Canon DSLR 60fps Slow Motion Video Footage

A video I shot yesterday for the fun of it involves an air rifle, cans and bottles and a dslr filming at 60 frames per second, all of that equals a lot of fun. I have never tried slow motion before, so when my friends started shooting an air rifle in the garden, I decided to film the impacts of the air rifle pellets with my Canon 600D DSLR, at 60fps (frames per second) to capture the full explosions of the cans and bottles being shot. I then took the footage into Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9.0 and changed the playback rate to 24fps (frames per second), which resulted in the footage being in super slow motion, whilst being smooth at the same time.

I used my Canon 600D/T3i DSLR along with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 kit zoom lens to film these video clips.



Below is the same footage, but played back at normal speed. The original footage really shows how slowed down the slow motion video is above -



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The Ultimate DSLR Filmmaking Tutorial Video

Fenchel Janisch recently released a 13 minute video tutorial on YouTube containing the best information for a beginner DSLR filmmaker. The video literally has every bit of information needed to get started with DSLR filming, including details about frame rates, ISO, Shutter Speed, Aperture and the depth of field each stop produces, Audio problems and solutions, different focal lengths and their effects such as using tele lenses for sporting close-ups or a wide lens to capture the full sporting arena and colour correction including flat picture styles and post production grading. Tips are also given on how to shoot in low light situations. This video will not make you a DSLR video expert, however it will definitely get you started and on your way to becoming one. I have been a DSLR filmmaker for almost two years now, I received my Canon 600D DSLR just after it was released in the UK. I am aware about how hard they can be to understand the fist time you use them. If you are a first time DSLR user, with a lower end crop sensor DSLR such as the Canon Rebel range 550D, 600D, 650D or the Panasonic Lumix GH2 or GH3 range, this video is definitely one to watch or add to your watch later playlist.

Starscape Timelapse Test Canon DSLR

This is a short starscape time lapse that I produced for a college music video project. I wanted to produce a much longer time lapse to share on my channel, however I liked how this version turned out. We used this 4 second time lapse in our music video. Also it isn't a shooting star going through the sky, it was actually an airplane.

I really did want to produce a longer time lapse to share on the channel, however after a week of attempting most nights, I just couldn't produce it. It was either too cloudy to see the stars, too foggy, or once it was okay, and 20 minutes into the time lapse the clouds appeared ruining the video. I decided that this version worked the best, with the airplane.

I shot this on my Canon 600D/T3i HDSLR with the EF 50mm f/1.8 II prime lens. I shot with a 20 second exposure, with 25 second intervals using Magic Lantern on a 32gb SD card. Auto white balance, and ISO. I left the camera shooting for around 16 minutes.

Equipment used in this video -
Canon 600D / T3i HDSLR
EF 50mm f/1.8 II
Integral ultima pro 32gb SD card
Magic Lantern firmware hack with the built in intervalometer

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Filmmaking Tutorial - DIY Avalanche - Knoptop

Knoptop just uploaded an awesome how to/ DIY style video to his YouTube channel. In this video he teaches us how to make an avalanche look realistic, when using pieces of gravel and stones being thrown down a small hill. Knoptop used his trusty T2i DSLR camera to film this, 720p 60fps was used to film the rocks being thrown. The other shots were filmed in 24fps, with the 60fps being slowed down to 24fps playback in post production, making it all look even more realistic. The biggest thing used to sell this effect are the sound effects used. Using websites such as 'freesound', your videos can become more realistic.

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Canon EOS 600D T3i Test Video Footage

One of my most viewed videos on YouTube is the first video that I uploaded that was shot on the Canon 600D DSLR. I uploaded the video as soon as I got the camera, at a time of low content in ways of test footage with this camera on YouTube. The views rocketed up into the thousands quickly, and I would like to  see more people watching the video since the view count has slowed down drastically since the new 650D DSLR was released by Canon. I would like to increase the view count of this video, so if you can do anything to help, it would be much appreciated. Please comment, like, favourite and share to all of your friends and family. Please don't forget that you can follow my photography and filming projects on my facebook page.

Camera Warfare - Devinsupertramp & FreddieW

One of my top YouTube filmmakers uploaded his newest film recently, 'Camera Warfare', which features a war re-enactment, with cameras instead of guns. I was very sceptical about this idea, it has been done so many times, with CameraStoreTV being an example. However this is definitely the best version of 'Camera War' on YouTube. As filmmaker Devin Graham states in his behind the scenes video to this film, it was the biggest budget he had ever put into a film. He had help from filmmakers Go Film and Freddie and Brandon from FreddieW even star in this video. I have to admit though, I prefer Devins videos which show 'reality', such as the 'Worlds Largest Rope Swing' and 'Trike Drifting', as they really inspire and motivate me to get out and make the most of life. But don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed 'Camera Warefare', Devin is an extremely talented filmmaker.

