Our approach to creating a fully loaded video campaign for the largest independent vehicle sales company in the UK; Wilsons.
2018 Has Been The Best Year For APVideo!
We’re celebrating! Not just because it’s Christmas, but because 2018 was our most successful year producing video content in Surrey and Internationally!
Let’s take a look back at what we’ve been up to… First up, CVP Pro Repairs.
Earlier this year we were very excited to release the three videos we produced for CVP, promoting their Pro Repairs department with a rebrand. We worked with the CVP engineers to capture the intricacy and details of deconstructing Cooke cinema prime lenses, stripping the Sony F55, and analyzing the optical performance of lenses in the testing room.
The video content was paramount to the marketing campaign which included showing the 30 second edit before and after every presentation at BSC 2018. We’re really proud of this production, and CVP love it!
The Jockey Club - Epsom Downs Racecourse
At the beginning of the year we also began working with The Jockey Club, in particular Epsom Downs Racecourse to produce a series of fashion based videos to support the Investec Derby campaign. The series featured local milliner, Jessica Rea. We also edited the videos in 16:9 and 1:1 aspect ratios so the videos can be published on a variety of social media platforms.
Preparing for the world class racing at Epsom Downs.
JVC Professional
We embarked on a large studio production for JVC Professional all about their professional video and broadcasting products. Based at South Essex College, we took over the theatrical space and shot the footage for 5 videos that will be used online and at trade shows across the world.
We also collaborated with Atomos, Shape, Bright Tangerine, SoftPanels and Manfrotto to bring the production to life.
Screen Subtitling Systems
We’ve worked with Screen Subtitling Systems for a number of years, producing bespoke animations for a range of their leading global subtitling products and solutions. The products are complex, so animation was the perfect medium to communicate what the products do, and why broadcasters need them.
Additionally, we produced a series of software walkthroughs to demonstrate how to use their ‘WinCaps’ software. The series is based upon screen recordings and voice overs that go through the software operations step by step.
Manfrotto - The Great Outdoors
As part of the global photography and filmmaking equipments Spring marketing strategy, we worked to produce an adventure based video about bushcraft and stand up paddleboarding while demonstrating the use of the new Pro Light Cinematic Expand Backpack.
Don’t use video? You’re missing out.
ZEISS Lenspire
We also collaborated with ZEISS on this production, and reviewed the Milvus Super Speed prime lenses, as well as contributed to their Lenspire blog.
Sandown Park Racecourse - The Jump Finale 2018
We LOVE filming events, so it was really exciting when Sandown Park Racecourse approached us to create an after movie for The Jump Finale Raceday. It’s exhillerating filming live events like this, that’s why producing event video content is our speciality! (We do film conferences, presentations and award ceremonies too).
Shot on Sony a7SII, a6500, Manfotto grip year, Zhiyun Crane 2.
Sandown Park Racecourse - Brigadier Gerard, Apres, Promoting the Coral Eclipse Summer Festival with GB Ladies Hockey Players.
After the success of The Jump Finale 2018 video production, we returned to Sandown Park Racecourse to capture the Brigadier Gerard raceday and the Apres area. To promote the Coral Eclipse Summer Festival we also produced a series of videos with members of the GB Ladies Hockey Team! This was great fun, but a challenge to keep up with the ladies! DJ Reggie Yates gave a sterling set after the racing, he was great to film.
Epsom Downs Racecourse - Investec Derby and Summer Nights Live Music
Continuing our relationship with The Jockey Club, we were asked to film at the world famous Investec Derby 2018. This involved visiting the many areas and attractions of the racecourse and ‘The Hill’, capturing content for sponsorship purposes.
Later that month we also produced four videos to play on the racecourse CCTV and giant screens around the racecourse. This included using archive footage from Derby winners throughout the decades, and creating bespoke animations for iconic moments too.
Fennies - Promotion, Recruitment and the Day of Inspiration
In 2017 we began producing video content for Fennies, a leading nursery group based in the South of England. This summer we were invited back to produce a range of videos to promote the nurseries and it’s facilities, to show their staff in action, and to capture their staff ‘Day of Inpiration’. It’s great fun filming at the nurseries, all of the staff are extremely friendly and the results really work for the nursery group.
KIX18 - Surrey Scouts
Adam is a Scout leader and member of the Surrey Scouts media team. This Summer, Adam travelled with 500 Scouts and leaders to Kandersteg, Switzerland, and captured the journey and adventure all of the young people (and adults) had!
You can read the ‘Sense Of Belonging’ blog post by The Scouts here.
cinema5D - IBC (Amsterdam) and Photokina (Cologne) 2018
We’ve contribued to the worldwide online cinematography and filmmaking website, cinema5D.com for a number of years. Part of the role includes reporting all of the glorious tech news from global trade shows like IBC and Photokina. We produce fast turnaround video edits and articles during the trade shows to ensure cinema5D covers the news extensively and to the highest quality.
