This is part of a continuing guest entry from Todd VanSlyck. Use these links to read his previous entry or learn more about Todd. (Also, be sure to check out his awesome stock footage on istockphoto.com)
With the advent of digital video and the recent advances in technology it’s become easier and easier to produce great looking, high quality video. Yet I see crummy looking video all the time. Why?
Just because a person HAS a video camera doesn’t mean they know how to USE it. A camera is a tool that when used correctly can be incredibly effective. How are the shots framed? Is it steady? Does it look grainy or dark? Is shallow depth of field used to isolate the subject?
I use an HD camera that cost about $6000 and puts out astounding images. I also have a 35mm adapter that I can attach to the front and use 35mm film camera lenses to get very shallow depth of field. (Shallow depth of field is when your subject is in focus and the background and/or foreground are out of focus; something that’s difficult to achieve with some digital video cameras). It produces truly filmic images.
Recently Canon came out with the 5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera. It shoots full frame still pictures and 1080 HD video and looks stunning. People are shooting movies with a $3000 camera that you carry around in one hand. What’s my point? There are HD cameras out there that cost $75-100,000 that can look terrible if not used correctly. I’ve seen some pretty cool stuff shot with an iPhone because the person shooting knows how to use it. Granted, you’re limited with an iPhone, but you get the point I’m trying to make.