Tom Hanks Cast Away In Real Life - The Robson Experience

A filmmaker from my home town has recently become the next YouTube sensation with his video series 'IRL' (In Real Life), which features him going around Cambridge re-enacting scenes from his favourite films. His recent video 'Batman In Real Life' became a hit over night, with the channel gaining thousands of subscribers in a few days. Local newspapers even picked up on this and he had coverage on front pages.

Robson recently uploaded his newest skit, this time 'Cast Away' IRL. He plays Tom Hanks' character and acts the waking up on the island scene and the raft in the sea scene. With the island being a 'roundabout island' for cars in Cambridge, and the river as the sea. Cast Away is one of my favourite films, so this IRL episode is definitely my favourite at the moment.

The Batman IRL episode can be found below. It is nearly on 1 million views, so share as much as you can to help it get to that view count.

 

Canon 600D / T3i 500mm Cinematography - Red Spectrum Pictures

I just uploaded the second video in my 500mm cinematography series. This time I film Bluet Damselfly Dragonflies with my Ensinor 500mm f/8 Multi Coated mirror lens using the M42 to EOS adapter on my Canon 600D DSLR camera.

Top 12 YouTube - Independent Filmmakers

It has taken around two years for me to discover some really useful filmmaking channels on YouTube, and I thought, 'why not share the discoveries on blogger so others have no need to find the channels on their own?'. In this blog post I am going to share with you my top ten favourite YouTuber's that specialise in independent filmmaking tips. Please note how my top 10 list is in no particular ranking order, each channel is better than the other in different ways.

1. Drumat5280 -

Dave Dugdale from 'learningdslrvideo.com' has a great channel for the filmmaker with money or with little money. He does some great DSLR video comparisons, product reviews and even some DIY accessory builds every now and then. Dave has a really nice style to his videos, they are very simple yet informative for the viewers, and this why his channel is in my top 10 list.

2. alanbesedin -

Alan Besedin is in my top 10 list because he taught me how to use vintage lenses on my modern Canon DSLR. His channel is very informative, with lots of lens test videos, product reviews and a regular lens giveaway contest for his viewers which usually involve just subscribing to enter. He also has a blog which is ran alongside the YouTube channel, so I recommend reading what he has to say as well at 'budgetfilmmaker'.

3. Knoptop -

Dave Knop, AKA 'Knoptop', has a very fun YouTube show called 'QuickFX' and also one called 'Things You Didn't Know You Didn't Know', with both web shows giving lots of information about micro budget filmmaking. Dave also does DIY camera rig builds to help you save money instead of buying factory made rigs. He also does product reviews and tests on his show 'Tech Talk'.

4. filmriot -

Probably the most fun bunch of YouTubers on YouTube, 'Ryan', 'Bruno', 'Josh', their family and friends all work together to create popular web shows such as 'Film State', and shows with great DIY tips and tricks for the low budget filmmaker. As well as showing their viewers tips and tricks, they always produce fantastic test films to show off their skills, with their popular release 'Losses' which proved how working with a low budget isn't always a problem. I highly recomend checking these guys out, they are a great laugh to watch and have some very informative videos about every aspect of filmmaking.

5. IndyMogul -

Indy Mogul is probably one of the channels I have been watching for the longest on YouTube. Erik Becks popular DIY show 'Backyard FX' is what got me watching, and current shows such as 'Movie Quest', 'Awesome Directors Project' and 'Indy News' are what have kept me as a loyal subscriber. In my eyes, Indy Mogul are the 'kings' of 'indy' filmmaking on YouTube, I would just like to see them along with their hosts 'Griffin', and 'Russel and Chad' producing more of their own films, but I suppose they are too busy producing the web shows.

6. Neumannfilms -

Luke Neumann has to be the best YouTuber for creating a 'blockbuster' look and feel from using mainly digital SLR's. Luke is currently in the post production stage for his newest short film, 'Copelandia' which is being fully shot on the 'Canon 5D Mk III' DSLR. They are doing no post colour grading, so hopefully this will show the full potentials for using a DSLR for filmmaking.

7. thefrugalfilmmaker -

Scott Eggleston from 'The Frugal Filmmaker' is the best YouTuber to listen to his audience, to find out what they want to watch. Scott probably has the best audience on YouTube for his specific area of videos, which are DIY camera rigs and low priced accessories. His audience are what inspires his ideas, and he also set up a Facebook group as a discussion place for his audience to discuss project ideas and to ask questions to one and another. If you don't subscribe to Scott, I highly recommend joining the Facebook group, it is free so you can't really go wrong there. On his channel, he produces a 'Weekly Recap' show where he answers his viewers questions, and also he produces very popular DIY build videos.

8. onelonedork -

DeeJay Scharton probably isn't the best choice for a low budget filmmaker, however he does review and test some higher priced accessories such as the popular 'CPM Camera rigs' and always writes interesting blog posts at 'DSLR Film Noob'. DeeJay also caters for the low budget filmmaker though, he produces his own camera products, including the 'NOOB Shock Mount Adapter' which he sells for a very low price.

9. polcan99 -

For tutorials, 'Tom Antos' is my favourite YouTuber. He has done some fantastic tutorials on the filmmaking areas of 'Documentary' with tips on what gear to use, 'lighting techniques' and also some 'cinematography composition techniques'. Whenever Tom creates a film, he will always film the right and wrong, he then uses the footage for tutorial videos to display how to do it right.

10. MrCheesyCam -

Emm from 'Cheesy Cam' is more of a blogger, with the YouTube channel being an addition for his popular filmmaking blog. As well as producing his own videos for YouTube, product reviews and tests, he is very good at finding great filmmaking products at low prices on the internet. The occasional DIY build is shown on his channel.

11. DevinSuperTramp -

Devin Graham is probably the most inspirational filmmaker on YouTube, in the world in fact (My Opinion). He is able to film almost anything and make it look awesome. His video as 'worlds largest rope swing' is how I came across Graham on YouTube, and since then he has produced hit videos such as 'trike drifting', and 'Paintball Warefare'. I also recommend heading over to facebook and liking Devins page.

12. finitefilms -

Finite Films are a very unique bunch of filmmakers, they take constrains from their viewers, and produce short films using these constraints. Some of my favourite constrains so far have been that the film 'must be in the style of a 40's noir' and in another film that 'one character must be eating every time he/she is on screen. The short films are always very interesting to watch, and range from around 10-20 minutes in length. The short film 'Imperfect' was how I came across the channel. A short film is uploaded around once a month, along with weekly production diaries with great behind the scenes footage. 

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Which Camera Lens to buy? Zoom, Prime or Cinema? The Basic Filmmaker

In this episode of The Basic Filmmaker, different types of lenses are discussed. The three main types of lenses are Zoom, Prime and Cinema. Zoom lenses are primarily cheaper than prime lenses, this is because the quality of video that is produced is not as sharp as prime lenses. Zoom lenses allow you to move in closer or further away from the subject, without actually moving the camera body or rig. Zoom lenses do not have an aperture that can be opened us as wide as most prime lenses. My first lens for my Canon DSLR was an EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5 zoom lens. The 18-135mm means at the widest angle, the lens is at 18mm and zoomed in all the way is 135mm. Prime lenses are fixed focal length, which means they cannot zoom in or out at all. This generally allows for the optics of the lens to be able to produce much sharper images or video, which means they are usually more expensive than zoom lenses. However this is not the case with the prime lens that I own, the Canon 50mm f/1.8, or the nickname 'nifty fifty' which only cost me £50 on eBay. Prime lenses can have much wider aperture, which makes them more suitable in low light situations, such as when shooting in a city at night time. I also own many other prime lenses, including the Chinon 200mm f/3.5 and the Ensinor 500mm f/8 mirror lens, which are both fairly 'zoomed in', however they are still prime lenses due to their fixed focal lengths of 200mm and 500mm. The final type of lens are cinema lenses, they are used on the big cinema rigs that are used to shoot big budget films. They are usually expensive, however if you can afford the cameras needed to use them, the lenses should be in your budget.

I have included an image of my current lens collection. It currently includes the Canon EF-S 18-135mm zoom lens as mentioned above, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II (Shown on my Canon 600D DSLR Camera), Ensinor 500mm f/8 mirror lens and the Chinon 200mm f/3.5 prime lens. Another addition to my collection is what is called a 'toy' lens. This is the Holga Pinhole lens which cost me around £11 on eBay. It has no optics, basically just a tiny pinhole which lets light into my cameras sensor. You can even make your own pinhole lens with the standard camera body caps, with a hole poked through it.

Top 4 - YouTube Pranksters - Ed, Jack Vale, Tom Mabe, Greg Benson

I really enjoy watching 'hidden camera' and 'prank' style videos on YouTube, I decided to write this blog post sharing four of my favourite 'YouTube Pranksters'. I am going to list the four in no particular order, they are all as good as each other in different ways.