Don’t use video? You’re missing out.
Screen Subtitling Systems - Animations Galore!
As it’s written above, we work with Screen Subtitling Systems on a regular basis which includes updating their animations with new products. This animation is core to the global companies marketing and promotion at worldwide tradeshows.
Kempton Park Racecourse - 32Red Winter Festival Stingers
We were over the moon to expand our video productions for The Jockey Club into Kempton Park Racecourse. On Boxing Day and the 27th, Kempton Park Racecourse will play host to the infamous Winter Festival, sponsored by 32Red. We were tasked with producing a range of stings to count down to the festival. The shoot was challenging; a lovely sunny day when we really wanted cloud!
We adapted to meet the racecourses needs by grading the footage and applying effects to give the stings a wintery feel. This was accompanied by custom graphics, again, following the wintery theme.
Yosemite - On Top Of The World
In October we travelled to Yosemite National Park on a collaborative project between APVideo, Manfrotto, ZEISS, Sennheiser, GoPro and Zhiyun-Tech. We wanted to demonstrate how to capture incredible photos and video while having an adventure. We were priviliged in using one of the first ZEISS Batis 2/40 CF lenses available, as well as capturing 360 degree sound using the Sennheiser Ambeo Smart Headset. This project is currently in the post production stage.
APVideo Wins ‘Best Business For Design or Technology’
We are over the moon to have been recognised for our hard work at the business awards! We support both local and global businesses, organizations and events with bespoke video content, and getting the award brought home all of the hard work we put in for our fantastic clients.
The Ashley Centre - Christmas Light Switch On
For the last four years we’ve worked with The Ashley Centre, another local business in Epsom to capture the Christmas Light Switch On. It’s family fun at it’s best with entertainers, the pantomime cast and of course Santa! It’s wonderful to support another local business.
Fennies International - Multi Language Video Poduction
Fennies is expanding internationally, and with that they wanted a narrative based video production with multi language subtitles. From start to finish, we worked closely with the Fennies marketing team to develop the storyboard, narrative content and the creation of the subtitles in both English and Chinese. We provided a range of video delivery options including ‘burnt in’ subtitles in both languages, as well as the subtitle text files for use on online video platforms.
To Review…
As you can see, APVideo has had an incredible year, and we can’t wait for 2019 to start so we can continue the filmmaking adventure. We’re looking to invest into more equipment, expand our team and continue to grow to be the most successful video production company in Surrey.
As well as all of those video productions (and more we can’t share just yet), we’ve also been very grateful to work with our filmmaking friends like Teralon, Warner Vision, JHWF and providing guest lectures and workshops at Kingston University. Collaboration is key in this industry, and we’re always looking to join new teams and crews to produce fantastic content.
So, you’ve seen what we do, let’s work together to create something amazing.
Behind The Scenes
We shoot in 4K, HD, in slow motion. We integrate with your teams, work together, collaborate and have adventures. We experiment, we create, we succeed. We are APVideo and love making video content. If you haven’t got yours, get in touch with us now!
The Making Of 'The Great Outdoors' For Manfrotto
Get behind the scenes with our production for Manfrotto's 'The Great Outdoors' campaign, featuring ZEISS Milvus Super Speed prime lenses and the DJI Mavic Air.
Spring is here, and so are Manfrotto's new backpacks in the form of the Pro Light Cinematic Expand, and Pro Light Cinematic Balance. They are larger than the original Pro Light range which makes them ideal for carrying a plethora of filmmaking gear, in this case the ZEISS Milvus Super Speed prime lenses, DJI Mavic Air and Zhiyun Tech Crane 2.
Checking out the views with the Manfrotto Pro Light Cinematic Expand backpack and ZEISS Milvus Super Speed 1.4/25.
I headed out to the beautiful Surrey Hills to test out the new backpack and absorb the landscapes while out filming. Rich accompanied me to capture some awesome behind the scenes photos and video content too.
We spent a rainy day wandering around Holmbury St Mary and Leith Hill, recce'ing locations for filming that week. Luckily for us, the sun shone through the clouds for our 3 days filming!
Here is the kit list for the shoot:
Sony a7S II (with the SmallRig cage)
Sony a6500
Canon 5D III (BTS stills)
ZEISS Milvus Super Speed Primes (1.4/25, 1.4/35, 1.4/50, 1.4/85)
Zhiyun Crane 2
DJI Mavic Air
Canon 25-105mm F/4
Canon 17-40mm F/4
Samyang 35mm T/1.5
Manfrotto NITRO N8 video head and 535 MPRO tripod
All of the main filming kit fitted into the Manfrotto Pro Light Cinematic Expand.
