Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird?

Ryan Elder · January 13th, 2020, 03:09 PM

Oh okay, so you think I should not have any cuts then and maybe have the entire thing in one shot? I do actually have one take of the entire thing, it's I felt that certain parts of other takes were better so I wanted to borrow from all three takes, rather than use just one. But is it better to use just one of the entire thing?

Brian Drysdale · January 13th, 2020, 04:06 PM

You can do that if you've got closer shots of the actions that can be put between the selected parts of each take. However, they need to be fairly consistent in their moves and positioning, depending how much you can see of these actions in the wider shots.

Since you're planning to direct a feature film with action scenes, you should know all this stuff.

Ryan Elder · January 13th, 2020, 04:11 PM

Oh okay, well I find this to be very different than directing a feature with action scenes, cause for the feature, you are setting up the shots for emotion, where as here, you they are being done out of fighting move techniques specifically, rather than emotion, if that makes sense. In a feature I don't need to see everything about the fighting moves, I want to see the emotion. So I feel it's a whole new ball game for me, compared to the action scene of a movie.

Brian Drysdale · January 13th, 2020, 05:47 PM

The emotion is the difficult part, this is just the mechanics of a stunt.

Be careful, you may be misjudging the emotion that you're creating,

Ryan Elder · January 13th, 2020, 05:56 PM

Oh okay thanks. But I feel that story narrative action is easier for me to decide on that martial arts promotional video action. I think it's because I have thought about fictional narrative more probably.

Brian Drysdale · January 14th, 2020, 02:17 AM

This is mostly illustrative, so it's a matter of getting the participants delivering their lines in a natural manner, that's usually the difficult part o these videos, All the rest should be relatively easy.

Download the selected take onto a laptop and use that as a reference video player., so that the continuity can be matched for the action shots. You can use the angle that makes it look at it's best, if you wish. slow the move down in post and use some of the lines as VO.

Ryan Elder · January 14th, 2020, 02:36 AM

Oh okay. I was thinking of slowing the move down in post for VO before though. However, my camera only shoots at 30 frames per second which sucks for slow motion. Should I use try using twixtor maybe then?

Brian Drysdale · January 14th, 2020, 02:43 AM

Use whatever works for you.

Straight slowing down 30 fps in post is the same as step printing in film. it has a look of its own, which been used in a number of films.

Pete Cofrancesco · January 14th, 2020, 01:35 PM

I wouldn't do slow motion. It feels like you just can't help yourself from meddling with these sorts of things.

Honestly you should be using these jobs to work on your directing. Not to get you off on tangents there are many aspects of this project you could have used your energies on. Like scripting a fun snappy intro. A lot of the better Youtube videos have a format, style, branding leaves you with an impression that its professional production. From what we have seen so far this is an uninspired video where you show up to a room with your camera and press record. If they came to you and said we want you to come up with a plan to create a great promo video for our business tell us what to do.

Ryan Elder · January 14th, 2020, 04:38 PM

Oh I only mentioned slow motion cause it was suggested on here that I slow the movements down if he talks about the possibly. Unless I read that wrong?

Brian Drysdale · January 14th, 2020, 05:51 PM

Slow motion should only be a snappy sting thing, not a Sam Peckinpah job, however, it wouldn't work with the video that you have at the moment, which needs working on style.

Ryan Elder · January 14th, 2020, 05:54 PM

Oh okay. Well the instructor says he wants to narrate a lot of it with voice over, rather than talk and having do the moves, especially in a location with problematic sound.

So if he does that, I am afraid of perhaps the moves being too quick. So I could slow them down if he needs more time to explain them or I could just free frame them on certain beats that he is talking about, if that's good.

Brian Drysdale · January 14th, 2020, 05:58 PM

Are you making a promo video or an instructional video? It sounds like you're doing the latter.

Ryan Elder · January 14th, 2020, 06:05 PM

I am doing what they are asking me to do. He wants to narrate the moves to show off his knowledge and what he can offer, and that is what he wants to do. I know I get to pick the shots and how many takes and all, but he still gets to pick the moves and what he wants to talk about, doesn't he?

Pete Cofrancesco · January 14th, 2020, 06:12 PM

From the very beginning this sounded like a moving target project where Ryan is letting a client who doesn’t know what he wants take the lead. First he films him free form sparring, then he shows him the footage and he sees it’s not good, and now he told Ryan to try something else. This is what you get when you’re passive.