1. Jack Vale -

Jack Vale, owner of Jack Vale Films has to be on of the most awkward person to watch on YouTube, his hidden camera videos are sometimes very hard to watch. Jack makes no end of different prank videos, with the majority of them in various shops around America, where he pranks the shop assistants. He sometimes uses a little gadget called 'The Pooter' which allows him to imitate realistic fart sounds. My favourite series of videos that Jack creates is called 'I'm Married', in which he awkwardly tells people that he is married, implying that they are hitting on him. Overall the videos are a great laugh, and at the end of his videos you usually see him showing his victims (the public) where the hidden camera is located.



2. Ed Bassmaster -

Ed Bassmaster is one of my favourite YouTubers for playing different characters in each video. I could name no end of series that Ed creates that are good, some of my favourite series and characters of his include 'Look at it' where he tells people to just look at things, 'Hacker' a hippy style character who smokes too much, 'Skippy' a slightly simple character, and probably my top on the list, 'Bluetooth Man', where he stands near people and asks a question, and then tells them he is talking on his bluetooth (Its funnier than it sounds).



3. Tom Mabe -

Tom Mabe from YouTube channel 'MabeInAmerica' is the third person in my top four list. Tom used to have his own television show where he would do good old pranks, and now he does them for his popular YouTube channel. Tom is a good laugh to watch, and the more you watch of him the funnier he gets. My favourite video of his is called 'Prison Break Prank'.



4. Greg Benson

Greg Benson of 'Mediocre Films' is the fourth youtuber in my top 4 prankster list. Greg hasn't made a prank video for a few months now, but when he does they are hilarious. One of my favourite videos of his is called 'Cell Phone Crashing' where he goes up to someone else having a phone call, and pretends he is talking to them.The video can be viewed below.



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Indy Mogul Live - TDKR, Cinemas & Cameras

Indy Mogul had a very interesting live chat video yesterday. The video stars the two main hosts of Indy Mogul at the moment, Griffin Hammond and Russel Hasenauer, along with Golden Pigeon Productions presenter Jacob Junbao. Discussions within this live video include TDKR (The Dark Knight Rises). Also Jacob Junbao works in a UK cinema, he shares some of the specifications of how films are projected nowadays compared to the past when film was shown on film, unlike the digital ways now. The live show also gives Indy Mogul viewers the opportunity to have their questions answered, and one of my questions was answered very well in this episode. I asked how I could edit two different frame rates together in one video project, for example 60fps with my GoPro and 24fps with my Canon 600D, and the reply was that I could edit both together with no issues. So thanks to Indy Mogul for answering that for me, I do really appreciate it.

Epic Slow Motion Video - Sony FS700 - Neumann Films

Neumann Films latest project is a slow motion video shot on a rented camera, the Sony FS700. They had the camera for four days, and they definitely made the most of it. The 240fps (frames per second) mode was used for the most of this video, and this allowed the video to be slowed down in post production, without the addition of motion blur. The video looks like a high budget blockbuster film, and when you hear the budget you will be blown away. I think the camera rental cost around $500, and the budget for the rest was something around $300. Within this budget they even managed to get hold of a helicopter for some aerial cinematography, which isn't actually shown in this video; I am assuming an aerial cinematography video will be released on Neumann Films soon. The lenses used include Nikkor Ai-s 20mm f2.8 and 50mm f1.2, along with the Canon 100-400mm with 2X Extender. From what I have read, because this camera is more like a camcorder, is cannot achieve the depth of field that DSLRs get, so that is why they used the longer lenses for the shallow depth of field within this video.

The Vault - Independent Web Video Series

Yesterday I came across an online video series called 'The Vault', it quickly became one of my favourite online series to date. It basically features a group of college students from various states in America who are all trapped in individual vaults. Every vault has a varied degree of importance to the game which is being broadcast live on national television; along with a different puzzle to be solved in each vault. It is up to the main character Henry to organise everyone so that the game can be finished.

Even though episode one was released way over a year ago, I only came across this series yesterday. The filmmakers have not uploaded an episode for a while now, however they are releasing the next hour of episodes on the 16th of July 2012; which personally I cannot wait for.

This series definitely deserves to have more viewers, and the filmmakers should have more subscribers on their YouTube channel. I highly recommend visiting the YouTube channel to watch the five episodes that are currently available to watch, along with half episodes and prologues.

