As our stages are getting booked for fast growing video production demands, it would be great to provide some tips on how to properly shoot video with DSLR cameras. Saurav Sinha, the Youtube guru for video production will share his tips on settings you have to watch out for before the cam is rolling.
FRAMES PER SECOND
FPS or frames per second is the amount of individual frames camera shoots per second of rolling. The classic standard format 24fps is what cinematographers widely used before digital cameras came on the market. So if you want to have a movie like look of your video – 24fps is your choice of setting.
In most digital cameras there are other options available –
The rule of thumb is the higher the fps number, the smoother the picture. Also, if you are into slow motion, shooting at 60fps and 120fps allows you later to slow down the video in post and enjoy breathtaking smooth slow mo effect.
SHUTTER SPEED
There is one rule you have to follow when setting the shutter speed. fps x 2 = shutter speed. For some set fps numbers like 60fps there might be exact shutter speed setting. In that case just set the closest number.
Here is the chart that Saurav Sinha kindly presents:
APERTURE
Aperture has to be set according to the scene and accented subjects. Its creative application allows separate foreground from background by blurring the latter. The smaller F number you would have the more blurry the background would be. So if you really want to separate the subject from background shoot at F1.8 – F4.
To capture the background bump up the F number to F8 and higher.
ISO
To set this parameter right Saurav Sinha suggests using histogram. When camera’s histogram is extremely to the right, the image is overblown. In this case decrease the ISO number to darken up the frame.
The same goes for the opposite – if histogram is extremely to the left, the picture is too dark. Increase ISO number to an optimal level.
FOCUSING
Although nowadays digital cameras are very precise on auto focus and might have dozens of focus points at once and change it continuously, Saurav suggests to switch to manual focus. With manual focus are more versatile creatively. Changing focus from one subject to another intentionally creates very catchy effect. Plus with manual focus you will prevent the “focus hunting” – process of the camera trying to figure out what to focus on when there is a motion in the frame.
WHITE BALANCE
Depending on ambient or strobe light condition the camera might perceive colors in yellowish or blueish shades, which is a very undesirable effect and takes forever to get rid off in post production.
To aid the situation use the grey card in the frame to set the system of coordinates and save yourself hours of work in post.
COMPOSITION
Even with on-point camera setting the outcome might still come out bad. In the last article we explored 6 rules for video recording, which are heavily based on setting hight composition techniques. Among them the rule of thirds, non-center framing, 180 degree rule and more. Applying these will help your overall footage look great.
LEVEL THE CAMERA
Making sure your camera is set straight vertical/horizontal before start rolling might seem like an obvious advice. Nevertheless, mistakes like that happen all the time; the frame is tilted to the side and you have to straighten it up in post, zoom in and eventually loose the resolution of the picture.
Use a steady tripod that will ensure camera’s still position throughout the shoot.
Watch the entire video on Saurav Sinha’s Youtube channel: