Making footage look better

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Dario Nieva

Well-known member
OK I don't really have the cash for a DVX100a right now (Still saving! :|) so I am forced to use the resources that I DO have.

This being the Sony DCR-DVD101.

Just wanted to know if any of you had any general tips on making the footage look less like a home movie. Techniques, Programs, whatever.

Thanks in advance for any help!
 
Start by reading all the posts on this site, and reading many of the books and DVDs recommended on this site. It will take you a long time to master, but lighting is the most important thing, along with framing and camera moves.

a good DP with minimal gear can make a more filmlike flick than an amateur with a lot of expensive gear.
 
Composistion is the most important thing that will set you apart from the rest. Study films with good composistion and carry around a little digital camera with you if you have it so you can take stills and develop your. Lighting is important but not as important as good clean composistion.

blah
 
rgdfilms said:
Composistion is the most important thing that will set you apart from the rest. Study films with good composistion and carry around a little digital camera with you if you have it so you can take stills and develop your. Lighting is important but not as important as good clean composistion.

blah
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I disagree. To me you comment is like saying the outline of a painting is more important than the colors and brushtrokes used. To say lighting isn't as important as composition is light saying a transmission isn't as important as a engine. You need both if you want to get anywhere.

I believe the poster wanted to make the image have a less "video look". For the me the "look" have to do with gamma and lighting and contrasts of colors and blacks and whites.

In my own opinion, composition is the easiest part to learn. I've never had a problem composing, or framing a shot. But early on, and even still at time, I have difficulty lighting because it is the hardest part to master in my opinion.

I've a seen a lot of bad films in my life, and most folks know in the first seconds if it is going to be bad and lot has to do with lighting. I've seen some bad films that were still watchable because I could admire the craft that went into the shots and lighting.
 
I've shot many films without controlled lighting just using natural light and working with that. Working with natural light, without a budget, you have to lock down your camera in a spot that fools the audience into looking like its lit professionally. We have a difference in opinion and thats ok. I've just found that great composistion trumps great lighting. And its not the easiest thing to do, You would think composing a shot would be easy yes, but composing a shot that is both compelling and that drives your story can be difficult. Anyone can just set a camera on a tripod and point it at something pretty. Check out sockbaby.com These filmmakers used a piece of crap little sony minidv camera without lighting and the thing looks professional. Granted they have great sound effects and quick editing, however, none of this would have played off without the special detailed attention to composistion.
 
rgdfilms said:
Composistion is the most important thing that will set you apart from the rest. Study films with good composistion and carry around a little digital camera with you if you have it so you can take stills and develop your. Lighting is important but not as important as good clean composistion.

blah
Click to expand...
Lighting and camera movement are just as important as composition. Besides, it all depends on the project you are working on.

FYI: it's "composition" not "composistion"
 
wbfish said:
I believe story is the most important. A great story/script will overcome everything else.
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I agree, but then again you're all right............ If it were a perfect world we would have a million hrs and a trillon dollars to angle the right shot, get the best lighting and payroll the top screenwriter. :)
 
wbfish said:
I believe story is the most important. A great story/script will overcome everything else.
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Ofcourse, I am not too worried about that though ;)

It personally bothers me to see something look like a home video, which is why I asked for help.

Thanks for the tips so far guys, I always had lighting and composition in my mind. I would also like to know of any programs out there that would better the look of my camera or perhaps a lens? (The camera has a pretty good option of lenses.)
 
rgdfilms said:
Composition, shlomposition, its all the same
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Totally, man. Basic high school level spelling is totally unimportant and has nothing to do with how seriously people take your opinion.

My reply was more about the idea that there is no one single answer to this question. Lighting, composition, movement, and color/contrast are all crucial.

And as far as story goes, I always assume that a solid story is a foregone conclusion if you're asking about the look of your film. Otherwise you might as well be buying aftermarket parts before you know which car you're going to buy.
 
limehouse said:
Totally, man. Basic high school level spelling is totally unimportant and has nothing to do with how seriously people take your opinion.
Click to expand...

And sarcasm makes the world smile with you.. :thumbsup:
 
Learn to master the manual controls of your camera. Auto settings will always take you back to the " home video " look. Learn proper exposure techniques, learn how to keep the sharpest image possible, using a good tripod with a decent fluid head, Learn camera moves that are slow, gradual and calculated. In other words, know where your pan will end up and what obstacles are in the way. White balance properly, try to minimize blow outs. Light creates mood. harsh overhead light creates ugly facial shadows, etc. sometimes the small things can make a huge improvement.
 
All of the above tips are essentials. In addition (or as a prerequisite), you should stay away from the zoom button. You can watch a video for 2 seconds, and if you see handheld video and zooms in and out, and you'll have no doubt it is a home video (or The Blair Witch Project).
 
My opinion is:

The ONLY 2 things that really matter in getting that film look/ more professional look are:

¤ Shallow depth of field
¤ Color Correction

I mean there are little things you can do, but from looking at other people stuff, doing my own expirements and talking to others over that last two years, those two above make the most difference. So , yes, you should compose your shots well, pay attention to lighting, sound if necessary etc...

Some people say 24p is what is needed for that film look. I totally dissagree. Those people are also saying later, once they have a cam that shoots 24p that ' ooh i want a G35, or mini35 that looks just like film! ' I've seen footage that was just shot at 24p and it looks no different to me, than 30i.

Here is an example of what i mean.

I went to the zoo and shot some footage of monkeys.

First of all notice that I stepped back and zoomed a bit to make it look like I have a Shorter DOF. That's your first step to making it look better. ;)


Oringial shot.
1.jpg


Then in post, I adjusted the levels to what I thought they should be at. ( i enjoy a higher contrast look )
2.jpg


Then finally, I added some color correction/ or you can use a plugin too to get a certain look. It's very subtle but still there.
3.jpg


Again this is all perspective and person opinion so you may thing something else will suit you better. Just my .02

Take care.
Chris
 
Thanks John... I want to add this too. I was looking at some other pages dealing with the setup where you can shoot 4:4:4 with your dvx and the Reel Stream Andromedia.

But anyway they had examples of Color Correction and what it can do.

Check this out:

Original shot:
http://www.reel-stream.com/betacap/jb_0920_02.png

Color Corrected shot:
http://www.reel-stream.com/betacap/jb_0920_02cc.png




and here too...

orginal:
http://www.reel-stream.com/betacap/jb_0920_01.png

CC:
http://www.reel-stream.com/betacap/jb_0920_01cc.png
 
Bad news is understanding composition and lighting is an art, not something learned. you can learn to make better compositions, but it must innately be in you to start with. I say this from teaching for the last ten years and seeing that some folks just don't get it as much as you show them while others have the foundation and grow with it. Usually in a class of fifty college students that I lecture to I find one person every few classes that I see has the potential to be a director or a cinematographer. The others may work in the field but they will never get past certain hurdles.
 
I have to chime in on the composition side.

No matter how good your lighting is, resolution, DOF (which is valueless and a crutch, IMNSHO), and post-production tricks, if the shot is not properly framed everything else is just turd polishing.

You can have bad lighting on a well-composed shot, and nobody will notice the bad lighting (or better yet, it will look deliberate).

Shooting something compelling, and then editing it into an interesting story is also important.
 
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