Why does everyone keep using the word "talent"? (I actually know why). Call them what they are, models or actors. Geez.. I know using "talent" is a way to steer away from gender bias ('-or' vs '-ress') ; but "talent" itself is a bit of a masculine word, so nothing is accomplished by using it. Also the fact it does not take any "talent" to stand still in front of a camera.
Mastering how to shoot textbook, (as these fixes show), is a pre-requisite for effectively breaking the rules of textbook shooting. However, it's just as important to know why, and what a composition is for.
i dont see these as wrong, i think film making does not have a specific way.. its how ever you think your movie should look and if it goes with the story..
@LooneyM3 Some directors do purposely use these techniques for effect, but for most of us these are things that you'll generally want to avoid unless there's some compelling narrative reason not to. It's really a matter of knowing the rules before you can know when to break them.
You guys could use a camera stabilizer. I've been putting my Cam Caddie Scorpion to the test lately and it's passed with flying colors. It was less than $40.
Other than the first one, these aren't necessarily wrong. In fact some of these are great assets for visual story telling. Like a high angle shot of somebody can make them look small and insignificant. I'm just saying, these are not mistakes (other than the lighting one). More stylistic choices.
@guitarman9526 True, these techniques can sometimes be used purposely for effect. But it's a matter of knowing when to use them rather than using them indiscriminately as some beginning videographers do.
The hsaky camera movement in motion helps in some circumstances. For example, my current project is a Vietnam War film seen from the camera of an American journalist. Therefore, since the viewer is aware that it is a first-person camera shot, having it completely steady is just ridiculous. This is not only used in F-P movies, but also in alot of action movies, where camera shaking adds to the intensity of the scene. You have alot to learn, buddy.
hi there great video, im a first year film student and i would like to know what is the term given for a camera shot when one shot melts into the second shot, for example a room scene were a man is smoking a pipe and then the second scene for example a woman driving a car down the road, hope you can help me out thank you.
sorry but, all those shots are not sins but choices that can be used if the story or action motivates it. The zooming in an out is an ugly shot but can play in certain circumstances. It's funny as a Cinematographer when I shoot day exterior, I always want the sun as a back or side light, never a frontlight. You got lots to learn
the only real deadly sin of camera work is to film the wrong kind of shot for the wrong kind of scene. while jittery, shaky camera work will look terrible for a peaceful dialogue scene, in contrast it will look really good on a jarring and intense action scene. it all depends on the style of filming you are using.
Who are these people to tell us that it's wrong to have a shaky shot? It adds tension. Or a high-angle shot? It makes the subject seem more vulnerable. Or excessive backlighting? It silhouettes the subject and makes it mysterious. Seriously, this guide is innaccurate.
Can I add one? Unnecessary fade ins/outs. Mostly I've seen it in indie films and some bigger movies, typically horror movies that are trying to be dramatic. I don't know who inspired it or why it is imitated, but I would guess to say it's younger filmmakers trying to mimic the cgi cutscenes from their favorite games. I can't think of any acclaimed horror director that does that and yet they keep doing it. Please stop.
some of the stuff is true but at the same time it's not...you can use any kind of shot you want to and it would work because everybody should have a sense of style there trying to make...so yeah
This video is helpful...if you want to make one of those boring tourist videos, or some educational documentary. Backlighting is a very great way to create style and get an artsy shot. It adds alot. That is called a closeup shot, showing the shoulders and the head would actually be a medium closeup, so you're not really doing anything wrong. As for the shaky cam, well that shaky camera work was totally over exaggerated. Maybe a five year old would would the camera like that.
Videomaker magazine is the worst thing to hit the professional videographer market. Ever! This hack magazine convinces anyone with a $200 video camera and a piece of crap editor, like uLead, that they are now skilled enough to go out and shoot professional video... and charge people for it.
I'm amazed at how pathetic the videos are that the magazine produces. Isn't this embarrassing for a "professional"?
Videomaker magazine is more suited to be a club newsletter.
I know shaking camera isn't that nice all the time and I know it can be helped by steadying the camera.. The only problem is: I have no idea HOW to steady my camera while walking o.O
These aren't sins. More common sense however a lot of techniques that you have stated 'bad' are actually used constantly in films today. The shaky cam in Cloverfield for example and motorzooming is used with excessive zooming and zooming out a lot in interviews.
First problem and first fix is just ridiculous, i didnt even watch it after that. No, put the subject behind strong backlight bring in a polyester board or a silver reflector to use that source to fill in subjects face and you have a great image straight away, do not listen what the filmmaker is trying to tell you, the biggest and only real sin is flat lighting which they recommend as a fix, so the choice is up to you...
0:50 < thats a lie / not true at all.. The movie ( Narc ) ray liotta & jason patric ( opening scene ) heavy running & jogging and it was the best chase scene ever made !!!!
However what I meant was how to keep it stable while moving the camera along, perhaps to follow someone as they walk? Like something on wheels or something that'd be steady :D
hold it with two hands down by the waste. With your fingers underneath the body where the camera mounts makes it nice and steady. This way the camera has an even balance
This tutorial doesnt have any use at all. If someone tells me that using top shots is generally bad he tells me that he doesn't know anything about film making. Or what was the other thing? That backlight is generally bad?
