathing, but it’s a great deal when VC USD, which weighs 1102 grams. • Marketing Video Production image with the lens at 14mm. andand a a Blackmagic Blackmagic Design Design URSA URSA Mini Mini The amount of rotation in the focus is compared to the competition. This 4K.4K. We We also also compared compared it it to to the the Sony Sony nice for video shooters. Shooting video lens is loaded with value. • Online Video Production Testing FEFE 16-35mm 16-35mm f/2.8 f/2.8 GM GM and and Canon Canon EF EF on photo lenses means no hard stops Marketplace • Casual Video Production contents contents This 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art is 16-35mm16-35mm f/2.8L f/2.8L III III USM. USM. Because Because the the on the focus ring, but because of the There is only one apples to apples Chris Monlux is proud of his 5-year-old son contents fully weather sealed and has a 9-blade reviewreview unit unit we we had had was was EF EF mount, mount, we we added degrees of focus control, it’s not lens on the market when looking for Lucas, who just read for the first time. He is also full screen iris. Expect beautiful round bokeh from comparedcompared images images shot shot with with the the Sigma Sigma hard to dial in perfect focus. lenses similar to this Sigma: the Nikon Videomaker’s Multimedia Editor. full screen $1,300 the 9 blades. Lenses with fewer blades pairedpaired with with the the Canon Canon 1DX 1DX Mark Mark II II If you want any kind of lens flare, AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED You can comment on this article by going on- print will have bokeh that’s less circular againstagainst the the same same images images shot shot with with the the good luck! The lens is engineered to for $1,900. The other lenses on the line: www.videomaker.com/article/19516 print
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376 R02 Sigma 14-24mm.indd 14 7/23/18 9:22 AM 376 R02 Sigma 14-24mm.indd 15 7/23/18 9:22 AM REVIEW REVIEW DJI Ronin-S
DJI TECH SPECS to the camera. We Clear view of monitor Ronin-S Number of Axes: 3-Axis (Pitch, Roll, plugged in the cable to the USB Yaw) port on the side of Rotation Range the GH5 and the • Yaw (Pan): 360° camera prompted us to choose what by Chris Monlux • Pitch (Tilt): 280° (-95 to 185°) kind of control Roll: 360° was being used. A New Standard Follow Speed Pan: 360°/s With options Tilt: 360°/s like PC (storage), is Born PC (tether) and 360°/s Roll: Pictbridge (PTP) Load Capacity: 7.94 lb / 3.6 kg we didn’t know Connectivity: Ports 1 x USB Type-C what to choose. s the leader in drones, it’s not typi- much it would cost. At that time, they Wireless Frequency Remote: 2.4 We got lucky with Acal for DJI to be late to the market- didn’t have a price outside our first choice place. However, since they were late to of saying it would be GHz (2.4 - 2.48) of PC (tether) and join the single-handed gimbal category, cheaper than their com- Wireless Protocol: Bluetooth 4.0 immediately had manual control of you use, there are both cheap and costly they were able to include all of the best petition. Since then, we’ve Battery Type: 1 x Built-In the focus of the lens. options for every set of needs. We are features from their industry rivals and been able to test the DJI The speed at which the lens responds going to stick to gimbals that support a Capacity (mAh): 2400 mAh give it a competitive price tag to boot. Ronin-S and have found it to the focus commands is dependent on similar weight and have a one handed When DJI announced the Ronin-S at to be smartly designed and Capacity (Wh): 34.56 Wh the lens and is not a reflection of the fo- control. The first is the Zhiyun-Tech CES 2018, our first question was how reasonably priced. Battery Runtime: 12 Hours cus control. Some focus-by-wire lenses Crane 2 for $750. The Zhiyun is on the Battery Chemistry: Lithium-Ion are just slow to respond. The Panasonic top of the list of best one-handed gim- In Use Leica DG Vario-Elmarit 12-60mm f/2.8-4 bals. Outside of the rear roll motor be- DJI Operating Current: 0.16 A www.DJI.com This three-axis motorized gimbal couldcould also also give give us us more more to to hold hold on on to, to, ASPH. POWER O.I.S. lens used for test- ing more in the way of a monitor and a stabilizer can hold up to 8 pounds for effectivelyeffectively extending extending our our reach. reach. On On top top Operating Temperature: -4 to ing was quite responsive, giving a great capacity of about 7 pounds rather than STRENGTHS use with a DSLR or mirrorless camera. ofof the the 1/4-inch 1/4-inch 20 20 thread thread input input we we used used 113°F / -20 to 45°C feel on the focus wheel. 8, it’s essentially the same as the Ronin- • Gimbal doesn’t block rear camera The rear roll motor is smartly posi- withwith the the balancing balancing tripod, tripod, the the Ronin-S Ronin-S Mounting: S. The ikan PIVOT Angled costs $700 monitor tioned so the user can see the rear alsoalso has has a a 3/4-inch 3/4-inch input input that that connects connects App Function and has the same 8 pound capacity; 1 x 1/4"-20 Female Thread • Follow focus control screen of their camera. When used nicelynicely with with a a monopod. monopod. In In this this con con-- DJI’s companion app — compatible however it lacks follow focus control. with certain mirrorless cameras, users figuration,figuration, biggerbigger shotsshots that that wouldwould typi typi-- 1 x 3/8"-16 Female Thread with Android and iOS devices, further Last up, is the EVO Gimbals RAGE3 for WEAKNESSES gain control of focus via the built-in callycally call call for for a a jib jib can can be be done done with with the the Dimensions: 23.23 x 11.54 x 10.08" expands the function of the Ronin-S. $750. It and the Zhiyun offer the same focus wheel. Additionally, you can Pairing the gimbal with your mobile features for the same cost. • Short list of fully compatible cameras Ronin-SRonin-S and and a a monopod. monopod. Any Any gimbal gimbal / 590 x 293 x 256 mm trigger recording through the handle. thatthat has has threads threads on on the the bottom bottom would would device is painless. Once you open SUMMARY Balancing is not terribly difficult workwork for for this this purpose. purpose. Weight: 4.1 lb / 1.86 kg the app, you have the choice of five Final Thoughts The DJI Ronin S is a one handed — some gimbals are time consuming TheThe design design of of the the Ronin-S Ronin-S also also al- al- different modes. Capture mode offers DJI built an easy-to setup and easy-to- gimbal with a payload capacity of 8 to balance, but the Ronin-S wasn’t. lowslows for for better better view view of of the the rear rear moni- moni- remote and capture control from the use gimbal priced right in the market- pounds. Some gimbals are hard to Within 10 minutes of having never tortor of of your your camera camera than than is is offered offered by by that have focus-by-wire lenses give the app. Panorama mode takes a set of place. A motorized gimbal of any kind used it before, we had the Ronin-S bal- most function, while DSLRs only allow will increase the production value of balance; this one isn’t. manymany similar similar gimbals. gimbals. For For cameras cameras pictures to cover a predesigned pan- anced with a Nikon D850 with a 35mm withwith a a semi-articulating semi-articulating or or non-artic- non-artic- for a remote record button function. oramic frame. Timelapse mode gives any video. The Ronin-S gives you that Nikkor prime lens attached. The gimbal Make sure to check which functions and a bunch of other fun-to-use and RECOMMENDED USERS ulatingulating monitor, monitor, this this is is a a necessity. necessity. We We you intervalometer controls over your handled the weight fine, but I did not. your camera will have with the Ronin- camera, if its compatible. Motionlapse quality functions. • Narrative Filmmaking foundfound the the fully-articulating fully-articulating monitor monitor Shooting for a long time with one onon the the GH5 GH5 to to be be even even easier easier to to see see S, because not all cameras and lenses mode is in essence timelapse control If you are in the market for a one • Documentary Filmmaking and hand would be difficult without getting andand use use than than the the tilt-only tilt-only monitor monitor on on are supported. However, DJI plans to with motion. Finally, there is track handed gimbal with a 8-pound capac- Journalism physically prepared to do so. Because thethe Nikon Nikon D850 D850 or or non-articulating non-articulating expand the list of compatible camera mode where you can set up to 10 key- ity, don’t look past the Ronin-S. • Corporate and Event Videography of the weight, we thought a mirrorless monitormonitor of of the the Canon Canon 5D 5D Mark Mark IV. IV. and optimize control with future firm- frames to create a predesigned move. contents • Marketing Video Production contents camera would be a better size for us. Next,Next, we we tested tested the the gimbal’s gimbal’s remote remote ware updates. Chris Monlux is a morning person. He is also • Online Video Production Balancing the Ronin-S for the GH5 was controlcontrol functions. functions. DJI DJI offers offers a a list list of of We connected the GH5 for use with Marketplace Videomaker’s Multimedia Editor. full screen just as easy as balancing for the D850. supportedsupported cameras cameras and and what what func- func- the follow focus. DJI includes a few The one-hand controlled 3-axis gimbal full screen $700 This is when we discovered that tionalitytionality you you can can expect expect from from that that different cables to go from one of market is flourishing with a plethora You can comment on this article by going on- line: www.videomaker.com/article/19517 print the tripod used to balance the gimbal cameracamera and and lens. lens. Mirrorless Mirrorless cameras cameras three ports near the mounting plate of options. Depending on what camera print
16 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2016 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2016 17
376 R02 DJI Ronin-S.indd 16 7/23/18 9:25 AM 376 R02 DJI Ronin-S.indd 17 7/23/18 9:25 AM REVIEW REVIEW edelkrone Motion BOX
edelkrone a frame. The last mode is 360 degree twist. If you go back and forth to dif- tially the same function as the 360 de- mode, where the Motion BOX spins ferent rigs, it’s super helpful. However, gree mode, but for a different perspec- Motion BOX the camera in one full rotation and if all of your mounts use the same tive. When the turntable is connected lets you capture up to 60 frames dur- tripod plate, it’s not necessary. It’s very to the Motion BOX, you can get up to ing that one rotation. simple to use and very handy. 60 pictures over 360 degrees of rota- The Motion BOX itself doesn’t have If you don’t have a head, you can tion. edelkrone includes an extension a power button. It does have a reset add in the edelkrone FlexTilt Head 2 cable so the Motion BOX can control button that is handy for quick pairing, for $180. Unless you attach the Motion your camera from a distance. The but we wish we could turn it on and BOX to a tripod head, you will be lim- only issue with the turntable is that if off with a button. Instead it goes to ited to a flat horizontal perspective. The you are controlling the camera with sleep when not in use. Motion BOX can be attached to either the Motion BOX, then a cable will a 1/4-inch 20 thread or 3/8-inch screw. need to go from the rotating turntable by Chris Monlux Testing the Add-ons However, the FlexTilt Head 2 will also to the camera. We had a few times After we used the Motion BOX by allow the camera to get far enough where the cable bound on something. itself, we used each accessory by itself away from your surface to shoot di- Instead of turning, the turntable was and then in different combinations rectly down. Although it’s a nice tool to pulled out of frame. Additionally, the Swiss Army Motion and configurations. Our favorite acces- have, unless you need that capability, shot is limited to one rotation. This sory to the Motion BOX is the Quick- you’d be better investing elsewhere. limitation is smart because additional Release ONE, though its arguable The best value add-on is the Prod- rotations would cause even more whether it’s worth $100. The Quick- uct Turntable Kit for $80. It’s a great cable issues. However, it would be nice Release ONE allows you to mount to way to get more out of the Motion to be able to do more when not using any 1/4-inch 20 screw with a simple BOX. The turntable kit offers essen- the camera control cable. edelkrone edelkrone Motion BOX is an app WeWe testedtested aa basicbasic automatedautomated panpan byby www.edelkrone.com controlled motion control unit spe- settingsetting anan AA andand BB pointpoint andand thethe duradura-- tion of the pan. The resulting video cializing in automated panning and tion of the pan. The resulting video tilting. However, with a few of their shot looked great. It was both quick STRENGTHS shot looked great. It was both quick innovative accessories, it can be much andand easyeasy toto setset upup andand byby thethe results,results, • Modular more than that. The Motion BOX can wellwell worthworth thethe time.time. BeingBeing ableable toto getget aa • Easy to use App be a rotating product turntable with predictablepredictable perfectperfect panpan uponupon comcom-- the addition of the Product Turntable mandmand isis aa greatgreat assetasset onon setset andand shouldshould WEAKNESSES Kit for $80. When used with the $710 speedspeed upup anyany productionproduction usedused withwith it.it. • Camera control cable rotates SliderONE PRO, the Motion BOX will AlongAlong withwith basicbasic panning,panning, wewe alsoalso around turntable work in coordination with the slider testedtested outout thethe MotionMotion BOX’sBOX’s otherother to allow for both automated slides and capturecapture modes.modes. WhenWhen usingusing forfor pho-pho- SUMMARY pans from one app. tos,tos, youyou havehave timetime lapse,lapse, stopstop motionmotion The edelkrone Motion BOX is a modu- We got our hands on the Motion andand 360360 degreedegree mode.mode. Within timelapse you have all of lar motion control tool that, when BOX and all of its accessories to see Within timelapse you have all of how useful they are and if they are the typical intervalometer controls Master:Master: combined with a long list of other the typical intervalometer controls worth buying. Modular and expand- likelike durationduration andand delaydelay alongalong withwith aa WhetherWhether ChoosingChoosing aa MusicMusic VideoVideo GenreGenre edelkrone tools and accessories, has frame count. edelkrone makes it easy able tools can do a lot, but they typi- frame count. edelkrone makes it easy you'reyou're havinghaving loads of uses. cally aren’t great at much. edelkrone forfor filmmakersfilmmakers toto knowknow howhow longlong theirtheir FormingForming IdeasIdeas forfor MusicMusic VideosVideos fun with your surprised us with how usable most of timelapsetimelapse videovideo willwill be.be. ThisThis isis donedone fun with your ContractsContracts forfor MusicMusic VideosVideos RECOMMENDED USERS by telling it what your frame rate is garagegarage bandband its functions are. by telling it what your frame rate is Pre-Production for Music Videos • Narrative Filmmaking andand lettingletting itit dodo thethe mathmath forfor youyou toto oror seriouslyseriously Pre-Production for Music Videos • Documentary Filmmaking and The Motion BOX in Use determinedetermine thethe totaltotal durationduration ofof thethe pursuingpursuing aa DirectingDirecting MusicMusic VideoVideo ShootsShoots move when made into video. There is Journalism The Motion BOX and all its modules move when made into video. There is careercareer asas aa Editing Music Video are controlled by a free iOS or Android alsoalso motionmotion andand timetime warperwarper featurefeature Editing Music Video • Corporate and Event Videography videographer,videographer, • Marketing Video Production app. We loaded the app on to our thatthat willwill allowallow youyou toto changechange thethe dura-dura- tion and timing of each shot to add a thisthis trainingtraining • Online Video Production iPhone 7 Plus for our tests. Pair- tion and timing of each shot to add a contents contents different feel to your timelapse. video has the contents ing the device was simple. Once the different feel to your timelapse. video has the FindFind thethe rightright conceptconcept andand youryour videovideo willwill appealappeal toto audiencesaudiences andand showshow offoff thethe musicmusic toto itsits bestbest ability.ability. ButBut that'sthat's onlyonly Stop motion has a similar set up app opens, you have to choose what Stop motion has a similar set up infoinfo youyou needneed thethe firstfirst step.step. You'llYou'll alsoalso needneed toto understandunderstand thethe nutsnuts andand boltsbolts ofof puttingputting thethe videovideo together,together, directingdirecting musicians,musicians, editingediting but will allow you to either take one full screen configuration you are going to use it in but will allow you to either take one toto createcreate videosvideos forfor musicmusic andand eveneven protectingprotecting yourselfyourself withwith anan ironcladironclad contract.contract. AvailableAvailable inin DVDDVD oror DigitalDigital DownloadableDownloadable Formats.Formats. full screen picture after another or manually con- $359 and get to controlling it. You can also picture after another or manually con- thatthat rock.rock. print manually control the pan in-app. troltrol whenwhen thethe nextnext positionposition capturescaptures LearnLearn moremore at:at: videomaker.com/VideosThatRockvideomaker.com/VideosThatRock print
