GH4 Whole videos all in slow motion?

STYLZ

STYLZ

Well-known member
This isn't to insults or critique anyones work. This is more to discuss how the brain operates in regards to watching video and to see if maybe this is only me that views it this way or maybe others do as well. To see if there is some underlying reason behind this. I'm asking in the GH4 section because I started noticing this while researching GH4 quality. Anyways... question is do you find videos that are shot/played back all in slow motion fatiguing on the brain? Do you find these videos get boring quick? It's gotten to the point for me if I play a video and it looks like all the shots are going to be in slow motion I will just skip the video. Not to say slow motion isn't interesting because it most certainly can be, but when it's all in slow motion my brain gets tired of watching it. I find slow mixed with regular and fast motion/timelapse make for the most interesting videos. Anyone else feel this fatigue?
 
What would you think if you saw a bunch of your family and friends eating meals comprised of only butternut squash?
 
For me, its a tool that should be used when there is a need for it.when it will add to the shot or the mood.
Slow motion is like any other technique in cinematography. You don't move your camera on a jimmy jib or a steadicam just because you have one or you can afford to rent one.
One of the phrases that I heared so many times while operating Jimmy's or cammate's : Hey man things are getting boring lets move the crane!!
For me this is not a reason, but they rented a tool and they need to see it works.
So its an important thing to have so many tools around, but the more important is to use them right.
 
m_maamoun said:
For me, its a tool that should be used when there is a need for it.when it will add to the shot or the mood.
Slow motion is like any other technique in cinematography. You don't move your camera on a jimmy jib or a steadicam just because you have one or you can afford to rent one.
One of the phrases that I heared so many times while operating Jimmy's or cammate's : Hey man things are getting boring lets move the crane!!
For me this is not a reason, but they rented a tool and they need to see it works.
So its an important thing to have so many tools around, but the more important is to use them right.
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No doubt. Of course I'm not talking about whole feature length movies shot all in slow motion or even short movies for that matter. Really just referring to the usual test/hobbyist videos of a few minutes in length. I'm just wondering why it never occurs to the people who shoot and edit these videos that 3 minutes of slow motion gets boring, or is it just me? Maybe people searching out the slow motion capabilities of the GH4 have no problem staring at 3 minutes of slow motion. I can understand showing a video of a guy blowing hookah for 30 seconds, but when it's a vacation/trip video with multiple shots telling a story all in slow motion, I tend to skip it.
 
I've noticed the slo-mo abuse trend as well.... I don't get fatigued, but my brain says, "Okay, these guys lack the creativity to shoot anything INTERESTING and are resorting to ALL Slo-mo..." and I skip it. It's like over-flat, or moving focus DOF shots that do NOTHING for the production.
 
I definitely agree with you, but I also use it a lot so perhaps I am a bit of a hypocrite.

The problem is knowing when to use it, IMO. Some shots lend themselves to it, and some don't. They drag and become boring. My favorite times to use it are with shots that you can't even obviously tell that it's slowed. Similar to a lot of nature programs, where the actions at normal speed are almost too fast to process. A bit of slowing actually makes them look more normal, in a strange way.

Same with filming certain landscapes. A bit of slowing adds a tiny amount of dreaminess without obviously looking slowed down.

Contrast that to shots of people doing things and it's immediately apparent you are looking at slowed footage. Very easy to overdo it in that context, IMO.
 
I am not too amused by slow motion. Unless it has a VERY valid reason to be happening.

Just like a close-up with a totally shallow depth of field blurring out the entire background - or a long shot with everything in focus - or a dolly zoom - ALL these things benefit HUGELY from having a REASON to be included at the time that they are.

Slow-mo does little for me unless it is used very thoughtfully to REALLY bring something to that moment of the video that is LESS well served by using normal speed.
Slow-mo for slow-mo's sake? Please spare me. Or at least don't get upset if I simply don't want to watch it.....like shaky hand-held footage.

That said - I have seen some things in ULTRA slow-motion that are very interesting because the whole point is to reveal things that are otherwise invisible to our eyes in normal life.