The range of equipment used in The Great Outdoors filming. Inc Manfrotto NITRO N8, 535 MPRO, ZEISS Milvus Super Speed Primes
Choosing The Surrey Hills Locations
We captured some fantastic shots around the hills, featuring well known beauty spots like Leith Hill. Going on an adventure around familiar and unfamiliar territory, capturing the environment and landscapes that surrounded us was a great way to test the kit.
To add to the narrative of the production, Scott from The Surrey Hills Adventure Company invited us to the lagoon where he instructs SUP (stand up paddleboarding) as well as bushcraft, to shoot some material there. The weather wasn't the best, but Scott headed out on the paddleboard which made for some great aerial shots.
The sharpness of the ZEISS Milvus Super Speed 85mm was ideal for getting shots of the boat house, which was deliberately framed like a Wes Anderson shot!
Scott from The Surrey Hills Adventure Company taking his SUP for a spin.
The ZEISS Milvus Super Speed Primes have a constant aperture of F/1.4 and can have the gear ring attached for use with a follow focus system. The lenses are of incredible visual quality (rendering 6K plus resolution images), and were ideal for filming on the Sony a7S II with the Sigma MC-11 adapter. I rigged up the camera and lens in the Small Rig cage, and attached the Manfrotto Follow Focus too, for precise focus pulling control at wide apertures.
The gear ring attached to the ZEISS Milvus 1.4/85 for a Manfrotto follow focus unit
For the silky smooth motion shots, the a7SII was rigged up with the Zhiyun Tech Crane 2, and even with the heavy ZEISS Milvus lenses, the gimbal performed very well (upon balancing correctly). The stabilised sensor aids greatly to reduce the up and down motion of walking, with the Crane 2 keeping everything else lovely and steady. As a handheld gimbal, I cannot recommend it enough.
Working With The DJI Mavic Air
I had the opportunity to shoot some lovely aerials around the area too on the DJI Mavic Air. This is my first little drone venture and is fantastic fun. The Fly More combo has enough batteries for between 45 minutes and 1 hours and comes with a nice carry bag too. I've managed to fit the drone, 3 batteries, controller and a set of Polar Pro ND filters in there too.
The DJI Mavic Air is a fantastic addition to the kit bag (Manfrotto Pro Light Cinematic Expand), and fits into the bag very well!
By the way, those Polar Pro ND filters are really needed to keep the shutter at 1/50 or 1/100 for slow mo. I've set the drone to Cinelike-D profile with reduced contrast, and then applying an S-like curve in post to bring back the colour and contrast. Shooting in 4K and 2.5K resolutions is great for post-production flexibility, when delivering a HD sequence.
Another technique to improve the colour richness, especially in the sky is to export the Mavic Air footage from your NLE as a PNG sequence, and then import it into Lightroom to apply the 'Dehaze' tool, which makes the colours more vibrant. It's a bit of a round-trip, but this effect/feature isn't available in Premiere Pro CC, yet.
One downside to the DJI Mavic Air is that the shadows are quite noisy, even when the image is exposed well, so keep an eye out for that. Below are some of the outtake drone shots of the Surrey Hills from the campaign.
The edit was where the story of 'The Great Outdoors' was to be built, and with some voice over recording and subtle soundtrack, the first part of the video began to come together. There was a lot to say about the shoot and the Pro Light Cinematic Expand backpack, in such a short amount of time. The visuals had to tell the story more than just what I was saying.
Rather than making the campaign video just a review, I chose to make the second part of the video different; changing the soundtrack and pace. This part was showing what you can do with the kit, what you can create and what stories you can tell.
I must say a massive thank you to Rich Tarr who accompanied myself on this production, capturing the BTS photos and video content. Without him, this couldn't have been possible! Also to Scott from The SHAC, if you're into outdoors, seriously check them out!
Rich Tarr, BTS producer
Rich getting back to basics
My verdict on the Pro Light Cinematic Expand? It's come with me for every shoot since this campaign. It's large and comfortable enough to carry a two camera setup with a set of 4/5 lenses and a telephoto. There is always extra room for mics and clamps, stands and the like by expanding the bag or making use of the quick access pockets. Try the bag out for yourself, it really suited my filming kit choice.
Overall, the campaign had a great reception and myself, Rich and Scott were really pleased with the result. To add to that, ZEISS will also be featuring a blog post and unique video about using the Milvus Super Speed prime lenses on their LENSPIRE website, so keep an eye out for that soon!
If you've got any questions about the Manfrotto Pro Light Cinematic Expand, filming with the ZEISS Milvus Super Speeds, flying with the DJI Mavic Air, then just get in touch!
