Canon XH series -- various sample clips

Peter Wiley · March 30th, 2008, 06:02 AM

http://www.vimeo.com/839217

Shot run and gun (which we don't see a lot of here) last December over the course of about three hours in about 25-30 F degree weather as a familiarization exercise with the A1. I just walked around the edges of the event talking to people. It was early morning so a lot of the action happened in the shadows of buildings.

Things I learned:

1) It's hard to shoot bare-handed in cold weather.

2) Use the auto focus as little as possible. In one of the civil war bandsmen interviews the tree 50 years in the background is nicely focused, his face is not so much.

3) Use the strap when you have to go completely hand held.

Benoit Bissonnette · March 30th, 2008, 07:12 AM

Video is "protected" and can't be watched.

Peter Wiley · March 30th, 2008, 07:16 AM

Thanks for pointing that out, Benoit. It has now been made public.

Jim Miller · March 30th, 2008, 08:04 AM

Nicely done. You did a great job of covering the event with just the right amount of interviews. Good mix of subjects as well. It kept me entertained.

I didn't notice too many focus issues. IT's very hard to do everything manual in a run and gun situation like that especially with the A1.

Matt Desmond · April 1st, 2008, 09:12 AM

Thanks for the comments. I didn't have much to work with, which is why it's so short. I was mostly just walking around with the camera while hanging out and didn't feel like pulling out the tripod.

I agree that some quicker cuts would be nice. Next time I'll think about that as I'm shooting to make sure to get a variety of shots.

Gregory Boyd · April 5th, 2008, 01:34 AM

Here she goes...I went for the Trailer Theme, Shot in 60i / 120
My goal was to shoot the Bride a lot more, but I was banned from the room! ((smiling))
The music was composed at the spare of the moment by myself.
Feel free to share your comments!

Greg

http://www.vimeo.com/858087

Randy Panado · April 5th, 2008, 02:38 AM

To be 100% frank, the mood of the music doesn't match the style of shooting in my opinon. I'm led to believe by the music that something melancholy will be happening, but the shots that are shown are "storybook" wedding style shots, not theatric shots.

I feel with a different song, the video will come to life.

The beginning sequence is cool, but I would expect a shot of the groom and bride after their names rather than venue/prep shots.

Also, the quick "deja vu" cuts of a shot back and forward are distracting.

HOWEVER, from 2:30 on, the style of shooting and editing is great. I like the flow from that point on and the way you showcase different angles and the guests.

It seems that there wasn't a whole lot to work with as far as venue goes.

Thanks for sharing and keep shooting! Please don't take my suggestions as a negative or too personal, it's my perception on the video.

Richard Hunter · April 6th, 2008, 01:04 AM

This was using the Truecolor preset with only the pedestal setting changed a bit, and without any cc in post. If it looks blue, that's probably because it was really like that, there's very little red in most of the shots. The greens have come out very rich, but again, that's how they looked to me yesterday when I shot this.

Richard

http://www.vimeo.com/865005

Oleg Kalyan · April 6th, 2008, 03:31 AM

Nice video,
how did you white balanced it?

I like a lot this blueish look, overall it reminds me "Kingdom of Heaven" Ridley Scott, John Mathieson look,
I would not call that look "true", it's rather stylized beautifully in slight blue tint.
Have you noticed less noise compared to other presets?

Richard Hunter · April 6th, 2008, 04:30 AM

Hi Oleg. WB was tricky, because the capsule glass is tinted. I tried using a white card inside the capsule but I also used a preset that I'd set up earlier, outside the capsule, for some shots. I also wanted to cc in post, but everything I tried in Edius caused too much red that I did not see during the shoot. So eventually I left it with no cc.

Haven't noticed any difference in noise so far, but these outdoor shots had plenty of light so I wouldn't really expect to. Yet to try this preset indoors.

Richard

Oleg Kalyan · April 6th, 2008, 11:26 PM

Richard,
thank you, look forward to possibly see some lower light shots,
btw, the content of the video is great!

I saw you wrote music to the clip, enjoyed it a lot!

Gregory Boyd · April 7th, 2008, 07:06 AM

Randy,

Thanks for the comments! Now that you mentioned it, I'll have to agree with all you pointed out. I'll keep shooting and working harder at it. The wiffee made a similiar comment about the music (didn't believe her...cheezn)
Thanks for your honest support!

Greg

Jim Brent · April 8th, 2008, 01:46 PM

My daughters first horse show.

I've learned from the last couple of events. #1. keep the camera rolling.
I used to be the guy that would film for 4 minutes then pocket the camera for 45. Now that I have the gear, I am really working on the discipline.

Also, i am filming from a variety of areas in and around the event, making the video much more interesting. Many ideas and support have come from a few of you here on DVi. This site has been a great resource.
Capturing the emotions and creating a story of the event is something i have been really studying as well. I think i did a decent job on this one.

