Smooth cam question

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BrenMyster

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I got my copy of FCS2 a few months back and have been using smooth cam with allot of my footage, it really is a amazing tool.

but i find when my footage is extra shaky it kinda warps the footage,

is there any way of stopping this happen?
 
tripods give very static shots which is why i don't like using one for allot of my work, plus i have been shooting n a helicopter where i cant set up and tripod.

I was just wondering why it did that, the warping i mean, and if there was any way to eliminate or reduce t in the smooth cam options.
 
don't mean to come off sounding ungrateful for the advise, but i don't understand why people like you post replies to threads on forums when all you have to say is things like

Use a $5,000 actual smooth-cam rig.
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and

Use a tripod.
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what's the point is saying that? bored? go shoot something with your $5000 rig and let someone else give some useful advise, my question was about the smooth-cam settings in FCP, this is a FCP forum right? this is not a hardware or rig forum. maybe some explanation to why is does what I'm asking.

you just make yourself look pretentious and sarcastic with replies like that.
 
I can't help you with your question but wanted to let you know that no everyone is an #@$%# like this guy. people like that makes this forum look really bad. Usually you can find cool smart people willing to share some info.

Sorry, hope one comes out with help soon.

OT
 
Thats cool dude, been post on this forum for a while and its defiantly the best around.

I usually do find smart cool people that are willing to help out, this is the first time i got a stupid answer yet.

CaptainMench was probably having a bad day,

cheers anyway,
 
The Cap is a cool dude and has alot of useful knowledge. I know I've learned alot from his posts. Everyone has their days :) Dont think he had ill intentions. What hes saying is pretty much the real solution to your problems but to help out a little more I'll say this.

Try setting your shutter speed higher. Ive found the most successful smoothcam filters applied to footage with high shutter speed. It keeps your footage crisp and reduces motion blur. FCP seems to have an easier time smoothing it out. I always get weird blurs or slight warps when apply the smoothcam filter to say 1/48 shutter.... 1/24 shutter? forget about it.
 
yeah, i see, i usually shoot 24p at 1/48th but i will try it out shooting faster, cheers for the advise.

I as thinking that it might be an option i was setting wrong but i guess there is only so far you can push the smooth cam.
 
Most of your warping is probably due to lens distortion, and parrallex. Your center area of the lens is relatively flat, but it soon starts to roll off, and especially at wider focal lengths it will increase the warpy look when stabilised.

At the very least I'd start off shooting with something like a FigRig instead of a bare camera as you'll reduce the high-frequency shake. I've had great success combining the FigRig and Smoothcam.

Increasing shutterspeed would help to rid you of motion blurred frames, as these can 'burr' when smooth-cammed, like a little shimmer.

Apart from that you just need to accept that the Smoothcam will always be a compromise over using a proper stabiliser such as Steadicam.

It's a fantastic tool though.
 
Look... sarcastic and elitist I am... especially when people refuse to admit to their own shortcomings.

You cannot expect a FIX to FIX everything. Had you shot it with proper gear you wouldn't have issues. Trying to fix crappy footage will result in less crappy video. Sometimes less gets you close but if you are too far away to begin with no software tool will help.

Again, I stand behind HARDWARE is ALWAYS better than SOFTWARE.

Take that for advice or shove it I don't care. Read my response to your lame question and own up to YOUR lack of willingness to help. I answered your question the first time.

I could continue about people like YOU giving the professional application FCP a bad name, but well -- that would be lowering myself to your level.

Understand?

CaptM
 
I think you just made me change my mind, your were not having a bad day, i gave you the benefit of the doubt, i guess your always like that.

Cheers for your awesome advise, your obviously an expert and who am i to expect a intelligent response to a very lame question.

Keep up the good work CaptM

PS, be careful not to get them white glove dirty when you shove your lame answer up your own brown pit.
 
Most of your warping is probably due to lens distortion, and parrallex. Your center area of the lens is relatively flat, but it soon starts to roll off, and especially at wider focal lengths it will increase the warpy look when stabilised.

At the very least I'd start off shooting with something like a FigRig instead of a bare camera as you'll reduce the high-frequency shake. I've had great success combining the FigRig and Smoothcam.

Increasing shutterspeed would help to rid you of motion blurred frames, as these can 'burr' when smooth-cammed, like a little shimmer.

Apart from that you just need to accept that the Smoothcam will always be a compromise over using a proper stabiliser such as Steadicam.

It's a fantastic tool though.
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cheers dude, I wish i would have posted a few weeks back about this, i just got off a helicopter ride over the grand canyon with my EX1, I do have a kinda home made fig rig which works so well but the tour guide would not let me bring it on with me, all i was aloud was me and my EX1.
 
i have had trouble with using smooth cam . i tested a clip that was hd 720p and was from a tripod . and then sent it through smooth cam . i found out that even the best shot put through smoothcam gives the clip a hazy res. like it was knocked down to dv res or the focus was off. so it is not just the program recentering each frame or the clips would be the same.the after affect is not as noticable when a hd footage gets compressed to dvd flow rate. but play it back right after it renders and wow. what is going on? any real answers captain kirk?
 
The skipper does make a strong point though, garbage in-garbage out. There's only so much you can do in post to rescue crappy footage.

I've found that my $200 glidecam combined with the smoothcam filter gives amazing results, I had a 30 second glidecam shot that moved through 270 degrees and one end of a juke joint to the other, and with smoothcam applied to it folks thought I had used a 25K steadicam rig with a pro operator for the shot.
 
BrenMyster said:
I think you just made me change my mind, your were not having a bad day, i gave you the benefit of the doubt, i guess your always like that.

Cheers for your awesome advise, your obviously an expert and who am i to expect a intelligent response to a very lame question.
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Agree. But you really need to re-look at your lame question. THAT is the problem here. Not my answer. Once you realize that a properly phrased question would have given you a stronger answer... especially from me.

Here's what I read... "How do I make my poorly shot video amazing?" The answer was use a tripod.

Could I tell by reading your mind that you had $10,000 in gear already involved in this shot? NO!

My white gloves are clean.

Own up to your dirty gloves.

"brown pit" HAHAHAHA.

Keep it coming.

CaptM
 
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

Come on then, it's a real fight!

-Tom (from Bridget Jones)
 
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Agree. But you really need to re-look at your lame question. THAT is the problem here. Not my answer. Once you realize that a properly phrased question would have given you a stronger answer... especially from me.

Here's what I read... "How do I make my poorly shot video amazing?" The answer was use a tripod.

Could I tell by reading your mind that you had $10,000 in gear already involved in this shot? NO!
Click to expand...

Dear Oh Dear,
 
That's it? No defense for yourself?

Until you have some reason to justify calling me names I stand by my answer.

Dearest Bren.

Let's look at some other posts by you to see why I might have formulated my opinion of you:

BrenMyster said:
I was to shoot a sunset, do think using auto iris is a good idea?
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BrenMyster said:
I just about to get a LaCie Rugged All-Terrain dive and I'm up in the air about getting the firewire 800 version, its more expensive but is obviously faster.

I was thinking that since the ex1 was only 35mbs then USB 2 will be fine,
Click to expand...

Oh, I could go on.

CaptM
 
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