Filming With The Manfrotto LYKOS LED Lights In The Shard
The Manfrotto LYKOS LED lights are the latest light fixtures in my arsenal, much smaller than, and just as powerful as their 1x1 models that I've used in the past. Surface mount LEDs have increased the power output and reduced the size, meaning you can easily carry a 3 point lighting setup and nano stands in a backpack or grip bag.
They run off conventional NP-F batteries, D-tap or AC power. Using widely available batteries (rather than only mains or AA batteries) make using the lights much easier on location. They'll run for 1 hour 25 minutes continuously on an NP-F750 before the battery shows as empty on the display. I powered the light back up and continued timing to see how much more juice could be used, I only got another 5 minutes max. They don't have a hot swapping battery option so if a battery runs out, the light powers down while the battery is replaced.
A killer feature is the Bluetooth control via an app, which can adjust the power, brightness and colour temperature. This works by using the Bluetooth dongle and pairing the lights to an iPhone through the LYKOS app, and can control from 1 to 16 units for larger remote setups.
I used the LYKOS lights on a recent video shoot in the shard for Surrey Scout Media. On the 22nd floor I set up two LYKOS on nano stands in an office with a glorious London skyline in the background. With golden hour approaching, the summer sun beamed through the huge Windows. I had a wonderful back light, wonderful view, but would the lights hold up against the sunlight?
Positioned close to the subject and composing the shot on a 35mm prime, it was easy to adjust the light intensity for the desired exposure. Combating the bright setting sun was difficult and I could have done with a reflector, but live and learn!
The lights have a wide beam angle (50 degrees) but give off a soft, wrapping wash around the subject. The high CRI (93) also gave pleasant skin tones without a green shift in the tint, which is sometimes apparent in other LED lights.
At the end of the shoot the lights and stands were packed quickly away into the Off Road Backpack, ready to navigate rush hour underground in London.
Here's the final video, promoting a Surrey Scouts event in 2017 -
The Manfrotto LYKOS LED lights performed above my expectation for lights of their size. Being able to add in soft key lights against bright sunlight confirmed those expectations. If I had another light, I would have banked the two together for a stronger light source, but I only had two on me at the time. For a portable lighting kit you can't go wrong with a set, the bi-colour model offers more flexibility with adjusting to a number of locations too.
The Filmmaking Masterclass 2015.. Behind The Scenes Part 2
The Filmmaking Masterclass 2015.. Behind The Scenes (Part 1)
Producing a video with storytelling (Part 1)
I jumped at the chance to film the BTS when I saw Philip Bloom and Nino Leitner's 'Filmmaking Masterclass' were coming to Surrey for their 2015 workshop. Having captured many events before, this was a chance for me to hone in on my videography skills and produce a great BTS film to show what the workshop is about and help promote it for future events. Of course, filming for Nino and Philip put more pressure onto producing something amazing.
As I'm a one man band producer, I roped in help from good friends of mine to help film other aspects of the workshop (which spanned over 3 days). Meticulous planning was required to make sure we captured everything we could, and that the equipment was ready for the next days shooting on location. Keeping in mind the"shoot 20% content and 80% b-roll" tip was definitely important for this production, so there was plenty of emphasis on attendee interviews at different stages of the workshop to capture progress, and filming them working as a crew producing a short film too. This together helped form the basis of the beginning, middle and end narrative; a structure that is familiar, but works to add progression and pace to a video.
Preparing the treatment
To keep the production tightly knit and not over shooting, I produced a treatment for each crew member so we knew exactly what was going on, where, with what kit. This helped us work to capturing something different each day and follow the narrative -
1. Brief the crew with the aims and expectations of the overall production.
2. Confirm the details of the location, including the best travel routes from their location (avoiding major motorways and roads during congesting).
3. Choose the best equipment for the job. Never over pack the kit bag, go simple and strategic for the look and style of production.
4. Prepare an equipment list to check off each day and familiarize crew of the production setup with camera techniques, settings and audio.
5. List all key moments and shots to acquire throughout each filming day, which may include interviews, specific time lapses, and drone or gimbal shots for example.
On the day:
6. When you are working in a crew, they are your family.
7. Introduce the crew to the key people at the event; from the event organizers to the mentors, to ensure that they are all comfortable and acknowledged as part of the BTS crew.
8. Film a couple of shots with the crew to demonstrate the style of production and tips for filming in that location/settings.
Adam and Ed
Ed and Mikey
The Kit
The kit prep was a challenge as it's always tempting to take too much, which in some cases makes you less mobile. For the workshop, crews would be spread over a large location (indoors and outdoors) so being portable with a small footprint was the cornerstone of what kit was used.