As far as the camera (xha1) goes, i am starting to get a bit more comfortable with it. One bit i noticed, i do mess with the iris ring a little too much. With changing locations and lighting conditions, i find i need to mildly correct often. Thankfully it was a cloudy day in socal for this event.

Shooting Manual
Review the video here:
Note: The frame rate is a little slow, next time i compress for vimeo i will work on it.
http://www.vimeo.com/868652

Jim

Greg Boston · April 8th, 2008, 03:02 PM

Hey Jim, you've got some good stuff in there. I'd like to offer a bit of critique for you to evaluate.

Audio is important... very important. The piano track is a bit jarring in its volume in relation to the natural sound track. There are likely some good nat sound elements in there getting lost under the piano. The shot from :15 to :18 is crying for some sound of horse hoofs. Fortunately, that's fixable with a remix if you have the nat sound to support it. Consider using a wireless lav planted on your daughter or, somewhere close to the arena for some great nat sound.

Love the shot of the horse facing camera. At around 5:00, you're letting the subject get too far across the frame. The rule of video is to allow for 'look space'. IOW, there needs to be space in front of the subject's nose, be it human or animal. If there is a limitation that prevents continued panning, stop the pan while the subject still has look space and let it proceed out of frame.

The good thing is that you took the initiative to get out there and shoot something to tell a story with. After editing some of these, you'll begin to realize in advance what shots and angles you need to tell the story properly.

Welcome to DVINFO,

-gb-

Steven Dempsey · April 9th, 2008, 09:18 AM

I put this together from footage I gathered during my recent trip to San Francisco. I have always loved wind turbines and the old scratchy record sound in the music worked perfectly with the revolution of the propeller blades:

http://exposureroom.com/members/disj...5108e8702c2d0/

March 30th, 2008, 06:02 AM	#376
Peter Wiley Major Player Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Lewisburg PA Posts: 752	Interview with Abe Lincoln http://www.vimeo.com/839217 Shot run and gun (which we don't see a lot of here) last December over the course of about three hours in about 25-30 F degree weather as a familiarization exercise with the A1. I just walked around the edges of the event talking to people. It was early morning so a lot of the action happened in the shadows of buildings. Things I learned: 1) It's hard to shoot bare-handed in cold weather. 2) Use the auto focus as little as possible. In one of the civil war bandsmen interviews the tree 50 years in the background is nicely focused, his face is not so much. 3) Use the strap when you have to go completely hand held. Last edited by Peter Wiley; March 30th, 2008 at 07:05 AM.

April 5th, 2008, 01:34 AM	#381
Gregory Boyd New Boot Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Suffolk, Virginia Posts: 13	First Wedding Here she goes...I went for the Trailer Theme, Shot in 60i / 120 My goal was to shoot the Bride a lot more, but I was banned from the room! ((smiling)) The music was composed at the spare of the moment by myself. Feel free to share your comments! Greg http://www.vimeo.com/858087 __________________ www.gregbstudios.com XH-A1, FCS 2, Merlin Stedicam

April 6th, 2008, 01:04 AM	#383
Richard Hunter Trustee Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Lipa City Batangas, Philippines Posts: 1,110	Singapore Flyer footage with Truecolor preset. This was using the Truecolor preset with only the pedestal setting changed a bit, and without any cc in post. If it looks blue, that's probably because it was really like that, there's very little red in most of the shots. The greens have come out very rich, but again, that's how they looked to me yesterday when I shot this. Richard http://www.vimeo.com/865005

April 6th, 2008, 11:26 PM	#386
Oleg Kalyan Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: MOSCOW Posts: 860	Richard, thank you, look forward to possibly see some lower light shots, btw, the content of the video is great! I saw you wrote music to the clip, enjoyed it a lot! Last edited by Oleg Kalyan; April 7th, 2008 at 07:33 AM.

April 7th, 2008, 07:06 AM	#387
Gregory Boyd New Boot Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Suffolk, Virginia Posts: 13	Randy, Thanks for the comments! Now that you mentioned it, I'll have to agree with all you pointed out. I'll keep shooting and working harder at it. The wiffee made a similiar comment about the music (didn't believe her...cheezn) Thanks for your honest support! Greg __________________ www.gregbstudios.com XH-A1, FCS 2, Merlin Stedicam

March 30th, 2008, 07:12 AM	#377
Benoit Bissonnette Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Montreal, Qc, Canada Posts: 51	Video is "protected" and can't be watched.

March 30th, 2008, 07:16 AM	#378
Peter Wiley Major Player Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Lewisburg PA Posts: 752	Thanks for pointing that out, Benoit. It has now been made public.

March 30th, 2008, 08:04 AM	#379
Jim Miller Major Player Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Tampa,Florida Posts: 236	Nicely done. You did a great job of covering the event with just the right amount of interviews. Good mix of subjects as well. It kept me entertained. I didn't notice too many focus issues. IT's very hard to do everything manual in a run and gun situation like that especially with the A1.