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327327 MusicMusic VideoVideo DVD.inddDVD.indd 4848 12/14/201612/14/2016 11:54:5411:54:54 AMAM
376 R02 Edelkrone MotionBox.indd 18 7/23/18 9:30 AM 376 R02 Edelkrone MotionBox.indd 19 7/23/18 9:30 AM REVIEW edelkrone Motion BOX OPINION
by Daniel Hart
TECH SPECS We were also able Motion BOX paired with SliderONE Pro Put Down the Magazine and Make a Movie MOTION BOX to use the Motion BOX with the SliderONE It is, in some ways, a rite of passage amongst experienced filmmakers: the day you pull Size: (L x W x H) 3.90 x 3.75 x 1.48 in PRO. Both the Mo- the dusty old tape out of the closet, rewatch your very first film, and through choked- (99 x 95 x 37.5 mm) tion BOX and the back tears triumphantly mumble under your breath, “Look how far I’ve come!” Awful Weight: 18.3 oz (520 g) SliderONE Pro can be first films are a necessary step on the pathway to cinematic greatness. So don’t avoid it, used alone or together. embrace it. Recommended camera load: Using the same app, Pan: 15 lb or less (centered). 5.5 lb you can control them or less.(with FlexTILT Head.) both at the same time. The SliderONE PRO is Tilt: 8 lb (3.6 kg) or less (centered). We all start somewhere. For myself, prodigy. It’s an art form that can only all your film’s glaring mistakes and $710 on its own and it was my parents’ VHS camcorder, be learned from experience; from probably discourage you from making 1/4"-20 on top. Mounting options: offers only 7.9 inches a bucket of toys dumped out on my mistakes; from making movies every the sequel. 3/8"-16 on bottom. of travel, so if the shot bedroom carpet and an eight-year- single chance you get for as long as it Don’t get me wrong, watching Minimum resolution: 0.005° is big, the SliderONE old’s passion entirely unaccompanied takes you to improve. someone watch your film can be very PRO will be too small. Max. speed: 360° in 40 sec by any recognizable skill. My first This means not letting anything enlightening. But in my experience, The last three con- film was an unwatchable nightmare, stop you, especially your equipment, you’ll always be your own worst critic. Motor type: DC motor with x2 ultra figurations are the StandONE for $200, a 8.8 pound limit and can work with but that didn’t stop me from making or lack thereof. It doesn’t matter if you So before you go seeking feedback high-res encoders. the Tilt Kit for $120 and the Skater sliders from other brands, though you another, and another, and another. don’t have a nice camera. You don’t from someone else, study your own Battery life: Up to 1 hour in active Kit, which edelkrone lists on its app, lose the ability to use them in coordi- Now — some one hundred films later need it! Use a cellphone, a webcam or but not on their website. It is, however, nation. Next up, the Rhino Arc is $400. — I’m confident enough to say that even an old VHS camcorder like I did. pan/tilt while in top speed. Up to 48 mentioned in the how to video for the It can work with the Rhino ecosystem, maybe they kinda don’t totally suck. In this day and age, there’s probably WHILE IT MAY FEEL LIKE hours in time-lapse Motion BOX. The StandONE is a qua- but not outside of it. It supports up So, what changed? a dozen devices in your house that IT IN THE MOMENT, Charging: 6 hours. dropod for mounting your camera low to 15 pounds. Last but not least is the Was it the years of reading ‘Video- shoot video. Find one and figure it out. to the ground or on uneven surfaces. YOUR FIRST FILM ISN’T Mobile device connection: Blue- AutoPan from ShooTools for $750. maker’? The countless hours spent You don’t even need other people Onto the Tilt Kit, if you want to mount Because of its design, it can work with watching YouTube tutorials and listen- to make a movie! If you have one or YOUR MASTERPIECE. tooth low-energy communication two Motion BOX’s together with the Tilt any slider. Using a wire, it detects its ing to filmmaking podcasts? Maybe it two friends or family members willing App. compatibility: iOS 9.0 or later Kit, you can control both Motion BOXes location and auto pans accordingly. was the opportunities I had to shadow to help, great! But don’t put off getting Android 5.0 or later. simultaneously with the app for panning experienced cinematographers and started just because you can’t muster up work. If you see room for improve- and tilting without a slider. However, if Final Thoughts absorb some of their wisdom? Surely a large cast and crew. Tell a post-apoca- ment, do it again and improve it. you want to add the SliderONE Pro for The Motion BOX is easy to use and all of these have taught me a lot over lyptic story, or try stop-motion anima- Lather, rinse, repeat. SliderONE Pro auto pan, tilt and slide movement, the has lots of ways it can be configured the years, but they alone weren’t tion, or put on a wig and play all the While it may feel like it in the mo- Weight: 2.1 lb (0.958 kg) app doesn’t offer that configuration, so and used. The app is easy to oper- enough to improve my skills. parts yourself. It sounds stupid, and it ment, your first film isn’t your mas- Recommended load: 20 lb (9 kg) or as of now, it’s not an option. ate, and pairing the Motion BOX with What was? Some one hundred probably will be, but that doesn’t mean terpiece. It’s the first step on a very Finally, the Skater Kit makes the your mobile device was simple. For unwatchable nightmares that have you won’t learn something from it. long journey to mediocrity, which will less horizontal movement vertical to make a base price of $360 without addi- shown me exactly what not to do. Which brings me to my last point: If eventually set you down the path to Mounting Options: 3/8"-16 mount- an automated skate slider for rotating tional modules, it’s not the cheapest There’s no such thing as a filmmaking you’re still learning, don’t worry about adequacy. But don’t think that I’m only ing screw on top. 3/8"-16 mounting around something. It’s very smooth and option on the market, but it’s not the finding an audi- talking to the beginners here. As artists, creates a very compelling shot. For all port on bottom most expensive either. If you plan ence. This might and in fact, as human beings, we should of these tools, a small subject will make on getting other parts of the edelk- seem like a radical always be looking for ways to better 7.87 in (20 cm) Camera Travel: for better shots. rone ecosystem, then the added cost ideology for the ourselves. It’s really a beautiful senti- Min. speed: 27 µm (micrometer / sec) might be well worth it. If the Motion social media era, ment: You are at all times both the best Max. speed: 1.57 in / sec (4 cm / sec) Marketplace BOX is going to be used on its own but not everything you can be, and not as good as you will edelkrone is quite unique when it without the additional accessories, Motor type: Coreless DC motor you make needs be. But before you can get better, you comes to the modular capabilities of the price tag doesn’t fit. However, to be shared. Most have to first be not good enough. with ultra high-res encoder the Motion BOX. However, there are a when combined with the Product likely, friends and So put down the magazine and Power input: LP-E6 type battery few other brands that do something Turntable Kit and the SliderONE family will just make a movie. (Battery NOT included) similar. Syrp is another brand that PRO, it shows a lot of value. give you a “like” makes single products that can be used or a thumbs up Daniel Hart is a writer, independent filmmaker, contents Battery life: Up to 12 hours in in combination to get more complex contents Chris Monlux loves gadgets. He is also Video- emoji, which and co-owner of production company Xavious Pictures. He is currently producing the short- active slide* (average speed). Up to shots. The Syrp Genie Mini costs $250 maker’s Multimedia Editor teaches you noth- form, comedic web series ‘The Hart Siblings’. full screen 99 hours in time-lapse mode* and can be used as a tilt or a pan tool. ing. But if they are full screen Just like the Motion BOX, the Genie You can comment on this article by going on- actually honest, You can comment on this article by going online: print line: www.videomaker.com/article/19518 www.videomaker.com/article/19527 print
Mini can either tilt, pan or both. It has Zebest by Orin Camcorder” “Giant-size 2.0 BY under CC licensed is they’ll point out
20 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 21
376 R02 Edelkrone MotionBox.indd 20 7/23/18 9:30 AM 376 P02 Opinion - Learn from experience.indd 21 7/23/18 9:32 AM BBandandHH.com.com CanonCanon EOSEOS C200C200 EFEF 800800--947-9925947-9925 CinemaCinema CameraCamera andand 24-105mm24-105mm LensLens KitKit ThisThis kit kit from from Canon Canon includes includes the the EOS EOS C200 C200 EF EF Cinema Cinema Camera Camera and and the the Canon Canon EFEF 24-105mm24-105mm f/4Lf/4L ISIS IIII USMUSM Lens.Lens. ThisThis pairingpairing createscreates aa versatileversatile digitaldigital cinemacinema production production kit. kit. The The camera camera is is capable capable of of capturing capturing and and recording recording DCI DCI TheThe 4K4K internally internally as as Canon’s Canon’s Cinema Cinema RAW RAW Lite Lite via via a a CFast CFast 2.0 2.0 slot. slot. Two Two built-in built-in SDSD cardcard slotsslots enableenable recordingrecording 4K4K UHDUHD andand FullFull HDHD asas MP4.MP4. TheThe includedincluded Professional’sProfessional’s accessoriesaccessories includeinclude aa handgrip,handgrip, 4”4” touchtouch screenscreen LCDLCD viewfiviewfi nder,nder, whichwhich supportssupports “Tap “Tap Focusing” Focusing” and and compliments compliments the the camera’s camera’s built-in built-in EVF. EVF. SourceSource CAC20024105CAC20024105 | | $8,399.00$8,399.00 VisitVisit BandH.com BandH.com for for the the most most current current pricing pricing
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VideomakerVideomaker Jun.indd Jun.indd 1 1 6/15/186/15/18 12:04 12:04 PM PM FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 6/25/18 9:18 AM FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 49 6/25/18 9:18 AM I you’ve not yet entered into the realm o application plug-ins you’re missing out on an Plug-in unimaginable wealth o resources. It’s a big buyer’s Guide world though and getting started can B PETER NITC be intimidating. Don’t worry our buyer’s guide is here to help.
n essential part of be- ing a post-production specialist is know- ing your tools and how to use them. That much is obvious. Lesser understood however is that it is equally important to know what else is out there and when another tool will increase your ability and effi ciency. egardless of what software you use to create, design or edit, it’s never perfect. If you’re content, then you’re either not pushing your ability enough, or you’re spending too much time at work. onsider what could make your day more effi cient, or what effect you really want to achieve. erhaps a simple ad- dition to your current software can help you improve your ability. That’s where plug-ins come in. nowing what plug- ins are out there gives you the freedom to tackle any advanced request with confi dence. now- ing which to use and how can make an expert editor into a wizard — especially in the eyes of their clients.
contents contents full screen full screen
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376 B01 Plug-in Buyers Guide.indd 24 7/23/18 9:36 AM 376 B01 Plug-in Buyers Guide.indd 25 7/23/18 9:36 AM CAN YOU EXIST AS AN EDITOR -WITH-
OUT - PLUG-INS? YES, ABSOLUTELY. What is and isn’t a plug-in? which are bulk packages of similar (or not so) Plug-ins are not stand-alone programs. add-ons. Packages will often provide a well- V HOWEVER, - PLUG-INS ALLOW YOU They are designed to integrate into existing rounded assortment of transitions, fifilters, lters, light TO V SAVE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT software and provide improved functionality. and particle generators and/or processing utili- Plug-ins are not templates. Templates have ties. Boris FX offers its Sapphire suite, which pro- RESOURCE: TIME. work half done for you that you can custom- vides not only effects, but also advanced tracking vides not only effects, but also advanced tracking o i boris x.com ize and make your own. Plug-ins let you and masking tools designed to ease the burden utilize or design something that did not previ- of animation paths. You can then combine these free up everything else to be used by other ously exist. Once enabled, they are always with particles, light streaks and more, without programs or scripts that are added to a specifi c available. You don’t need to load a specific the need for those all but incomprehensible After location. By allowing these scripts to be run project to make use of them. Rather they sit Effects expressions. at a specifi c time when the program loads, an within your applications interface as if they Other packages are geared towards specifispecific c application can add to or, in some instances, had always been there. Think of them as ranges. Red Giant’s Universe will throw your ef- replace the current operating functions. Installa- additional effects, only they aren’t limited to fects abilities into overdrive, while its Trapcode tion is usually as simple as running an installer creativity. They might also be processors, or series will let you design with 3D particles, light fi le, or moving the plug-in fi les into a specifi ed functional, or extenders. and objects. Ignite Pro from HitFilm similarly folder within the program’s directory. The third Can you exist as an editor without plug- adds effects and fifilters, lters, but also provides a new party vendor will always provide installation ins? Yes, absolutely. That’s why they’re extra group specifispecifically cally for the 360 video pioneer. instructions along with their product. Activation bits and not built into the core program. Anyone who has worked in 360 video knows all is usually done through a digital code that must However, they will allow you to save your too well that integrated support is still limited, be entered the fi rst time you use an effect in the most important resource: time. Some will so plug-ins in this area help fifill ll a niche sorely in package, or through linking to a remote server o eMe t coremelt.com simply do in one or two clicks what you need of attention. for verifi cation. could do yourself in twenty, but others will Companies like CoreMelt and NewBlue offer allow you to create and tweak particles, light bundles that separate FX from processing. There Potential ssues and How to oid The streaks and even virtual environments that are bundles that provide only effects and transi-transi- There can be pitfalls when using such prod- would take you hours to create by other tions (like the former’s V2), but others for image ucts. The creator of the host program does means. They also often cost far less in both manipulation (as in the latter’s Sytlizers bundle), not guarantee compatibility and functionality, hassle and price than a standalone program advanced masking, color correction, image sta-sta- even when they themselves have created the that achieves the same thing. bilization and more. Perhaps you need to correct plug-in. Plug-ins may not work properly or production issues. There are highly specialized at all with every version of the core pro- Types of Plug-ins plug-ins for processing. Digital Anarchy provides gram. They may introduce bugs and uirks. The concept of a plug-in is essentially limit- tools for advanced image sharpening, de-flde-flicker icker These issues may take weeks or months to be less. Some are tiny and may add on a simple and even digital makeup for your actors. Red resolved after a host application update. Indeed menu option or single function that will Giant again offers its Magic Bullet suite for color there is no promise that they will ever be fi xed. make common operations easier. FX Fac- correction and more. For increased compositing Additionally, if you ever pass your project on tory has a vast array of add-ons for multiple and fifinishing nishing abilities, add Boris FX’s Continu-Continu- to another computer without the plug-in in- platforms that range from the simple to very um package to your editing software. If you miss stalled, any work that relies on the plug-in will Digita na h digitalanarchy.com complex. Good examples are EchoRemover, the days of celluloid, or need to match footage be disabled sometimes without telling you. which will help get rid of that annoying large from different sources, check out FilmConvert’s Some plug-ins will introduce features that room reverb; and Rolling Credits which will line of ready to use camera profiprofiles, les, grain scans you may not like, or may not be available for create that end of the film roll that, for some and 3D LUT profiprofiles. les. your operating system. On rare occasions, they reason, is more complicated than it should be Finally, let’s not forget that visuals are only half may simply not agree with a piece of hardware in most edit systems. the story. Several of the companies mentioned in your specifi c computer. Other plug-ins are massive and can give a already (and many others) offer plenty of proces- There may also be support issues. If something program designed for one function the abil- sors, fifilters lters and converters available for cleaning goes wrong, your host application’s tech support ity to do something entirely different. These up your audio and altering the waves it is made will probably blame it on the plug-in, whether it creations are then instantly ready for use in of. Plug-ins do not exist only for editing software. is causing the issue or not. The plug-in creator your compositions. Element 3D for example, is In truth, they are everywhere. will then tell you that they are working with the a plug-in from Video Copilot that puts an entire vendor to resolve the issue, leaving you to fi gure contents contents 3D design system right into After Effects. You How Plug-ins Work out a solution on your own. Even uninstallation contents can also purchase light, shader and texture Most programs these days are built with the can be an issue if the plug-in installation process full screen packs on top of that. ability to accept external additions. They es-es- was poorly implemented. full screen If you’re projects run the gamut from home sentially reserve the memory registries and sentially reserve the memory registries and As an example, we recently had an issue in i onve t ilmconvert.com print movie to feature film, then consider suites, variables that are essential to run the host and my offi ce where a particular plug-in would print
