deckitout Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Okay so I have chosen for now to use my EM5 for my Video Camera before committing to anything else at this point. My main subject matter will be family stuff, but I have an 21st Birthday party in a month I would like to shoot some decent footage and also a kind of documentary at work just for memory. But.........I haven't got a clue where to start, things such as how long each clip should last, how long should the entire Video last, how much footage should I capture etc. I have been searching Amazon for some books but they all appear to be for film makers as opposed for novice shooters like myself. So can anyone point me towards some good resources to start the learning curve. Thanks Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy lee Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 buy Andrew Reeds GH2 shooters guide ebook off this site , it has a big section on basic filming techniques and will be very useful to you as it inclides tips on how to set up your camera - yes its a GH2 book but the basic set up and filmimg principles apply to any camera http://www.eoshd.com/gh2-guide-book deckitout 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bioskop.Inc Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 This is a good book to start with: Cinematography: Theory & Practice by Blain Brown Used to be on the reading list when i lectured at University, it also includes a DVD. If you'd prefer a blog then take a look at the mass of useful info here (a Hollywood DP): http://www.hurlbutvisuals.com/blog/ Germy1979 and deckitout 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HurtinMinorKey Posted October 16, 2013 Share Posted October 16, 2013 Watch videos that you like, take notes about the angles, length of shots, camera movement, and editing. Try and emulate what you see. This requires research. I think learning by doing is the best. jgharding and deckitout 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deckitout Posted October 16, 2013 Author Share Posted October 16, 2013 Many thanks for the replies guys Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgharding Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Shoot, take it home, edit, grade, ask for honest feedback and don't get defensive, then back to the top of the list. Repeat until death! Break down you favorite works into pieces and analyse them bit by bit. Try to recreate some shots with whatever you had, this adds to your toolbox and creative lexicon. You will understand better why certain things are done. Don't get distracted too much by kit, though of course we love it, it doesn't do anything without your idea, it just acts as an expensive dust trap. But do earn the equipment and techniques so they become second nature, then begin to feel more expressive. When all of these techniques become part of your creative language, you no more have to think about them than having to think for ten minutes to form a sentence in English, it's on the tip of your tongue. Just as an expressive guitar solo comes when there's no distance between emotion and the movement of fingers... Don't get bored by rules of thumb, if they're pissing you off, break them, then try again using them, then break them again. Which do you prefer? In what context are rules useful touch points and where are there not worth while? IE: "Jello is bad". Try a shot using jello excessively. In what creative context would this add the piece? (a police chase in a gritty film?) in what context would it remove from the piece? (an emotional scene over dinner in a formal drama?). Repeat with other rules of composition, exposure, so on. Find examples of common rules broken in popular works and see why they work or otherwise. You'll end up agreeing with most rules, but more importanly you'll know when to break them. Most important of all (I think) is to set yourself a real task with a deadline. If you just make abstract tests you won't challenged and you'll get bored. Make a short film in 3 days, then lay into it critically. Don't just ask the three Fs: friends, family and forum. Get feedback from odd places either online or real life, find people who are truthful. Do another in a couple of weeks after watching more films and reading more books and interviews with those you admire. You should improve a lot then. That's just a few things I do/have done! I hope it helps! deckitout 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bioskop.Inc Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Try those Vimeo Weekend Challenges - they give you a good brief with which to work from & a deadline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deckitout Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 Thanks again guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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