37 Videography Tips for Beginners [Videography 101]

in Videography on
Types of Shots for Video

Last month, we covered How to Start a Video Production Company, and to continue on that theme we’re covering a wide-range of tips for beginners, new filmmakers and/or YouTubers. Let’s start with the absolute basics, because if you want to shoot good video, you have to be technically proficient. 1-15: Basics 16-27: Intermediate/Advanced 28-37: Extras 1. Shoot in Manual  While cameras are getting better at automatically finding the right settings…

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Best VALUE Gear for Shooting Your First Wedding Video Under $2k

in Cameras Lenses Olympus Panasonic Videography on

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfTsw3zHVS8[/embedyt]

In the video above,  I detail the gear I used for shooting my first wedding. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the gear used, and popular alternatives.

Cameras

Perhaps one of the more contentious points, because if you ask 10 different people, you might get 10 different answers.

Truth is, there are a lot of capable cameras out there, the only thing I would say is understand your limitations… and perhaps build a kit around that.

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Panasonic G85 vs Olympus EM-5 II – IBIS vs Dual IS Stabilization

in Olympus Panasonic Videography on

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q04BfXKwvr0[/embedyt]

I’ve shot with Micro Four Thirds essentially since it’s inception in 2009 with the Panasonic GF1. Back then, it’s main differentiator was the size. In addition to that, today we’re seeing µ43 first to the race with things like IBIS, Dual IS, 4k, etc.

Stabilization was a game changer for me. Not that I even attempt the 1+ sec handheld shots that some people boast about. But the fact that I can shoot at 1/60 and not have to worry about a tad bit of camera shake is amazing. And if I want to bend the handheld rule a little bit (adding 1 before the focal length ie. 100mm =1/100s), I can.

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If WordPress is Making Your Photos Look Bad – Try this!

in Business Photography on

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bv4kB-t57WE[/embedyt]

A few days ago, I was updating this post on my favorite m43 lenses, and I noticed the images were coming out soft. I immediately knew it was WordPress compression, because I’ve been through this with my own website years back (JaySoriano.com). But it looked even worse.

Since WordPress 4.5, their JPEG compression is actually even more aggressive at 82% of the image quality. Sure, a page my load faster for a mobile user, but it comes at the expense of people who want to show their images at their best… I mean what’s the point of spending thousands on gear only to upload low quality images to the web? I’m all for a faster web though, as a matter of fact Google just announced a new compression tool that reduced bandwidth by 75%.

Nonetheless, WPBeginner has a tutorial on how to disable JPEG compression with a single line:

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Why I Decided on the Panasonic G85 over the GH5 and Olympus OM-D E-M1 II

in Cameras Olympus Panasonic on

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOqDYsLQweo[/embedyt]

Updated: March 21, 2017  – Hey just wanted to update this post from September ’16, I did end up buying the G85 and it’s quickly becoming one of my favorite cameras, checkout my review above. 

I know what you’re thinking. Before the barrage of internet hate strolls though, let me explain.

The Panasonic G85, probably one of the quieter announcements at Photokina. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

According to a DPReview poll, with 29% of the vote, the Fujifilm GFX 50s stole the show, and rightfully so. An “affordable” medium format mirrorless camera is quite the feat.

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Low vs High CRI LED Bulbs for Photography/Filmmaking

in Lighting Videography on

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQz-7GN2A4E[/embedyt]

Long story short, there is a pretty significant difference between low and high CRI LED’s. Enough that you could plunk down the extra $30 for good quality LED’s.

Budget LED’s on Amazon are about $30, and most of them I’ve seen make zero mention of CRI rating… yet most of these products are rated 5 stars. But truth is, most people just starting out probably wouldn’t notice this type of thing. Fortunately, I did the dirty work for you and I have two recommendations (as mentioned in the video):

  1. Aputure HL198C
  2. Yongnuo YN360

As mentioned in the video, I found the lighting from the YN360 a bit harsh, even diffused with the umbrella. So I did redid it, toned down the power just a tad and added a tiny bit of fill and here was the result:

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Reduce Noise In-Post or In-Camera w/ the Panasonic G85

in Panasonic Videography on

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idanVxac9ww[/embedyt]

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to checkout my full review of the Panasonic G85 here.

The purpose of this video, is essentially, I want to find out what the best settings are for my use. Now, there’s a lot of different opinions out there and hopefully some of these tests will help you guys and gals out too.

Stay tuned and subscribe on YouTube for the latest!