From what I get, this video is unrelated to any sort of hyper-experimental film, and more towards just general shooting. This is NOT the "Holy Grand Super-Bible of Camera Work, For ALL FILMS, FOREVER", y'all.
Just general tips, I'm getting. Or more specifically, general "mistakes" people make.
Glad to see all the "experts" tell Videomaker a thing or two, lol. They just have their own magazine, they don't know anything. You guys tell 'em, lol. This is about fixing these shots when they aren't needed and when they are used because people don't know better at first. You have to think about why this video exists a little. Think....Still there? Think...then speak. Think...then comment. Now try it again...think....
You don't need to be an expert to know that high angles and close ups are cinematic tools, that you fix a shaky shot by using a steadicam or dolly, that placing the light--especially sunlight--directly in front of the talent is bad (key-back-fill, anyone?), and that fades in many cases are more obtrusive and less appropriate than jump cutting.
In my book, the only "cinematography sin" is not knowing/controlling everything about your shot--motion, DOF, lighting, composition, et cetera.
I agree with you. People should just shut up about all the tactics when they are directing it to videomaker. The only people that have the right to object are MarkApsolon and Daneboe.
Handheld camera work is frown upon too, and I agree it can be very distracting but sometimes it works. As well as your term for jump cuts "snap shooting." Both these techniques were used in the French New Wave. LEARN YOUR HISTORY & aesthetic techniques before you try to teach others!
Wow, these "mistakes" are the same mistakes we learn about in film history and aesthetics. NONE of these are MISTAKES--they are techniques, maybe sometimes used poorly but when used correctly can work. NOT EVERY SHOT in the world is "eye level", that's why we have high angle, low angle and canted angle shots. Same goes for "headhunting" (a term you must have made up) especially when you could have used "CLOSE UP" instead. And obviously there is nothing wrong with close ups.
In general these are pretty good rules (especially for amateur home video) but I can think of situations where everyone of these rules could be and should be broken.
I think this something there are not right. Pic just of the head are okey. if you take wider shot and cut together. And to move the cam from one men to second is good if you are good on your cam.
All pro comments here, but remember. How many amateurs do you see making these mistakes, a lot. So these basics are very informational for the beginners. If you are a pro, and you find this info not necessary and for the amateur, what are you doing here ;)
Ha! I love the formula: Problem: Something you obviously shouldn't be doing and should have been able to figure out how to correct on your own. Fix: Don't do whatever you were doing wrong anymore.
I'm just messing with you, some rules need to be broken, but the problem is a lot of people aren't even aware they are breaking rules. You need to know the basics if you want to do something different.
This might be helpful for some mom at home making a movie about her kids, but for an indie film maker the dynamics are by far different. The utilization of quick snapshots, fast zooms, shaky camera, and placement in direct sources of light all have uses. The difference is knowing what their uses are and where to tactfully utilize them.
Well, i'll totally admit you're right, and i'm way past this level too, but this channel is mainly directed at amateur videographers, and for them these points are good warnings.
@Skapo well the problem is that 90 percent of indy filmmakers don't know how to use these techniques usefully. Just because someone wants to be different than the usual hollywood techniques doesn't mean it will work. The worst of all this is too much shaky cam, the tripod is your friend.
@Finchspielberg Those are actually fairly common 'hollywood techniques'. I'll tell you straight up too. The Tripod can be as much your enemy as it is your friend. Save the advent of the dolly, it limits you to one static perspective. That can be handy at times, but depending on the nature of your project. I'd say you don't want to be mounted to the tripod for most shots. Tripod shots when they aren't done right are just as bad as any one of these techniques used poorly.
I agree with that. but I think the real trick is practice edit enough to know the difference between the viewfinder and the screen. shoot enough to use what you know. and remember "Rules" can't do as much fore you as PRACTICE provided you have "sense" or maybe a sense is more accurate. Personally I have like MS camera hand syndrome. I wish I could use a tripod or at least a steadycam all the time. but most of what I do isn't that well controlled.
Great info as an indie film maker I am aware that many of us have made these mistakes as the saying goes "You have to crawl to walk." I found these tips very helpful for my music videos.
Thanks so much for all the videomaker videos, they're terrific, very helpful, even though I totally gotta disagree with every one of these 'sins', they're only sins because some picky someone said so, and you can make every one of them work in amazing ways. But still: thanks for the videos! Great work,
Different styles for different projects. These "seven sins" can be used as special effects. Special effects are like spices! You add too much or where it's not appropriate and it can ruin your dish. You have to know the rules before you can break them. If I paid for a "wedding video" where these "sins" were used and I didn't know, I would be pissed and probably sue the person who produced.
yea those filmmakers did these things but they knew how to break the rules and make it look good. if one of us(people of the youtube community) tried to break these rules, it would most likely turn out pretty bad, but not always.
It sounds like good guidelines to follow most the time, but I do also believe that there can be artistic and storytelling reasons for committing the deadly sins of camera work on occasion.
Cinematically, I agree that shaking the camera excessively would disorient the viewers, but at the same time, if there's a purpose to the shaking, then it would add rather than subtract from the feel of the film. I think it CAN be used, but sparingly, and at the right moments.
so apparently according to this video, Alfonso Cuaron and Paul Greengrass don't now how to work a camera. idiots. I bet you also think music should stick to verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus out. It's art. There are no rules.
