Filming & Photography
Things to look out for when filming
Visuals Don’t film someone in front of a window. This will turn them into a silhouette as the camera can’t handle the dynamic range.Always try and use a tripod to film with. Going handheld shaky cam style just looks unprofessional and distracting. We do now have...
Quick Setup Guide: Canon 80d microphone
Here's a quick look at the steps you need to take in order to set up the Canon 80d filming kit's external microphone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onfR1hV_7ns&feature=youtu.be
Camera Terminology
Learning the lingo will help you learn more advanced concepts quicker Focal Length – is the distance the lens is from the sensor when the image is in focus. It generally refers to how wide or narrow the image is.Wide/narrow lenses – Its probably easiest to understand...
Understanding formats
File terminology Codec – Compress and decompress audio and video data and control how content can be viewed. Popular Codecs include: H.264, Xvid, FLAC, MP3 etc. Containers – Can contain multiple types of codecs e.g. the audio and video codecs and brings them together...
Going Handheld
When using a DSLR or TV camera for video I would always heavily advise against using it “handheld”. This is because, to put it bluntly, it pretty much always looks terrible and unprofessional. The issue is that it introduces a lot of micro jitters to the footage (on...
Tips on how to make your interview look great
Quick Overview Two most important things in making a video look nice are camera framing and lighting.Use rule of thirds. This breaks an image down into 9 evenly sized boxed. Position the subject on these thirds and make them look across camera. Position the subject...
A Guide to Camera Exposure
The way cameras work can be complex and confusing, so here’s a little guide to try and explain things a bit better. Firstly, understanding how a camera works will make everything else make more sense. Essentially the two big parts of a camera are the lens and the...
Using Skype for a TV recording
A test with your interviewee / correspondent is always good in advance, to check for any issues with their internet signal and setup; also, to brief them on what they’ll be able to see and hear. Interviewee / correspondent: To be interviewed using Skype, you’ll need a...
Filming with a DSLR Camera
Here's a quick guide for using a Canon 800d/80d DSLR camera for recording video. Movie Mode Audio Setup Although the camera does record audio from its own microphone, it generally won't be the best quality. Because of this I would recommend using an external...
DSLR basics
This guide will explain how to operate a DSLR using the Automatic settings. 1. Put the battery & SD card in 2. Switch the camera on 3. Switch camera to Automatic Mode (with no Flash) If you wish to use Flash...
Editing RAW Photographs
Now that you've shot your photographs in RAW, you may be wondering how to edit them. I use Photoshop and its built in RAW editor and I highly recommend it. It is really easy to use and enables you to make drastic changes to your image with just a few clicks of your...
Shooting in RAW
As you explore photography and your DSLR more, you may start to notice the limitations of shooting in JPEG. This is where RAW comes into play. RAW is an uncompressed format and it captures all the image data when you take a photograph. This means you are able to take...
Panasonic AC30 Guide
The Panasonic AG-AC30 is a camera built solely for video production. You can use it both on a tripod and handheld (although I would always recommend using a tripod), and this model also comes with an LED light which is useful for filming in low light conditions. It...
GoPro Basics
The GoPro is a versatile action camera designed to withstand a lot of punishment, making it ideal for filming in more extreme conditions. This post shows you the basic functions on a GO PRO camera.
Panasonic AG AC90 guide
The Panasonic AG-AC90 is a camera built for video production. It is usable both handheld and on a tripod, although it’s always recommended to be used on a tripod. This model is slightly older than the Panasonic AC-30, and unlike the AC-30 does not have any lighting...