How To Make A 1000 Camera Look Like 100 000 e Book PDF

How I Make A $1000 Dollar
Camera Look Like $100 000
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/CREATIVENORTHTV
The best gear for filmmaking...
Listen! People love to discuss and give their opinion on

what’s the greatest camera. But choosing a camera that’s
right for you is such a subjective thing that I don’t think
there’s ever going to be an answer to that question.
For me size, quality and price are the most important

factors. Size because I want to fit my gear in my pocket.
Quality because I want the best quality. Price because I want
to feel like I can break my camera without having to sell my
house.
That’s why I prefer the Black-

magic series over expensive
cameras. They shoot RAW,
affordable price and I love how
they can be custom rigged to
my desire. Right now I prefer
the pocket and micro cameras.
http://youtube.com/creativenorthtv
Mastering cinematography
There’s something thrilling about working with camera that has

limitations. Wether it’s an iPhone or a Blackmagic Micro
Cinema Camera.
It can bring joy to the creative process and push you to take
more risks. But to enjoy working with a lesser camera, you
need to accept it many limitations.
I started capturing images with a simple analogue Olympus

OM-1 camera. A still camera that taught me how to put love
into every step of the image making process. If you didn’t,
you were likely to have the images forever ruined.
Even though it was painful at times, I loved the randomness

to the image process. Not knowing for sure what you were
capturing forced you to learn how things really worked down
to the nitty gritty. It taught me how to have patience and intent
when capturing the world.
Today, as you grow up with a digital camera, you’re not
likely to understand the dreadful process of waiting to
actually see an image you had taken.
Digital cameras have become

so good that they do a lot of the
photographers job for you.
- “Even if you’re a decent

visual storyteller, Auto mode
will turn you into a great one.”
This means that you’re not forced

to understand how a picture is
being created. Instead you
instantly get a decent image and
then snap some ready made fil-
ter/look onto it.
This way of working creates somewhat handicapped

photographers. Because those people will not able to react
quickly enough in manual mode.
The highest photography level
This way of working might even work on the highest

photography level. But as soon as you start using video
cameras, you notice that the images lack both resolution and
dynamic range. And because of that, you need to be a much
more technical visual storyteller to succeed.
- For a long time documentaries had badly

exposed images with blown out windows.
The cameras weren’t capable of capturing a black and white

person in the same image without additional lighting.
This is what many people consider to be real on screen.

But it looks very limited if you compare it to what our eyes are
capable of seeing.
It’s only recently that video cameras started looking like the real
world ,because the cameras finally started shooting raw-images.
Which have superior dynamic range to the previous generations
of video cameras.
Filming in auto mode
Even though auto mode works quite well on still cameras, it

has never worked on a video camera.
It's simply too complex to

capture audio at mixed levels and
moving people through different
light situations. That works when
you only need one frame.
But to capture a perfectly

cinematic scene, you need to
master manual mode, lighting
and composition.
I think this is where alot of

aspiring cinematographers fail.
They rush to buy a Red or Alexa
and forget about investing
money and time into mastering the craft of creating images.
They forget that great visual storytellers can accomplish
amazing things with the most basic tool at hand. And that
authenticity comes through imperfections.
If there’s no friction, you’re very likely to do what you already

know will work. You become comfortable and stop innovating.
- “Creativity thrives when you’re

forced into unknown territories.”
The way the film industry has worked is very divided, because
it’s a complex process. You had one person holding the camera,
another loading film, another one being the cinematographer,
a lab that developed the image, a colorist that graded the
material... and so on...
With the advances in technology, all this is unnecessary.
Sure some people might be better off letting a specialist do the
work, but I think we’re going to see a generation of people who
can do all this naturally, so the specialists role will change.
If there’s one thing I can spot on

TV it’s cinematographers that
lack capacity to create a
consistent cinematic visual
story. They might be able to
take a few pretty shoots, but as
a whole, most of the material is
just point and shoot.
When you approach visual storytelling the way many

TV-cinematographers do, you’re setting yourself up to fail,
and not even the best camera will save you.
This often shows when pretty shoots are put in to give

production value. Resulting in taking too much attention from
the viewer.
- It’s true with drones,

- it’s true with slides,
- it’s true with action cams.
Great cinematography is not about pretty pictures, it’s about

immersing the viewers into the story.
Telling Stories through images
Masters like Christopher Doyle and Roger Deakins tell stories

through images that captivate you as a viewer, and they do it
while still making it look beautiful.
Many make the mistake thinking they have to have coverage.