First, a high shot of a person can have a purpose: to suggest one's inferiority. See the scene in North by Northwest where Cary Grant first meets James Mason.
Backlighting can also have a purpose, on occasion.
check him out!!!!!!!I think the man at the end of this video who quickly picks up his black bag is smuggling a hidden camera and is trying to look up ladies dresses etc..pervert.
Fair enough, but surely you can agree that before you break the "rules" you should understand the "rules," so that when you do it, it's a conscious choice and not an accident.... Cheers.
I clicked on this video hoping to learn something about camera work, but I was totally wrong.
All of this stuff is complete common sense. I think this video was unnecessary. It is like telling someone who is having trouble walking to "stand up and move your feet".
Yea but if you were a real filmmaker then you would know that just about all of these "mistakes" could and should be used at some point to create a desired effect. For instance, the camera shaking makes it more dramatic, the closeup is used for showing the actor's facial expressions, the upstanding is used to make the actor seem vulnerable, and so on a so forth.
You have good points of interest I will take note. However sometimes people listen when we choose to glisten our responses. Think about that one for a Film makers moment...
Well, obviously if you are watching this video, then you want to learn about being a filmmaker. And you don't have to be a hollywood hot shot to be a filmmaker. I am a filmmaker.
LOL Yous guys are killin me...Were not real film makers...What would would you call someone who wants to be seen through film? A Wannamaker or how 'bout buttafinga or something more Kosher like RetardaFilmMan yeah LOL
Yeah, it totally depends what you do. This is for those who are not educated in this field, those who just picked up a camera, and from here you can pick up a couple of simple tips and build up.
totally depends on what your after, transitional edits are usually intended to show time passing. High angle can be ok, if the situation calls for it (just watch any Tsui Hark Films) and the "Fire Hosing" again can be used to great effect if the situation is right.
Great work guys, thanx for sharing! Basic, simple to remember and usefull is always a winning combination! Adding poor framing as an 8th sin would be usefull (very common).
Oops maybe you should have called this the eight deadly sins because at 21 secs having repositioned the actor you now have a tower growing out of the his head. Plants can also play a big part in this known phenomena.
It can also be a good effect , when there is a strong light source in the background, because then you cannot see details, and that is sometimes wanted. I have seen a video of Elephant silhouettes against the sunset, great effect.
Even so, the high angle view of the talent performing action at eye level that you show in your video can very well become a point-of-view shot (a subjective shot) of someone witnessing that action. Again, not a sin, but a valuable angle to enhance a sequence. Context plays a roll here, though.
I agree that the high angle shot is a useful tool. However, for the "Seven Sins" video it is used to merely over-emphasize the idea that (context aside) generally you want to show what your talent is doing from their perspective or eye-level. For more information on using the high angle shot visit our Videomaker homepage and reference Article(s):
actually, if it is overdone, then it gets annoying, because the perspective is so much different from what we are used to. Ok, if its a sniper sitting on a roof, or a security camer, then it will make it look more real.
Nice try, but it looks like you didn´t understand all Jim Stinson´s concepts quite right. "Upstanding" is not the sin you say it is (actually, what you show in this video is part of the solution: taking advantage from a variety of angles, including high ones); as for the "fix" you offer, that´s precisely the sin (videotaping everything at eye level). Oh, Mr. Stinson, where are you?
This particular example of "upstanding" shows a high angle shot of the talent performing actions at eye-level. While the "fix" is what Jim Stinson calls the "Neutral Position". The concept is to show the talents actions, from their perspective. For more information about upstanding, camera angles and their intended purpose. Visit our Videomaker Website and reference:
Article/10297 How High the Camera? by Jim Stinson
Thanks for the tips - I'm just starting my own videomaking channel, and information like this is invaluable - Cheers.
TheMeejahChannel 2 weeks ago
1:54 staring at this is a deadly sin lol
bassnrifle 3 weeks ago
oh shit...I think Ive broken all of these!
Makinwaves02 4 weeks ago
you forgot underwater shots without a camera suit!
2legit2quitz 1 month ago
@2legit2quitz that's not a deadly sin, that's a fatal stupidity
bassnrifle 3 weeks ago
Why does everyone keep using the word "talent"? (I actually know why). Call them what they are, models or actors. Geez.. I know using "talent" is a way to steer away from gender bias ('-or' vs '-ress') ; but "talent" itself is a bit of a masculine word, so nothing is accomplished by using it. Also the fact it does not take any "talent" to stand still in front of a camera.
EBTL0947 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
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CamaraMountClamp 4 months ago
Mastering how to shoot textbook, (as these fixes show), is a pre-requisite for effectively breaking the rules of textbook shooting. However, it's just as important to know why, and what a composition is for.
Videoscape 4 months ago
@Videoscape Exactly!
Cheers,
The Videomaker Team
videomaker 4 months ago
i dont see these as wrong, i think film making does not have a specific way.. its how ever you think your movie should look and if it goes with the story..
LooneyM3 4 months ago
@LooneyM3 Some directors do purposely use these techniques for effect, but for most of us these are things that you'll generally want to avoid unless there's some compelling narrative reason not to. It's really a matter of knowing the rules before you can know when to break them.
Cheers,
The Videomaker Team
videomaker 4 months ago 5
you all should search "The Harrison House Trailer" on youtube.
it's a indie film shot for 600 dollars.
dreams can happen.
ChicoBlancoFilms 5 months ago
You guys could use a camera stabilizer. I've been putting my Cam Caddie Scorpion to the test lately and it's passed with flying colors. It was less than $40.
MrsPalmerTV 5 months ago
Other than the first one, these aren't necessarily wrong. In fact some of these are great assets for visual story telling. Like a high angle shot of somebody can make them look small and insignificant. I'm just saying, these are not mistakes (other than the lighting one). More stylistic choices.
guitarman9526 5 months ago
@guitarman9526 True, these techniques can sometimes be used purposely for effect. But it's a matter of knowing when to use them rather than using them indiscriminately as some beginning videographers do.
Cheers,
The Videomaker Team
videomaker 5 months ago
they left our holding the phone upright, if the video is taken with a phone
jumblejimble 6 months ago
The hsaky camera movement in motion helps in some circumstances. For example, my current project is a Vietnam War film seen from the camera of an American journalist. Therefore, since the viewer is aware that it is a first-person camera shot, having it completely steady is just ridiculous. This is not only used in F-P movies, but also in alot of action movies, where camera shaking adds to the intensity of the scene. You have alot to learn, buddy.
Prim3StaR 6 months ago
Agreed... Backlight is a no - no when shooting in auto iris and DIRECTLY into the sun!!! This video hurts more than it helps...
FormandoVidas 7 months ago
Agreed... Backlight is a no - no when shooting in auto iris and DIRECTLY into the sun!!! This video hurts more than it helps...
FormandoVidas 7 months ago
hi there great video, im a first year film student and i would like to know what is the term given for a camera shot when one shot melts into the second shot, for example a room scene were a man is smoking a pipe and then the second scene for example a woman driving a car down the road, hope you can help me out thank you.
Thenicereviewguy 7 months ago
@Thenicereviewguy We call it a "dissolve."
videomaker 7 months ago
@Thenicereviewguy According to video editing softwares such as Avid, they call it "Crossfade"
UnderlinedDesigns 7 months ago
sorry but, all those shots are not sins but choices that can be used if the story or action motivates it. The zooming in an out is an ugly shot but can play in certain circumstances. It's funny as a Cinematographer when I shoot day exterior, I always want the sun as a back or side light, never a frontlight. You got lots to learn
vblurbs 7 months ago
head hunting?? isnt it a close up shot.. some cinematographers use it you know.. its for added effects like emotions.. and etc..
jhunbogs 9 months ago
the only real deadly sin of camera work is to film the wrong kind of shot for the wrong kind of scene. while jittery, shaky camera work will look terrible for a peaceful dialogue scene, in contrast it will look really good on a jarring and intense action scene. it all depends on the style of filming you are using.
legendarywar1 10 months ago
U got it all wrong buddy ! U may be somehow right on the " Snapshot " ( Although it totally can be used ), but the rest is far from a deadly sin !
brossmania 11 months ago
wrong. most of this "deadly sins" can be used as style elements
merzolin 11 months ago
dont listen to this. the only wrong way of shooting is not shooting the way you want to.
gnoblais 11 months ago
Sometimes I have to firehose because I'm the only shooting.
Jovan14606 1 year ago
GAY MUSIC
brandonlamarmusic 1 year ago
This is not for a filmmaker. Many directors use CU shots that pretty much only displays the actor's head (like JJ Abrams).
DarthV87 1 year ago
This video should be seen by EVERYONE who uses a video camera!
CAvideoFAN 1 year ago
Great tips. Thanks and I'll be more aware of them.
ottoelperro 1 year ago
Ma andate a cagare va...
YouZulky 1 year ago
haha the 'fixed' examples they gave looked like the default videos that come with video editing software -_-
rclifford13 1 year ago
I feel like these videos were made in 1997 as instructions on how to teach film making at community college
zidanetribal1324 1 year ago 3
If you need to be told any of this then give up now and never touch a video camera again.
intrigid 1 year ago 2
The 8th sin is watching videomakers video about The 7 deadly sins of camerawork
TheAssasinsRobe 1 year ago 2
Rules were made to be broken over time.
ScarlettPluto 1 year ago 2
Theo Bad-as-chi? Awesome name. Badass..chi.
branbabe 1 year ago
Who are these people to tell us that it's wrong to have a shaky shot? It adds tension. Or a high-angle shot? It makes the subject seem more vulnerable. Or excessive backlighting? It silhouettes the subject and makes it mysterious. Seriously, this guide is innaccurate.
agesg 1 year ago
Skapo is right. Film is a language. Understanding the proper ways to use that language is the difference between schlock and professionalism.
johnkarliss1 1 year ago
This is a joke right?
TheWhiteOctopus 1 year ago
Its called videomaker. Obviously not filmmaker.
DarkwaterStudios 1 year ago
background music was done with Garageband
Mitube 1 year ago
1: can cause dramadic effects, quite awesome
2: close up, awesome as well
3: watch any Alfred Hitchcock movie and... Aaah, forget it. This video is so wrong I'm not going to waste my finger energy.
