cinematography DSLR and Documentary

[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

 

[ItDonnedOnMe]

Personally I'd say most of the fears of missing something because of the camera are overblown - assuming you've taken the time to learn how to use it well. And with practice you don't really need auto functionality either, in general it's more likely to screw things up than you are if you know what you're doing. If you're still worried about it just grab a small camcorder that you can carry with you for emergencies - it's always a good idea to have a backup anyway.

 

[GuerrillaAngel]

Personally I'd say most of the fears of missing something because of the camera are overblown

On the contrary, my feature film has footage that I shot after grabbing the camera from the back seat of my car while driving. Free is a very good price to pay for high production value if only your camera is able to capture it quick enough before it is gone.