Camera Introduction - Seminole Cinema: SEHS Film



IB Film: Year One, Week 3.1Know Your CameraA note about TechnologyWhenever we talk about filmmaking technology in this course - whether it be hardware, software or equipment - we will do so without making direct reference to any particular product or brand. There are several reasons for this.The IB recognises that students from around the world who attempt the DP Film course come from a variety of backgrounds and school settings.Therefore, the course is designed to be available to as many students as possible and this inevitably means, although there are certain minimum standards, there is no insistence beyond those minimums that students all have the same access to technology. Students are simply urged to make use of the 'best available technology'?when completing their production tasks.Filmmaking technology, particularly for the consumer ( and prosumer ), changes rapidly.Today's best camera is tomorrow's antique. Certain aspects of hardware, software, and equipment, however, remain relatively stable, and those are the aspects we will focus on in the course.There is such a variety on the market of good equipment that, for our purposes, any product recommendations would be not only be impractical, but unnecessary.Our approach will be this -?know what is available to you, and take responsibility for knowing how it works.This lesson will help guide you in that learning, as we focus on a major piece of filmmaking equipment - the camera.Camera IntroductionAs you have been learning a few lessons ago, the invention of the camera is what makes the art of film possible. Without a motion picture camera, we are simply painting pictures or telling stories.The ability to record still images in rapid succession, which are then played back at a certain speed, allows us to paint pictures in motion and show stories in action rather than simply describe them.You will, of course, spend a good part of the next 2 years studying the history and theory behind how films make meaning, but you will also need to master the technical methods of making films yourself.This is one of the ways the DP course in Film is so exciting and ultimately gratifying to students who are not merely learners, but also makers. And, just like any other artist, you need to know how to use your tools.There are, of course, so many ways available to you now to record video.It seems like every day there is some new announcement of another device that can record in high-definition video ( HD ), which is in itself astounding considering that HD is still a fairly recent arrival on the scene.This is an exciting development for this art form, as we take what used to be an expensive enterprise ( the cost of developing film alone was prohibitive for most potential filmmakers ) and put it in the hands of the average person.Couple the wide availability of recording devices, with easy access to editing software built into the pre-loaded packages on every PC and Mac, and free distribution on sites like YouTube, and you have an art form that has never been more accessible.The downside of this phenomenon, however, is that?there is also a great deal of garbage floating around in the sea of internet videos, and one of the main reasons is that amateur filmmakers do not know how to use their equipment.The other downside is in making recording gear more user-friendly, the ability to control the captured image is compromised. Sure, your camera can record in HD, but -Can you control the shutter speed?Can you manually white balance?Can you do a rack focus?Do you even know what these terms mean?These techniques ( and many more ) are what separate the amateur from the professional.What separates a person uploading yet another video of his cat doing acrobatics, and the DP Film student who takes the craft of making films seriously?What your Camera ( and you ) should be able to doThe following checklist should help guide you in selecting your camera ( although we will be using the word 'camera', this could?of course refer to any device like a cell phone, a tablet, etc. that can record video ).If there are several choices in your school lab, choose the best available.If you are purchasing new equipment, take this list into consideration.Your Camera should -Have an external mic inputBe able to manually focusBe able to manually adjust shutter speedBe able to manually white balanceBe able to be mounted on a tripodBe able to accept a variety of lenses and filtersYou should -Know how to adjust all the settings on the cameraKnow how to power the camera on and offKnow how to start and stop recordingKnow how to insert and remove the batteryKnow how to recharge the battery and connect the camera to external powerKnow how to change the aspect ratio of the shotKnow how to insert and remove the recording media ( tape, SD card, etc.)Know how to connect your camera to a computer for capturing footageThis might seem like a daunting list at first, but we will take things one item at a time.As a rule of thumb, if your camera allows you to switch from automatic to manual control of a setting, do so.Also, please note that current cameras will favor digital menus as opposed to physical buttons and switches for changing settings.So, take responsibility for reading the camera's user manual and for hunting down all the menus and submenus that control settings.You do not want to be the one who at the end of the year blurts out, “I never knew the camera could do that!”Assessment AdviceThe more control over the image you have, as opposed to allowing the device to 'guess' what you want, the better the result will be, and the more you will have to discuss in your production portfolio.No examiner wants to read, “I just turned my camera on and let it do its thing.”You need to master your camera, rather than allowing the camera to master you.And do not forget to discuss your mastery in your portfolio later on. ................
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