Exposure, Gain & White Balance

Exposure

Exposure is the amount of light per unit area. This light hits the cameras light sensor and can be controlled, allowing more or less light to enter the camera when recording video. This is not to get confused with aperture, although, the f-stop number can effect the exposure levels too. It's important to get a good understanding of exposure as it essentially allows you to lighten or darken your video - but you have to get the balance right. Here is a brief description of how to correctly set exposure on the HRV-Z1E: http://www.urbanfox.tv/workbooks/sonyz1/z1exposure.htm


METHOD 1: Does it look right! 
Yes – simple as that. Look at the LCD screen (or a monitor) and decide whether you like what you see. Unfortunately, this method has two downsides. Firstly, you need to set up your viewfinder (and monitor) correctly. If your viewfinder is set too bright or too dark you could get false positives. Secondly, if you're new to camera operation, you're probably unsure what "right" is anyway. But, as you get more experienced with your kit and after shooting in a range of conditions - you'll just sorta know when it is right. 

METHOD 2: Ask the camera. 
Zoom in to the subject - go to auto iris and let the camera decide the subject's exposure - go back to manual iris - now zoom out to frame your shot. You must zoom in to the subject to prevent the auto function under or over compensating for the surrounding light levels. Remember, there will be times when the subject will be correct but the background is too bright or too dark. That's the nature of video – it is unable to accurately show a wide range of contrast in one shot. 


Neutral Density Filters

The Sony HVR-Z1E has 2 neutral density filters. A neutral density filter or ND filter is a filter that modifies the intensity of all wavelengths of light equally, giving no changes in hue of colour rendition. Using the ND filters on the Z1E does not affect the white balance – because they are neutral. The two types of filters on the kit are ND1 and ND2. 

ND1 reduces the amount of light entering the camera to about 1/6. 
ND2 reduces the light entering the camera to around 1/32. 

There are four reasons why you may need the ND Filters  

1. TOO BRIGHT ND filters act like sunglasses for the camera. Certainly a good rule of thumb is… if you think you need to wear sunglasses because it is a sunny day then the camera will need them too. So, generally you will need to use the ND filters if… it is sunny you are by the sea you are on a sandy beach or working in snow. 

2. F11 IS A BAD PLACE TO BE
 If you turn the Iris ring you will see that F11 comes just before CLOSE and close results in no picture at all. So, F11 is a dangerous F stop to work with as you might accidentally turn the iris ring too far and loose picture completely. To solve this problem select ND1, which reduces light to about 1/6th (i.e. about 2 ½ stops) open the iris by 2 ½ f-stops to compensate and now you are not working at that dangerous F11 but nearer the middle of the range. 

3. F11 IS A VERY BAD PLACE TO BE F11 
is a very small aperture. These small apertures can exhibit something called diffraction. Diffraction causes light to bend as it enters the camera through the iris. The result will be pictures that look soft and out of focus. Plus, the image will look low in contrast. All in all pretty bad. To cure this we use the ND1 filter again, which forces you to open the iris to compensate – and so work at an aperture that won't cause diffraction. 

4. DEPTH OF FIELD 
Depth of field is the distance between the nearest and farthest “in focus” objects in the picture. It is used as a tool in picture composition… If the camera lens is stopped down (e.g. f11) then both near and far objects will appear in focus - the depth of field is deep. If the camera lens is opened up (e.g. f2) then the depth of field will become shallow. A shallow depth of field can look good on an interview. Your interviewee will be in focus – but, with a shallow depth of field, the background will be out of focus and less distracting. To decrease the depth of field in a picture open the iris (ie make the aperture larger – e.g. around f2 ). Now, every stop you change doubles the amount of light entering the camera. This means the picture will become overexposed. To counteract this add in some ND filter.

Taken from: http://www.urbanfox.tv/workbooks/sonyz1/z1exposure.htm

Gain

Gain or ISO is a crucial thing to consider when filing. When you click record on the camera, light travels into your lens, through your aperture, and your shutter controls how long each frame of video is exposed to the incoming light. Gain or ISO boosts your sensors sensitivity to light. By using this, it can increase the voltage in the pixels of the photo taken, increasing its overall brightness. However, this can increase the noise levels within the photo, making the blacks seems distorted and green, not smooth and black. By keeping the overall sensitivity low, around 200, this should keep the noise levels down. You should only really increase the gain when you're in low level lighting such as night time or indoors.

White Balance

White balance (WB) is the process of removing unrealistic colour, so that objects which appear white in person are rendered white in your photo. White balance has to take into account the "colour temperature" of a light source, which refers to the relative warmth or coolness of white light. Our eyes are very good at judging what is white under different light sources, but digital cameras often have great difficulty with auto white balance and can create unsightly blue, orange, or even green colour casts with your footage. Understanding digital white balance can help you avoid these colour casts, thereby improving your photos under a wider range of lighting conditions.

Equipment Notes

Getting to Grips: Filming Equipment

Something that everyone taking the Video Production course should do is get an understanding of all the equipment available to them. I was intrigued to find out more about all the camera, microphones, lens and lights available and how these could be incorporated into our main documentary practical project. This blog post is a short summary of the equipment and how, as a group we may utilise them.


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Sony HRV-Z1E

Instructional Workbook: http://www.urbanfox.tv/workbooks/sonyz1/

The Sony HVR-Z1E set: http://www.sony.co.uk/pro/product/broadcast-products-camcorders-hdv-dvcam/hvr-z1e/overview/

Providing HDV with the 1080i Standard and joining the existing DVCAM range, the HVR-Z1E offers users an affordable migration path from Standard Definition whilst retaining the popular DVCAM benefits such as ease of use and i.LINK (IEEE1394) connectivity. In addition to its compact size, the HVR-Z1E boasts a number of features over consumer-oriented products making it ideal for the professional user.






Tripod

A portable 3 legged stand for supporting a camera. It ensures that the camera is stable and is used to deliver shots such as pans, stills, tilts. 











Monopod

A single legged stand used for supporting a camera. This gives a more shaky feel to the shots recorded as the camera isn't as stable as it would be on a tripod. It's mainly used for canted angle shots or for handheld shots such as chase sequences or tracking shots. However, dolly cameras can be used for tracking shots to increase the cameras stability whilst recording






Boom Pole

A pole used by a boom operator, which holds and microphone but cannot stand. This is used to hold a microphone nearer to the subject it's recording without being within the camera frame. It's a curious instrument which requires good upper body strength and endurance in your arms if you're going to operate the boom pole









Lightsaber

No, its not the weapon from Star Wars, a light saber in the video and photography industry is a hand held light torch which is used to illuminate or brighten a subjects features. Useful for dimly lighted environments or even when outside - it's really effective when placed under someone's face as it brings to life all their facial features that natural light couldn't






Red Cap Lights

'Red Head' is the term used to describe lights common in visual media work, with a power rating is around 650-1000W (typically 800W).
Red heads can be used as a key flood light for large areas, but are also useful as fill and backlights. 
The beam can be focused using the yellow control at the back - this adjusts the reflector rather than the lamp, which should give the lamp a longer life because it is not being moved. Another way the light can be focused is by adjusting the flaps on the sides of the light, which can concentrate the light over a certain area. Be careful when using these lights, it's important to wear gloves when using this equipment as it gets extremely hot!



Clip-On Microphones

A clip-on microphone is a microphone that is designed to be attached to the user. This design allows the user the convenience of portable, hands-free operation, typically attached to the clothing of the user, by means of a clip; hence, the name. While the microphone can be attached almost anywhere, it is commonly clipped onto the lapel of a jacket, the front of a shirt, or to a neck tie when in use. Users generally try to select a location to attach the microphone that maximises sound quality while reducing the possibility of unwanted noise resulting from movement. They work via the use of wireless technology, the microphone is attached by a cord to a battery powered transmitter pack that is worn by the user. The transmitter pack sends a signal from the microphone via UHF, VHF or FM frequencies to a receiver that is tuned to the same frequency as the microphone. The receiver is usually connected to an audio component that allows the sound to be amplified, adjusted, and heard through speakers. Cordless headset microphones work in much the same way and offer the same portability function as a clip-on microphone. 



Shotgun Microphone

A shotgun microphone is long, cylindrical microphone that excels at picking up sounds in front of it, while rejecting sounds to the sides and rear. Shotguns are designed to have a narrower focus than an average microphone. Shotgun microphones do a great job of picking up the frequencies the human voice produces. Their sound grabbing and voice-capturing abilities make them a great choice for picking up on-camera dialogue.Shotgun mics reject a certain percentage of ambient noise, but retain enough to render a richness that sounds natural.




Light Reflectors

A reflector is an improvised or specialised reflective surface used to redirect light towards a given subject or scene. They're are different colours and textures used as they all give a different feel. Reflector material can be made of a pure white surface or silver or gold or a combination thereof. The metallic surfaces provide more light intensity and contrast in the bounced light than the matte white surface. If you use gold reflectors you’ll get a warmer tone. If you use white reflectors you’ll get the same colour light that is bouncing onto the white surface. Likewise, if you use silver reflectors, you’ll get the same colour of light bouncing back to the subject.

Transcripts & The Paper Edit

Filming Interviews

Making transcripts from the interviews can save you hours when it comes to the editing process of the project. Add times codes too!
Once you've sorted your main narrative, doing a paper edit can form you projects structure which also makes the editing process a much smoother process.

Remember:
- Shot with the edit in mind
- Shot cutaway shots
- Capture some buzz track/ambient noise
- Shot a variety of shots --> You can never have too much footage



Editing Footage

Building up your timeline:
- Start with rough interview edits
- Work to a rough timing
- Cut it down via eliminating pauses/repeats

This gives you an idea of what you need to add to cover your cuts

Selecting Cutaways/Photographs/Archives to cover your cut

- Your cutaway footage inserted into the timeline MUST NOT act as a 'wallpaper' to cover over your cracks

- Each selected piece of imagery, sound MUST be integral to your narrative

- Work on an opening/ending that has impact

Reading Notes

Reading Notes

Recording Sound in Video Productions

• Unlike radio, television and video demand that microphones are hidden away from the camera whenever possible. But, crucially, you need to keep your sound synced with your camera.
• The recorded sound needs to match the movement of the mouth. When your audience can see dialogue out of sync, you risk parodying badly dubbed martial art films.
• It's not uncommon for the voices of the performers to be buried under sounds of passing cars, wind and random background noise.
• You will most commonly get the best result from external microphones, all cameras tend to have input jacks for these, which will keep them in sync, and they will dramatically improve your sound quality when used correctly.

When it came to the production of our documentary, we made sure that the shot gun microphones we used where out of the camera frame. Also, when we recorded our interviews with Ben's Rode microphone, it was vital that we synced that sound to our video footage we had gain as the microphone on Ben's camera isn't the best quality microphone for picking up dialogue. Luckily, very little of our documentary was shot outside (apart from cutaways where sound wasn't needed) so we ensured we recorded some ambient noise of the piercing studio.

Shooting on Location

• Keep in touch with your crew, discuss what you're going to be doing and keep interpersonal relationships strong. Without the co-operation of your crew, you will not succeed.
• Shot exterior shots first, the weather may change. Start with the hardest and most important shots incase you run out of time.
• Establishing shots are essential. Always shoot more than you think you should

Keeping in touch wasn't a problem for our group as we created a group Facebook chat to keep in contact with each other. When we filmed in town, we should of taken more cutaway footage at first as this would have avoided the situation of myself and Ben having to go back into town to Punktured Piercing to gain more cutaway footage.