There is a video artist called PARTICLE DOTS who has done a lot of this work and I find his view into what almost seems like a whole other world to be absolutely fascinating.
 
I like to use slow-mo in some sports action shots. I think that it gives it a more engaging feel to the footage as you can see minute motion easier. That being said I don't use it for just sh*ts and giggles.
 
Slow motion can be a very powerful storytelling tool, but it can also get gimmicky real fast. If it's not used correctly, it can remove the viewer from the story.

I think slo-mo has the most impact when it's used to add a perceived depth to the characters emotions or to highlight the small details in the actors performance. The question of slo-mo is like the question of close-ups: Are these details I'm highlighting useful to the story? In the case of close-ups, you're highlighting physical appearance of an object. In the case of slo-mo, you're highlighting the motion of an object. There needs to be sense behind the decision to use it.

Also this video is the best slo-mo reel I've ever seen. (There's one NSFW part.)
 
Daniel Brown said:
Slow motion can be a very powerful storytelling tool, but it can also get gimmicky real fast. If it's not used correctly, it can remove the viewer from the story.

I think slo-mo has the most impact when it's used to add a perceived depth to the characters emotions or to highlight the small details in the actors performance. The question of slo-mo is like the question of close-ups: Are these details I'm highlighting useful to the story? In the case of close-ups, you're highlighting physical appearance of an object. In the case of slo-mo, you're highlighting the motion of an object. There needs to be sense behind the decision to use it.

Also this video is the best slo-mo reel I've ever seen. (There's one NSFW part.)
Click to expand...
See I'm learning. That video held my interest because 1)The subject/shots varied widely. I'm guessing the cams used had higher overcrank rates so more creative room to work with? Most importantly the creators know what they are doing/going for. When you have three minutes telling a narrative and it's all in slow-mo and usually in the same environment...that's when my brain gets fatigued.
 
STYLZ said:
do you find videos that are shot/played back all in slow motion fatiguing on the brain? Do you find these videos get boring quick?
Click to expand...

yes, Yes, YES!!!

Oh my freakin' God, people. Slow motion is NOT the end-all-be-all of video production. I'm baffled why so many people want 1080 at 120 fps. Personally, I find 60% slow motion to be the most aesthetic, the 'sweet spot' if you will. Given the professional look of 24 and the full on amateur look of any frame rate higher than that, to my thinking all we really need is 40 fps for perfect slow motion on 90%+ of all projects.
 
What slo-mo does imho is to trick our brain into believing - at least to a certain extend - that what we see is something utterly important. In stress situations our brain gets boosted by hormones and all the other chemo-biological stuff it needs to cope with a situation. Mostly a dangerous one. So, in a way, we can "read" and interpret that situation better. It's "old stuff" in our brains: Finding in a split-second three ways to avoid getting eaten by the sabre-tiger attacking you. Brain working in 120 fps... ;-)

So slo-mo applied to a scene triggers a sense of urgency. Nice tool then even when introduced into a situation that may not really need it .... and that's maybe why people do love it per se.

But in the sense of storytelling slo-mo is like an exclamation mark. If you over-use it, it becomes nonsensical like: My dog! Loves pizza! I buy pizza! For my dog! It really likes it! Especially the crusty one! With anchovis! Yum, yum!

Or it's like writing in all caps. Useful at times, very beautiful at times, terrible if overdone. Should be applied like a strong spice. Careful.

All different only for documentary or scientific stuff though.

Only my 0,02 €...
 
Slow Mo needs to be used in the right times, we shoot alot of MMA and Action Sports stuff and sometimes normal speed is the best but I love a zoomed in slow mo shoot showing that one hard hit
 
Definitely overused these days. Noticed it really took off when everyone got their hands on an FS700. Too much of any one thing is never really good.
 
This is no different than any other tool that is new to the user.

Remember when low cost sliders started to appear. Every shot was a slider move whether it needed it or not.

I can remember back to when we needed a switcher, and we got a new DVE which had that damn cube FX. Every commercial for the next two months had a rotating or exploding cube in it.

Or when I got my Lexicon 224. That first month I think I put reverb on every track whether it needed it or not.
 
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