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376 B01 Plug-in Buyers Guide.indd 26 7/23/18 9:36 AM 376 B01 Plug-in Buyers Guide.indd 27 7/23/18 9:37 AM PRICESPRICES OR OR PLUG-INSPLUG-INS RANGERANGE RATH-RATH- ERER WILDLY.WILDLY. DON TDON T LETLET AA LOWLOW PRICEPRICE notnot runrun afterafter aa hosthost update.update. ContactingContacting bothboth P P vendorsvendors providedprovided nono resolution.resolution. TheThe simplesimple MA EMA E YOUYOU THIN THIN THETHE PLUG-INPLUG-IN ISN TISN T D P solutionsolution whichwhich wewe discovereddiscovered onon ourour ownown GOOD,GOOD, ANDAND DON TDON T LETLET AA HIGHHIGH PRICEPRICE waswas toto taketake thethe plug-inplug-in fifi lele outout ofof thethe sub-foldersub-folder Don’t assume a plug-in works with your system thatthat thethe plug-inplug-in installerinstaller createdcreated andand placeplace itit DRIVEDRIVE YOUYOU O .O . or so tware. Always check availability and directlydirectly intointo thethe host’shost’s plug-ins plug-ins folderfolder proper.proper. o e xhome.com compatibility. Magic Magic ItIt fifi nallynally worked.worked. TheThe bottombottom lineline isis thatthat youyou mustmust rememberremember How to et tarted eep an archive o all current and previous versions andand acceptaccept thethe factfact thatthat plug-insplug-ins areare functionsfunctions If you’ve never tried using plug-ins before our o your plug-ins. I you ever open an old pro ect you notnot offioffi ciallycially supportedsupported byby thethe creatorcreator ofof thethe corecore advice is to skip trial versions at fi rst. Look for will need them and the developer may have since application,application, whowho willwill nevernever supportsupport nornor guar-guar- a few free plug-ins that will provide a function moved on. anteeantee thethe operationoperation ofof suchsuch systems.systems. TheyThey onlyonly you might want and start with them. Look for provideprovide thethe abilityability forfor thirdthird partyparty vendorsvendors toto cre-cre- ones that provide simple conveniences. For ex- eep your activation keys and methods sa e. I ateate suchsuch devices;devices; theythey dodo notnot exerciseexercise anyany controlcontrol ample, something that adds one button export you re-install your host so tware you will need to whatwhat isis donedone withwith suchsuch access.access. of a still image in After Effects is a great tool. re-activate your plug-ins. When you’re on a deadline Don’tDon’t bebe deterreddeterred byby allall thesethese redred flfl agsags Once you are comfortable with the concept, there’s nothing more in uriating than DRM troubles. though.though. e’re e’re simplysimply beingbeing thorough.thorough. ThereThere areare you will begin to see where your needs lie and advantagesadvantages toto thirdthird partyparty vendorsvendors asas well.well. TheThe how well different plug-ins can work for you. Remember that plug-ins will have their own terms plug-insplug-ins areare oftenoften veryvery inexpensiveinexpensive comparedcompared Trial versions are better for comparing simi- and conditions that may not align with that o the toto whatwhat theythey provide.provide. ThirdThird partyparty vendorsvendors areare lar systems from multiple vendors; not all plug- host. Read the usage and distribution rights care ully. oftenoften smallersmaller andand willingwilling toto helphelp wheneverwhenever andand ins are created e ual. Some may provide better whereverwherever theythey can,can, andand whilewhile theythey maymay respondrespond results or process faster. Even with similar ew ue newblue x.com I you are experiencing installation issues look or slowerslower thanthan desireddesired toto corecore programprogram updates,updates, results, one might have a user interface design the simple solutions. theythey maymay rollroll outout enhancementsenhancements toto theirtheir plug-inplug-in that you prefer. It never hurts to compare simi- fasterfaster thanthan expected.expected. Typically,Typically, theythey areare alsoalso lar products and fi nd which works best for you. Con irm that the plug-in you are installing is veryvery openopen toto suggestionssuggestions andand taketake constructiveconstructive The trials are there for you to evaluate not only supported by the version o the host program that criticismcriticism seriously,seriously, asas theythey areare focusedfocused onon theirtheir if you need the plug-in, but also if it produces a you are using. veryvery smallsmall nicheniche productsproducts forfor revenue.revenue. value and uality that is better than the source program or other similar plug-ins. Remove all other plug-ins at least temporarily to WeighingWeighing thethe ptions ptions e also recommend avoiding the massive check or operating con licts. PricesPrices forfor plug-insplug-ins rangerange ratherrather wildly.wildly. Don’tDon’t bundles when fi rst starting, as they can be eas- letlet aa lowlow priceprice makemake youyou thinkthink thethe plug-inplug-in isn’tisn’t ily overwhelming and you may never end up Sometimes a sub older can cause plug-ins to good,good, andand don’tdon’t letlet aa highhigh priceprice drivedrive youyou off.off. discovering their full potential. However, when mal unction or the host program may have moved AA singlesingle effecteffect cancan bebe freefree andand cancan maxmax outout atat you are experienced with plug-ins, the bundles the location o its plug-ins older. Look or obvious aboutabout 00. 00. PackagesPackages typicallytypically startstart atat aboutabout can provide the excessive fl exibility that the and simple solutions. 0 0 andand cancan runrun intointo thethe severalseveral hundredhundred dol-dol- smaller packages alone might not. You will larlar range.range. SuitesSuites maymay bebe intointo thethe thousands,thousands, oror often fi nd you already have a tool you didn’t ed iant redgiant.com eveneven havehave subscriptionsubscription pricing,pricing, whichwhich isis greatgreat know you needed. The whole is defi nitely forfor thatthat short-termshort-term high-profihigh-profi lele project.project. hen hen greater than the sum of the parts. itit comescomes toto features,features, obviouslyobviously therethere isis plentyplenty hen you are at the point when you are ofof overlap.overlap. YouYou willwill fifi ndnd manymany similarsimilar effectseffects searching for plug-ins for something specifi c fromfrom multiplemultiple companies,companies, andand peoplepeople whowho you’ll realize that you can’t live without them. swearswear byby eacheach ofof themthem inin turn.turn. hen hen decid-decid- You’ll wonder how you got along in the past inging whichwhich companycompany toto purchasepurchase from,from, you’llyou’ll living with only what the host vendor provided. simplysimply havehave toto comparecompare andand seesee whichwhich work-work- And you’ll take your abilities to a whole new flfl owow youyou areare mostmost comfortablecomfortable with,with, andand whichwhich level, providing you with happier clients and givesgives youyou thethe resultsresults youyou areare lookinglooking for.for. eigh eigh more of that precious free time. youryour options.options. DoDo notnot buybuy aa suitesuite whenwhen aa singlesingle plug-inplug-in willwill do.do. SaveSave youryour moneymoney forfor thethe nextnext Peter unitch is an award-winning video editor working in contents post-productionpost-production necessity.necessity. New York contents However,However, ifif youyou managemanage toto workwork aa slightlyslightly full screen bigger package than you need into a re uired full screen bigger package than you need into a re uired You can comment on this article by going online: ideo o i ot videocopilot.net a to x actory.com purchasepurchase forfor aa project,project, thenthen youyou willwill havehave eveneven www.videomaker.com/article/17622 print greatergreater resourcesresources toto drawdraw onon nextnext time.time. print
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376 B01 Plug-in Buyers Guide.indd 28 7/23/18 9:37 AM 376 B01 Plug-in Buyers Guide.indd 29 7/23/18 9:37 AM How to Buy and
stock footage a cheap punchline for decades ut simply, stock media — be it video footage, music, sound effects, images, titles, visual effects or anything else — is media provided by a third party and not created specifi cally for Use Stock Media your project. There’s no shame in using it, so long as you use it well. veryone does nce you know where to look for it, you will fi nd stock media everywhere, from television sitcoms to sci-fi block- busters to popular hip-hop albums. So why do so many projects use stock media, and why should you Ac- uiring stock media and editing it into your project is very often faster, cheap- er and much more convenient than creating that media yourself — or were you planning on hiring an orchestra to Stock Media Buyer’s Guide record that classical piano piece you’re planning to use in your closing titles And where do you think you’re going BY MIKE VANHELDER to get that footage you want of a wilde- beest stampede or e ploding volcano Stock media has a bad reputation, but actually it is both vital and If you don’t plan to buy it via stock, I hope that you have an unlimited travel ubiquitous in modern filmmaking. Where and how to buy and use budget and e cellent health insurance.
it can be confusing, but read on to learn more. e e to Look The most basic uestion about stock media is how to fi nd it. There are some n certain snooty film circles, the term thoughtless overuse of stock footage, media or another. Far from a hacky artists, usually amateurs, who make “stock footage” is used with deri- especially in cheap B-movies, has given crutch, stock media can be to filmmak- their work available on the internet and Ision, like how some craft beer snobs stock media a bit of a bad reputation, ing what mortar is to a brick wall. It’s an ask for nothing but a credit in return. might sniff disdainfully at the mention it’s unfair to tar and feather all stock essential structural element that can tie That said, stock media is like anything of Coors Light. In those circles, there with the same brush. Consider this: your entire project together. else in life: ou get what you pay for. contents contents is a perception that using stock media Almost every professional video project ost of the time, the free stuff just won’t contents in your project is a cheap, hacky move you have ever seen — from Hollywood How is stock media used? cut it. ou could go direct to the source, full screen that a real professional would never blockbusters to TV commercials and So what is stock media, when and how fi nd someone who has created the me- full screen make. That is, of course, total nonsense. corporate presentations to wedding do you use it, and how can you refrain dia that you need and convince them print Though it’s certainly true that the videos — has used some form of stock from the kind of overuse that has made to sell it to you, but most often you will print
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376 B01 Stock Media Buyer’s Guide.indd 30 7/23/18 9:45 AM 376 B01 Stock Media Buyer’s Guide.indd 31 7/23/18 9:45 AM Stock Media Buyer’s Guide
be buying your stock media from one of a large full-timefull-time entertainment entertainment lawyer lawyer on on retainer. retainer. Speak- Speak- number of stock media clearinghouses that spe- inging broadly, broadly, the the licensing licensing rights rights to to a a piece piece of of stock stock ciali e in that sort of thing. They buy hundreds, mediamedia determine determine where where and and how how you you can can use use thousands, even millions of pieces of media from thatthat media. media. Can Can you you put put it it online online hat hat about about on on individual sellers all over the world, and then turn broadcastbroadcast television television How How many many copies copies of of that that around and resell that media to you. Sure, they V V can can you you make make with with that that image image on on the the cover cover take a cut of the action, but the service they pro- ven ven free free stock stock media media usually usually comes comes with with a a vide is e tremely convenient. After all, how many licenselicense that that limits limits your your use use of of it, it, the the most most popular popular professional videographers that sell wildebeest beingbeing the the Creative Creative Commons Commons Share Share Alike Alike license. license. stampede footage do you personally know ust ust because because the the media media is is free free doesn’t doesn’t mean mean that that Some clearinghouses, like egaTra , special- it’sit’s license-free. license-free. e e live live in in a a litigious litigious society, society, i e in one kind of media — music. thers, like whichwhich means means that that if if you you buy buy the the wrong wrong license license for for etty mages . reenscreen nimals . nvato, will sell you everything from video clips youryour project, project, you you could could be be in in a a world world of of hurt. hurt. of softly swaying fi elds of wheat to the header ClearinghousesClearinghouses might might take take care care of of licensing licensing graphic on your website to the font to put on rightsrights for for you, you, but but that that doesn’t doesn’t mean mean you you are are your poster. hat site is best can be an entirely completelycompletely off off the the hook. hook. ake ake sure sure you you are are very very subjective matter, and depends a lot on your clearclear on on the the rights rights that that you’re you’re getting. getting. Always Always own personal style and the kind of project that readread the the fi fi nene print print ForFor e ample,e ample, thethe standardstandard you are working on. If you do a lot of graph- ShutterStockShutterStock video video license license will will let let you you use use their their ics-heavy corporate training videos, nvato stockstock footage footage online online or or during during live live events, events, but but not not might be right for you. If you are working on a forfor television, television, TT TT streaming streaming or or theatrical theatrical release. release. wildebeest-heavy tourism commercial, perhaps However,However, Shutterstock Shutterstock also also has has other other license license etty Images might work better. types.types. For For e ample, e ample, their their ditorial- nly ditorial- nly license license meansmeans that that you you may may not not use use that that media media for for any any commercial purpose, limiting it to non-profi t, per- e Le a ide o tock Media commercial purpose, limiting it to non-profi t, per- iStock . iller racks . Clearinghouses can be convenient one-stop sonalsonal or or public public interest interest news news and and documentary documentary shopping, but that’s not the only important purposes.purposes. It It gets gets even even more more comple comple when when you you service that they provide. They also take care considerconsider that that music music licensing licensing works works differently differently of licensing rights for you, and that is a very fromfrom image image licensing, licensing, which which works works differently differently valuable benefi t unless you happen to have a againagain from from video video licensing licensing and and so so on. on. SubscribedSubscribed toto Videomaker?Videomaker? ViewView thisthis issueissue onon youryour favoritefavorite mobilemobile device,device, forfor free.free.