Research and Development

• Your ideas for a concept can be broadened by personal experience, media, new research, looking for ideas
• It vital you plan and research your documentary topic, be open minded about it but read, read, read! You must aim to become an expert in the subject that you are dealing with. Get your facts right!

Unfortunately, our documentary concept change a few weeks before the end of term so we had to re-research our documentary's subject field. I searched up about types of piercings and procedures as well as looking at the flyers and adverts of Punktured Piercing. Becoming an expert in the field triggers more interesting questions and discussion during an interview, thus gaining better quality footage.

Notes on Preparing Interviews for Documentary

Editing

Thinking About What You See

Screen Grammar, Composition and Aesthetics

Rule of Thirds - Think about the points of interest within the shot and where you're placing your subject. For instance, in the image below, the audiences eye is immediately attracted to the bottle, but by putting the bottle off-centre gives the background more importance than if the bottle was centred

9 Sections of Framing (Rule of Thirds)

180 Degree Rule - The 180-degree rule of shooting and editing keeps the camera on one side of the action. As a matter of convention, the camera stays on one side of the axis of action throughout a scene; this keeps characters grounded compositionally on a particular side of the screen or frame, and keeps them looking at one another when only one character is seen onscreen at a time. The technique allows for an expansion of the frame into the unseen space offscreen. It is referred to as a rule because the camera, when shooting two actors, must not cross over the axis of action; if it does, it risks giving the impression that the actors' positions in the scene have been reversed.
Source: http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/filmglossary/web/terms/180-degree_rule.html

If you do cross the 180 degree line, you have to show this exchange of crossing in a shot

180 Degree Rule

The Golden Ratio - An aesthetically pleasing composition of a shot. It's a natural shot of 'nature' that our eyes are drawn to and our brain finds it visually pleasing to interpret. Our eyes natural interpret visuals horizontally and vertically. The image below shows the construction of the golden ratio

The Golden Ratio

Matching Eyelines - Continuity with eyeline matching is important, we must follow up people's point of view in order to construct a successful sequence. For instance, we are shown our subject looking at something, we then follow it up with a shot of what they are looking at from their point of view.

Matching Eye Lines

Matching Cuts - Where were the eyes! Keep consistency throughout your filming, such as where you position your interviewee. If you switch their position in the frame, it creates a sense of a counter argument to what was initially being said.

Natural Transitions - Using wipes, fades and dissolves are transitions. A way transferring from one shot to another. By using non-artificial transitions, such as zooming in on a clock or sky gives a sequence a more professional feel.

Breathing Room/Dialogue Space - When setting up close up shots of people make sure that you provide what is often called breathing room for your subject. If you have setup your shot so that their face is in profile you must offset them to one side of the screen so that there is a space in front of the face. The exact amount of space varies but once it is correct it will "feel" right. If you were working with two people you can set them up so that they are facing opposite directions and when you compose close-up shots of them, each person would be offset to one side of the screen or the other based upon the way that they were facing. There is a special rule for taping this type of two person interaction. You must record all of your shots on the same side of the subjects. If you change sides the person who was originally on the right facing to the left will all of a sudden be reversed when seen from the shot taken from the other side. 

NARRATIVE

Aristotle - Beginning, middle and end. Known as the 'three-act' structure. Therese are 

1. Set Up 

2. Conflict 

3. Resolution. 

This creates what is known as a 'dramatic arc'. It has a linear narrative structure.

Non-Linear Narrative - Restorative Three-Act structure, having multiple arcs within each scene. 

Ending - Beginning - Middle

Middle - Ending - Beginning

Other narrative devices can be used such as symbols, sounds and signifiers

Thinking About Your Film

How much information will you need to present your topic?

Is the info current or dated?

Will your topic engage your audience?

Who is the intended audience? 

Is there current research available on your topic?

Are your sources reliable (including interviews)?

What are the key things you need to show?

What's the best way to convey the information you're presenting?