MrKlarnsLikesCheese 1 year ago
Can I add one? Unnecessary fade ins/outs. Mostly I've seen it in indie films and some bigger movies, typically horror movies that are trying to be dramatic. I don't know who inspired it or why it is imitated, but I would guess to say it's younger filmmakers trying to mimic the cgi cutscenes from their favorite games. I can't think of any acclaimed horror director that does that and yet they keep doing it. Please stop.
AlanSessler 1 year ago
some of the stuff is true but at the same time it's not...you can use any kind of shot you want to and it would work because everybody should have a sense of style there trying to make...so yeah
BMW351 1 year ago
not very helpfull did not tell me how to a steady the shot
agbproductions95 1 year ago
This is kind of dumb. There are artistic purposes for almost everything you listed.
sonicclang 1 year ago 2
The only sin I see is motorzooming, the others are used for various purposes.
tpiom 1 year ago
This video is lame. Skapo is right.
novaction 1 year ago
This video is helpful...if you want to make one of those boring tourist videos, or some educational documentary. Backlighting is a very great way to create style and get an artsy shot. It adds alot. That is called a closeup shot, showing the shoulders and the head would actually be a medium closeup, so you're not really doing anything wrong. As for the shaky cam, well that shaky camera work was totally over exaggerated. Maybe a five year old would would the camera like that.
Djnson 1 year ago
in the second example you also replies another sin, with the tower behind the subject as a hat.. Don´t do that
guerradigital 1 year ago
Videomaker magazine is the worst thing to hit the professional videographer market. Ever! This hack magazine convinces anyone with a $200 video camera and a piece of crap editor, like uLead, that they are now skilled enough to go out and shoot professional video... and charge people for it.
I'm amazed at how pathetic the videos are that the magazine produces. Isn't this embarrassing for a "professional"?
Videomaker magazine is more suited to be a club newsletter.
theguitarzan 1 year ago
I know shaking camera isn't that nice all the time and I know it can be helped by steadying the camera.. The only problem is: I have no idea HOW to steady my camera while walking o.O
jandearabier 1 year ago
how about talk about breaking the 180 rule or something....
arie1ki11him 1 year ago
These aren't sins. More common sense however a lot of techniques that you have stated 'bad' are actually used constantly in films today. The shaky cam in Cloverfield for example and motorzooming is used with excessive zooming and zooming out a lot in interviews.
ben947 1 year ago
First problem and first fix is just ridiculous, i didnt even watch it after that. No, put the subject behind strong backlight bring in a polyester board or a silver reflector to use that source to fill in subjects face and you have a great image straight away, do not listen what the filmmaker is trying to tell you, the biggest and only real sin is flat lighting which they recommend as a fix, so the choice is up to you...
osk2012 1 year ago
haha thanks it's really helpful
AisanEntertainment41 1 year ago
Good, helpful information, but why did you shoot the girl in the butt at 1:54?
FD7XGU8X 1 year ago
All of this tips can be done wrong on purpose to create an effect.
hafsunde 1 year ago
lmao
MisterWylde 1 year ago
0:50 < thats a lie / not true at all.. The movie ( Narc ) ray liotta & jason patric ( opening scene ) heavy running & jogging and it was the best chase scene ever made !!!!
DEEJAYDAVEDENALI 1 year ago
I find it funny that basically all his fixes are...don't do that and provides no real advice to hold it steady or pan smoothly, etc.
Demonhunter315 2 years ago
they left out forgetting to take the lens cap off...
TriCorduroy 2 years ago 95
@TriCorduroy
LoL!
LaxMoney 2 years ago
@TriCorduroy lol...
twitchd8 1 year ago
@TriCorduroy there is nothing more embarrassing than that. its embarrassing even when your alone.
jodroboxes 1 year ago
@TriCorduroy Unless you just don't want to lose it.
phxsns1 1 year ago
wow.... thats what i do... and i didnt even read this orgo to class! guess im talented LoL
KWASHIC 2 years ago
You forgot "Holding the camera upside down" and "Forgetting to turn on the camera".
baba44713 2 years ago 16
@baba44713 lol
2legit2quitz 1 month ago
Great advice, any tips of how i can keep my camera stable while shooting movement?
coochi6 2 years ago
Tripod :) just get a small one. Tabletop works well, but I prefer larger tripods.
TheLolcast 2 years ago
Thanks, I have one :)
However what I meant was how to keep it stable while moving the camera along, perhaps to follow someone as they walk? Like something on wheels or something that'd be steady :D
coochi6 2 years ago
hold it with two hands down by the waste. With your fingers underneath the body where the camera mounts makes it nice and steady. This way the camera has an even balance
VideoManServices 2 years ago
Cool, thanks :)
coochi6 2 years ago
-back lighting can also be fixed with a strong lighting source close to the subject, and still shooting in front of the sun isn't recommended.
-perhaps you didn't head hunt, but you sure did forget the rule of the thirds- you should have left more headroom.
-high angles shoot have much use when trying to make your subject appear less important or less scary
Maxsopinion 2 years ago
The point was to not use those angles and such with out a good purpose.
StopWearingPants 2 years ago
This tutorial doesnt have any use at all. If someone tells me that using top shots is generally bad he tells me that he doesn't know anything about film making. Or what was the other thing? That backlight is generally bad?
sodasimon 2 years ago
Back light is bad unless you use a reflective DISC to even out the exposure. Dont forget to use the ND filter
VideoManServices 2 years ago
From what I get, this video is unrelated to any sort of hyper-experimental film, and more towards just general shooting. This is NOT the "Holy Grand Super-Bible of Camera Work, For ALL FILMS, FOREVER", y'all.
