Corbin Gross
2
After Effects Coins
2
COW Coins
Forum Replies Created
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Fabulous, guys! This is great info.
I totally get the behind-the-camera fill. That’s how I shoot almost everything in-studio. Except it’s about -2 stops instead of -.5, or whatever, for the look from those commercials.
And I can turn off any lights I need. I do that occasionally when the situation arrises. The Facilities team is always super helpful, which reminds me, I need to order them some cookies or something. And the shape of the lighting from the overheads is so bad that color would be the least of my worries.
So it sounds like the giant behind-the-camera key/fill is the starting point, then I can add lights to create the environment, right?
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
That’s good advice. I admit, I was too lazy to look up those specific lenses, so the additional info on the stabilization is excellent.
I shoot all corporate video on sticks, so a wider lens and stabilization isn’t something I’d use much. But thinking about photographing events, which I do quite often, I definitely tend to stick to the wider range, and stabilization is invaluable.
The only other consideration is now much noise the lens makes while focusing and stabilizing. But you’re not recording audio to the camera, right? We all know better than that, right?
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
Oh, yeah. I forgot about the smaller sensor.
Basically you want to 1.5s the focal length. So a 24-70 would essentially be a 36-105. I’d say you need to go with the focal length that will give you the ability to compose the shots you want. Then learn to use whichever lens that is. Focusability would be a second priority.
And really, to focus properly, you’ll need a follow focus attachment. They can be kind of expensive, but still lenses are designed totally different than cine lenses. You’ll need the slower-adjusting gear down to make the finer, more controlled adjustments.
That being said, I don’t have a follow focus. I just shoot “around” that limitation. So I use a narrower aperture for a deeper DOF, or keep my subject-to-camera distance consistent.
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
IMHO, the 24-70 would be my next purchase. That will give you wider and longer options when not using the 50.
Longer focal lengths will give better DOF options, but they will be harder for keping focus and hand held shots.
Wider focal lengths will be easier to hand hold since everything is effectively further away, and focus will be easier since DOF will always be deeper, even wide open, but, you’ll never get the super-bokeh DOF effects of a longer shot.
If you plan to mostly hand hold shots, get a wider lens. If you want mega soft backgrounds get a longer lens.
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
I don’t know the age you’re looking for or how realistic you want the recording to be, but I’d suggest a child deliver the lines as well.
If it were me, I’d have the teacher’s recording playing for the child in headphones. Then they can repeat exactly how they hear it without too much instruction. If you put each line in a separate MP3 file you could easily play them repeatedly and on to the next once you’re happy with the performance.
Try to duplicate the recording conditions if you want the recording to sound like they’re actually together.
If you’re doing something more like a skit or reading, you could just have the talent “do” a kids voice. I think that would sound better than an effect.
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
You could use either a tape stop or an abrupt cut with a delay.
Here’s a link to a video explaining a tape stop style use of the pitch shift. I’m sure you can figure out how to make an echo though.
Of course depending on how ridiculous you want to be there’s always something totally irrelevant like breaking glass or a dog barking that can be funny. I was watching this show, Moon Boy, the other day and they bleeped out some curs words with a banjo, recently found by the main character and totally unrelated to the story. It was fantastic. Not that your editing naughty words, but you get the idea.
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
Honestly, it looks to me more like a playback issue. That’s pretty much what all my video looks like during the review and editing process.
Just to try it, record something like that and put it in a timeline. Then export a high quality but small video, like a widescreen SD. I usually just use the Youtube preset from Premiere. That’ll usually clear it up for me.
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
Something to consider is the distance to the subject.
At 2ft you’ll get crazy bokeh and super shallow DOF. But if you’re shooting two guys dumping a big ol’ crab trap on the floor(never watched Deadliest Catcha, sorry) you’re going to be too far away for significant bokeh.
The farther from the camera the subject is, the longer your lens will need to be to get the cool DOF. Then, of course, you’ll need to get further from the subject with the long lens.
Alternatively, the background has to be really far away from the subject.
If you want shallow DOF with 50mm, you really couldn’t get any more than a tight head and shoulders shot of a person, and the BG would have to be at least 30ft away. If you wanted to get a shot of two people talking with DOF, you’d need something like a 300mm f/4, you’d have to be about 30ft away with the background 50 to 100ft away.
All this is very affordable and doable, of course. I was shooting stills this weekend with a Nikon D300 and a cheap 70-300 f/3.5-5.6 lens and getting decent isolation with the lens zoomed out to about 400 (with the 1.5x crop factor). It’s not crazy DOF effect, but it was what I needed to direct the viewer.
One suggestion about the Lensbaby… They’re lots of fun, but I haven’t had great luck with video. They’re very, very sensitive to movement, and you must have the micro-adjustable one with the little threaded rods. Also, they don’t have high quality optics. I have two and enjoy them tremendously, but it’s a special effect lens. I don’t think you could shoot a whole anything with them though.
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
Hey, guys. I’m one of those in-house photographer/videographer combo guys in a cubicle as well. It’s kind of hilarious actually.
We recently moved into a new building. I knew I wasn’t going to get an editing room, because to a non-editor it would be almost indistinguishable from an “office”, and they can’t just go giving anybody an office. So repeatedly recommended that they put me at the far edge of the cubicles in our department. Today I sit dead center. Seriously. The whole isle pretty much just walks out for a 10 minute break when the see a few people come over to review a piece with me.
My boss super awesome, but her hands are completely tied as to whom sits where. I get constant complaints from those around me. They’re all really cool about it, not complaining to me directly, just asking nicely when it’s crunch time or things get too loud, but it’s widely recognized as insanity to put a cubicle editing suite in the middle of a busy room. However, the people who actually decide where people sit don’t have any idea of what people do or what their needs might be, and so far have been unwilling to consider the editor’s noise and an issue.
I’ve found that while I’m challenged by location, as are those around me, there are likely bigger fish to fry for the MGMT. I try not to make a stink and I try to be super flexible. I’m in house, so I make many compromises to have somebody else’s signature on my paycheck. I’m no business man, and I don’t want the headache of tracking down clients and marketing and fixing my computer, so I sit in a cube and use older equipment than I’d like, but I’m compensated fairly and my employment is pretty secure.
All that to say, depending on spacial requirements, content security, and the reaction management has to deal with when the other employees see somebody in an “office” are just a few of the things the bosses have to deal with when they put us in cubicles. I konw what I would do if I were running the joint, but there would be no joint to come back to if somebody were foolish enough to put me in charge. I don’t want that job, yuck, so I pretty much do what I’m told until it’s absolutely necessary to make a change.
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com -
I believe you are looking for “Royalty” free music, correct? Not necessarily music that is simply no cost to purchase?
I really like Smart Sound. They have a pretty good selection of music that is royalty free and very affordable. I use their scoring software, Sonicfire Pro, which allows you to very easily edit the pieces to fit any length you may need, from a stinger to as long as you want. The music is OK. It suits my needs, it’s budget stock music but it’s engaging enough to help get my message across, and it’s extremely flexible.
Really “Good” music is going to cost you though. Somebody I work with just paid 10 Gs for a custom piece with an exclusive license, and honestly, I had to use my carefully practiced work smile and pretend to like it.
Corbin Gross | SANMAR
Photographer/Videographer | Marketing
22833 SE Black Nugget Road | Issaquah, WA 98029
206.727.5501 x5237
http://www.sanmar.com