Basic Suggestions for better video
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robint
Contributor
Empty V
Contributor
That's a pretty cool video Phil, the two things that bothered me were the jump cut 1/3 into it and some time lapse would have been really nice but I'm probably over critical. This brings me to what I see lacking in most dive videos, including my own.
*Tell a story, films without stories makes for bad stock footage.
*Please cut to your music. If you cut to the music it keeps a pace and you will tend to cut quicker and display more content in a shorter amount of time. This keeps your audience interested.
*I use a filter, MWB, and shoot with a single 50w HID Video light everywhere. In really clear blue water the backgrounds do shift to purple but I fix with color correction and it looks 100% natural. My camera also has a massive white balance range so that helps.
*Keep it short, long dive videos are usually painfully boring.
*Every frame counts. Evaluate each shot and ask yourself, does this add to the story or is it something that anyone would be interested in seeing? If it's not leave it out.
*Don't zoom. I'm obviously not a fan of zooms, I look at it as cheating. Push in and pull out whenever possible.
*Framing. Learn the basics of photography follow the 1/3 rule. Your framing determines how your audience is feeling at any given moment. If you've got your subject framed directly in the center and your frame is symmetrical chances are your audience will feel off or awkward.
Obviously everyone has different ideas of what a dive video should be, this is what keeps me interested.
Robin glad you had great time on your last trip out here. A lot of people are surprised when they hear that California has amazing diving, we could always use more advocates. The coldest I've seen out here is 48* and that was at about 130fsw in January.
Billy
Good advice Billy. When making and watching a video we need know who the target audience is. Competition judges, non divers, family, general public, dive trip friends, etc..
People who were on the boat/trip with you, often want to see more footage, like to see themselves underwater, generally like a chronological video and can usually tolerate a storyless music video. My typical trip video that I give to the people I dove with is 20-25 minutes. I will cut this down to a 5-7 minute preview video for everyone else. Storyless music videos are pretty easy to make and usually please dive trip friends. Most of us start out making these types of videos. As a vacation diver I haven't grown too much beyond this. I suspect most people posting on this board are like me.
People who were on the boat/trip with you, often want to see more footage, like to see themselves underwater, generally like a chronological video and can usually tolerate a storyless music video. My typical trip video that I give to the people I dove with is 20-25 minutes. I will cut this down to a 5-7 minute preview video for everyone else. Storyless music videos are pretty easy to make and usually please dive trip friends. Most of us start out making these types of videos. As a vacation diver I haven't grown too much beyond this. I suspect most people posting on this board are like me.
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robint
Contributor
Ron, it is worth the 6 hour flight, especially with no customs or language or culture barrier, well... it is California. tehehehe The diving really is great, beyond great, it is stellar and so close! I also really appreciate the fact of how passionate the divers are, they know their critters and love them and will talk endlessly about a particular fish or nudibranch's life cycle, how to find a particular species, etc.
We have been to Calif diving 5 times now and I have yet to bore of it. We are already planning another trip. Billy - thanks, I agree that more people in US need to discover Calif diving. I try to capture it on video so I can show it to more people, like our local divers here in the Rocky Mts who dive cold water all the time. I tell them they don't know what they are missing. This year we got 4 of them out there and they ALL had a great time. Next year I hope to drag a few more with us.
Soakedlontra
Contributor
ditto about the red filter.... lights are great sometimes, but really only work for close up work or night diving.
Here is my video shot last week, only using red filter (just like what teamcasa did) in california.
colors look very true and natural.
obin
The water also looks less green than the one in Puget Sound. Nice shots!
I agree pretty much on this as well but I'm still stuck in making the "Storyless music videos". But for the most part, I film for me and my wife. Most of my videos are for our enjoyment and not really intended to be entered in any film festival. But I agree that if I wanted to make a video that was intended for sale or an non-diver audience, it would have to tell a story.
Below are two videos, shot on the same day with two distinct audiences. The first was made to give to the participants of their first Scuba experience. The second was just for me and whoever watches my videos on YouTube.
Good points Billy,
I would also add that you need to lock your focus if shooting wide angle to stop "focus hunting". Easiest way to do this is to zoom in on your fin a little, get it in focus and lock it, then zoom back out. Everything from about 50cm to infinity will be in focus underwater if you stay wide.
Also try and use manual exposure to prevent the light changing when you pan or tilt.
Jon
I would also add that you need to lock your focus if shooting wide angle to stop "focus hunting". Easiest way to do this is to zoom in on your fin a little, get it in focus and lock it, then zoom back out. Everything from about 50cm to infinity will be in focus underwater if you stay wide.
Also try and use manual exposure to prevent the light changing when you pan or tilt.
Jon
cjfox
Contributor
How about checkining frequently for bubbles clinging to the housing. I've ruined a couple of shots after my buddies swam underneath my housing.