April 1st, 2008, 09:12 AM	#380
Matt Desmond New Boot Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Minneapolis, MN Posts: 17	Thanks for the comments. I didn't have much to work with, which is why it's so short. I was mostly just walking around with the camera while hanging out and didn't feel like pulling out the tripod. I agree that some quicker cuts would be nice. Next time I'll think about that as I'm shooting to make sure to get a variety of shots.

April 5th, 2008, 02:38 AM	#382
Randy Panado Major Player Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 643	To be 100% frank, the mood of the music doesn't match the style of shooting in my opinon. I'm led to believe by the music that something melancholy will be happening, but the shots that are shown are "storybook" wedding style shots, not theatric shots. I feel with a different song, the video will come to life. The beginning sequence is cool, but I would expect a shot of the groom and bride after their names rather than venue/prep shots. Also, the quick "deja vu" cuts of a shot back and forward are distracting. HOWEVER, from 2:30 on, the style of shooting and editing is great. I like the flow from that point on and the way you showcase different angles and the guests. It seems that there wasn't a whole lot to work with as far as venue goes. Thanks for sharing and keep shooting! Please don't take my suggestions as a negative or too personal, it's my perception on the video.

April 6th, 2008, 03:31 AM	#384
Oleg Kalyan Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: MOSCOW Posts: 860	Nice video, how did you white balanced it? I like a lot this blueish look, overall it reminds me "Kingdom of Heaven" Ridley Scott, John Mathieson look, I would not call that look "true", it's rather stylized beautifully in slight blue tint. Have you noticed less noise compared to other presets?

April 6th, 2008, 04:30 AM	#385
Richard Hunter Trustee Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Lipa City Batangas, Philippines Posts: 1,110	Hi Oleg. WB was tricky, because the capsule glass is tinted. I tried using a white card inside the capsule but I also used a preset that I'd set up earlier, outside the capsule, for some shots. I also wanted to cc in post, but everything I tried in Edius caused too much red that I did not see during the shoot. So eventually I left it with no cc. Haven't noticed any difference in noise so far, but these outdoor shots had plenty of light so I wouldn't really expect to. Yet to try this preset indoors. Richard

April 8th, 2008, 01:46 PM	#388
Jim Brent New Boot Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Camarillo, Ca Posts: 9	First shoot that i am proud of (first post here as well) My daughters first horse show. I've learned from the last couple of events. #1. keep the camera rolling. I used to be the guy that would film for 4 minutes then pocket the camera for 45. Now that I have the gear, I am really working on the discipline. Also, i am filming from a variety of areas in and around the event, making the video much more interesting. Many ideas and support have come from a few of you here on DVi. This site has been a great resource. Capturing the emotions and creating a story of the event is something i have been really studying as well. I think i did a decent job on this one. As far as the camera (xha1) goes, i am starting to get a bit more comfortable with it. One bit i noticed, i do mess with the iris ring a little too much. With changing locations and lighting conditions, i find i need to mildly correct often. Thankfully it was a cloudy day in socal for this event. Shooting Manual Review the video here: Note: The frame rate is a little slow, next time i compress for vimeo i will work on it. http://www.vimeo.com/868652 Jim

April 8th, 2008, 03:02 PM	#389
Greg Boston Wrangler Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: DFW area, TX Posts: 6,117 Images: 1	Hey Jim, you've got some good stuff in there. I'd like to offer a bit of critique for you to evaluate. Audio is important... very important. The piano track is a bit jarring in its volume in relation to the natural sound track. There are likely some good nat sound elements in there getting lost under the piano. The shot from :15 to :18 is crying for some sound of horse hoofs. Fortunately, that's fixable with a remix if you have the nat sound to support it. Consider using a wireless lav planted on your daughter or, somewhere close to the arena for some great nat sound. Love the shot of the horse facing camera. At around 5:00, you're letting the subject get too far across the frame. The rule of video is to allow for 'look space'. IOW, there needs to be space in front of the subject's nose, be it human or animal. If there is a limitation that prevents continued panning, stop the pan while the subject still has look space and let it proceed out of frame. The good thing is that you took the initiative to get out there and shoot something to tell a story with. After editing some of these, you'll begin to realize in advance what shots and angles you need to tell the story properly. Welcome to DVINFO, -gb-

April 9th, 2008, 09:18 AM	#390
Steven Dempsey Disjecta Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Seattle, Washington Posts: 937	Continuum I put this together from footage I gathered during my recent trip to San Francisco. I have always loved wind turbines and the old scratchy record sound in the music worked perfectly with the revolution of the propeller blades: http://exposureroom.com/members/disj...5108e8702c2d0/ __________________ Try my Digital Therapy: http://www.pinelakefilms.com/digital_therapy.html Films on ExposureRoom: http://exposureroom.com/members/disjecta.aspx/videos/