IfIf youyou areare currentlycurrently aa paidpaid subscriber,subscriber, taketake udioSocket . igital uice . aa momentmoment toto installinstall thethe VideomakerVideomaker appapp onon youryour tabletstablets andand smartphonesmartphone -- soso youyou cancan accessaccess thisthis issueissue whereverwherever youyou go!go! LearnLearn moremore atat :: Videomaker.com/TabletAccessVideomaker.com/TabletAccess contents contents full screen full screen
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FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 7/12/18 2:37 PM 376 B01 Stock Media Buyer’s Guide.indd 32 7/23/18 9:45341341 AM Tablet Tablet Login Login376 B01quarter.indd quarter.indd Stock Media 1 1 Buyer’s Guide.indd 33 9/22/20179/22/2017 1:44:11 1:44:11 PM PM 7/23/18 9:46 AM Stock Media Buyer’s Guide
Another thing to look for in licensing, espe- which minimizes the chance of something going cially if you work on high-profi le projects, is wrong as long as you stick to the terms of the deal. legal indemnifi cation. In other words, if it turns Industry lingo for a one-time or similarly limited out that someone fi les a copyright claim on the license is a rights-managed license. stock media that you are using, saying that they On the other hand, if you fi nd that you need are the rightful owners and you aren’t, will the to use stock media on a regular basis, many site that you bought it from protect you against sites will offer a paid plan wherein you have that claim? Some clearinghouse sites offer this access to some or all of their library for a fl at service and others don’t. It may not sound like fee. These fees may be in exchange for a cer- a big deal, but careers and fortunes have been tain number of clips and images (a bundle ), destroyed by using improperly cleared media. or in the form of a monthly subscription. In You are defi nitely better safe than sorry. some cases, a one-and-done payment opens If you are going to use the licensed media more their library to you forever. These services usu- ShutterStock . SmartSound . than once, you also want to make sure that you ally come with a bundle of standard, typically purchase a royalty-free license, which means you royalty-free rights attached to the media. This can use it as often as you like without having to saves you the trouble of researching the licens- pay extra. Otherwise, I hope you have an account- ing on every single individual piece of stock ing department prepared to keep track of when media that you use, but it still doesn’t mean and how often your video is viewed and to pay you don’t have to put in your due diligence. out royalty fees accordingly for the rest of time. Read the license carefully, no matter how sleepy all that legalese might make you im i i t e ocess This all sounds very complicated, and it cer- si tock Media E ecti e tainly can be, but there are ways to simplify the O , so let’s assume that you have purchased some process. If you only need a piece or two of stock stock media and have ensured that the license you media every now and then, and the project is bought is right for your project. Now how do you Song reedom small or a one-time deal, it may pay to buy a lim- best use it to ensure that your video doesn’t wind . Story locks . ited license, like a one-time use wedding video li- up in the Don’ts half of a V Dos and cense for a piece of music from AudioSocket. It is Don’ts compilation? The most important thing is your video. Make sure it’s the best uality available, generic branding ad using nothing but stock clips a very specifi c license for a very specifi c purpose, that you integrate your stock media seamlessly into edited well and, if necessary, graded and fi ltered from Dissolve.com. You’ve likely seens similar so that it looks like the rest of your fi lm. If nobody ads packed with stock footage dozens of times, notices that it’s stock, you have done your job but how often have you thought to yourself, right. If your use of stock media stands out, like the ow, that’s a lot of stock footage ? It probably infamous octopus attack scene from schlock fi lm- never even crossed your mind and if it did, maker Ed ood’s Bride of the Monster wherein it’s probably only because you are the type of two men are attacked by blurry footage from some- person who reads Videomaker. one’s a uarium, then you have done it wrong. For example, you have probably heard the a ti Ad ice same four or fi ve stock ricochet sound effects in In summary, stock media is a powerful and ver- a thousand different action movies, but you will satile tool in your video creation toolbox. Despite likely have never noticed their sameness (until the unfortunate reputation it carries in some now). Another example: the TV show Criminal circles, professionals know how useful and even Minds is shot in Los Angeles, but the heroes vital it is to the business of fi lmmaking. hether ega ra . usic ed . travel to a different city in almost every episode. you get it from a clearinghouse or fi nd it free on- To denote a change in setting, there’s usually an line, the key to using it is to edit it seamlessly into establishing aerial shot of the city of the week. your project and don’t forget to ensure that For an episode set in Philadelphia, do you think you have the correct license for your project that the producers of that show fl ew from LA to Have you ever used stock media in a project? Philly, then rented a helicopter and hired a cam- How did it go? Tell us about your experience in era crew, all for a two-second establishing shot the Videomaker forums of a sunrise over the Schuylkill? Heck no They bought the footage from a stock house. Then, ike Van elder is a writer, producer and V professional in contents contents they used that footage on their prime-time, ma- hiladelphia, . is atronus is the ilhelm Scream. contents jor network television show and nobody noticed. full screen If your editing is good enough, it’s even possible ou can comment on this article by going online full screen to make an entire video project out of nothing but www.videomaker.com article print ond . remium eat . stock media. There are fi lmmakers who made a print
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376 B01 Stock Media Buyer’s Guide.indd 34 7/23/18 9:46 AM 376 B01 Stock Media Buyer’s Guide.indd 35 7/23/18 9:46 AM The Inside Story of Oscar-nominated GARDEN PARTY
It s a very rare day indeed that you walk into a film festival they were going to be on arch when we fi rst saw it at SI A H, we th, even though the nominations had no idea just how uni ue the fi lm and see an unknown and un-hyped short film or feature wouldn’t be announced for another actually was. hile the fi nal product si months. is decidedly different from anything and say to yourself that is so ama ing that it deserves an For many of us, the dream of get- we’d seen before, as we dug into the scar. ut that is e actly what happened to both of us ting invited to the Academy Awards production process, we would soon started long before we picked up our learn that the fi lmmakers and the road last uly when we went to the omputer nimation estival very fi rst camcorder. The scars are, to creating this short were also very that was part of the SI conference in os ngeles. of course, the ultimate dream for all different from other productions we fi lmmakers they are such an e clu- had encountered. sive award, and for the past years, nlike most fi lms, which have a they have been given only to the very single director, or sometimes two, best of the best. “ arden arty” was made by a com- mittee of si directors That’s right the A Ve ecia i m collective known as “Illogic” www. BY INA H MAN AND HN M ABE “ arden arty” is a very special illogic.fr consists of si young men animated shot on many levels, but who met at fi lm school in France and
fter having watched do ens of shorts at the SI A H Computer Ani- mation Festival, some of them good, others not very good, they came to the short that would be voted “best student fi lm.” It was a French piece with no dialog called “ arden arty.” A short fi lm that lasted just under Aseven minutes, it was hilarious, adorable, vivid and detailed. It blew me away. hen it ended, ohn — one of the most cynical people I’ve ever met — turned to me and said “Let’s go.” hen I asked him why we shouldn’t stick around for the rest of the shorts, he replied “because there is no way anything we see now will be better than that, so it’ll just be anticlimactic.” It had to be a great video for him to say something like that. hen we left the theater, he said “if that doesn’t win an Academy Award, I’ll be ama ed.” e knew there was something very special about this picture and the peo- ple who made it, so as soon as I had the chance, I made it a point to befriend the fi lmmakers on social media. I wanted to learn more about them, about their fi lm and how they went about making something so cool, so uncom- mon, so detailed and so provocative. Besides, we were already certain where
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376 F02 The Inside Story of Garden Party.indd 36 7/23/18 9:47 AM 376 F02 The Inside Story of Garden Party.indd 37 7/23/18 9:48 AM The Inside Story of Oscar-nominated
all are given e ual directorial credit. abriel rapperon was born in in and speciali ed in rigging, omain ontiel, usic irector Their si talents came together to in au, France. abriel dis- animation and effects simulation. for “ arden arty,” was born in bring this amphibious romp to life. covered and fell in love with video n “ arden arty,” he was in charge in Cavaillon, France. He became pas- The only other person to work on content creation during his childhood. of character rigging, script and tool sionate very early to contemporary “ arden arty” was the music director. After high school, he went to A development and water effects. music, encouraged by a musician in and made a fi rst short fi lm Florian Babikian was born in father who taught him the drums and He e s a ie i t oductio called “Locked p.” Two years later, in artigues, France. At a young age, the piano. After playing in several to t e team abriel collaborated with the team on Florian was attracted to art and draw- formations with various kinds of Victor Caire, our interviewee, was “ arden arty,” which would develop ing. After completing his A-levels, he ambitions, he joined the niversity born in in Ai en rovence, his taste for a realistic animal aes- decides to study at an art school in of usic in Lyon. Holder of a mas- France. arly in life, he was attracted thetic. n the movie, he’s in charge of ontpellier. It’s at that time that he ter’s degree in usic for Visuals Arts to art and drawing. At the age of , the technical management like asset discovered and became passionate AAAV , he joined the “ usic Class he developed an interest for visual tracking and the production pipeline, about animation. He joined A for the Image” at the Superior Con- effects and cinema. He created sev- and he works a lot on character sur- in through the years, he special- servatory C S of Lyon in Sep- eral short fi lms during high school facing, lighting and effects. i ed in animation while keeping an tember . n “ arden arty,” his before pursuing his studies at o- Theophile ufresne was born in interest in a generalist aspect of image goal was to support the schi ophren- tion icture School in Arles A , in et , France. He got very creation. n “ arden arty,” he’s the ic mood of the fi lm, while adapting previously part of Supinfocom, in interested in digital image creation dur- main animator and also works on himself to the directors’ wills to make . uring his studies, he became ing his younger years and decided to character modelling and blend shapes. a fi lm musically stripped. more interested in the fi eld of direct- pursue his studies in this area. After a Vincent and Florian were able to hile Victor Caire was the co- ing and preproduction in general, as time at an art school in aris, he joined create all the movement, animating director whom we interviewed for this well as in character animation. n A in . He uickly became pas- the frogs. story, he speaks for all si of his team the movie, he worked on the script, sionate about realistic computer graph- the storyboards, pre-visuali ation ics, especially surfacing, lighting, ren- and editing. dering and compositing. n “ arden Lucas avarro was born in arty,” he worked a lot on background in aris, France. Lucas started to get surfacing, lighting and compositing. interested in video at the age of . abriel and Th o worked on the Later, he decided to speciali e himself environments and characters design. in computer generated animation to Vincent Bayou was born in keep telling stories, using all the vari- in rasse, France. At the age ous tools that a computer can provide. of , he became interested in n “ arden arty,” he was in charge comic books and animation. After of the lighting and compositing of the graduating from high school with fi lm. The goal was to have a realistic an emphasis on literature and art, look, and also to use colors and lights he moved toward animation and, to tell the story. in , received a technical degree Lucas and Victor were in charge of in cinema and animation. Learning the storyboards and fi rst edits, tak- about visual effects and computer ing ideas from everyone and trying generated animation made him to “wash the dishes” and build the wish to further e plore the technical structure. skills of animation. He joined A
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376 F02 The Inside Story of Garden Party.indd 38 7/23/18 9:48 AM 376 F02 The Inside Story of Garden Party.indd 39 7/23/18 9:49 AM The Inside Story of Oscar-nominated
members. Having watched and often Victo e are six animation from script writing to fi nal rendering. nocent animals inside this abandoned o Vi ce t Ba ou interacted with three of the co-direc- school students from France. e met Florian, Victor, Théo, Gabriel, Lucas rich house, full of e pensive and valu- o ia Ba ikia tors (Gabriel, Th o and Victor) over the at MOPA, which is known as one and Vincent now come together to able stuff. It’s like nature always takes a ie a e o past six months, it’s obvious that they of the best animation school of the form a collective of directors known back its rights, and it shows in a way a Bottom Lucas are such a great team that they speak world. Many student short fi lms from as Illogic, directing short fi lms and TV certain vanity of human beings, but in Na a o Victo ai e for each other; when you speak to one this school have received accolades commercials for WIZZ design. a funny way. o i e Du es e co-director, he is replying for all of the and awards in the most famous festi- Videomake So that’s it? Nobody e also feel that the double narra- partners that make up the collective. vals around the world. Garden Party else worked on this fi lm? tive which blends those little frogs’ Read on and learn about the many was our student graduation project Victo Coffee lots and lots of stories with a dark polar background uni ue aspects of Oscar-nominated and since that time, we have formed coffee. creates something that people are Garden Party and Illogic, the e ually our company, Illogic. e formed it Videomake I’m pretty sure coffee curious and intrigued about. uni ue team that created it. to be the transition from student proj- has been a co-conspirator in almost Videomake hat can you tell us ects to commercial projects, such as every great fi lm ever made about the making of the movie hat e I te iew television commercials. But what about the cast of Garden did it cost, how did it come together Videomake Having watched Garden Beyond our respective roles, we party? I hear you brought a whole and how long did it take Party several times since our fi rst were very much generalists and new meaning to the term capture Victo It was made entirely at Victo e learned that we have a and even though the team has been here viewing, we are still amazed at the everyone could help in all the differ- in order to ac uire a talented cast of school, which took care of the com- fabulous team, but the most important before, everyone wants a piece of them storyline. hile at fi rst it seems so ent tasks when needed, which was characters for this fi lm puters, cameras and software — so it thing we learned is that the anima- this time. They’ve dined with Steven generic and almost too cute, when important. It was a real advantage to Victo Haha, yes. e all worked didn’t cost us anything to make tion process is always full of surprises, Spielberg and Gary Oldman and hung you look at it deeply, it is very well be all in the same little room. All the together to hunt down our cast. e Videomake So let me get this and adaptation is the key. It is most out with Meryl Streep. “We’ve made so developed and really full of surprises. information was travelling very fast, did our own casting because most straight — a ero-budget fi lm is on the important to keep to your intentions, many new friends…” he added. With There are plot twists throughout, yet without the need of a huge pipeline or casting directors prefer to work with- verge of winning an Academy Award whatever happens. their talent and their eye for story, we it fl ows magnifi cently. people to coordinate. out a net. ow o on Videomake It’s truly ama ing feel that everyone in the industry will e were wondering who actually The only other person involved was The team found and caught live Victo It took months, from that you have been so successful at soon want to be their friends, too! wrote Garden Party? music coordinator, Romain. frogs to serve as models for the charac- September to une , then it this young age and that your student Videomake For our last uestion, Victo ai e Thank you. There Aside from their passion for mak- ters. Check out the making of video on was shown e clusively at festivals af- fi lm — let me emphasi e that: student we’d like to know if you have any was a lot of complexity in the writing ing animated fi lms, the fi lmmakers Vimeo titled “Garden Party - Behind the ter that. Thanks to Shorts TV, it’s now fi lm — is on the verge of winning an advice student fi lmmakers based on process. e took a lot of time to get a have another major common inter- Scenes” for a closer look at the process. in theatrical release for a month in the Academy Award First reaction, please: your e periences good storyline and it kept evolving all est: a love of animals and wildlife! Victo (cont.) e were inspired scars nominated shorts program. How does it feel Victo That work does pay, that along the animation process. Additionally, the six students found to make this movie because we For a list of Garden Party’s many Victo It feels great of course At you can do great stuff with motiva- Shots and editing were constantly at MOPA school a way to create good loved this vision of animal life, how awards, festivals and selections, go the beginning we were just eligible tion. And that the best weapon for changing, and it directly affected the stories and capture images. After they it comes into perspective with ours. to gardenparty-movie.com/awards. among other shorts. e have made students is the story. animation and rendering. It was al- became friends early in their college Animals are more innocent, sim- “Garden Party” qualifi ed for the Oscars it to the short list and now the nomi- The temptation of imitating the ways about wondering which shot we days, they never stopped working pler and more direct, making them by winning the Grand Jury Prize at the nation. ach time it’s a lot of hope and industry can be strong, but you will could create and being sure it will stay together. Over the years, they’ve effi cient characters. Amphibians Nashville Film Festival in 2017. pressure. It’s ama ing that our short only end with a bad copy. Story is ev- in the movie at the end. developed a great chemistry, and their correspond uite well to this primi- Videomake lease tell us about the made it so far and we are very e cited erything. e were bored to hear that Videomake ho are the members partnership creates opportunities tive aspect, with their stiffness and lessons you learned from the process. for the fi nal step every time, but this is so true. of Illogic? Can you tell us a bit about where each of them could increase fairly binary behavior, which makes As this is the fi rst fi lm that your team Théo later added that he isn’t sure it’s how you came together to make this their personal skills in many fi elds, them inherently comic. There was made, you surely learned a thing or all sunken in yet. They’ve spent February e Ni t o t e A ou ceme t particular short? something amusing, to put these in- two while making it. on a whirlwind in the city of Los Angeles “ arden arty,” in the end, did not take home the scar, but even secur- ing a nomination is an incredible feat for a team of young fi lmmaker and their debut short. eep an eye out for more work from Illogic in the future, as this is certainly a strong launch point for a long and successful career in animation.