January 13th, 2020, 03:09 PM	#481
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Oh okay, so you think I should not have any cuts then and maybe have the entire thing in one shot? I do actually have one take of the entire thing, it's I felt that certain parts of other takes were better so I wanted to borrow from all three takes, rather than use just one. But is it better to use just one of the entire thing?

January 13th, 2020, 04:06 PM	#482
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? You can do that if you've got closer shots of the actions that can be put between the selected parts of each take. However, they need to be fairly consistent in their moves and positioning, depending how much you can see of these actions in the wider shots. Since you're planning to direct a feature film with action scenes, you should know all this stuff.

January 13th, 2020, 04:11 PM	#483
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Oh okay, well I find this to be very different than directing a feature with action scenes, cause for the feature, you are setting up the shots for emotion, where as here, you they are being done out of fighting move techniques specifically, rather than emotion, if that makes sense. In a feature I don't need to see everything about the fighting moves, I want to see the emotion. So I feel it's a whole new ball game for me, compared to the action scene of a movie. Last edited by Ryan Elder; January 13th, 2020 at 04:58 PM.

January 13th, 2020, 05:47 PM	#484
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? The emotion is the difficult part, this is just the mechanics of a stunt. Be careful, you may be misjudging the emotion that you're creating,

January 13th, 2020, 05:56 PM	#485
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Oh okay thanks. But I feel that story narrative action is easier for me to decide on that martial arts promotional video action. I think it's because I have thought about fictional narrative more probably.

January 14th, 2020, 02:17 AM	#486
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? This is mostly illustrative, so it's a matter of getting the participants delivering their lines in a natural manner, that's usually the difficult part o these videos, All the rest should be relatively easy. Download the selected take onto a laptop and use that as a reference video player., so that the continuity can be matched for the action shots. You can use the angle that makes it look at it's best, if you wish. slow the move down in post and use some of the lines as VO.

January 14th, 2020, 02:36 AM	#487
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Oh okay. I was thinking of slowing the move down in post for VO before though. However, my camera only shoots at 30 frames per second which sucks for slow motion. Should I use try using twixtor maybe then?

January 14th, 2020, 02:43 AM	#488
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Use whatever works for you. Straight slowing down 30 fps in post is the same as step printing in film. it has a look of its own, which been used in a number of films.

January 14th, 2020, 01:35 PM	#489
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 2,997	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? I wouldn't do slow motion. It feels like you just can't help yourself from meddling with these sorts of things. Honestly you should be using these jobs to work on your directing. Not to get you off on tangents there are many aspects of this project you could have used your energies on. Like scripting a fun snappy intro. A lot of the better Youtube videos have a format, style, branding leaves you with an impression that its professional production. From what we have seen so far this is an uninspired video where you show up to a room with your camera and press record. If they came to you and said we want you to come up with a plan to create a great promo video for our business tell us what to do. Last edited by Pete Cofrancesco; January 14th, 2020 at 03:16 PM.

January 14th, 2020, 04:38 PM	#490
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Oh I only mentioned slow motion cause it was suggested on here that I slow the movements down if he talks about the possibly. Unless I read that wrong?

January 14th, 2020, 05:51 PM	#491
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Slow motion should only be a snappy sting thing, not a Sam Peckinpah job, however, it wouldn't work with the video that you have at the moment, which needs working on style.

January 14th, 2020, 05:54 PM	#492
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Oh okay. Well the instructor says he wants to narrate a lot of it with voice over, rather than talk and having do the moves, especially in a location with problematic sound. So if he does that, I am afraid of perhaps the moves being too quick. So I could slow them down if he needs more time to explain them or I could just free frame them on certain beats that he is talking about, if that's good.

January 14th, 2020, 05:58 PM	#493
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? Are you making a promo video or an instructional video? It sounds like you're doing the latter.

January 14th, 2020, 06:05 PM	#494
Ryan Elder also known as Ryan Wray Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Saskatoon, Canada Posts: 2,880	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? I am doing what they are asking me to do. He wants to narrate the moves to show off his knowledge and what he can offer, and that is what he wants to do. I know I get to pick the shots and how many takes and all, but he still gets to pick the moves and what he wants to talk about, doesn't he?

January 14th, 2020, 06:12 PM	#495
Pete Cofrancesco Inner Circle Join Date: May 2004 Location: USA Posts: 2,997	re: Would using a star filter for cinematography be too weird? From the very beginning this sounded like a moving target project where Ryan is letting a client who doesn’t know what he wants take the lead. First he films him free form sparring, then he shows him the footage and he sees it’s not good, and now he told Ryan to try something else. This is what you get when you’re passive.