How to choose shutter speed?

J. Odoms

J. Odoms

Well-known member
Just as the title asks, how exactly are you guys choosing your shutter speeds. I'm fairly new to filming with DSLR cameras, or better yet filming in general, I wanted to know what you guys are setting it at in order to get the filmic look.

I know it helps for lighting but, I just wanna know whats your ideal shutter speed?
 
1080 24p 1/48th would be ideal, which these cams don't do.
But 1/50th is great and definitly close enough, also 1/60th looks decent
 
1/48 -> 1/50. Film cameras normally have a 1/48 shutter, 1/50 is close enough. There is no reason to change this unless you are going for a kind of strobey adrenaline-fueled look.

Here is how a film camera shutter works: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotary_disc_shutter it might take a while to get your head around it, just stare at the animation & diagram on the right for while.

Basically set your shutter speed at 1/50 and leave it there forever or until you can articulate a specific reason to change it.

Decide what you consider acceptable ISOs and white balance (in terms of noise, highlights etc.) for day and night shooting, also indoor and outdoor; the reason being that with film you don't use lots of different stocks; you want the film to look fairly consistent and your three main lighting situations are daylight, tungsten and flourescent, generally a film production will pick 3 (or even 2) stocks that look nice together under these different color temperatures and then stick with them for the whole shoot. Of course you have a bit more flexibility at lower ISOs where grain isn't that obvious, though try not to change it within a scene where it would be more noticeable.

You want to do most of your exposure adjustment via your aperture.
 
I only use a high shutter speed for dramatic looks like the D-Day beach invasion scene in Saving Private Ryan... I believe that shutter speed was somewhere near 1/160
 
Perfect guys, you just confirmed my suspicions. I shouldn't touch my shutter, except for SPECIFIC scenarios, and even then it'll only be for a limited period.
 
Shutter speeds in cinema is a topic that I'm sure will be covered in your film school curriculum. At least you now have a head start on it. :)
 
I've heard that for shooting 720p 60fps for slomo, a 1/120 looks best and is the "secret" behind the gr8 looking motocross footage.
 
think about it this way... For whatever Frame rate you are shooting, double it for your shutter ie. 24p=1/48, 30p=1/60, 60p=1/120, and since you are in film school I am sure you will be shooting with a R1 at some point and that may mean implementing 120fps for amazing slowmo... so 120p=1/240... unless you are shooting a special purpose scene... Having a slower shutter speed will give you more motion blur... so high shutter speeds are great for capturing great detail such as explosions, gunfire, and the effects that both of those have on the earth(dirt and water flying all over) hence the reason for using it in dramatic battle scenes... so stick to these rules and you will be good... man I cant wait till I go to film school in fall 2010 at FSU... good luck man
 
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