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DSLR and Documentary

J

johnuk2014

Hi all

I am interested in making a short documentary piece. At the moment, I am just getting to grips with using DSLR rather than a conventional camcorder.

Has anyone else gone down this road? My main query is on settings; have you used the "auto" mode rather than fiddling about with the shutter speed/aperture to get the 'cinematic' look?

Naturally I want it all to look more natural, rather than trying to make it look too much like a hollywood blockbuster.

Would love to hear about all your views etc.

Thanks,

John :)
 
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Relying on a camera's automatic settings is rarely a good idea. Having your exposure, iso or even shutterspeed change on the fly will just look weird... and that could easily happen with something as simple as a cloud rolling by overhead. Don't let your footage quality vary to chance & whim.

Auto-focus, however, is a great advantage for on-the-move style documentaries - a feature lacking in most DSLRs, though.

In general, though - you should be fine with a DSLR for almost anything. Just get some practice in, with your manual settings.

.
 
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What are you doing about sound, btw? The onboard mic on DSLRs are pretty dodgy, and generally only useful as a match track to sync with. Given any thought to how you'll be getting the best available sound, to match the awesome-lookin' footage? :)
 
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Does anyone actually know what film "look" is? sigh

Forget about auto if you want to make professional products. Consider overheating and recording limit ("hackable" with ml I think?). Why is camcorder not satisfying you?
 
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baoliun said:
Does anyone actually know what film "look" is? sigh

Forget about auto if you want to make professional products. Consider overheating and recording limit ("hackable" with ml I think?). Why is camcorder not satisfying you?
Click to expand...

film "look" is much more than just camera settings...

but 24fps, 1/50 ss

-2 sharpness
-4 contrast
-2 saturation
0 color tone

is a "start"

film "look" has much more to do with framing, camera movement, audio, score, pacing, color timing, etc.
 
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baoliun said:
Does anyone actually know what film "look" is? sigh

Forget about auto if you want to make professional products. Consider overheating and recording limit ("hackable" with ml I think?). Why is camcorder not satisfying you?[/ QUOTE]

Well I was interested getting more into photography. As well as that, seeing a lot of the video tests for the Canon/Nikon DSLR models kind of seduced me :)

I am aware of the potential overheating problem but the recording issue may be biggest challenge. Especially whilst I am interested in doing documentary projects opposed to narrative films.
Click to expand...
 
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tokenwhiteboy said:
film "look" is much more than just camera settings...

but 24fps, 1/50 ss

-2 sharpness
-4 contrast
-2 saturation
0 color tone

is a "start"

film "look" has much more to do with framing, camera movement, audio, score, pacing, color timing, etc.
Click to expand...
639.gif
 
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Contemplate this:

can you affort to miss a moment during shooting your documentairy?
Recording limits and overheating can make you miss that one moment that you didn't see coming or that came just after your mirror closed again.
Can you affort to f*ck up focus, because you want shallow DOF all the time, and miss that unique moment?

I know: not everything in a documentairy is always 'spontanious as it happens'.
Interviews can have more takes.
B-roll can be shot over and over again.
Actually, almost everything can be scripted.

But what when you film a fireman measuring gas in the sewer and an airplane flies over to crash into a WTC?
(Just to name one of the most intense moments of history ever captured while shooting a documentary.)

BTW,
most documentaries by Sonia Herman Dolz look like 'cinema', but shot with pro camcorders. (Most pre HD aera. 'Romance de valencia' is thrilling: about bullfighting (so it's a toughy subject as well.)
 
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johnuk2014 said:
separate audio recording is the only option I guess...
Click to expand...


Bad idea. Rethink your camera choice. Depending on your topic, many times you've to be able to grab your camera, turn it on and press "record" in seconds otherwise the opportunity is LOST!

There is nothing worse than failing to get a shot because you choose a DSLR over a camcorder.

Good luck.
 
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