Waveform monitor + other advanced functions/strategies

[Phil1076]

As a relatively new wedding videographer I'm starting to notice that, as I get more experience shooting, I'm starting to use the "advanced" features a bit more.

Shooting weddings is difficult because it's mostly run and gun and it's unlikely you can do a second take. Having said that, I've found myself paying more attention to zebra, manual iris, and the waveform monitor; even during run and gun.

So, I have a few questions:

1. What is the optimum area to be in in the waveform monitor? Currently, I'm aiming for the middle line or just above it and it seems to be working ok. I've never used it before but find it valuable after a few months with the camera.

2. When shooting on a sunny winter day, the sun plus the snow really tends to over-expose the shot. What's the best way to really balance it out? Should I decrease the manual iris, use an ND filter, or a combination of both? I have a polarizing filter but screwing it in takes time and is out of the question.

3. What's the best zebra setting to avoid overexposure? Currently I use 70/105.

4. I have a really nice shot of a bride embracing her groom outside and I'd like to use it in their video, but her dress is terribly over-exposed. I know there's not much that can be done since the details have been lost, but is there a good way to lessen this effect? I found that lowering the levels and adding the black and white effect seems to take away from the over-exposed brightness of the dress. Anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Marduk]

can you post a screen shot of the video. there is something you can try but it all depends what else is on screen.

you can take that clip into after effects. drag the clip onto the create a new composition icon. then duplicate the layer by selecting it and pressing "control+D" two times so that you have three copies of it. select the top layer and go to "effect - color correction - tint" and leave the settings as they are. then go to "effect - color correction - levels" and crush the blacks so that everything that is on screen goes black except the dress. you will have to play with the levels to get it right. what you want to do is basically isolate the dress. then when you feel like you have done this go to the layer and turn it off by clicking on the icon that looks like an eye next to the layer. then select the middle layer and go to the "track matte" or "trkMat" option which says "none" as default and select "luma matte". once you have done this you just created a track matte for the dress. while on this second layer you can go to "effect - color correction - tint" and select the "map to white" and change the color to an off white or add like a hint of gray or whatever color you feel is right for the dress. as long as there is color to the white and its not just pure white so that the video does not look like its over exposed or clipped. then you can play with the "amount to tint" to adjust the well amount of color lol. instead of tint maybe you can try other effects like curves or something.

what this does is isolate the dress so that when you add an effect like "tint" or "curves" to darken the dress it will only effect the dress and nothing else in the video. well in theory, like i said it all depends what else you have in the video that is over exposed or clipping then the effect will apply to that too.

this is something you can try and its what i usually use but maybe someone else might know a better way and can chime in. im curious to know if there is any other way also.

good luck

im usually not on here as much but i can keep checking back if you have any other questions or you can pm me.

 

[Denwa]

Biggest issue with run and gun is focus. When I did run and gun with pro SD shoulder mount cams (with CRT screen viewfinders), focus was easy, I could focus and zoom and iris with one hand (1 finger per ring and servo zoom). These small HD cams have these horrible lowres LCD viewfinders. egad.

 

[ggrantly]

WFM: Experience will prove what's right, but in other PannaCams, your high-lights should just kiss the top line. Any more and you will blowout.

Exposure: You would like to keep your iris between f/4 and around f/8 for optimal lens focus performance. So once you get to f/8, think in terms of adding ND. After that, use shutter, but high shutter speeds combined with a low frame rate can make for jittery footage.

Zebras are a matter of taste how you use them. I like 85 and 100. I like to see some 85 zebras on the brighter portions of the frame, then I am usually good. Anytime you see 100, blowout is close, so you know to backoff.

Question 4: If you work on your scene files, you may reach a compromise to take the highs and squish them down a bit and bring the mid tones up. Use the knee setting. Study up on your scene files. Do you have the Barry Green Book? Good read.

Good Luck,
Grant

 

[Jim Simon]

As a general rule, skin tone should be around 80% zebras. If other areas of the shot are over or under-exposed as a result, there's probably not much you can do about it. Most "event video" clients probably won't notice anyway. But get the skin tones wrong (especially faces) , and everyone will notice.

For the blown-out dress, besides the B&W, I'd slow the shot down, then move into Magic Bullet Looks and add a Vignette, Soft Focus and possibly some Diffusion to make it look "planned".

 

[Michael Carter]

For the blown-out dress, besides the B&W, I'd slow the shot down, then move into Magic Bullet Looks and add a Vignette, Soft Focus and possibly some Diffusion to make it look "planned".

That sort of fix may be your best approach - to "motivate" the blowout. I'd even look at adding some heavy diffusion and a 3d lighting pass, so when the whites billow, rotate, or angle you can fake a soft blowout glow "reflecting" from them, or simulate light (and light wrap) from behind. Making that stuff move realistically with the shot is what can really sell it. And then be thankful this is a shot that can have super-hyped emotion vs. an ad for a specific wedding dress...