ohn c abe is a os ngeles based Scriptwriter and irector. e is also the founder of ever contents Say ut roductions. ina offman is a ree- contents lance roducer and raphic rtist. full screen ou can comment on this article by going on- full screen line www.videomaker.com article print print
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376 F02 The Inside Story of Garden Party.indd 40 7/23/18 9:49 AM 376 F02 The Inside Story of Garden Party.indd 41 7/23/18 9:49 AM LIGHTING SEPTE E LIGHTINGLIGHTING
by Mike VanHelder
This means that if you start off with a light UnderstandingUnderstanding LuminanceLuminance close to a subject and move it away just a little, Manipulating luminance — not you will get a dramatic drop in luminance. o- ing from one meter to two meters means you to be confused with bright- lose 5 percent of your light in one meter. That ness — can seem complicated on is a huge shift But what if you start your light at full power paper, but it’s actually straight- at seven meters, instead of one? You’re getting 1/ 9th of your maximum light at seven meters. forward once you understand ove your light from seven to eight meters and and start to use it. you’re getting 1/ th of your maximum light. Well, going from 1/ 9 to 1/ is a relative reduc- tion of only 25 percent of your light, even though meter One of the more common mistakes you moved the same amount going from seven to many beginning and intermediate eight meters as going from one to two meters. In meter videographers make is confusing other words, the further your light source is from our tools for our medium. Too many your subject, the smaller the change in lumi- shooters focus on camera and lens, nance will be when that distance changes. If there is one unit of luminance at one meter from the light source , there but that’s like a sculptor obsessing will be ust of one unit of luminace at two meters from the souce . over what chisel to use and ignoring In se That’s a percent reduction in luminance over ust one meter. the giant block of marble in front of Practically speaking, what does this mean? If him. Our medium isn’t our hardware. your subject is going to be moving around rela- Of course, don’t forget what else changes if Our medium is light. Previously, we tive to your key light, you want to position your you move your light closer or farther from your talked about quality of light. This “But isn’t luminance measured waterwater isis comingcoming outout ofof thethe fountainfountain light as far away from your subject as is feasible, subject. And it isn’t just the quality of light — time, let’s talk about luminance and in lumens, lux or foot-candles,” you —— butbut whowho carescares howhow muchmuch waterwater so that the luminance differential — the amount consider refl ections in windows and eyeglasses the inverse-square law. might ask? Well, no, not exactly. Lu- thethe fountainfountain isis sprayingspraying ifif itit bouncesbounces the light increases or decreases — is as low as as well. mens are a measure of luminous flux, offoff youryour chinchin insteadinstead ofof hittinghitting youryour possible unless you’re going for a big, dramatic What is luminance? which is how much total light some- mouth?mouth? TheThe waterwater thatthat comescomes fromfrom omewor First things first: Even though some thing gives off. A light bulb may have thatthat fountainfountain andand goesgoes inin youryour mouthmouth All of this sounds complicated on paper but once people will use them interchangeably, a high lumen rating but if most of the —— inin otherother words,words, thethe lightlight thatthat comescomes ONCE OU START USING THE IN you start using the inverse square law in real life, it luminance is not the same thing as light is pointing in the wrong direc- offoff ofof anan objectobject andand makesmakes itit intointo youryour VERSE S UARE LA TO LIGHT IN becomes intuitive pretty fast. Here’s your home- brightness. Brightness is a subjective tion, who cares? Lux and foot candles lenslens —— isis luminance.luminance. work: Put a subject a half meter in front of a wall judgement as to how bright a picture are a measure of illuminance, which REAL LI E IT BECOME INTUITIVE in a big, dark room. Set up a light at ¼ power, is. Luminance is an objective measure is how much light hits an object, not TheThe Inverse-SquareInverse-Square LawLaw RETT AST. placed at whatever distance you need in order to of how much light an object is giv- how much light makes it from that NowNow thatthat wewe knowknow whatwhat luminanceluminance is,is, correctly expose the subject. Start shooting. Now ing off at a certain distance. It’s like object into your camera. let’slet’s talktalk aboutabout howhow toto manipulatemanipulate it.it. double the distance from the light to your subject, the difference between wetness and Let’s go back to the water analogy ToTo dodo that,that, youyou needneed toto understandunderstand thethe lighting change. This also applies when shoot- but don’t turn up the power on the light. How volume of water: You can say “my again. Let’s say you have a drinking inverse-squareinverse-square law,law, whichwhich statesstates thatthat ing groups of people. Set up a light too close, does the subject look? Now double the power on lawn is wetter” or “my lawn isn’t wet fountain in your house and you are luminanceluminance decreasesdecreases inverselyinversely toto thethe and while the person closest to your key is well your light, to ½. How does the subject look? Now enough,” but you would never say trying to use it. The lumens would be squaresquare ofof distance.distance. InIn formulaformula terms,terms, lit, the person furthest away might be underex- max out your power. How does the subject look “my lawn is exactly 5 wets today.” like the total water pressure in your luminanceluminance == 1/d2.1/d2. NowNow whatwhat thethe heckheck posed. Sometimes you’re shooting in close quar- now? How does the background look? Pay atten- That’s brightness. On the other hand, doesdoes thatthat meanmean inin practicalpractical terms?terms? ters and you can’t get the light back far enough tion to both shadows and refl ections. you can say, “I just watered my lawn Let’sLet’s saysay youyou havehave aa lightlight atat fullfull to avoid a dramatic drop-off. If that happens, Next, go back to ¼ power and do everything with exactly 2 fluid ounces of water BRIGHTNESS IS A power,power, oneone metermeter awayaway fromfrom youryour you’ll need to get creative. e-block the scene, again, but this time start with the subject at two per square inch.” That’s luminance. SUBJECTIVE JUDGEMENT. subject.subject. IfIf youyou movemove thethe lightlight toto twotwo use refl ectors to bounce light around or maybe meters in front of the wall. How does your sub- Specifically, luminance is a measure meters,meters, doublingdoubling thethe distance,distance, youyou add a bunch of fi lls to your key. ject look relative to the background? ompare of how much light is coming off of a LUMINANCE IS AN mightmight thinkthink thatthat youyou wouldwould seesee halfhalf asas This also applies while using the same source your fi rst sequence and your second sequence. particular object and hitting your eye OBJECTIVE MEASURE. muchmuch lightlight onon youryour subject.subject. However,However, to light your background as you are your sub- Let us know on our forums how it turns out. — or camera lens. The current unit of becausebecause ofof thethe inverseinverse squaresquare law,law, ject. If you want your subject to pop from your contents contents luminance is the cd/m2, or candela per youyou wouldwould actuallyactually getget (½)2,(½)2, oror ¼¼ background, move the light closer and your Mike VanHelder i a rkin ri er ra er and ide contents meter squared, though in old text- house. It’s good to have water pres- thethe amountamount ofof light.light. IfIf youyou tripletriple thethe subject a few steps out from the background. If r d er in iladel ia A. Hi er al ay ld i a e a ery bri . full screen books you’ll find it called “nit,” “foot- sure, but it doesn’t matter if all the distancedistance toto threethree meters,meters, youyou won’twon’t you want them to be close in luminance, move full screen lambert” or “stilb”. Yes, “stilb.” Thank- water is going to the laundry machine. getget 1/3the1/3the amountamount ofof light.light. You’llYou’ll getget your light out and have your subject step a little an en n i ar i le by in nline . ide aker. ar i le print fully, that one never really caught on. Illuminance would be how much (1/3)(1/3)22,, oror 1/9.1/9. closer to the wall. print
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376 C03 Lighting.indd 42 7/23/18 9:50 AM 376 C03 Lighting.indd 43 7/23/18 9:51 AM EDITING E T SEPTE E EDITING SubScriber by C ri Ga e Alert! You may be contacted by unauthorized subscription agents asking you to renew your subscription. These companies are not ree ints t an icient dit authorized to represent Videomaker nor are they affiliated with us in any way. Please do The art of video editing can be a not give out any personal, payment or credit card information to the companies listed below. messy ob. The problem is that Videomaker will not accept orders from these companies and if you choose to renew through messy doesn’t always suit our them you will likely never receive any issues of Videomaker. Please do not renew your needs it’s counterproductive to subscription by mail, phone or Internet through any of these unauthorized companies: efficient editing. ne of the best • American Consumer Publishing Association, Inc. 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376 C01 Editing.indd 44 7/23/18 9:52 AM 376 C01 Editing.indd 45 7/23/18 9:52 AM subALERT.indd 1 11/18/2015 2:04:10 PM DOCUMENTAR SE TEMBER DOCUMENTAR DOCUMENTAR
by e er Bie er eld
AsAs Talk Talk suggests, suggests, these these fi fi lms lms ow the ump werewere typically typically designed designed to to give “give ope ot Its inding inding ntrigue ntrigue inin t et e undane undane insightsinsights into into the the priorities priorities of of govern- govern- hythm uses There are no boring sub ects, mentsments and and into into social social change: change: hat hat well-paced editing, waswas understood? understood hat hat were were people people e citing closeups only disinter ested minds. . . worriedworried about? about hat hat did did people people need need and slow motion to hesterton toto have have explained e plained to to them? them ” build interest in the ButBut whether whether it it was was deep deep inside inside the the history of this com- warrenswarrens of of government government bureaucra- bureaucra- mon playground ciescies like like the the Empire mpire Marketing arketing Board Board pastime. inin Great reat Britain, Britain, The The National ational Film Film BoardBoard of of Canada, Canada, or or in in the the private private fifi lm lm commissionscommissions ofof US S govern-govern- mentment departments, departments, the the golden golden age’ age’ is a classroom favorite in world or situation of your fi lm will In our information-crammed lives, waswas also also an an era era that that produced produced artful artful uropean schools. “In the beginning, ensure their buy-in from the outset. how many of us have been made to makersmakers of of non-fi non-fi ctionction fi fi lmslms whosewhose in-in- the big mother potato was laid ” By e tension, making a topic sit through coma-inducing fact-fi lms novativenovative work work can can still still teach teach us us a a few few So begins the authoritative but kind relatable by telling and showing an or interminably tedious educational thingsthings about about taking taking the the boring boring out out of of voice of the narrator who stretches audience why this content is impor- documentaries? factfact fi fi lms. lms. some historical truths in the unfolding tant or useful to them can also help to hether in school, at work or General eneral Post ost Offi ffi cece fi fi lmmakerslmmakers ledled of the animated tale of tuber history capture and sustain attention. in community halls, chances are byby doc doc pioneer pioneer ohn ohn Grierson rierson resorted resorted from the Incan potato creation myth Tying a topic to current events or that while you were fi ghting off the toto poetry poetry and and innovative innovative soundscapes soundscapes to its triumphant universal appeal at trends is a classic speaker’s tech- sandman in the middle of a boring history of road markings. The Boring esoteric nuggets of background infor- toto tell tell the the British British public public how how effi effi cientcient dinner tables around the world. ni ue that can add some interest to explainer fi lm, your inner fi lmmaker Talks proves Chesterton’s point: Cap- mation, will certainly hold an audi- theirtheir national national postal postal service service was was in in the the For a contemporary e ample a potentially boring subject such as was screaming that there had to be ture the interest of your audience and ence’s attention. British fi lmmaker classicclassic mini mini doc doc Night “ ight Mail ail” ( 36). . spawned from the T Talks series, urban planning, for e ample. hy a better way to present this mind- boring won’t be an issue no matter Steven Lake does just that when he ForFor the the 60 short short fi fi lm, lm, A “A CityCity we can look to “Small Thing Big Idea,” not inject some dynamic visuals from numbing content. how humdrum the subject matter. deploys affable grassroots activist Alex CalledCalled Copenhagen, Copenhagen,” commissioned commissioned which celebrates every day objects’ cities around the world supported by British essayist and 30s radio ex- A Financial Times review of the Lee to persuade audiences to hang it byby Copenhagen Copenhagen city city council council and and from buttons to hoodies and features an inspiring music score to add some plainer G. . Chesterton’s maxim that Talks podcast, which celebrates all up’ in his 20 2 enviro-doc Drying for harborharbor authority authority to to promote promote the the city city some snappy fi lmmaking. The episode illustrative bite there are no boring subjects fl ies off things mundane, offers some clues as Freedom, a fi lm about clotheslines. abroad,abroad, the the fi fi lmmaker lmmaker waswas instructed instructed “How the ump ope ot Its hythm” ocumentaries are essentially visual the page like a challenge from another to how this might be achieved: hat, From the laundry-less gardens of toto include include a a long long list list of of statistics statistics on on is a brisk but visually rich walk through story delivery systems that depend time for content creators today to take on paper, sounds like an intermi- sunny California to India’s commu- the history of the jump rope. ith stri- on fi nding a narrative to unpack with an authentic interest in the subject nable snooze-fest is made interesting nal open air Laundromats, Drying THE ADVENTURE O dent editing of e uisitely shot close- engaging and relevant images and matter they’re imparting. through diligent research and the cha- for Freedom is a voyage into the new ups, e treme live action slo-mo and sounds. The form of the genre is shift- risma of the speakers who, in locating environmental battlefi eld, reads the THE ONDER UL O motion across archival photographs ing its shape constantly from hybrid to eal-world pproaches the narrative in potentially tedious fi lm’s logline. TATO IS A CLASSROOM that you can’t take your eyes off, it’s e perimental, from poetic to mock- The creators of the popular BBC topics, end up revealing a lot about Lake doesn’t rely entirely on Lee’s all held together by the maternal and doc, and there is still something to be podcast, The Boring Talks, appear to themselves, too. earnest persuasion skills to make his AVORITE IN EURO E. understanding voice of the presenter. said for passionate and articulate talk- have met Chesterton’s challenge head- Engaging presenters with an infec- energy-saving arguments. He also ing heads who can e plain to us how on. From the infl uence of the wooden tious enthusiasm for the subject makes extensive use of archival foot- Techniques to Try the world works. pallet on the global economy to the matter, armed with irresistible and age. Seldom seen and long forgotten thethe city’s city’s municipal municipal services. services. Director irector How to make dull subject matter in- The doc making toolkit is diverse. 0s commercials from the dawning rgen rgen Roos, oos, anticipating anticipating his his audi- audi- teresting is an age-old preoccupation If your ne t video project is about a While the practice of the age of electrical appliances make ence’sence’s potential potential boredom, boredom, tapped tapped of creators regardless of the medium challenging or bland subject matter, of drying laundry for a fun ride into the nostalgic support intointo some some self-deprecating self-deprecating Danish anish they work in. As you might e pect, the don’t be afraid to dip in and mi and might not seem li e of a potentially unremarkable topic. humourhumour to to keep keep viewers viewers watching. watching. As As internet has an abundance of advice match, you’ll know when you have the a compelling topic Boring Talks , entitled Danish thethe narrator narrator rattles rattles off off the the mandated mandated on the matter. ost of it is about busi- right combination of story elements for a documen- Public Information Films,’ celebrates listlist and and goes goes on on about about the the effi effi cien-cien- ness communications — how to make that will keep the sandman at bay and tary, rying for their golden age from 3 to 6 . ciescies of of the the cranes cranes in in the the harbor, harbor, Roos oos your product or service e citing — but your audience wanting more. reedon is able to The presenter reminds us that it was fre uentlyfre uently cuts cuts to to people people and and animals animals some of the pointers are transposable weave an engag- fi lms sponsored by governments, doingdoing the the yawning yawning on on the the audience’s audience’s to the making of docs and fact fi lms e er Bie er eld i a n n i i n ry eller e contents contents ing narrative by foundations and organizations that behalf.behalf. The The fi fi lm lm waswas nominatednominated for for with challenging subject matter. iali in in d en ary rren a air reali y contents ele i i n and ed a i nal r d i n. digging deep into fi rst infl icted useful cinema’ on anan Academy Academy Award Award for for Best Best Docu- ocu- The oft-used techni ue of starting a full screen the history of the unsuspecting citizens, and not only in mentarymentary Short. Short. presentation with a uestion can work full screen clothesline. Denmark, to give us education with AnotherAnother Danish anish offering, offering, The “The in fi lmmaking as well. Asking viewers an en n i ar i le by in nline . ide aker. ar i le print the lights off.’ AdventureAdventure of of the the onderful onderful Potato otato” directly to imagine themselves in the print