Just general tips, I'm getting. Or more specifically, general "mistakes" people make.
90sComputerGames 2 years ago
as far as i have observed MTV videos have purposely violated all 7 sins
emforty2 2 years ago 5
I remember being told never do JUMP CUTS. Now jump cuts are the norm in films. What have we done?
pkrska 2 years ago
Glad to see all the "experts" tell Videomaker a thing or two, lol. They just have their own magazine, they don't know anything. You guys tell 'em, lol. This is about fixing these shots when they aren't needed and when they are used because people don't know better at first. You have to think about why this video exists a little. Think....Still there? Think...then speak. Think...then comment. Now try it again...think....
Whyrendog 2 years ago
You don't need to be an expert to know that high angles and close ups are cinematic tools, that you fix a shaky shot by using a steadicam or dolly, that placing the light--especially sunlight--directly in front of the talent is bad (key-back-fill, anyone?), and that fades in many cases are more obtrusive and less appropriate than jump cutting.
In my book, the only "cinematography sin" is not knowing/controlling everything about your shot--motion, DOF, lighting, composition, et cetera.
$0.02
shinWangXiao 2 years ago
I agree with you. People should just shut up about all the tactics when they are directing it to videomaker. The only people that have the right to object are MarkApsolon and Daneboe.
TheLolcast 2 years ago
why do believe what you just said?
VideoManServices 2 years ago
Because all of them are video EXPERTS.
TheLolcast 2 years ago 2
Handheld camera work is frown upon too, and I agree it can be very distracting but sometimes it works. As well as your term for jump cuts "snap shooting." Both these techniques were used in the French New Wave. LEARN YOUR HISTORY & aesthetic techniques before you try to teach others!
Disasianluvsangie 2 years ago
Wow, these "mistakes" are the same mistakes we learn about in film history and aesthetics. NONE of these are MISTAKES--they are techniques, maybe sometimes used poorly but when used correctly can work. NOT EVERY SHOT in the world is "eye level", that's why we have high angle, low angle and canted angle shots. Same goes for "headhunting" (a term you must have made up) especially when you could have used "CLOSE UP" instead. And obviously there is nothing wrong with close ups.
Disasianluvsangie 2 years ago
sorry but most of those were bulshit. so long as they are applied in the right context none of those are mistakes.
dazultrachallenge 2 years ago
your steady cam sucks, you video sucks, who are you to say waht is right or wrong, your work blows
powerhouston 2 years ago 3
In general these are pretty good rules (especially for amateur home video) but I can think of situations where everyone of these rules could be and should be broken.
johndevault 2 years ago 2
Yeah, Like the upstanding rule
MusicDudeRock 2 years ago
I think this something there are not right. Pic just of the head are okey. if you take wider shot and cut together. And to move the cam from one men to second is good if you are good on your cam.
siggimes 2 years ago
Try experimental filmmaking for once. The rules were just made to be broken every so often.
dtwhitney 2 years ago 4
All pro comments here, but remember. How many amateurs do you see making these mistakes, a lot. So these basics are very informational for the beginners. If you are a pro, and you find this info not necessary and for the amateur, what are you doing here ;)
air4water 2 years ago 3
Ha! I love the formula: Problem: Something you obviously shouldn't be doing and should have been able to figure out how to correct on your own. Fix: Don't do whatever you were doing wrong anymore.
DandelionMaster 2 years ago 3
is this chico I LIVE IN CHICo
RedPanther1 2 years ago
"Fix: position light source in front of talent." ummm ok sun I would like you to move liiiike 180 degrees around... ok thanks!
OGMO11 2 years ago 5
these effects are ok for a stupid 17 year old romance flick, but for an intense nailbiter action film, you should probably break all of these rules
ryann2795 2 years ago 3
Been attending the Michael Bay film school huh?
I'm just messing with you, some rules need to be broken, but the problem is a lot of people aren't even aware they are breaking rules. You need to know the basics if you want to do something different.
IsaiahPresents 2 years ago
haha. ok. i see where you're coming from. but yeah, i suppose people need to know if they're breaking a rule.
ryann2795 2 years ago 2
"Talent"? Something wrong with the word "actor"?
alextemplemusic 2 years ago
This might be helpful for some mom at home making a movie about her kids, but for an indie film maker the dynamics are by far different. The utilization of quick snapshots, fast zooms, shaky camera, and placement in direct sources of light all have uses. The difference is knowing what their uses are and where to tactfully utilize them.
Skapo 2 years ago 99
word!!
corymart1n3z 2 years ago
Here here!
atomicmcguire 2 years ago
Agreed!!
PleasantProductions 2 years ago
Well, i'll totally admit you're right, and i'm way past this level too, but this channel is mainly directed at amateur videographers, and for them these points are good warnings.
paalschandaal 2 years ago 3
@Skapo You're right! It's all about how you use the shot!
novaction 1 year ago
@Skapo very good man very good :))
florinmldvn82ro 1 year ago
@Skapo I totally agree. Follow this advice and your videos will be a lot more... boring... at least if you know what you're doing;-)
Imagine a Tony Scott or Michael Mann film, shot following this advice;-)
webmatros 1 year ago
@Skapo Thank you for that
ADAMKTN 1 year ago
@Skapo well the problem is that 90 percent of indy filmmakers don't know how to use these techniques usefully. Just because someone wants to be different than the usual hollywood techniques doesn't mean it will work. The worst of all this is too much shaky cam, the tripod is your friend.
