Red’s Rolling Shutter and Flash Strobes

The Red Digital Cinema camera uses a CMOS sensor with a rolling shutter. One of the criticisms of the camera is the fact it is subject to rolling shutter artifacts in some situations. Now, I should note that I am not bashing Red…to be clear, every camera has limitations. Even film cameras can exhibit shutter-related artifacts. The important thing is to arm yourself with knowledge, so you know how to avoid situations which will stress the equipment you are using.

To that end, here is a little background info on Red’s rolling shutter: Understanding Rolling Shutter Artifacts.
That link talks about the design of the shutter and how it operates. It also offers a few suggestions for minimizing the effect. And if you’ve never seen the effect, here’s a video that shows the split-screen-strobe issue pretty clearly. More discussion at Reduser.

FreshDV Reviews Matte Box Systems

About two years ago, FreshDV published a full review of several popular Matte Box units in the November 2007 print issue of DV Magazine. While we were working with the matte boxes we captured some hands-on video footage that show how the units match up in features and performance. We tested mattebox systems from Chrosziel, Petroff, and Cinetech. Since then, we’ve also reviewed the Genus mattebox system. The Genus is an affordable 4x4 mattebox that is at home with HD camcorders and HDSLR rigs.

In the following video series, we cover the major features of each mattebox system, mount the units to our fully-loaded test rigs, and highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each solution. We encourage you to view each of these videos and determine which system may meet your unique requirements and needs. You can view all the mattebox reviews in the following video playlist. Still images of each unit can also be found embedded below.

How To Setup and Configure the Brevis 35mm Adapter

The advent of affordable 35mm Lens Adapter systems have brought a new level of creative control to digital filmmakers. With that comes a new level of complexity…lens adapters can be confusing and sometimes downright difficult to configure with your camera. The crew here at FreshDV tends to be visual learners, so we thought we’d help shed a little light on the subject with a 35mm adapter video tutorial series. To that end, here is an 11 minute video that covers the basic setup and configuration of a Cinevate Brevis 35mm Adapter.

Video Tutorial: Understanding Depth of Field

Depth-of-Field. In simple terms DOF can be defined as “the distance in front of and beyond the subject that appears to be in focus.” Seems simple, right? But the myriad factors that contribute to a composition’s Depth of Field are often misunderstood (and frequently overly-simplified), leaving many filmmakers and photographers with a false understanding of the physics at play. And it goes without saying that when you educate yourself on the factors that contribute to DOF, you gain a greater level of control over your images, whether you are a cinematographer or photographer, professional or novice. A grasp of the basics of DOF become even more essential when shooting with a 35mm lens adapter system for video cameras.

That is why I am pleased to present the following 20 minute primer on the subject of Depth of Field, filled with practical illustrations and explanations of the physics at work in a lens, and simple examples that will help elevate your understanding of the subject. It thoroughly covers the topics of aperture size, focal length, camera-to-subject distance, circle of confusion (CoC), hyperfocal distance, and infinity focus. I believe that you’ll find it a very informative and approachable explanation of a somewhat arcane and confusing topic.

FreshDV Follow Focus System Reviews

FreshDV’s full review of five popular follow focus units was first printed in the October 2007 issue of DV Magazine. It included reviews of the Chrosziel, Cinetech, Redrock Micro, Petroff, and Indifocus units. Shortly thereafter we published detailed video reviews. Since then, we’ve continued the series with reviews of the Shoot35 SGFollow Focus, ARRI’s MFF-1 and MFF-4 units, Zacuto’s Z-Focus Flippable, and Cinevate’s Durus unit. We’ve also reviewed the Bartech BFD remote wireless follow focus system. And as manufacturers release new products and updates we will continue to keep this video review resource current.

In these video clips, we walk the viewer through the major features of each follow focus system, mount the units to our test rigs, measure gear lash, and finally use them to drive a lens. There is no silver bullet…each unit we tested has unique strengths and weaknesses, and we encourage you to view each of these videos and look for a system that meets your unique needs and requirements.

You can view the video reviews in the following playlist. You may also be interested in our informative three-part series on the role of a First AC and Focus Puller, also embedded in the playlist linked below.

Production Jobs and Responsibilities of Crew

    After a recent conversation with some fellow filmmakers I was reminded of how mysterious in some ways our industry is, and how many people may not even be clear of their job titles, and what responsibilities those jobs entail. There also exist a hierarchy of authority on a set and a certain level of professionalism is expected of the departments. In the professional realm with a full staffed crew there exist a level of professionalism and mutual respect for each others jobs and responsibilities, or at least their usually is. Sure sometimes you wind up on a bad crew getting chewed out for nothing. The independent world could learn some valuable lessons about team management and establishing departments, and establishing a creative chain of command. Even among friends there should be a degree of departmentalization and a chain of command for decision making. This will ensure that your production flows smoother and everyone can concentrate on their job responsibilities, which has hopefully been staffed to that persons strengths and abilities. Read on for some guidelines and roles that will help you accomplish a smooth running production crew…

Calibrating a Light meter for Digital Video

A light meter can prove to be an invaluable tool on any set, allowing you to quickly and efficiently set lights and know the correct exposure values of those lights. Light meters were initially designed for still photographers and cinematographers can easily calibrate them to a given film stock speed for shooting film. But what about today’s digital cinematographer? I’m glad you asked. With a light meter in hand, today’s digital DP can more efficiently set lights and spot check problem areas on a set without pulling up a camera frame. An experienced Gaffer can use a meter to dial in contrast ratios in advance sans camera/monitor, so when the DP or Director arrives at a location, most of the lighting plan is already in place.

In this tutorial I’ll show you how you can use a light meter to quickly and efficiently light a scene, and gain better control over your camcorder’s exposure.

Shutter Speed vs. Shutter Angle

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the way a video camera calculates shutter (fractions of a second) and the way a film camera calculates shutter (in degrees)? If so, then this article is just for you. Here’s what you need to know…

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