Cafe- A DVX100B Test video

CelfistJett

CelfistJett

Active member
Hey, this is my first upload from the DVX100b that I just purchased. I felt like filming something simple, and so I did. I felt like uploading this to see what it would look like after I uploaded it. Yes, I realize my lens was dirty (Problem solved, after purchasing a microfiber cloth), and the camera was a bit shaky. It was a pretty windy day.

http://www.vimeo.com/2318094

Feedback is welcomed. Keep in mind that this was just for fun, and for the purpose of uploading some random thing that I filmed.
 
focusing trouble and extremely over exposed. i duno if u were going for the overexposed look or what but it was really blown out.
were u using autofocus or manual?
 
Yeah, it was meant to look over-exposed, but maybe a little too over-exposed. I was messing around with the focus ring on purpose. It was just a little test of the new dvx100b that I just got. It's nothing serious.

It was on manual.
 
Music was pretty cool, jazz is a good thing.
I liked the shots you got but not the yellow cast over it all,,, did you CC that in post or white balance against something other than white??
 
There was no CC in post, I just messed around with the scene file settings to make it look warm, and messed around with the white balance to make it look that way. It was just a prefered look that I wanted to get. I'm a new-comer to the filming world. I am going to be taking filming classes in college next semester. As for an editing program, I used Microsoft Movie maker (I know, frowned upon, and terrible). I have connections to get myself Final Cut for free, but I don't have an imac. For now I must save. The next purchase I have in mind is a 35mm adaptor.
 
I see what you are aiming at, I don't think it quite works yet.

For me its too blown, too yellow, too shaky, not crazy about the eye-level camera angle in some shots.

But keep going! Love the vibe, love the blur. Reminds me of my own still photography.
 
I think I know what you want to get at..

When you shoot in sunlight, overexposing too much is almost never a good idea.. (or.. that's in my opinion at least)


Look at this:
http://www.vimeo.com/1305676

The video I showed there is overexposed and in sunlight.. If I had pushed the image anymore, then it would just look bad..


But keep on truckin:P

The DVX is still an awesome camera!
(Yes...emphasis on "still"...)
 
Yeah, I definitely think you pushed the exposure way too hard. The DVX is a spectacular camera, and in my opinion its image can be abused quite a bit, however you still gotta be careful. Especially with exposure - that's the key to good looking footage, and it's sometimes a hard balance to strike when you're outside and shooting guerilla. Remember, when in doubt, always underexpose because you can always brighten in post but you can never darken blown highlights. That's the golden rule of digital filmmaking. Since this is your first camera, spend alot more downtime with it and push it to see what it's capable of. It's not exactly a rational thing, but rather an intuitive "feel" to what would look good and what doesn't.

As for a 35mm adaptor, I honestly don't recommend you dive into one just yet. I waited for 2 years after I got my DVX before I took the plunge on the letus economy. Truthfully, it was because until the letus economy came along, there wasn't really anything that I felt really suited me since the spinning adaptors were generally light loss heavy and inverted the image. However, in retrospect, I'm glad it was quite awhile before I bought the adaptor because it gave me alot of time to learn the ropes of both filmmaking and how to handle my camera. You should prioritise getting a good tripod over an adaptor, actually. I know that sounds odd, but do remember that the adaptor will be really hard to live with without a proper tripod. It'll be nigh impossible to hold steady while handheld for long periods of time, and that'll kill your wrist. If you have a cheap tripod, you'd be fearing for your camera everytime you mount it: I have a manfrotto 501 which i thought was pretty good at the time, but after 3 years it's pretty much falling apart and I don't dare leave my camera alone on top of it with an adaptor unless someone is around to keep a hand on it. In short, always anticipate future purchases when you buy your gear and save yourself lots of heartache.

That's it from me - just felt like sharing some of the experience I've gathered over the 3 years I've owned my DVX (I got my camera when I was 15), and good luck with your next test!


Tommetass - That looks CRAZY good.
 
Thanks for the info. I understand that it is too over-exposed. The only reason why I actually filmed this over-exposed was that it was a look that I liked that I couldn't do in post production because I have not yet invested in a good post-production software. I was working with windows movie maker for this one. Before I invest into a good tripod I feel that it is a must that I buy a good production software. I was thinking of Adobe Premiere, what do you think?
 
Yeah I agree. I overlooked that in your posts. I currently use adobe premiere and I find it alright as an editing software. If nothing else, it's sufficient for my needs and it's also fairly powerful since it can integrate with after effects and has a wide variety of plugins available if you want to expand it in the future. However editing software is pretty much a "to each his own" affair, like the mac vs pc debate. Although imo virtually all the editing software are alike, it's just which you choose to wet your feet in.
 
I can also see what you're trying here. But before all of that consider the framing of the subject. Random shots will always look like random shots. Think about the relationship of the shots within the edit before you shoot. Even a rough storyboard before hand might help.

This is only my opinion.
 
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