I didn't have time to mention this in the video, but I 100% agree with you! Not only filters, but invest in proper gear in general. It took me many years of spending money on knockoff/copycat gear, ultimately to have it break or fail or simply disappoint. Take a deep breath and spend the extra dough!
So on point. I'd rather shoot on a budget camera body with high-end glass than a $5k camera with cheap lens and filters. Plus, glass holds its value for years and can be moved to another camera.
Best camera hack I have is to take the time to learn everything about your camera. Learn the menus, customize buttons, figure out what color settings work best for the lighting and your style. So many shots were ruined because I didn't have the camera setup correctly before hitting the big red button.
Man, the #1 suggestion from this video (and this from >35 years as a stills photographer) is having a bag that holds everything and always put everything in the same place in the bag. It's like always putting your keys or wallet in the same place before bedtime. The less you have to think about preparation, the more prepared you'll be. Better to show up with stuff that doesn't get used than show up and not have something you need. #2 is real gaffer tape. Amazing how many people think it's the same as duct tape. Gaffer tape does everything. If I could like this video twice, I would!
Hey all of you at IFHT! What I love about your videos, are the cinematic-look you get in shots. It would be nice if you made a video on how to get the like on a budget camera/(cameras). Don't ever stop posting your MTB videos. If you do, My bike will be very sad.
Good stuff. Great soundtrack. My only criticism is labelling small batts and small cards can be destructive when the glue warms in the camera and peels off. Loosing a label in a card port can bend pins when you reinsert. Just use a sharpie for cards and AAs.
This is such a masterpiece of great writing, hella helpful information and beautiful cinematography. Well done. (I actually already saw it a few months back and am returning for a refresher)
My battery system - Charged batteries get a green rubber band wrapped around them when they come off the charger. When a battery is spent, it gets a red one. Batteries that are partially used and still have some charger left get yellow. Never a question at the end of a shoot which batteries are charged or dead.
About silky shallow depth of field: I've read a very emotional discussion of DPs about this on Facebook. One said something that really got stuck in my mind: don't use shallow depth of field when you're a beginner. He or they argued that the DSLR revolution got too many people to fast into shallow depth of field. The problem? Everybody uses it and doesn't give a single F about the background anymore. A filmmaker doesn't go as shallow as possible. He or she goes as shallow as needed and as deep as possible or vice versa. That's what I've learned about photography in the first semester of studying media design. And filmmaking is just moving photography. That's why we're talking about DPs and not camera men. I've started to try to take the image first in my head. Then setup the camera and take the picture trying to recreate my view or get a more interesting one using the abilities that the camera has over my eyes. For example getting even lower or higher perspectives. Wider or narrower fields of view. It's endless. So that was my two cents about what I've learned in the last five or six years of watching RU-vid, shooting way too much footage that lies on some archive hard drive and has never been watched, but only cutting 2-5 tiny projects. I hope somebody reads this shit and can apply some things to their own style. Thanks and let it roll.
When he started talking about hard drives I literally cracked up laughing because I seriously thought he was going to talk about proper lens filters. Such a 180 haha :p
Great video! I can barely imagine all the trial and error, learning through failures... Brought us this great channel! :) I really appreciate it! Cheers
Be careful, gaff tape definitely leaves resin if it's in place for too long (more than a few days), or if it's in/on high heat. I've definitely seen some extension chords ruined (cosmetically) because someone thought that it was cool to tape them down to metal in the sun.
Get the Sidewinder. It works with DSMC2 and it’s basically everything you need tool-wise in one. It’s only missing a Phillips if you need that for some reason. You can probably add one by removing something else if you really need it. It’s the cheapest piece of hardware RED sells and the value is through the roof. ;) Great tips. I already follow those, but it’s nice to see something different than the same 5 hacks.