But as I read the master, Christopher Doyle saying in an
interview.
-”If you need coverage you don’t know

what you’re doing”.
I live by this. Looking at docs

or tv with several characters,
you often see that the
“cinematographer” wants to
show everything that happens.
If it’s three people talking all three needs to be in the

picture and you hear the directors wanting images of all
peoples faces. This to me is cinematography at it’s worst.
You need to think much more about what the hell am I shooting
and why?
You need to pick a perspective. Wether that’s the protagoninst or

something else. It’s the cinematographers job to have an eye that
strengthens the story, that enhances the experience for the
viewers to immerse into the story.
- Practice this, and you’ll become a great

cinematographer in no time.
Going back to what gear to use. It doesn’t matter if it’s an iPhone,

Canon 5D, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera or a RED.
Your vision is key.
Have a look at Tangerine which was

shot on an iPhone or this surfing
short that was also shot on an
iPhone if you’re in doubt…
http://flip.it/z3onM
All of them was made in a professional way but with a very simple
tool.
Filming with an Iphone
To me it doesn’t make sense to use an iPhone and strap adapt-

ers into it, to make it larger and more clumsy than the BMPCC.
But it did to those visual storytellers which is key.
Use what you think will tell the

story best, and stay true to your
vision. Since I started shooting
I’ve always had limited budgets
and early on I decided that gear
wouldn’t stop me from creating.
To me it’s more important to create something, than to have

the right gear or resources to do it.
In the beginning I was playing around with 35mm adapters on
DV and HDV cameras, making my first serious short called
“Maud & Leo” with that same technology. It played in Festival
de Cannes.
My first tv documentary Zero Silence was made using only a

Canon 5D MK2 and cheap lenses. And even though I’m now a
professional cinematographer
I still prefer small gear to large. Which led me to shoot my

first feature doc The Pearl Of Africa on a Canon 5D MK3,
Blackmagic MFT, Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera and
GoPro.
I look at cameras as being a tool for a certain task. They All

have a certain look and purpose for using them. One of the
reasons why I stick to cheap cameras is the feeling that I can
brake them. That makes me take more risks which leads to
greater imagery.
I usually travel and shoot my docs
alone which is why I prefer light gear.
I own all my gear because that’s why
you can truly master them. Renting
cameras doesn’t make sense to me.
Even if you’re an experienced cinematographer you need to

practice practice practice.
When you’re shooting docs you have to be able to get a perfect

shot in a matter of seconds, and knowing your gear is key to
achieving the results you want. Even if you’re a great
cinematographer, using a new camera comes with limitations.
- It takes months to master a new camera!
This is why many professional cinematographers do a lot of

camera testing before a project. I prefer to own them instead.
But can a really cheap and limited camera be better than a
much more expensive one?
Well that depends on your needs. If you don’t have the

dynamic range and lattitude of a RED or Alexa you have to
control the light and situation much more. By doing that you
become great at controlling impossible light situations.
As a cinematographer that’s a superpower!
Not to say you can’t do that with great cameras too, but I think
many young cinematographers get lazy because it’s too easy to
create a technically good image.
Looking back on the DSLR revolution that introduced large
sensors and flooded us with short depth of field that people
today are really fed up with, is an interesting example of
technology that created a whole new style. At that time,
it was really the onlyway to make cheap cameras look cinematic.
There was no affordable

camera that could master
dynamic range at that time. Using
a short depth of field was a way
to hide the harsh fall off that
digital cameras had in highlights.
I used this technique in both my