Manfrotto Backpack 35-PL
A personal favourite of mine is using the 100mm macro lens for portraits or specific subjects or objects as it beautifully crushes the background into a lovely bokeh, as if it was taken on a much better lens and camera. That combined with the Shogun shooting in 4K gives so beautiful images. Also, as much of the first and last days shooting was indoors, I often ramped up the ISO to 6400 and happily shot away knowing that the resultant image would be pleasantly clean.
Audio wise, I had the Rode VideoMicro hooked up to the A7S for the entire production, its an awesome little microphone which sits neatly on the cage. I’ve found previous on camera mics clunky and often require a 9V battery, but the little VideoMicro uses the camera power and packs a load of great audio quality into a tiny price tag. For the interviews, I hooked up the Rode NTG4+ into the H6 and handheld. No need for a clamp and magic arm in this case.
The Shoot
The night before the workshop got the attendees together to meet and chat, I took this opportunity to interview some of the attendees to get their expectations of the workshop (the beginning part of the narrative). The pre-event networking is a brilliant way to break the ice with people who'll become part of your crew, and become new friends. The interviews were shot on the Tamron 24-70, it was rather dark so I remember shooting quite shallow with a high ISO. For the audio, I used the NTG4+ but this still captured a fair bit of background noise.
Day 1 was based around working together as a crew and planning the shoot for the following day. Throwing the participants in the deep end, they were set the task of producing a short video using 'in camera editing', a challenging task for them that revealed how the crews communicate and work together. I captured plenty of the crews shooting their scenes, and grabbed some vox pops from the group mentors on the fly to add some narrative to filming. I simply shot this on a monopod using the VideoMicro for audio, as I was in close quarters with the mentors.
Throughout the day I shot more of the participants networking (one of the key reasons to come to events like this as, it's not what you know, it's who you know), and their presentations in the afternoon. For the presentations I shot mainly on the 755CX-3 tripod to get nice steady shots on a long lens, while using the 100mm macro got me wonderfully close for portrait style shots of the participants.
Sometimes I shot on the Manfrotto MVM500AH monopod, just to get into tighter spaces or be more maneuverable on my feet.
Come the end of the day I grabbed essential interviews with Philip, Nino and Johnnie in a couple of locations to add some variety. What the mentors say will act as an audio-narrative for the BTS films as the questions flowed from 'Why do you recommend coming on an intensive workshop like this?' I also grabbed some interviews with the attendees, getting their thoughts and experiences from the first day, that would then help me build up the storytelling narrative of progression for the BTS film.
Part 2 of this blog will look at the second workshop day where the attendees capture and edit their short films, as well as the post production process I used to edit the BTS film together!
Reviving the 5D mk III for HD Video with Atomos Ninja Blade!
Filming with JVC GY-LS300. Is it the next underestimated camera? (Part 1 and 2)
Filming with the JVC GY-LS300 (PART 1)
I first met the LS300 at BVE 2015 in London where I went to the soft launch of JVC's 4K flagship video camera. There I met with Mike and John from JVC Pro UK who gave me of the walk through of the prototype they had on show.
Since then the camera has intrigued me as a production camera for filming and video. On paper it has similar specifications to the Canon C300 mk II and FS7, but only working with it would determine whether it weighs in as a contender. Time was rather tight for actually filming with the camera itself, so I timed it right for a music gig and extra time away from the desk to get out and shoot some material.
I got the GY-LS300 from WTS Broadcast
The wonderful guys at WTS Broadcast helped me out with the camera as I was looking to test it out and they had one in stock. I've got a great relationship with Alex at WTS and after a long conversation back and forth I was tempted to finally use the camera for filming, so I loaned one out for a gig and test shoot.
- Internal 4K (UHD) 3840x2160 at 150Mbit/s in 24/25/30p.
- HD in 24/25/30/50/60 interlaced and progressive.
- Wireless video transmission capability.
- Super 35 size sensor.
- MFT mount.
- Variable Scan Mapping (VSM).
- Dual SD card slots.
Coincidentally, James from LogoLogo (Brighton) was up in London for an appointment, and keen to meet up after getting to know each other at Shadows and Light, this was the perfect opportunity to talk tech and film together at the Fleetmac Wood gig I had lined up for us at Birthdays in Dalston. We met up at WTS Media HQ in Fitzrovia where I introduced James to Duncan, and caught up over a drink overlooking the busyness of Oxford Street. It's awesome to meet up with a new friend, there are always so many stories to share.
We made our way to Dalston on the hot and sticky underground. Luckily I had no backpack as I'd packed all the kit (including the LS300) into the Manfrotto Roller Bag 70. It is a well padded case, and with varying foam dividers I simply constructed the bag sections before leaving home to accommodate the JVC camera, top handle, microphone, for example. It's an awesome bag for (definitely more than) two reasons - transportation and diversity. Transportation in which I can comfortably travel with the bag, and diversity in which I can securely store both photography lenses and pro production cameras.