4 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 4
376 C06 Documentary.indd 46 7/23/18 9:54 AM 376 C06 Documentary.indd 47 7/23/18 9:54 AM SHOOTING SEPTE E SHOOTING
by Da e Sniadak
greater amount of data to write and play. hileWhile ee ing U it the codecs by which HDRH is shared have yet to gain global hold, the potential to captivate and The world of has e panded replicate the look and feel of the human eye is within reach. than s to technological advance- Since the cost of entry for capturing content ments — or has it? ive into the that truly elevates standard video to HDR- ualityH -quality is prohibitive to most, here are three simple matri of this dynamic trend and tricks a video producer can leverage to deliver a solid result that mirrors HDR.H . learn three ways to elevate the For starters, ensure you’re maintaining pro- perception of your wor . duction integrity with each shot. Avoid overex- posing or underexposing your camera while cap- turing a visually arresting scene. You can adjust e’ve all had those moments in our much of the content in post-production, but it’s lives when we are stopped in our hard to fi x something that’s broken beyond re- tracks by the awe-inspiring beauty pair. Setting your camera’s aperture or iris to an of the now . Magnifi cent morning ideal setting before pressing the shutter or record sunrises painted with strokes of every button will ensure success. ven if you don’t have the ability to capture true with your current equip- color imaginable; landscapes bathed Next, consider kicking up the visuals within ment, you can still ta e control of the elements that appear in your shot. in the golden glow of summer’s set- the scene itself. From charismatic costumes to Including colorful settings and costumes can ma e your scene more dynamic. ting sun, glittering galactic night skies profound props, the more color you surround speckled with millions of faint incan- subconscious, the technological the potential to stop viewers in their descent stars. advancements that make the docu- tracks, while the succinct surround- hether through the lens of your mentation of these moments pos- sound complementing those visuals HDR ALLO S THE RANGE O H photo modes into their mobile camera. camera, on a new fl at screen at sible are within reach, thanks to the can bring out a raw, ethereal reaction We are on the precipice of global potential High Dynamic Range (HDR) features that sears the soul. COLORS TO BE E TENDED ON for H saturation across multiple formats. that are beginning to be built into To appreciate what HDRH is capable BOTH THE LIGHT AND THE DAR The quality of mobile still photography has THE STUNNING VISUALS today’s newest cameras, camcorders, of, we need to understand what HDRH taken hold on platforms like Instagram and monitors and televisions. is. Simply put, HDRH is a color en- ENDS O THE S ECTRUM. Facebook, but what about in our living rooms O HDR HAVE THE O hancement feature that allows the on our television sets or in our offi ces on our TENTIAL TO STO VIE The - - s of range of colors to be extended on your subject with, the greater your color range to computer monitors? If you’re a fan of the Matrix trilogy, both the light and dark ends of the work with when producing your fi nished work. anufacturers are marketing ltra H and ERS IN THEIR TRAC S. you understand the greater concept spectrum. This means richer colors If you’re shooting a tour of a new home, consider H formats of their higher-end products to pushed in those fi lms that our reality and more fl exibility in exposing your staging with colorful rugs, art pieces on the wall move the needle on the enhanced dynamic the local big box retailer or sim- is merely an illusion. It’s not a stretch image for mixed lighting. or counters, and add pops of color with fresh range of color and sound. Yet, until the prod- ply captured with the shutter of to assume the same could be said for In Standard Dynamic ynamic Range ange (SDR)(S ) fl owers or synthetic bou uetsbouquets from your local art uct delivered to those monitors is available on your eyelids and burned into your HDR video. The stunning visuals have blacks are fl at, whites are bright, supply store. a mass scale, the evolution of this technology and everything else sort of falls in Finally, leverage the light. The more you can may still require a bit more time to penetrate the the middle. High Dynamic ynamic Range ange control the light in your shot, the better that shot mainstream marketplace. To emulate the leverages the information embedded will be. By creating striking streaks of shadows As Laurence Fishburne’s character, orpheus, loo of and within a video signal that addresses or pools of primary light throughout your scene, famously quipped in “The atrix” (1999): “You ma e your scene the natural colors of the content, you gain the ability to make the materials within take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in more dramatic, pulls them out and enhances them. your frame stand out. Properly placed lights al- your bed and you believe whatever you want to ta e control of So, blacks aren’t just black, they’re a lows the lens to soak up the scene on screen and believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Won- your lighting. multitude of shades of black, grays, stop viewers in their tracks — with the need for a derland and I show you how deep the rabbit opa ueopaque — whites aren’t just bright, camera upgrade. hole goes.” Welcome to the rabbit hole of H . they’re white, pearl, tan and — you hoose wisely. get the picture. nowledge is ower hileWhile mass acceptance of HDRH hasn’t uitequite hit contents In addi i n r dly a rin e daily ad en re i contents nloc ing ’s otential mainstream on the video front, it has been in- ildren Da e Sniadak ana e all a e r ra e In order for HDRH technology to tegrated into several platforms of photography, ni a i n r a Minnea li ba ed airline. full screen deliver its value, the media through most notably in the technology you may be full screen which the content is captured or reading this article on — your cell phone. Man- an- an en n i ar i le by in nline print shared re uiresrequires a signifi cantly ufacturers like Apple and Samsung have built . ide aker. ar i le print
4 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 4
376 C02 Shooting.indd 48 7/23/18 9:56 AM 376 C02 Shooting.indd 49 7/23/18 9:56 AM TECHNOLOGY SEPTEMBER 2018 TECHNOLOGYTECHNOLOG
by Pete e e TomkiesT kie
based optical stabilization,stabili ation, though, in this case, Image mage Stabilization ta i i ati n Explained ained the technology is built into the camera body. Gyros yros are again used to relay information about This article provides an the camera’s movement to a microprocessor that controls motors to move the camera’s image introduction to the three forms sensor to compensate for shake or wobble. of camera and lens-based The main advantage with in-body stabilizationstabili ation is that all lenses used with that camera will benben-- stabili ation systems. We’ll loo efitefi t from the stabilization,stabili ation, even older mechanical at how these systems wor to lenses. Sensor-shift based systems can also comcom-- pensate for types of motion that cannot be councoun-- give you a smoother final image tered with lens-based stabilization.stabili ation. Some cameras offer up to fivefi ve axes of stabilization,stabili ation, including roll and how you can use them to (rotation around the lens axis), x-axis (horizontal)(hori ontal) improve your videos. and y-axis (vertical) stabilizationstabili ation in addition to the pitch and yaw countered by optical stabilization.stabili ation. The Panasonic Lumix GH5 H5 includes a Dual ual IS that incorporates sensor-shift stabilizationstabili ation that There are various ways for a videogra- works in conjunction with lens-based systems to When shooting handheld, image stabilization can help you capture smooth pher to stabili e their footage. If your maximizemaximi e the stabilizingstabili ing effect. tracking shots, but if you move to a tripod, it’s best to turn image stabiliza- camera doesn’t need to move, a tripod tion off to avoid unwanted juddering in the image during pans and tilts. is ideal. Where camera movement is 3. Digital stabilization required, devices such as a gimbal or Digital igital stabilization,stabili ation, also known as electronic im- Steadicam will ensure that your move- speeds. For videographers, this is not which moves to compensate for cam- age stabilization,stabili ation, is an in-camera version of the cause issues when using a camera on a tripod and ment is free from bumps and jolts. an issue — shutter speeds of 1/ th era shakiness. yro-sensors detect and image stabilizationstabili ation that is included with some so should be switched off in those instances. But what if you can’t afford that and 1/ th second are the norm and relay the motion to a microcomputer non-linear editing software. Rather ather than using When using stabilized lenses with some cam- equipment, or you need to need to be the resulting motion blur on individual which controls motors that shift the the full area of the camera’s image sensing chip eras to shoot video, the stabilization system may able to run-and-gun to capture your frames can actually improve the ap- fl oating element so as to counteract to record an image, a digital stabilizationstabili ation system not be activated uwntil you press record, possibly subject? The shaky camera-work that pearance of motion in your footage. the movement of the camera. only uses around 909 percent in the center of causing a momentary jitter in the image. If this is can arise from hand-holding your cam- However, image stabili ation systems The main advantage of optical stabi- the chip. When camera movement is detected, an issue, remember to allow a second or two at the era is, at best, distracting and can even are still ideal for mitigating the un- li ation is that, as it is built into the start of each shot for the stabilization system to be nausea-inducing for your audience. steadiness of handheld footage. lens, it will work on any compatible settle. It’s a good habit to leave a few extra seconds In these circumstances, the image sta- camera. Optical stabili ation is also AS DIGITAL STABILIZATION IN- at the beginning and end of your clips anyway. bili ation options that may be available Image stabili ation comes able to compensate for greater move- VOLVES CROPPING THE SEN- In addition to general stabilization, some sys- on your camera can save the day. in three forms ments than sensor-shift stabili ation tems include different operating modes such as optical, sensor-shift and digital. and so is more effective with longer SOR, IT CAN LEAD TO A LOSS OF switching off the stabilization on one axis to avoid Still hotography vs ideo 1. Optical stabilization telephoto lenses. RESOLUTION. the issues that can arise when panning or tilting In the world of still photography, image Optical stabili ation systems are built Stabili ed lenses, however, are more the camera. stabili ation is used to ensure sharp into some lenses and work by in- expensive and heavier than non-stabi- images when using slower shutter corporating a fl oating lens element, li ed versions. There are also limita- the portion of the image sensor used to record Conclusion tions on the range of movements for the image shifts in the opposite direction to Image stabilization systems are very useful in pitical and sensor- which lens-based stabili ation systems compensate for the motion. The movement can reducing camera shake when shooting hand- shift stabili ation can compensate. Typically, in-lens be detected with motion detectors as with an held and, with practice, you can learn to achieve systems are the best stabili ation systems only compensate optical and sensor-shift stabilizationstabili ation system or smooth tracking shots with these systems. While options for stabili - for movement along two axes: pitch through an analysis of the image itself. they will never be able to replicate the floating ing your image. The (vertical tilting or pivoting movement) As digital stabilizationstabili ation involves cropping the sensen-- glide that can be achieved with a Steadicam or sensor-shift system and yaw (side-to-side pivoting mo- sor used to capture an image, it can lead to a loss gimbal, image stabilization systems are another in the can wor tion). Furthermore, as optical stabili a- of resolution. Also, systems that work by analyzinganaly ing great tool to help improve your video footage. in con unction with tion involves moving elements within the image can be fooled by moving subjects in the an optical system, the lens, it can adversely affect the frame or by camera movements such as panning Pete Tomkies is a freelance cinematographer and camera contents contents giving you the best quality of the bokeh in the image. or tilting, resulting in juddering of the image. operator from Manchester, UK. He also produces and directs contents of both. short films under the name Duck66 Films. full screen 2. Sensor-shift Tips for a Stable Image full screen In-body, or sensor shift, stabili ation While image stabilizationstabili ation systems can be very You can comment on this article by going online: print works on the same principle as lens- useful to smooth handheld footage, they can www.videomaker.com/article/19401 print
VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 51
376 C16 Technology.indd 50 7/23/18 9:59 AM 376 C16 Technology.indd 51 7/23/18 9:59 AM New Free Resource (in top corner)
OPINION How Much Should FREE by Nicole LaJeunesse I Charge for Video RESOURCE YouTube Needs to Listen Up Production? YouTube is still recovering from the Adpocalypse of 2017, when advertisers discovered their ads might be running against unsavory uploads and subsequently boycotted the platform. Though efforts have been made to right the ship, if YouTube really wants to t s the biggest question when rebuild a healthy relationship with creators, the platform will need to learn to listen. you re ust starting out, but even long time professional freelancers struggle with this It has been over a year since You- forts to crack down on fake news, are fans. This is what YouTube as a com- seemingly simple question. You Tube’s Adpocalypse began, but the met with derision and skepticism. pany should be focusing on. While video sharing giant is still struggling Cries of censorship echo from one advertising dollars allow the platform know that your time and work to regain the confidence of creators. side of the spectrum while the op- to operate, it is the creators and the is valuable, but how valuable Despite well-intentioned efforts, the posite extreme claims the platform is content that bring in viewers. unrest surrounding the platform’s still not doing enough to combat the If we could go back in time with the ow can you keep your reactionary monetization rules and proliferation of conspiracy theory vid- insights we have now, perhaps You- prices competitive limitations has been compounded by eos. YouTube just can’t catch a break. Tube would have reacted differently to a series of missteps on YouTube’s part. To give YouTube some credit, the the original advertising boycott. Per- without cheating And it doesn’t help that both creators platform is at least trying to address the haps the platform would have more yourself and journalists — including us here at hardships creators have faced over the thoroughly considered the impact Videomaker — are now scrutinizing past year when it comes to revenue. policy changes can have on creators. Now you can take the the platform more closely than ever. They’ve rolled out new programs for Perhaps they would understand that guesswork out of the equation. Though the original inferno of monetization that bypass the issues of creators are the foundation on which resenting the Videomaker outrage over changes to YouTube’s brand safety that set off the Adpoca- YouTube is built. monetization policy has subsided lypse in the first place. Built-in options But we can’t go back in time, so, Video a e a a or the somewhat, there is still plenty of bad for creating channel merchandise and assuming YouTube does actually care Remove the guesswork with quick, easy and free way to news for creators to focus on. Recent receiving support from subscribers about creators, the best the platform calculate e actly the best rates reports of undisclosed testing and through the Sponsorship program are can do now is listen to them. And as Videomaker's free Video Rate for any video freelancer. t deleted channels only add fuel to the both steps in the right direction. for creators, keep giving YouTube your Adpocalypse fire. It certainly doesn’t However, it’s not possible to say yet feedback at any available opportunity. Calculator. takes into account your unique look good for YouTube when ma- whether these new tools will be enough Make suggestions. Tell them what circumstances from your jor news outlets run headlines like, to assuage creator concerns. Plus, both is and isn’t working. Be polite, but business e pense to your cost “YouTube thumbnail experiment may options require considerably more also make them understand that if impact millions of users, frustrating effort to implement compared to the they continue to erode the platform’s of living and even your desired creators” and “YouTube terminates ac- relatively simple process of enabling foundation, eventually there won’t be profi t level. Be confi dent you're counts promoting Twitch streams.” pre-roll advertising on your uploads. anything left. asking for a fair rate that will At the same time, even superficially Despite the flaws we can undoubt- In any case, YouTube has a steep keep you in business while positive developments, like new ef- edly find in YouTube’s policy imple- hill to climb before they can regain mentation and the trust of both creators and the also giving your client a deal feature roll-outs, it’s general public. As more creators that they can t refuse too soon to label look for monetization alternatives, YouTube a sink- it’s up to YouTube to keep up with • Keep Track of your Business ing ship. YouTube the competition without further penses is still a place of alienating its current user base. • Keep your profi ts at the level community, and In the meantime, all we can do is many relationships wait for the next platform update you want and support net- and give YouTube as much feedback works built on the as possible. platform are still contents contents thriving. Monetized Nicole care about the future of online video. or not, creators are She’s also Videomaker’s managing editor. full screen still posting videos full screen and sharing their You can comment on this article by going online: print lives with their www.videomaker.com/article/19530 print
VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 52 V V
334 VM Rate Calculator ad.indd 48 7/20/18 11:39 AM 376 P05 Opinion YouTube Needs to Listen.indd 52 7/23/18 10:01 AM DIRECTING SEPTEMBER 2018 DIRECTING