GoPro HD Hero Underwater Video Footage

I got my new GoPro HD Hero camera the other day, and I have to say I am really impressed with it. My first test video is an underwater cinematography test of me swimming. I recorded the video in the R3 (Resolution 3) mode which is 720p with 60fps, and I slowed the footage down by 50% to get a slight slow motion feel; I think the slow motion came out looking quite smooth. I wasn't too sure if I was going to keep this video public on my YouTube channel, but out of nowhere the official GoPro YouTube channel 'GoProCamera' commented on the video saying they liked it. This generated a lot of viewers and I gained a new audience for my videos. For the first time out of all of my videos, this got over 1000 views in under two days. I plan to film so much more with this camera, including videos with cycling, motorcycling, sky diving and running videos, click here to view my GoPro video playlist on my YouTube channel.

Documentary Filmmaking Tips - Rule of Thirds, Natural Sounds & B-Roll

Griffin Hammond from 'Indy Mogul' on YouTube has recently shared some great tips on documentary filmmaking in his weekly 'Indy News' webshow. He begins with how the interviewee should always look off camera, to make it look like they are being 'quoted' more than making them look like presenters looking into the camera. He also gives some interesting composition tips for filming the interview. Including the correct angles to use, and how to use the 'Rule of Thirds' correctly. There are also some very useful editing tips, to make the edit look smoother and to make the continuity flow better. This includes shooting 'b-roll' or 'cutaway' shots that you can show during the documentary. Another tip is recording 'natural sound' so that you can use it as a sound bridge throughout the edits.

$6 Fisheye Lens - Knoptop Quick FX - Micro Budget Filmmaking

Dave Knop from 'Quick FX' has just shared his latest 'DIY Quick FX' build for low budget filmmaking. In the video he shares with us how to make a fisheye lens for a point and shoot camera for only $6, using a door lens viewer, and a PVC piece. Most likely prices will vary, however it will always be a quick and cheap build. The final effect doesn't look that amazing, I would never use it seriously for filming. However I think it would be a perfect in camera effect for shooting a point of view for a monster in a film. Fisheye lenses are very expensive, another alternative would be the wide angle filters which screw onto an existing lens, you just need to find the diameter of your lens to get the right size.

Imperfect - Finite Films - Short Film Noir

''When a fashion model is found murdered on his set, photographer Brendan Holloway begins to suspect that his new muse isn't to be trusted.'' 

A truly inspirational, aesthetically pleasing short film by 'Finite Films'. A black and white 'Film Noir' style short with the sub categories of 'Murder and Crime'. It's a very mysterious first person narrated film which follows professional fashion photographer Brendan Holloway as he tries to find a model to be his perfect lady in life. The soundtrack throughout was perfectly composed, with all the elements of 'noir' within it. The cinematography and lighting holds the mystery and identity of the murderer until the end. 

'Film Noir' is a style of filmmaking I am very fond of, and back in 2011 I produced a short film of my own called 'Dime Detective', which you can view on YouTube. 

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Jacob Sutton's L.E.D. Surfer - Red Epic Snowboarding Short Film

A short film that I viewed when it was released back in February, I came across it again today on YouTube and thought I should share it. The short film stars snowboarder 'William Hughes' as he lights up the 'snow-covered French hills' in his L.E.D. suit. The video has some exquisite cinematography shot fully on the Red Epic  camera by filmmaker 'Jacob Sutton'. The soundtrack is really soothing to listen to and goes really well with the visuals. Click here to read more about this video on 'Nowness'.

Zoom H1, Rode Videomic Pro & Rode Lapel Microphone Wind Tests

Carl from YouTube recently uploaded a video testing three different microphones in windy conditions, with and without the wind muffs for each microphone. He firstly tests the Zoom H1 portable audio recorder plugged into his DSLR camera, with the wind muff on. At certain parts in the test recordings the sound is very clear, however at other points the wind muff doesn't filter out the wind and the dialogue becomes over empowered by the wind noises. Secondly the Rode Videomic Pro is tested, once again plugged straight into the external audio input on the DSLR. From listening to the two tests, with and without the wind muff, I couldn't really hear any difference in audio quality. When the wind muff was on the microphone, the wind noises sounded just the same as it did without the wind muff, so maybe not the best microphone for exterior use like this. Lastly a Rode lapel microphone is tested, and in my opinion sounded the best out of all of the microphones in the video. It may not have the best audio recording quality, but the amount of wind that the lapel microphone filtered out was very good, with and without the wind muff in fact. The lapel microphone was most likely filtering out the wind the best due to it being held closer to the body, however this is the advantage of using a lapel microphone, and is why professional journalists usually use them.