doc Zero Silence and the fiction
film KIM, a low budget movie
that we mainly used my own gear
to shoot. At the time that was a
Canon 5D MK2 and MK3.
But this is similar to how analogue film evolved. In the

beginning it was very limited and dependent on a lot of light.
Having those limitations forced you to learn more about how the
camera actually worked. This shaped how film is still being made
today.
So pick whatever camera you want, learn it in and out!
Become a master at controlling it’s dynamic range. To me that’s the

key. I don’t care much for resolution, that’s the biggest myth in
filmmaking today. If it’s 2k or 5k means nothing in the end.
That conversation is what pixel numbers was to digital still

photography at one point. If you create a great looking 2k
image, it will look as good in the end.
- To me it looks more natural in 2k than 5k.
You don’t get the over sharpend image that makes it look
digital. Many cameras that have sharpening can also make
everything look like video. Avoid those at all cost.
Turn it off if you can!
Shooting RAW!
Be aware of cameras that have compressed video coming out of

the camera, many perform noise reduction in the camera which is
something I prefer doing in post when I need to.
This is true for many manufacturers like Sony and Canon.
- I prefer RAW at all costs.
If you’re ever going to come

close to the beautiful crisp
images that a still camera can
take. Shooting RAW is
essential, both for the color
information and dynamic range.
That’s one reason why I would pick the Black Magic Pocket Cin-
ema Camera over a Canon C300 any day. Using a lot of diffrent
cameras forces you to think more about post-production. You
need to be great at grading to get a GoPro and iPhone to play
well with a 5D or BMPCC.
But I don’t like spending much time on grading if it’s not going
into the cinema or broadcast. But I still want it to look fantastic.
To me the perfect tool to achieve that is Davinci Resolve with
Filmconvert. It’s a fast and a precise way to grade your films.
Here are some keys to make any
camera look like a hollywood camera:
1. Pick a camera within your budget!
My kit at the moment:
• Blackmagic micro cinema camera (main camera)
Great compact camera that with its modular approach fits me

perfect.
I use it with a Small HD 5” Sidefinder. I try to shoot Cinema

DNG for the dynamic range.
I don’t need it often and therefore transcode most of my ma-

terial to ProRes 422 HQ in Resolve but I want the negatives as
a backup for precious projects. You can push it at least 2 stops
and do some noise reduction without a problem.
Usually I shoot interviews and other controlled situations in Pro-

Res 422 HQ.
• Blackmagic pocket cinema camera
(steadicam and action camera) Similar to the micro, I usually

use it on my Skyler MiniCam with a SLR-Magic prime lens or as
an action cam. It doesn’t handle cold very well and the battery
sucks. http://youtube.com/creativenorthtv
I also used the 5D MK III with magic lantern for harsh conditions
for a while. I loved the look from the 5D MK III in Raw but it had a
lot of problems when the ISO was greater than 400.
• GoPro
They look awful and are difficult to grade because of the lack of
dynamic range. The only time I use them is under water where they
seem to do a decent job.
• IPhone
It lacks all details and is horrible to grade. I use it sometimes when

I’ve forgotten the pocket camera, but I’m always disappointed
when I grade it.
Resources
• Master the dynamic range https://youtu.be/Rcux-27mvkY
• Master the depth of field https://youtu.be/hv1JrJT4T9k Cameras

for diffrent situations
2. Learn how to master light
• Read still photography books on natural lighting. Start with this
one “Master Lighting Guide for Portrait Photographers” http://
www.amazon.com/Master-Lighting-Guide-Portrait-Photogra-
phers/dp/160895689X
• Learn how to manipulate light from some of the masters in

“FilmCraft: Cinematography” http://www.amazon.com/Film-
Craft-Cinematography-Tim-Grierson/dp/0240818628
• Practice manipulating light as in this tutorial https://youtu.be/