by Stephen Mandel Joseph
winging it in directing. As soon as you know Your First Directing Gig you have the job, read through the script. And if there isn’t a script, write your own. You’ll have It doesn’t matter what you’re work- to do this anyway — before production begins, you’ll need to write your own shooting script ing on. Documentary, feature film, and script breakdown, detailing shots, camera movements and blocking. wedding or corporate video, if it’s Don’t leave anything to chance. When I was your first directing gig, one thing is a film student in college, our professor had the students storyboard each project before we shot for certain: It’s not going to be easy. it. A storyboard helps you to visualize not just the scene, but each individual shot. Each panel in a storyboard should communicate where the actors are going to be placed, what shots work Directing your first project is like best for the scene, and if those shots are going getting behind the wheel of a car for to be expensive or cost-effective. For example, the first time. You read through the if you know in advance that a shot should be manual, attended the driving courses mounted on a tripod rather than handheld, you in a classroom and absorbed all of the can save time and money by having that tripod As a director, you’ll need to have good relations with everyone on set, from advice and instructions from licensed ready to go when it’s time to shoot. A storyboard the financiers to the actors to the production assistant. Get to know your cast and seasoned drivers, but when it helps you to quickly visualize what you need and crew during preproduction to help build these relationships. comes time to sitting behind that during each day of the shoot. wheel yourself for the first time, the On top of your own preparations, you’ll also butterflies in your stomach take flight. need to schedule time for rehearsals with both thumb always remains the same for every direc- Here’s the good news. You can ma- observing a professional director in ac- same way you have to know what to cast and crew to make sure production flows as tor: Have everything in order before the cameras neuver your way through the process tion. It’s not the same as an internship, do next after you start the engine of smoothly as possible. start rolling. once you realize that that’s all it is: a where you have to run errands. By a car, you have to know what to do process. Like driving, directing is a step- shadowing a director, you will gain an when the cameras start rolling. Never Be Confident Study the Craft of Directing by-step process that, when properly fol- extensive understanding of the entire go in cold, even if you’re working Make no mistakes about it — the director is There are tons of books, videos, blogs and lowed, will help you get from point A to filmmaking process, from both techni- with a seasoned or experienced crew. the head honcho on the set of any filmmaking courses on the topics of directing and filmmak- point B without crashing along the way. cal and creative points of view. Some projects can afford professional project. They not only helm the shoot, but have ing. Directors love sharing their experiences on That said, beyond tracking down to be responsible for everything on the set from their first directing gigs. They love passing on the Shadow an Experienced Director opportunities for hands-on experi- the crew to lighting and sound, to keeping on knowledge they have learned from trial and error One of the best methods to learn about ence, there are a few other ways you THE SCRIPT IS THE on micro-budget projects as well as Hollywood directing is from a seasoned direc- can prepare for you first directing gig. BLUEPRINT TO YOUR productions. Gather as much information as you tor at work. Film students from USC MAKE NO MISTAKES ABOUT IT can from these sources, but in the end, when and UCLA are known for shadowing Have a Plan ENTIRE PRODUCTION. — THE DIRECTOR IS THE HEAD you’re behind that wheel, you have to make your own decisions and your own judgments. Hollywood directors on actual movie Directing involves having a realistic HONCHO ON THE SET OF ANY productions. Shadowing just means and a methodical game plan. The But you also have to know everything about FILMMAKING PROJECT. driving before you get behind the wheel — directors of photography and assistant where the brake is, how to steer, how to parallel Long before you directors, but the crew will still need park. The same concentration and know-how call action, you’ll to turn to the director for — well — schedule and managing the actors — and, yes, goes into directing. It’s imperative to understand need to spend lots for direction. the director is even responsible for handling on- every aspect of the production long before the of time getting to The script is the blueprint to your set emergencies. production actually commences. As long as you know the script. entire production, and without it, There are no technical qualifications to be- stay positive, keep notes, prepare for the unex- Writing your own your chances of directing a success- come a director. You need the confidence and pected and take deep breaths, you will be well shooting script and ful first-time project are zero. A good the know-how. You need to communicate well on your way of becoming just as skilled as the making shot lists script, at this point, is a director’s best with the financiers, the actors and the crew. best in the business. and storyboards friend. But a good script breakdown You also need to keep everyone motivated. By contents contents all help ensure is your ally. Once you have the script, planning your shoot early in the development Stephen Mandel Joseph is a writer and journalist from NYC. contents He also writes screenplays and comic book scripts when he’s a successful first your next step is the pre-production stages, your chances of experiencing obstacles not freelancing. He has a passion for filmmaking & directing. full screen production. phase. You have to know the plan during the production narrow down. Even full screen from the pre-development stage to though every project varies based on the bud- You can comment on this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/19500 print the post-production stage. There’s no get, shooting schedule and resources, the rule of print
54 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 55
376 C11 Directing.indd 54 7/23/18 10:02 AM 376 C11 Directing.indd 55 7/23/18 10:44 AM PLANNING SEPTEMBER 2018 PLANNINGPLANNING
by Patty Mooney
FromFrom ConceptConcept toto FirstFirst DraftDraft Figure 1. CRAZY DOG PET GROOMING VIDEO VIDEO AUDIO Pre-production is central to the 1. EFX - Fly in Crazy Dog Logo Music up. VO: Welcome to the video production process. Plan- Crazy Dog Pet grooming video. ning can take more time than the We’re glad you and your pet could be with us today! actual production, especially since it involves drafting your script. 2. Montage of various dogs If your “best friend” seriously enjoying life, i.e., catch- enjoys living a dog’s life, chances ing a Frisbee, jumping into are it’s time for a good bathing a lake, shaking water and and grooming session. If I ever balk at a huge upcoming proj- TheThe situationsituation inin thethe CrazyCrazy DogDog PetPet GroomingGrooming VideoVideo isis mud off (show the need to ect, my husband will say “How do you thatthat aa petpet ownerowner hashas aa dirtydirty dog.dog. TheThe storystory happenshappens clean and groom the dog) eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” whenwhen thatthat dogdog goesgoes fromfrom dirtydirty toto clean.clean. I would never want to literally eat an 3. Pan array of Crazy Dog Congratulations on purchas- elephant, but it is an excellent axiom TheThe treatmenttreatment isis thethe scriptscript inin itsits concenconcen-- products ing the Crazy Dog grooming set, for our purposes. tratedtrated version.version. ThisThis isis whatwhat youyou willwill showshow toto which includes clippers, trimmers, The same idea applies to taking youryour clientclient forfor theirtheir go-aheadgo-ahead priorprior toto writingwriting blades, combs, shampoo and con- a script idea from concept to first thethe script.script. ditioner. draft. If you put a stack of mental roadblocks in your path — like “this Dog. They wanted to have a video In “Hangover,” the situation is that PuttingPutting ItIt intointo PracticePractice script is so big and it’s going to take that would accompany their Dog a group of friends drive to Las Vegas YourYour jobjob asas thethe sc4riptwritersc4riptwriter isis toto relaterelate aa storystory 4. ECU woman stuffs wad of Now you can save money on pro- forever to write,” or “I would love Grooming set. Our real-world ex- for a memorable bachelor party. The andand exposeexpose conflictconflict whilewhile sellingselling thethe prodprod-- money into pocket of bib fessional grooming,… to one day win an Oscar for my ample is smaller in scale than your story is what happens when they can- uct.uct. YouYou needneed toto bebe aa voraciousvoracious readerreader andand overalls screenplay but the idea of walking typical Hollywood blockbuster, but not find the groom who needs to be researcher.researcher. GatherGather allall thethe elementselements youyou cancan toto onto the stage in front of millions of you still need to evoke emotion from back in LA in time to tie the knot. breathebreathe lifelife intointo youryour script.script. 5. Woman petting cocker …spend more time with your pet, people is way too daunting” — you’ll the viewer. For the Crazy Dog Pet Groom- WhenWhen workingworking withwith youryour corporatecorporate client,client, spaniel in backyard and keep your pet looking and effectively stall yourself from ever To do that, you’ll first need to know ing video, the situation was that the requestrequest anyany materialsmaterials theythey havehave developeddeveloped forfor smelling great! reaching for that spork. the difference between situation and viewer had a mangy, smelly dog. The thethe product.product. ResearchResearch otherother productsproducts likelike itit onon But that movie idea has been rat- story in order to expose conflicts and story? The Crazy Dog pet grooming thethe internet,internet, andand checkcheck outout videosvideos similarsimilar toto thethe 6. Woman with mixed breed; At Crazy Dog, we know that good tling around in your head for a long devices would, step-by-step, deliver oneone youyou areare writing,writing, soso thatthat youyou cancan steersteer clearclear she holds his paw in her health and good grooming go time. Or a corporate client needs your both dog and owner into a happy, ofof plagiarism.plagiarism. hand hand-in-paw! help in writing a video script about THINK OF IT THIS WAY: healthy, loving space. BeforeBefore sittingsitting downdown toto writewrite thethe CrazyCrazy DogDog their service or product. In either sce- THE STORY MOSTLY PetPet GroomingGrooming Video,Video, II askedasked thethe clientclient toto sendsend nario, you will employ the same basic Logline, Treatment & Script meme allall theirtheir marketingmarketing materialsmaterials andand diddid mymy methods to devlop a vague idea into ARISES OUT OF THE You can see how easily the situation- preliminarypreliminary research.research. Then,Then, II createdcreated aa scriptscript 90th year of the Oscar awards. Scripts are the something you can actually capture SITUATION. story scenario can translate into a byby basicallybasically drawingdrawing aa lineline downdown thethe centercenter ofof aa coals that feed that voracious locomotive of the on video. logline. The log line is a brief sum- piecepiece ofof paper.paper. OnOn thethe firstfirst halfhalf II wrotewrote “Video”“Video” film industry. Bob Dylan sings, “Well, it may be mary of your script. One sentence can andand onon thethe secondsecond halfhalf “Audio.”“Audio.” II laterlater addedadded Your characters, their stories and the ways the devil or it may be the Lord / But solve problems. Even veteran video do the trick. scenescene numbersnumbers toto thethe left.left. they intersect will be the elements that elevate you’re gonna have to serve some- producers sometimes get confused You can then expand on your HereHere isis anan exampleexample ofof thethe Open.Open. (Figure(Figure 1.)1.) your script and make it original. And maybe one body.” And so it goes for the typical about the difference between situa- logline by fleshing out a treatment. day you will be that screenwriter who makes us successful video producer. Our bread tion and story. Write a few prose paragraphs about TheThe FinishedFinished ScriptScript all proud with a short and humble acceptance and butter jobs are for clients who are Think of it this way: the story the story in present tense to impart It’sIt’s difficultdifficult inin thisthis centurycentury toto createcreate completelycompletely speech as you cradle an unexpectedly hefty neither devil nor Lord, but somewhere mostly arises out of the situation. For a feeling of immediacy; stay away originaloriginal contentcontent thatthat hashas nevernever beenbeen seenseen before.before. Oscar in your arms. in between. Let’s concentrate on what example, the situation in “Dunkirk” is from passive voice and past tense. AccordingAccording toto authorauthor ChristopherChristopher Booker,Booker, allall sto-sto- it takes to deliver a working script to that hundreds of thousands of Allied Include the beginning, middle and riesries boilboil downdown toto sevenseven differentdifferent plots.plots. TheyThey are:are: Patty Mooney is a Partner at San Diego’s longest-standing contents your client. troops are trapped on the beach with ending of the story without getting 1.1. OvercomingOvercoming thethe Monster,Monster, 2.2. RagsRags toto Riches,Riches, 3.3. video production company, Crystal Pyramid Productions contents where she wears many hats including Producer, Writer, Edi- the enemy closing in. The story is overly detailed. If it’s a comedy, it TheThe Quest,Quest, 4.4. VoyageVoyage andand Return,Return, 5.5. Rebirth,Rebirth, 6.6. tor, Sound Tech and Teleprompter Owner/Operator. full screen Situation is not Story about all the small fishing vessels and should make the reader laugh; if ComedyComedy andand 7.7. Tragedy.Tragedy. full screen One of my earliest scripts was for sailboat captains who venture forth to it’s a harrowing drama, a few tears ButBut thinkthink ofof itit likelike this:this: TheThe AcademyAcademy ofof Mo-Mo- You can comment on this article by going online: www.videomaker.com/article/19388 print the pet grooming company Crazy save the troops. wouldn’t be out of the question. tiontion picturepicture ArtsArts andand SciencesSciences justjust celebratedcelebrated itsits print
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376 C10 Planning.indd 56 7/23/18 10:04 AM 376 C10 Planning.indd 57 7/23/18 10:04 AM ONLINE VIDEO SEPTEM ER ONLINEONLINE VIDEOVIDEO
by David G. Welton
HowHow toto AttractAttract LoyalLoyal ViewersViewers vides valuable data to help you really under- stand your audience. Can you make serious cash with A good place to start is an e ploration of a successful YouTube Channel? Of your viewers’ demographics. This informa- tion is only collected when a viewer is actually course. But, how do you achieve logged into their ouTube or oogle account while viewing your content, sothe data isn’t that success? The simplest answer perfect, but it still provides useful insight. is finding a loyal audience. Through this demographic data, you’ll learn the age, gender and geographic location of your viewers, along with other useful informa- tion. Analytics can also give detailed informa- In this article we’ll explore how to tion about your most dedicated group of view- grow a dedicated audience to help ers — your subscribers. ensure your channel is profitable. After you determine the demographics of your audience, use that information to inform Find Your Niche your decisions. For e ample, if your viewers First and foremost, you have to pro- tend to be younger males, choose music that duce compelling content that people you think will resonate with that audience. are eager to view. Coming up with an r, if you see that a large segment of your engaging topic for your channel is, viewers are from Australia, you might consider indeed, the hardest part. aking use of YouTube’s live broadcasting feature can be a great way to build When brainstorming ideas, con- Production Quality adequate equipment to master indoor engagment since it allows you to interact with your viewers in real time. sider your hobbies. Maybe you like to Few things repel an audience faster lighting, consider shooting outside AFTER YOU DETERMINE THE yo-yo. Are there hundreds of millions than poor production quality. Most on a sunny day. Use a reflective DEMOGRAPHI S OF YOUR AUDI- of potential viewers of yo-yo videos? YouTube viewers don’t expect Emmy- data on subscribers who share their subscrip- Probably not. But, is there a pos- winning quality, but unintelligible EN E, USE THAT INFORMATION tions publicly. sibility that you could attract several sound, bad lighting and shaky, low IF YOU DON’T HAVE AD- TO INFORM YOUR DE ISIONS. oing beyond the stats, be sure to ask for, and thousand viewers? Probably, and that quality videos will send your audi- EQUATE EQUIPMENT TO read, feedback from viewers. Let your viewers could be enough devoted viewers for a ence to the digital exits. Here are a few know that they have a voice in shaping what successful channel. quick tips. MASTER INDOOR LIGHT- eliminating references to the seasons at your they see on your channel. reat ideas and Once you find that blockbuster top- Don’t rely on your camera’s built-in ING, SHOOT OUTSIDE. home in orth America. Southern hemisphere suggestions for changes often originate from ic, you’ll need to develop your unique microphone — the audio quality is viewers may not feel included if you ignore the a loyal fan base, and ouTube viewers love to brand. Adding a watermark to the likely substandard. Use an external fact that their seasonal e perience is the oppo- feel involved. ou might also e periment with lower corner of your videos is a great mic for better results. Always use sunscreen, such as those designed to site of the northern hemisphere. ouTube’s Live Stream. Live content can be more step toward establishing an identity. headphones to monitor the audio protect your car’s interior, to reflect If a signifi cant portion of your viewers are compelling to an audience. This offers a great In the Channel section of the YouTube while recording. additional light onto your subject. from Spain, consider using Spanish language way to communicate with your viewers in real Creator Studio, there are tools for add- Lighting is a key component of Many cell phones capture decent subtitles to make your content more acces- time. Finally, consider distributing your content ing a branded watermark. a quality image. If you don’t have quality video but consider stepping up sible. sing the Video anager tools in the beyond ouTube. Some viewers are more likely to a dedicated video camera for better Creator Studio, ouTube makes adding sub- to fi nd your content on Facebook, Instagram, While you can use results. Be careful to avoid unwanted titles a relatively easy task. Simply translate a Twitter or Vimeo. Also consider launching a the built-in mic to camera movements. Shaky video cap- transcript of your video using oogle Trans- website or blog tied to your channel. record your audio, tured at the end of a selfie-stick might late then upload that te t through the Video Let’s face it, your audience is your most valu- you’ll get much make your audience feel seasick. If anager feature. ou can add other languages able asset — without them you have nothing. better results when you use a cell phone camera, remem- using the same method. f course, oogle There is no magical step-by-step recipe to create you use an external ber to shoot in the landscape orienta- translate isn’t always reliable, but it’s a good a ouTube goldmine, but developing a loyal au- microphone. tion, not portrait. place to start. dience is a big step in the right direction. contents contents Know Your Audience ore Tips David G. Welton tea e in t e Radio TV Fil De a t ent contents A critical aspect of a successful chan- Another source of valuable information is the at tte olle e in No t e n ali o nia. Fo n, e n a e i e ite it i -yea -old o at Nana Re i e . o . full screen nel is understanding your audience. Community section of the Creator Studio. This full screen The YouTube Creator Studio offers a section provides even more information on Yo an o ent on t i a ti le by oin online .video a e . o a ti le print section called Analytics which pro- your most devoted viewers. Here, you’ll see print