The Manfrotto Roller Bag 70 also accompanied on my recent trip to Hollywood, and on both occasions it was perfect for the job. When I arrived at WTS Media I simply rearranged the dividers to accommodate the larger LS300 and its accessories. Flexibility is definitely at the heart of this bag.
In the restaurant across the road I got the camera set up and ready to film with, attaching the Metabones EF-MFT lens adapter and the Sigma 35mm T/1.5 lens. On arrival at the venue (Birthdays), I discovered that the settings are not easy to navigate; it takes a silly amount of time to locate the essential settings such as changing the video resolution, codec and format. Not very functional for run and gun or quick shooting work especially when you like switching between real-time and slow-mo, or using the VSM feature.
I went a bit retro with using a 17-50mm for APS-C on the A7S to give it the vignetting, and I like the outcome!
Because of the MFT mount and sensor size, it's possible to use EF-S or APS-C lenses with this camera, and also Micro Four Thirds (when you use VSM). I have the Tamron 17-50mm VC that I use on the 60D which is an ideal wide angle lens, however I chose to use the 24-70 (full frame) instead, which made the camera + lens combo extremely front heavy. However even with a smaller lens, the build of the camera itself seems somewhat plastic-like and unbalanced. I'd expect if the camera was rigged out with a shoulder pad, V-lock battery and recorder it would be much more balanced, but the camera isn't constructed for this, or at least it didn't feel like it.
Note: If you are using native MFT lenses directly to the camera mount, the combo is much smaller and lighter. Of course, you will have to use the VSM to crop in on the sensor to around 80% for the correct sensor coverage.
From JVC Pro with adapter and EF lens
From HD Warrior with MFT lens
Honestly, I was rather disappointed with the quality of the flip out LCD screen and back eyepiece. I guess I've been spoiled with the A7S' viewfinder which is fantastic in quality and contrast. The LS300's didn't stack up, and I often found myself needing to use the eyepiece instead of the screen to judge the focus and exposure. What became difficult was finding the critical focus in contrasty situations. I could have used the digital zoom (expanded focus), but didn't know it existed.
The LS300 with Samyang 14mm T/3.1, which on this camera equates to around 20mm.
Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of time in between eating and the gig to sus the camera out apart from checking the resolution, setting the white balance, setting pre-rec run etc. As we were filming a DJ gig I didn't want to have the camera (I was borrowing) out for long in case it got damaged or covered in booze.
Filming Fleetmac Wood was fantastic, Lisa and Alex are brilliant DJ's and their tambourines definitely lit up the dance floor. The added visuals from old music videos added to the eclectic experience, combined with mixes from many talented producers made the night one to remember.
As you would imagine, the venue was dark, only lit by a couple of LED lights and the projector. Almost immediately I ruled out using the LS300 after capturing a couple of shots of the venue and booth, in what the camera seemed to think was candle light. In these scenarios, I don't believe the camera would hold up unless you had the time, space and equipment for a lighting setup. Sure, you could shoot at T/1.5 but you'll get nothing in focus if you're filming crowds dancing, plus with the gain up to +12dB your picture becomes noisy.
James took some brilliant photos and videos of the night, some of which are below in the gallery and also included in the Fleetmac Wood @ Birthdays film.
While filming the Fleetmac Wood gig I did switch lenses a couple of times, firstly to the Samyang 35mm T/1.5 which although was heavy, had a wonderful bokeh and combined with the super 35 sensor made for great video. I also teamed it up with the Atomos Shogun (in HD) rather than 4K via SDI, which captured the video in ProRes HQ.
By my reckoning, you'll need to spec up this camera with additional extras to make it what you want to be. Out of the box it comes with all you would need to start (minus the SD cards and microphone and some spare batteries), but you'll need a tripod or monopod to keep it steady, especially if you're using primes of lenses without image stabilization/vibration control.
Saying that, if you weren't filming a music gig in low light you would have a lot more options and time to compose the frame... I come on to that in a moment.
I've cut all of the footage together for this edit which includes filming from the A7S, LS300, A7S with the Shogun in 25p and 50p, LS300 with the Shogun in 25p (HD), and footage from James Beer (LogoLogo) on the A7S in 50p and 100p.
Photography by James Beer @ LogoLogo
Filming with the GY-LS300 under normal circumstances (PART 2)
I had the LS300 loaned out for a week to put it through its paces, filming in a number of different scenarios. I shot quite a number of clips out in my garden just to get a feel for the camera and figure out it's settings. Of course, Alfie the cat was a willing subject!