FBeqbsaC_zY
• Look at what natural light you have and add necessary light.
Earlier cameras were not light sensitive, which forced cinema-
tographers to use a lot of light. That’s no longer the case.
• Block unnecessary light
• Balance the color of light, or not. You decide.
• Make it look natural, or don’t.
3. Pick a perspective
• Compose with a vision
• Don’t show everything
• Pick what perspective you want to have
• Dont worry about coverage, decide what you need
4. Practice
• Shoot often
• Don’t let gear stand in the way of creating
5. Learn how to dance with the subjects
• Create natural movements with the camera by following the
characters. Practice this by using a fixed prime lens and a shoul-
der rig. That will force you to move to get a variety of shots. Move
slowly and with the pace of a scene.
If the characters move fast then it’s okay to move fast, otherwise
don’t. If they don’t move at all and you want to move then do so
imagining the emotional nerve of the scene.
This type of movements make scenes and look more real and
adds to the emotional connection between subjects and the audi-
ence.
To do this properly, you as a cinematographer need to take the

role of the audience, in a way you need to act, so the camera be-
comes more immersive in the scene.
• Decide when you need to move and when not to
• Wait for things to happen. Have patience and things will happen.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS!
Making a feature documentary is

hard, and it’s a process that you
rarely geta close look at.
This is why I decided to start

documenting my own struggle
as a filmmaker.
About three years ago, I started working on my feature

documentary The Pearl Of Africa. For a long time, everything
seemed impossible. Then I decided to create a blog about my
struggle to make the film (and some other stuff)
Watch here: http://youtube.com/creativenorthtv
If you’re interested in reading more about our work:

http://roughstudios.com/

How To Make A 1000 Camera Look Like 100 000 e Book PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

How To Make A 1000 Camera Look Like 100 000 e Book PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

How I Make A $1000 Dollar

Camera Look Like $100 000

Listen! People love to discuss and give their opinion on

For me size, quality and price are the most important

That’s why I prefer the Black-

There’s something thrilling about working with camera that has

I started capturing images with a simple analogue Olympus

Even though it was painful at times, I loved the randomness

Digital cameras have become

- “Even if you’re a decent

This means that you’re not forced

This way of working creates somewhat handicapped

This way of working might even work on the highest

- For a long time documentaries had badly

The cameras weren’t capable of capturing a black and white

This is what many people consider to be real on screen.

Even though auto mode works quite well on still cameras, it

It's simply too complex to

But to capture a perfectly

I think this is where alot of

If there’s no friction, you’re very likely to do what you already

- “Creativity thrives when you’re

If there’s one thing I can spot on

When you approach visual storytelling the way many

This often shows when pretty shoots are put in to give

- It’s true with drones,

Great cinematography is not about pretty pictures, it’s about

Masters like Christopher Doyle and Roger Deakins tell stories

Many make the mistake thinking they have to have coverage.

-”If you need coverage you don’t know

I live by this. Looking at docs

If it’s three people talking all three needs to be in the

You need to pick a perspective. Wether that’s the protagoninst or

- Practice this, and you’ll become a great

Going back to what gear to use. It doesn’t matter if it’s an iPhone,

Have a look at Tangerine which was

To me it doesn’t make sense to use an iPhone and strap adapt-

Use what you think will tell the

To me it’s more important to create something, than to have

My first tv documentary Zero Silence was made using only a

I still prefer small gear to large. Which led me to shoot my

I look at cameras as being a tool for a certain task. They All

Even if you’re an experienced cinematographer you need to

When you’re shooting docs you have to be able to get a perfect

- It takes months to master a new camera!

This is why many professional cinematographers do a lot of

Well that depends on your needs. If you don’t have the

As a cinematographer that’s a superpower!

There was no affordable

I used this technique in both my

But this is similar to how analogue film evolved. In the

Become a master at controlling it’s dynamic range. To me that’s the

That conversation is what pixel numbers was to digital still

- To me it looks more natural in 2k than 5k.

Turn it off if you can!

Be aware of cameras that have compressed video coming out of

This is true for many manufacturers like Sony and Canon.

- I prefer RAW at all costs.

If you’re ever going to come

• Blackmagic micro cinema camera (main camera)

Great compact camera that with its modular approach fits me

I use it with a Small HD 5” Sidefinder. I try to shoot Cinema

I don’t need it often and therefore transcode most of my ma-