Finchspielberg 9 months ago
@Finchspielberg Those are actually fairly common 'hollywood techniques'. I'll tell you straight up too. The Tripod can be as much your enemy as it is your friend. Save the advent of the dolly, it limits you to one static perspective. That can be handy at times, but depending on the nature of your project. I'd say you don't want to be mounted to the tripod for most shots. Tripod shots when they aren't done right are just as bad as any one of these techniques used poorly.
Skapo 9 months ago
@Finchspielberg
I agree with that. but I think the real trick is practice edit enough to know the difference between the viewfinder and the screen. shoot enough to use what you know. and remember "Rules" can't do as much fore you as PRACTICE provided you have "sense" or maybe a sense is more accurate. Personally I have like MS camera hand syndrome. I wish I could use a tripod or at least a steadycam all the time. but most of what I do isn't that well controlled.
RantingGeorgiaJew 9 months ago
Great info as an indie film maker I am aware that many of us have made these mistakes as the saying goes "You have to crawl to walk." I found these tips very helpful for my music videos.
cheen2000 2 years ago
Thanks so much for all the videomaker videos, they're terrific, very helpful, even though I totally gotta disagree with every one of these 'sins', they're only sins because some picky someone said so, and you can make every one of them work in amazing ways. But still: thanks for the videos! Great work,
Guyjjackson 2 years ago
Very good!
Were I can find some sweet music like the background?
GuardianShortMovie 3 years ago
Do a Google search for "Royalty Free Music" for starters
TruckerWarren 2 years ago
lol iMovie music...Busted!!!!...:)
cccruver37 2 years ago
LOL Yeah, isn't that the truth
TruckerWarren 2 years ago
well i think this is case to case basis. :D
denicemendiola 3 years ago
Different styles for different projects. These "seven sins" can be used as special effects. Special effects are like spices! You add too much or where it's not appropriate and it can ruin your dish. You have to know the rules before you can break them. If I paid for a "wedding video" where these "sins" were used and I didn't know, I would be pissed and probably sue the person who produced.
KurbyDurby 3 years ago
who cares? we are indie filmmakers
anthonygosh 3 years ago 2
Does anyone else find these Videomaker tutorials very... I don't know.. 1995?
Bammer02 3 years ago 3
1:54 was a nice shot ;)
inofaith 3 years ago
this is more like the "7 DEADLY SINS OF HOME-MOVIE MAKING"... but most of these wont apply if your making a 'film'. Helpful, but not necessary.
StolenBatteries 3 years ago 3
wow, man...
this contradicts everything any great filmmaker ever did
Orson Welles
Alfred Hitchcock
Quentin Tarantino
I could go on FOREVER!
DO NOT
repeat DO NOT
FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS!
YOUR MOVIES ARE DOOMED!
cecisota12 3 years ago
yea those filmmakers did these things but they knew how to break the rules and make it look good. if one of us(people of the youtube community) tried to break these rules, it would most likely turn out pretty bad, but not always.
df12a 3 years ago
Quentin Tarantino is not a great filmmaker. He is a much better writter than director.
I'd put John Ford instead.
maciekmoks 3 years ago
follow these tips and you have long boring home videos
gabman6 3 years ago 3
It sounds like good guidelines to follow most the time, but I do also believe that there can be artistic and storytelling reasons for committing the deadly sins of camera work on occasion.
Mystefier 3 years ago 3
Cinematically, I agree that shaking the camera excessively would disorient the viewers, but at the same time, if there's a purpose to the shaking, then it would add rather than subtract from the feel of the film. I think it CAN be used, but sparingly, and at the right moments.
Capuccinogrl1414 3 years ago
Dang. Some of you are way to hard on these guys. Watch it if you want. If you get any ideas from it great, if not who cares.
MyFJ 3 years ago 3
so apparently according to this video, Alfonso Cuaron and Paul Greengrass don't now how to work a camera. idiots. I bet you also think music should stick to verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus out. It's art. There are no rules.
megacrisis 3 years ago
yeah right , i bet u never worked on the industry, thats what makes us differents,from wedding and sweet 16 camera men,
arcpiettro 3 years ago
First, a high shot of a person can have a purpose: to suggest one's inferiority. See the scene in North by Northwest where Cary Grant first meets James Mason.
Backlighting can also have a purpose, on occasion.
Weekyl 3 years ago
You had a lot of great ideas. Made me remember to think more before shooting. Thanks,
Jerry Osterle (Wanta' be photographer.)
WeDoWebsitesAndMore 3 years ago
Can anyone tell me where the connection was between the last SIN and its FIX?
KrishnaHare1 3 years ago
steady the camera. WOW now that's something I never realized. Amatuers trying to act like pros.
wgoodson88 3 years ago
thanks for the tips
helltone 3 years ago
check him out!!!!!!!I think the man at the end of this video who quickly picks up his black bag is smuggling a hidden camera and is trying to look up ladies dresses etc..pervert.
helltone 3 years ago
haha what?!!how did you notice ??!
liron95 3 years ago
yes, almost all of the 'mistakes' can be used to create an effect in certain situations
watanidiot 3 years ago
follow these steps if you want to make a boring movie. don't listen to these guys. be creative and learn from your mistakes.