From testing out the VSM feature, I can't see a big degredation in light or quality when you change the sensor scan mode from 100% down to 80% for MFT lenses, however I was using great quality lenses (Tamron and Samyang) rather than MFT lenses which have a smaller in-lens depth of field, so there is more light coming through the lens for the sensor to capture.
The built in ND filters are a god-send, and a very welcome adittion to a camera that would be used with large-aperture lenses. If you wish to shoot at T/1.5 for a very shallow look, using 1/64 ND in the bright daylight is probably your only option. Saying that, unlike using ND filters in front of the lens, there isn't a noticable colour cast of image degredation like with other filters. However, more ND stops please!! Going from 1/4 to 1/16 to 1/64 are big jumps, and in some cases, 1/64 was not enough!
While out and about filming in Ewell, I simply had the LS300 with the JVC50 battery, 1 SD card and the Tamron 24-70 on a Manfrotto 755CX-3 tripod. For run and gunning, despite the build of the camera it works extremely well for this kind of filming.
Unlike the FS7 and Canon Cinema cameras, the LS300 doesn't have any log capabilities for a wider dynamic range, which was expected as JVC marketed this camera for higher-end productions. It would be interesting to see how well the camera performs with a log curve and higher bitrate recording for filming that needs it. From filming with the 'standard' colour setting and 'detail' knocked all the way down the image is rather pleasing, much better than I expected. I guess the viewfinder/eyepiece gave me lesser expectations of what the captured image would look like, so I was pleasnatly suprised to see the results.
However, like mentioned before, the viewfinder/eyepiece is not the best quality and without using the 'focus extender' function, it was difficult to achieve critical focus. Some of this is evident in one of the demo films I've produced with the camera. I also noticed that the form factor of the camera doesn't allow you to get a nice, steady shot like a shoulder mount camera would where you have numerous contact points on your body. With a top-mounted eyepiece it doesn't feel natural to hold the camera in front of your chest (for hand held or monopod filming), and is not steady, even with IS or vibration control.
Despite other things, the battery life is a winner, on one battery (JVC50) giving you over 200 minutes of filming time. I took the camera out to a local business networking night put on by What's On In My Town and Hobbledown, as I am joining forces with them to promote local business and talent it was a perfect opportunity to capture some of the event and talk to other companies about how films can help them.
It was a wonderful summer evening at Hobbledown children's farm, kindly the hosts for the networking, with attendees getting a full tour of the venue and a go on the new high ropes activity! David the manager and his team were fantastic and played great hosts with the BBQ.
With this beautiful golden hour of filming, the LS300 really shone as a camera. Yes, I probably shot at F/3.2 with ND 1/16 because I wanted a shallow depth of field, but ND 1/4 at F/8 was too bright. I was pulling focus all the time during the piece to camera from Whats On MD, Paul. I also found that as he walked from the shadows into highlights, he would become over exposed, so high contrast filming wouldn't be practical (unless you had some control over lighting) with this camera.
Revisiting this post about a week on from my last entry..
It was really rather easy to work with the footage from the LS300, and knowing there is a focus expander gives me more confidence in it. However, as you will have seen from the footage in the film above I do focus creep due to not being certain using the LCD screen or eyepiece. Premiere handled the 4K footage very well, without having to render until I added some colour correction, scaling and graphics.
You'll also probably notice the shots where I attempted to go handheld, this is where the form factor of the camera somewhat let it down, but hey ho that's what a rig or tripod is for.
In the longer piece to camera with Paul, the image captured was lovely and had a pleasing depth of field to work with (not too shallow like the A7S, but not too deep like the GH4). Of course you can use any wide aperture lens with the camera if you wanted it to be bokelicious!
Capturing my local countryside (the last test)
(Starring my thumb...)
I'm surrounded by greenery where I live, so making the most of the great weather I headed out with the camera to capture some local landmarks (for another archiving/history project I'm working on). This would be a real high-contrast/dynamic range test for the camera.
When thinking about purchasing this camera, it boils down to what I can get for the price, especially in comparison to other internal 4K cameras (Panasonic GH4, Sony A7R II). They are smaller, both will require a lens adapter (as will the LS300) and new batteries, SD cards, rig, and are cheaper than the LS300 (without a microphone).
APVideo JVC LS300 Final Thoughts...
Why I would by the LS300?
- Long battery life (but need to purchase batteries) with JVC50 batteries.
- Internal 4K on SD cards, U3 600x capable.
- ND filters (1/4, 1/16, 1/64).
- Super 35 sensor with lovely picture (but you would need to shoot at T/1.5 or F/1.4 for a cinematic look to it).
- Microphone/audio inputs.
- Compatible with current lenses, but would require EF-MFT adapter.
- Wireless, 4K via HDMI and HD via HD-SDI outputs.