58 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 5
376 C05 Online Video.indd 58 7/23/18 10:06 AM 376 C05 Online Video.indd 59 7/23/18 10:06 AM AUDIOAUDIO AUDIO SEPTEMBER 2018 byby Blag la IvanovIvanov
Levels and Panning fantastic at smoothing transitions between two A io iti a e tals Now that you have a working skeleton, you edited audio regions. can start creating a working balance out of Tired of dealing with messy your current sounds. This sets your foundation Noise Reduction for adding EQ, compression other audio filters Ridding yourself of sounds that don’t belong audio? Try our handy guide on and effects. should always be high on your to-do list. Oth- the basics of editing audio a erwise they will only get in the way, steal signal Mutes, Cuts, and Fades bandwidth and detract from the overall quality. beginner’s walkthrough on the When in doubt, mute it! Start by stripping away The most common culprit is the 50 or 60Hz silence and trailing sounds. Most DAWs have si- hum, usually caused by a poorly routed or core tools used to create uality lence detecting functions that can automatically grounded power source. Other frequent offend- convincing soundtracks. identify and strip silence from audio regions. ers are wind and background noise, and the Make sure the detection isn’t too aggressive or two should be avoided or minimized as much you might accidentally lose some quiet passages. as possible during recording through the use of Having a wide set of skills is a must With non-destructive editing in today’s DAWs, windscreens, directional microphones and good in today’s production environment. you never truly delete audio unless you delete microphone placement. ne cannot simply e pect to get by the source files or convert regions to new audio Waves offers both the X-Noise and X-Hum on a single main skill, no matter their files. This means that you can restore regions plug-ins. Each offers noise reduction functional- profi ciency. Augmenting your range of back to their original states even after trimming ity that can learn and adapt to a particular noise abilities with fundamentals like audio and resizing them. threshold on an audio track and then suppress and graphic editing are key to secur- Fades and crossfades are useful when muting it at a specified level. ing and delivering projects. or cutting is simply too aggressive and your edit Alternatively, you can configure a narrow Audio breaks down into two main requires a more subtle approach. Crossfades are band or notch filter to reduce a target frequency components: recording and mi ing. down to -bit if re uired for a par- stage. This leaves plenty of headroom ood audio editing depends heavily ticular medium. for mi ing. on the source material, and without The standard sample rate for video Setting it too high risks clipping, properly recorded audio the process has long been H , with H while setting it too low leaves a signal becomes one of diminishing returns. and H beginning to see more that is outside of the nominal range MoreMore FreeFree TrainingTraining ResourcesResources fre uent use. hile there is nothing and will need further amplifi cation ecording wrong with using higher sample rates, during mi ing, which in turn, will AvailableAvailable fromfrom Timing and Sync they will consume more space, pro- introduce additional noise. These are your frames per second cessing power and bandwidth. DidDid you you know know that that Videomaker Videomaker has has a a whole whole library library of of free free training training settings. The following frame rates are Higher sample rates offer the ben- ixdown downloadsdownloads available available to to anyone anyone interested interested in in making making better better video? video? the most common fi lm and television efi t of increased dynamic range and Organization standards: fi delity and always leave the option of ood project structure and fi le manage- for most cinematic work higher uality e ports, much in the ment makes editing and mi ing more for AL and uropean broadcast same way that having raw footage of a process and less of an ordeal. AvailableAvailable ReportsReports . d for TSC and American leaves the door open for e porting roup your tracks by type: dialogue, •• 5 5 Advertising Advertising Tricks Tricks for for YouTube YouTube broadcast to multiple resolutions, formats and background noise, au iliaries and •• Master Master YouTube: YouTube: Get Get Viewers Viewers and and Make Make Money Money , and are more e otic rates remasters. In the meantime, you will potential effects. igital audio worksta- •• Optimizing Optimizing Your Your Video Video For For YouTube YouTube Search Search that can be used for aesthetics and have to downsample because most tions A s typically have folder and •• The The Essential Essential Guide Guide To To Building Building A A Home Home Studio Studio are common for the action cam e ports are done in H . grouping structures that help with bulk •• The The Top Top 5 5 Accessories Accessories for for A A DSLR DSLR Video Video Shoot Shoot shots synonymous with o ros. ost high-fi delity sound formats like edits and keeping regions together. •• 8 8 Tips Tips for for a a Stellar Stellar First First Video Video etting these wrong more or less TS H and olby TrueH use -bit •• How How to to Make Make a a Viral Viral Video Video invalidates your S T time code and audio at H . lder formats, such as GOOD PRO E T STRU - •• Screenplay Screenplay Writing: Writing: How How to to Format Format a a Screenplay Screenplay makes any kind of sync impossible. V s, use -bit AAC and AC formats. •• How How to to Make Make a a Storyboard Storyboard TURE MA ES EDITING •• Understanding Understanding the the New New Breed Breed Sample Rates and Bit Depth Gain NewNew titlestitles ofof Digital Digital Cinema Cinema Cameras Cameras These will determine the number of AND MI ING LESS OF AN Staging your gain is key to ending continuecontinue toto bebe •• Best Best Types Types of of Lightweight Lightweight Tripods Tripods for for Cameras Cameras samples captured per second, the up with levels that are easy to mi ORDEAL. •• Cinematography Cinematography Techniques: Techniques: contents overall resolution and dynamic range and getting the most out of your added,added, soso checkcheck TheThe Different Different Types Types of of Shots Shots in in Film Film contents of your project. microphones. ou typically want to back often. •• How How to to Make Make a a DIY DIY Green Green Screen Screen full screen A bit depth of -bit is standard see levels of - to - dBFS in digital I tend to lump the initial batch of back often. •• Multi-Camera Multi-Camera Shooting Shooting for for Event Event Videography Videography full screen for production and mi down envi- recordings, with the latter being about cuts and trims into this stage, remov- •• What’s What’s the the Best Best Video Video Format Format print print ronments. Content is only dithered as hot as you want to be at the input ing a lot of clutter. oror Online Online Distribution? Distribution?
VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 GoGo toto Videomaker.com/FreeReportsVideomaker.com/FreeReportsVIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 61
376 C04 Audio.indd 60 7/23/18 10:11 AM 345376345 C04 Free Free Audio.indd Reports Reports Half Half 61 Horizontal.indd Horizontal.indd 26 26 1/18/20171/18/20177/23/18 8:27:21 8:27:21 10:11 AM AM AUDIO SEPTEMBER 2018 MARKET PLACE
by sweeping through the frequency band and ral. The threshold sets where the compressor identifying the offending sound. Regardless of kicks in and the output gain makes up for any the approach you will need to balance the need loss of amplitude, allowing you to adjust the for noise reduction against cutting a sound’s final output level. SHOOTSHOOT LIKELIKE AA PROPRO fundamental frequencies. Compressors also operate on attack and re- lease times that allow you to dial in the com- CoordinateCoordinate MultipleMultiple CamerasCameras EQ pression speed. The rate, usually measured in withwith The crisp clarity associated with a professional milliseconds, depends on the sound source. A WirelessWireless CommunicationCommunication sounding production always starts here. Equal- slow sound source will benefit from higher at- ization will bring out the frequencies that make tack and release times, whereas fast transients dialogue sound flattering, push back some of the will benefit from faster rates. low-end and allow a good performance to shine. EQ is the most basic form of noise reduction Automation StartingStarting — a 32 band equalizer in the right hands can be The biggest piece of advice regarding automa- atat used to great affect. There are a variety of EQ tion is not starting too early — otherwise a lot $150$150 per per User User exercises for engineers to practice with to hone of time gets spent on rebalancing and rewriting automation. It really helps to have confidence in your mixes, levels and balances. Automation eartec.comeartec.com FOR THE BEGINNER, IT WILL is the final touch that ties in all the elements 800.399.5994800.399.5994 TAKE TIME AND EXPERIMENTA- and commits the dynamic flourishes you have picked out. TION TO ARRIVE AT A SATISFAC- The standard automation modes are: TORY AUDIO EDIT. • Read - plays back existing automation • Write - writes new automation along with the movement of the play head their hearing and ability to identify sounds. Try • Latch - laches the automated parameter to FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 5/7/18 10:44 AM sweeping through a source sound with an equal- its last position izer to learn where different sounds live. • Touch - only write automation when the FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.inddFullPageAD_NEWTemplate.indd 48 48 5/7/185/7/18 10:45 10:45 AM AM parameter is changed Compression I tend to only use write automation when I Getting compression right means that your am manually inputting a live automation run. sound sits comfortably in its own place within Otherwise, I tend to use read mode by adding the mix with consistent dynamics that still leave nodes on the automation panel, a lot of automa- enough room to differentiate between soft and tion includes rudimentary level changes, but loud sections. there are moments that call for a more hands-on At their most basic, compressors operate musical approach. using ratios, thresholds and output gains. The ratio determines the amount of compression Finishing Up and high ratios will cause the compressor to For the beginner, it will take time and experi- function as a limiter, which can sound unnatu- mentation to arrive at a satisfactory audio edit, but as you become familiar with your tools and their effects, the process will become faster and easier. Following these steps and listening carefully at every stage will give you a believ- Market 3 3/8" x 3" 4 Color 6 7/8" x 3" 4 Color able soundtrack that supports your visuals and videomaker.com/ Place 1x 3x 6x 12x 1x 3x 6x 12x your story. $733 $689 $647 $572 about-us/advertising FullPageAD_NEWTemplate.inddFullPageAD_NEWTemplate.inddRates 48 48 $1,340 $1,260 $1,184 $1,046 6/22/186/22/18 10:32 10:32 AM AM Blag spends his time between web development, IT and audio. His background is, oddly enough, in the same things. contents contents Blag works at a software company and is a contributing edi- contents tor at Videomaker, where he mainly focuses on, you guessed A graphic equalizer is a powerful audio clean-up and sweetening tool in the it, audio. full screen right hands. To learn more about EQ, try adjusting different fequencies on a MARKET PLACE full screen sound source and note how the sound changes. YouYou can can comment comment on on this this article article by by going going online: online: print www.videomaker.com/article/19390www.videomaker.com/article/19390 print
62 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 VIDEOMAKER >>> SEPTEMBER 2018 63
376 C04 Audio.indd 62 7/23/18 10:12 AM 376 C04 Audio.indd 63 7/23/18 10:13 AM STORIES FROM THE FIELD uild your own green screen to add dazzling by Jeff Chaves From On Stage to Screen special effects We caught up with Jonathan Steingard, who has a growing video production business in Southern California, but he also has a unique second job that led him into video production. to your ideo
On any given work day, you might find of paying someone to make video Jon Steingard directing a music video content for our live show, I found web a e your actors sur i e massi e e plosions, fight dinosaurs in the jungle prime al, or behind the lens on a corporate sites where you could download stock or tra el to any location on earth or beyond, from ancient ome to the planet ars. shoot. On other days, you can find him footage. I would mess with it and layer with a microphone belting out his lat- it and try to do creative things with it est song. You see Jon has two jobs. He’s to make it look interesting.” the front man for the Christian band Often this was done on his iPhone Hawk Nelson and Producer/Director using iMovie. “I remember one of my for his own video production company, first videos, I took footage from all Steingard Creative now has a variety Steingard Creative. His video work four members of the band’s phones. It of tools including a Canon C200 and, grew out of the music, but the path was from different cities. I put it all to- recently a Canon 1D X Mark II. He says he took can be a road map for anyone gether and then put lyrics on top of it. that’s been a great addition because who is looking to start up their own Because I believed in this idea of hy- although it’s primarily a photo camera, production company. brid music video/lyric video format.” it shoots in 4K video and is perfect As a musician, Jon started playing in Other bands really liked his style and for travel — and Jon’s video work has his teen years in Ontario, Canada. The they asked him to produce videos. He sent him on a lot of travel adventures. band’s sound caught the attention of re- thought, “Should I tell them that I did When he produced a video for another cord producers, and within a few years, it with an iPhone?” musician, Dan Bremnes, the duo went Hawk Nelson was on the radio and on Jon says with a laugh that when around the world in one week shoot- the way up. You can catch young Jon in people started paying him, he thought ing from city to city and hopping from front of the camera on guitar in early he should go out and get a camera. “I plane to plane. This led to a trip to Ice- music videos. In time, and with some bought a Canon 70D, which actually I land for his own group. That produc- coaxing from Mercy Me’s Bart Millard, think is a great starter camera. It was tion features drone footage from his DJI Jon became the group’s front man. the perfect camera for me to buy at Phantom 4. He just stepped up to the As the music industry evolved to the time. I also got Final Cut and just new Mavic Air, and he says he loves it. include more technology, Jon says, started messing with those things.” In Perhaps the greatest benefit to this “We’d go out on the road and there the same way that Jon taught himself husband and father is that video gives would be a video wall. Someone would guitar, he taught himself to produce him a new freedom. “If the band was ask if we have content that we would better quality videos. His entry in the our only income, we’d have to be on the like to put on the screen.” That started video industry was to start simply, find road so much more.” He says originally Jon’s creative wheels turning. At first projects from people you know and they we doing more than 200 shows a the videos where very simple: “Instead invest in better gear as you get paid. year. They have been able to be much more selective and only do about 80. Of course, Jon knows that his position in the music industry is tenuous and could The green screen ma es it all possible. And with a few simple materials and a little end at any time. He is confident that now-how, you can build a green screen of your ery own in your home studio and start video will keep him working for years to come. adding pro-le el special effects to your own ideos. ur free report can help you build a To check out Jon’s video work, go wor ing green screen. to his Steingard Creative Website. To see Jon in action with Hawk Nelson, check out their YouTube Channel.
Jeff Chaves is the Chief Creative Officer of Grace Pictures Inc., which he co-owns with his wife, Peggy. He got his start as an Army Broadcaster et this e clusi e report, free when you sign up for ideoma er s ideo Tip emails. contents in the 1980s and spent 12 plus years working contents on broadcasting. Jeff left broadcast television to These tips are always free and you can choose to stop recei ing them anytime pursue full-time ministry. full screen full screen You can comment on this article by going online: esource Free Training print www.videomaker.com/article/19519 tart your special effects studio at ideoma er.com green print
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376 N02a Production Tips.indd 64 7/23/18 10:15 AM 353 VM Free Report Greenscreen.indd 26 7/20/18 11:18 AM