What Are All These Video Settings?!
By Stevens Michael Stokes, COO— Published: May 10, 2019
With the incredible advances in camera technology, you can actually produce a professional looking interview using the latest iPhone X or newer, mount/tripod, and basic light kit. However, it is important to understand some basic videography terms before your shoot to achieve the best possible results. Sure you can just point and shoot, but that is certainly not going to land you a job with a professional media outlet.
Before you begin your shoot, you want to make sure that your gear is set up properly. Whether you are shooting on a phone (yes, it is OK), a DSLR, camcorder, or cinema camera you need to be able to set it up properly and not rely on the automatic functions. In order to do that, we must understand the meaning of some basic terms and principles.
White Balance
White balance is the balance of color between the color temperature setting in your camera and the color temperature of the light in the space in which you are shooting. These temperatures need to be matched, otherwise, you will have to fix it later (if you can). A word of warning for AWB (auto white balance) - The auto sensor on your camera is likely to fluctuate multiple times during your shoot for various reasons. Therefore making it very time consuming to correct the entire finished product.
Without getting too scientific, color temperature is measured in Kelvins (K). Each type of light has a temperature range that greatly affects color.
The best white balance is “custom.” To do a custom white balance you simply take plain white poster board, put it where you will be shooting, fill the entire frame with poster board, and then measure the temperature with the camera’s custom WB function.
Basic Presets for Most Cameras
Obviously, this is not always practical, because many shoots happen on the fly or spontaneously. Therefore it is important to know what kind of light you are in so that you can choose the closest preset and get rolling!
Here is the difference between correct and incorrect white balance.
Frame Rate
Frame rate refers to the number of frames are taken per second. Think of it as the number of “pictures” the camera takes in a single second. For example, 30fps takes “30 pictures per second.” It is important to choose the correct frame rate for your shoot because it directly affects the look and feel of your video.
24fps - This is the frame rate used in movies and cinema. It can give you a much more cinematic and intimate look than higher frame rates. However, beware and do some testing. Most video shot on phones does not shoot true 24fps. It usually shoots higher and then converts it. If you need to shoot on a phone and you need it to look cinematic, you are better off shooting higher and then creating the effect in post-production.
30fps - This is the standard playback rate for most platforms and devices including televisions, and is the preferred frame rate to shoot at.
60fps - This frame rate captures twice as many images as the standard 30fps. For most applications, this can look a little too sharp, unnatural, or even jarring. It is best used for shoots with a lot of movement or action like sports events.
120fps+ - This frame rate and rates higher are used for video that is intended for slow motion. By capturing a high number of frames per second you can slow down 4x or more and have the finished product look as smooth as something shot at 30fps.
What about drop frame rates like 29.97fps and 23.976fps? We could spend all day talking about this one. All you need to know is that drop frame does not affect the visual image. No frames are actually lost. Drop frame is simply a method of timecode counting. 29.97fps “drops” 2 frames of timecode every minute on the minute. If you would like to know more about the theory behind this, click here.
Resolution
Resolution is the size of the video that is produced. Today’s digital video is measured in pixels. 1080p is still the standard for HD video, however, 4k is quickly taking over. If you want your video to look good in the future, be sure to shoot 4k. You can always make your video smaller, but not bigger. In other words, you can take away pixels but you can not add them. Not to mention there are now whispers of 8k video. Our apologies to anyone that just spent over $1000 on a good 4k camera.
The charts on the right give a visual explanation of the differences. (I can not wait to read this post 10 years from now). Note that the height denotes the name of the resolution.
Aspect Ratios
The aspect ratio is the ratio of width to height of your screen or the area you are capturing. There are 4 primary aspect ratios.
4:3 - This quickly disappearing aspect ratio is the shape of your grandpa’s old tube television that he refuses to throw away. Goodwill does not even take these televisions anymore. There is no reason for you to ever shoot in 4:3. If you want to be hip and retro, stick to cassette tapes and do not mess with 4:3.
16:9 - This is the most standard ratio used. It is the ratio of most smartphones, televisions, and tablets. This is your best bet for shooting
1.85:1 / 2.39:1 - These are cinematic aspect ratios. Many movies and films are shot at this ratio. It is fantastic for capturing wide scenes and giving your video a cinematic look Note that you will have black bars at the top and bottom of the video unless you are viewing on the silver screen. Black bars aside, this is a good choice for emotionally impactful or scenic videos and films.
Media
Last but not least, media - the medium on which your video is captured. If you are using a phone, be sure to make sure that you have enough space on your device to hold all the footage you are shooting. Everything mentioned above affects the amount of space you are going to need.
Full HD video takes up a lot of room and 4K takes a massive amount of space. 10 minutes of 1080p/30fps footage is approximately 1.5 GB. 10 minutes of 4k/30fps footage is approximately 3.75 GB.
SD Card - Most cameras record to an SD card. Be sure to bring a back-up card. They break. Things go wrong. Murphy’s Law is very applicable here.
SD cards measured in classes. The class determines how fast the card reads and write data. The faster the capability it has, the better. The last thing you want is your camera crashing during a key moment. Class 6 cards are the minimum requirement for most cameras. The preferred class is Class 10.
Backups - The old saying is that “If your footage is not backed up in 3 places, it isn’t saved.” I can not think of a more terrible conversation to have with a bride than “Um... I lost the footage of your 1st dance. But I have a shot of your brother wasted in the pool!” Hard drives are cheap. Back your footage up. Twice. Before you leave the shoot. Also, beware of magnets and speakers. They will erase anything electronic.
There is a lot to consider when setting up for a video shoot. Now that you understand how your camera works, stay tuned for future tips on framing, lighting, audio, and camera placement.
