fast shutter effect

[Dylan Couper]

Someone told me the DVX100(a) has a special mode to get the same fast shutter look that was made popular in Saving Private Ryan.
Is this true, or do you just turn the shutter speed up really high?

Thanks

[Ken Tanaka]

Dylan,
I think someone's pulling your leg. None of the six standard "scene files" (collection of presets) really represents such an effect. You would first select your basic mode (ex: 30p, 60i, 24p or 24pa) then manipulate the shutter speed to achieve such an effect.

Actually, I'm glad this was raised. Can someone explain how to do shutter effects please? I'll tell you why I ask: I understand how a shutter works, but something doesn't gel in my mind.

If I think of the 'fast shutter effect' in say, 28 days later, where the rain is coming down but you can see each droplet, (as opposed to seeing just blurry fast water).

However, when I think of a strobe light, if you slow down the strobe (like slowing down the shutter), this is where you notice movement. The more you speed up the strobe, the more fluid the motion is.

So I would think that to get the 'fast-shutter effect', wouldn't you actually have to slow down the shutter?

Sorry for the newbie basics, but it just seems counter-intuitive.

[Stefan Scherperel]

I think your kind of mixing up frame rate and shutter speed. This is a common mistake, so don't feel bad. Lets just say that we are shooting at 24fps ie 24p, and we will make it 24pA just so that it is easier to understand. THis is your frame rate, ie, how many frames are being exposed during one passing second. Now, each of these 24 frames will be exposed for a certain period of time, this is what your shutter speed controls. Since it you have 24frames for 1 second, the slowest shutter speed you can use is 1/24 of a second. Each frame will be exposed for 1/24th of a second making it 24/24 or "1 second". Now 1/24th of a second is a fairly slow shutter speed, if you have done any still photography this will be clear. in 1/24th of a second, a lot can happen. This will give you a slightly blurry effect. Basically you will be getting very little "strobe" because the shutter is being left open for the entire frame, in other words, one frame will blend seemlessly into the next. Now lets say we want the stroby "saving private ryan" look. Lets make our shutters speed 1/125th of a second. OUr frame rate is still 24fps but now instead of each frame being exposed for that entire 1/24th of a second, each frame is now only exposed for 1/125th of a second. That means that it will only be open during part of the frame, and then closed until the next frame needs to be exposed. This will give each frame a much sharper look as it is only exposed for 1/125th of a second, however, while the shutter is closed, the action keeps moving, so each frame will not blend seemlessly into the next like it does when shooting at 1/24th shutter speed. I hope that makes sense.

[Steve D. Taylor]

Stefan,

Wow, that was a great description. Thanks, that helped me as well. I've used an old Bolex for years and never really understood what I was changing w/regard to shutter speed (always shot at 24 fps, but you could adjust the shutter angle for ? effects). Now that I'm shooting digital, your explaination really helped.

Steve.

[Peter Jefferson]

In lamens terms.. alot of people get confused about shutters and frames..
a good way to look at it is to break it down...

one thing to note about shutter, is that the faster u have it, the more details you can preserve during fast movement.

IE, as the motion blur is almost non existant due to the faster shutter, most of what you will see will be fragments of exposure compared to 1/24th blur

[Alfred Tomaszewski]

I found that the setting the shutter speed to 1/250 seems to get the closest results to the effect you are looking for (that is assuming you are shooting 30 fps or 60i)

[John Hudson]

Alfred just answered the question.

Thanks very very much for that fantastic explanation and contributions by all. A big gap in knowledge was just filled.