HRPoodersmith 3 years ago
Fair enough, but surely you can agree that before you break the "rules" you should understand the "rules," so that when you do it, it's a conscious choice and not an accident.... Cheers.
videomaker 3 years ago
I clicked on this video hoping to learn something about camera work, but I was totally wrong.
All of this stuff is complete common sense. I think this video was unnecessary. It is like telling someone who is having trouble walking to "stand up and move your feet".
DUH!
WellstonePictures 3 years ago
You are too harsh the video was well documented and is usefull...
staaberelli 3 years ago
Yea but if you were a real filmmaker then you would know that just about all of these "mistakes" could and should be used at some point to create a desired effect. For instance, the camera shaking makes it more dramatic, the closeup is used for showing the actor's facial expressions, the upstanding is used to make the actor seem vulnerable, and so on a so forth.
WellstonePictures 3 years ago
You have good points of interest I will take note. However sometimes people listen when we choose to glisten our responses. Think about that one for a Film makers moment...
staaberelli 3 years ago
This is youtube were not real film makers, retard.
grobend123 3 years ago
Well, obviously if you are watching this video, then you want to learn about being a filmmaker. And you don't have to be a hollywood hot shot to be a filmmaker. I am a filmmaker.
WellstonePictures 3 years ago
LOL Yous guys are killin me...Were not real film makers...What would would you call someone who wants to be seen through film? A Wannamaker or how 'bout buttafinga or something more Kosher like RetardaFilmMan yeah LOL
staaberelli 3 years ago
Good video, but most of these 'mistakes' can be justified in some situations
Switch110 3 years ago 2
yt uk sou fany
1florea1 3 years ago
yt uk sou fany
1florea1 3 years ago
usefull. but wat if i have to make a shot at twylight?
peg6204 3 years ago
These help a ton! thanks !
pogochamp113 3 years ago
Yeah, it totally depends what you do. This is for those who are not educated in this field, those who just picked up a camera, and from here you can pick up a couple of simple tips and build up.
goranvrcel 4 years ago
totally depends on what your after, transitional edits are usually intended to show time passing. High angle can be ok, if the situation calls for it (just watch any Tsui Hark Films) and the "Fire Hosing" again can be used to great effect if the situation is right.
GrynHelix 4 years ago
Great work guys, thanx for sharing! Basic, simple to remember and usefull is always a winning combination! Adding poor framing as an 8th sin would be usefull (very common).
swedeinmexico 4 years ago 2
this is helpful.. gad i need this one.. thanks for posting and good worK!
senyores2000 4 years ago 2
Oops maybe you should have called this the eight deadly sins because at 21 secs having repositioned the actor you now have a tower growing out of the his head. Plants can also play a big part in this known phenomena.
ERUZE 4 years ago
What was this shot with?
everydayjones 4 years ago
so what about the 7 sins of sound .. wind noise being number 1 .
actionman1966 4 years ago
It can also be a good effect , when there is a strong light source in the background, because then you cannot see details, and that is sometimes wanted. I have seen a video of Elephant silhouettes against the sunset, great effect.
buchnermarkus 4 years ago 2
good idea, thanks
youngdirectorgames 4 years ago 2
The zoom in and out motor type was only good when the movie Waynes World came out hahahaha
DrTaBoo 4 years ago 2
Generally. Right.
elipsis620304 4 years ago
Even so, the high angle view of the talent performing action at eye level that you show in your video can very well become a point-of-view shot (a subjective shot) of someone witnessing that action. Again, not a sin, but a valuable angle to enhance a sequence. Context plays a roll here, though.
elipsis620304 4 years ago
I agree that the high angle shot is a useful tool. However, for the "Seven Sins" video it is used to merely over-emphasize the idea that (context aside) generally you want to show what your talent is doing from their perspective or eye-level. For more information on using the high angle shot visit our Videomaker homepage and reference Article(s):
-Camera Work: What's your Angle-#1387
-Camera Work: What's your Angle(continued)
#1387/2/
videomaker 4 years ago
actually, if it is overdone, then it gets annoying, because the perspective is so much different from what we are used to. Ok, if its a sniper sitting on a roof, or a security camer, then it will make it look more real.
buchnermarkus 4 years ago
Nice try, but it looks like you didn´t understand all Jim Stinson´s concepts quite right. "Upstanding" is not the sin you say it is (actually, what you show in this video is part of the solution: taking advantage from a variety of angles, including high ones); as for the "fix" you offer, that´s precisely the sin (videotaping everything at eye level). Oh, Mr. Stinson, where are you?
elipsis620304 4 years ago
This particular example of "upstanding" shows a high angle shot of the talent performing actions at eye-level. While the "fix" is what Jim Stinson calls the "Neutral Position". The concept is to show the talents actions, from their perspective. For more information about upstanding, camera angles and their intended purpose. Visit our Videomaker Website and reference:
Article/10297 How High the Camera? by Jim Stinson
videomaker 4 years ago
thx !!!
Exalibert 4 years ago