creativmotion blog

Never trust a tanned
editor.

who's not taking notes?

Collaborating with others is one of the most rewarding learning experiences I have. In a working environment, some of the small details, tips and ideas can get lost in a day-to-day workflow - only be picked up from experience. In this blog I'll be sharing notes I have taken over 15+ years.
futureproofing your color workflow

With many standards and best practices that cross production, color is a universal principle. From augmented reality, motion design and vfx work using live footage, to film and post production - standardizing your most common tasks with industry standard workflows will help you understand how to produce the same colors using different platforms.

One of my favorites in this example is the Academy Color Encoding System, or ACES, "a global standard for interchanging digital image files, managing color workflows and creating masters for delivery and archiving." to quote from their website. ACES and 32-bit post processing going from photoshop to after effects and editing has made color operations across software and conversion much easier by standardizing the process. What is a process you use that may be adaptable to certain standards? always be looking!


June 18, 2021
tight budget? lighting a scene with one source

When you are lighting a scene and only have access to one light, try and position that light behind your subject as a back light. A combination of doing this and shooting on the shadow side will give your footage a cinematic / moody look. The applies to the sun as well. If you are shooting outside, the sun is your single source of light. Try to adjust the blocking of your subject to where their back is to the sun.


April 17, 2021
getting the "look" in camera

Filters are a great way of setting a look in camera, instead of leaving it to an editor to do in post. Softening filters will soften the highlights and lift the contrast. Some of my favorites are HBM & Dream FX. Color Filters will add a color to your footage, a great example is the "Antique Suede" filter. There are also effects filters, which will give you unique abstractions, from star flares to kaleidoscope type effects.


February 10, 2021
a quick take on creativity

Creativity is the ability to bring something new into existence, by seeing things in a new way. Those who have this in the greatest degree are considered geniuses, greatly honored and rewarded, but frequently considered strange, unusual, or even insane.


February 7, 2021
losing wait

As a motion graphics artist, you need to be on top of your game, both creatively and technically. It doesn’t matter how much faster our computers become, creative demands are getting a lot tougher. "Wait Loss" is about working fast and efficiently. Knowing which button to push to get the job done right and on time. From setting up the program to suit your needs on every project, through to managing larger jobs with multiple shots and assets. Working fast is essential; knowing how to optimise your scenes and objects to get the maximum playback speed whilst working.


January 25, 2021
running and gunning without a schedule or a shotlist?

It’s worth thinking in terms of sequences rather than shots. Try and shoot at least three different takes that an editor can make a story from.

You’ll gain the love of editors all over if you do this. It’s much better for a quick online edit to have three angles of something, rather than three takes of the same angle trying to get it perfect, and never really getting there.


December 13, 2020
planning a timelapse?

Get an AC power adapter for your camera. If you want your video to be 24 frames per second and 1 minute long, You can use this formula to calculate the length of your video:

24fps x 60sec = 1440 frames for 1 minute video.

Figure out your filming duration in minutes (24hr*60min)*40day = 57600min . If we divide the duration by total frames 57600/1440 = 40 minutes. (This math happens to be a bit redundant due to the fact that there's the same amount of minutes in a day as there is frames in a minute of footage)

For example: if you take a frame every 40 minutes (for 40 days) you'll have a 24fps timelapse that lasts 1 minute. You just need to have enough storage to take 1440 pictures, and a consistent power source.

August 4, 2020
“Public Filming Notice Release”

Filming in reality? You need some key documents to bring with you to set.

A filming in progress sign that is posted at every entrance and is clearly visible to anyone entering or exiting the establishment. Once you put up your signs, get your camera guy to record the establishment's logo/sign/name and the film the signs.

Make sure there is not cut in the footage, record continually until you have filmed both. It can't look like it has a cut in the footage from starting/stopping the camera. This footage is going to be key if anyone try to come and sue you later. Because you can submit this in court and basically tell whoever's suing you that you make every effort to let people know that you're filming and if a person doesn't want to be filmed, they can leave.

June 19, 2020
a quick wedding shotlist

Establishing shots
Details
Getting ready
Reading a letter
Shot of gifts
First looks
Ceremony
Wide Shot
Mid close
Shots of emotional / smiling family
Walking down the aisle together
Reception / dinner
More details / establishing
Father Daughter
Mother Son
Dances
Speeches
Cake cutting
First dance
Some party shots
and we're out.


May 15, 2020
my shots would never look the same.

Recreating a digital replica of the environment in which a scene was captured, I was unable to do this - eyeballing the HSL scopes was not working. I began to use camera reports to chart the details of scenes I know I wanted to recreate for later use. Accurate knowledge of the camera information and key measurements of the set are critical to aiding this process.

May 4, 2020
More to come, stay tuned.

April 09, 2020