- HD-SDI for HD output and HDMI for 4K UHD output.
- Extended focus, to crop in digitally and acquire critical focus.
- No obvious quality drop when using the VSM at smaller scan sizes (87% and 80% MFT).
Why I wouldn't buy the LS300?
- The form factor is not ergonomic, like a large video camera rather than production camera. It would need to be rigged with a shoulder mount for use to be comfortable.
- Camera build is plastic, doesn't feel sturdy and some parts (ND filter wheel) feel delicate.
- Not enough ND filter stops, needs at least 2-3 more, with improved digital filter wheel instead of mechanical, which feels very plastic like.
- No variable 4K bit rates (up to 150Mb/s) or slow mo.
- Low light is definitely not the cameras forte unless shooting very wide.
- Terrible LCD screen and EVF quality.
- Does not include a microphone.
- The placement of the video output connectors is near the lens, which is odd considering other ports are at the back of the camera.
- The dynamic range doesn't hold up to that of the GH4 or A7S.
- The picture/colour settings are extremely limited, with no gamma curve or log option. This means the image is considerably burnt in with limited grading or colour correction options.
NEW Mid-August Update!
I've been away for a little while, so the review was put on hold until my return. On which I found out some interesting news from JVC, who have decided to upgrade the firmware of the LS-300 with new features..
- JVC-Log - supposedly increased dynamic range, for colour grading.
- Full DCI 4K and 2K resolutions - currently only UHD 4K is available, and no 2K option.
- Prime Lens Zoom - ability to use the zoom rocker to extend the focal length of prime lenses using the VSM feature.
READ THE FULL PRESS RELEASE from JVC PRO HERE
Considering these new updates, the camera is now more capable of competing against higher level players, rather than the DSLR/mirrorless market. I'm due to test the camera out again in September, hopefully with the new firmware 2.0 to compare!
Finally, big thanks to WTS Broadcast for lending me the camera for a week to test it out. To Manfrotto for their Roller Bag 70 and 755Cx-3 tripod, and to Fleetmac Wood & Whats On In My Town for letting me film their events.
MORE COMING FROM MY SEPTEMBER TESTS SOON!
Filming in LA 'CineGear 2015' in Hollywood with Sony A7S, Manfrotto + Rode
APVideo: CineGear 2015 @ Paramount Pictures, LA
It's been a rather amazing few weeks for me here at APVideo. So here is the low down on what I did, what kit I used and what is coming up next!
Jump back to the beginning of June and I get a call from NewsShooter.com asking if I'm available to cover CineGear in Hollywood for them. With an empty space in the diary, I jumped on the chance to visit LA and begun the prep to cover the expo with video.
To familiarise myself with the exhibitors, I checked out the interactive map and visited the websites of companies of interests and viewed the latest press releases to get clued up on the news. (Always be prepared).
Manfrotto provided me with the fantastic Roller Bag 70 for my trip overseas, into which I moulded the foam inserts to protect the cameras and kit I'd be taking. Since it was a short trip, I only took the bare neccessities!!
- Sony A7S in Movcam cage and Metabones Adapter mk IV
- Tamron 24-70
- Nikon 50mm F/1.4
- Zoom H6
- Rode Lavalier
- Manfrotto 755CX-3 + MVH500AH
Told you it was bare!
It was a couple of long flights over to LAX.. Some snaps from the journey on the A7S.
It was my first time flying to America, so I was keen to snap up as much as I can, and enjoy the Virgin Atlantic hospitality!
I highly recommend the Mondrian Hotel on West Sunset Blvd, it is bloody amazing. Rooftop restaurant and bar, amazing hotel views, and staff that feel like family!
The following morning I constructed the Movcam cage rig with the kit I brought, which compacted all of the filming kit into one tiny hand held rig which I could put on the Manfrotto 755Cx-3 tripod.
I got myself one of these handy little hot/cold shoe mounts for anything with a 1/4" screw hole; in this case I was using it with the Zoom H6 but it fits most accessories. If I were using the Atomos Shogun, I'd of used a magic arm (just for flexibility in adjusting the screen angle), but as I was monitoring the audio with headphones and checked the levels beforehand I didn't need to see the monitor per se. An alternate is to simply use a ball mount, but I find these sometimes don't lock down the position strongly enough (especially cheaper ones).
Very lightweight packing for a 3 night trip.
I took of the video head by unscrewing the locking screws at the base.
I got an UBER from the hotel to the studios, and after registering and waiting for the show to open, I made my way to the stages to begin filming! I had about 10 interviews to do on the first day to get a head start and the main content back to NewsShooter (who are a day ahead time wise).
Cool-Lux, Atomos, SLR Magic, Beeworks and a host of other manufacturers were on the list to capture. For the setup, I shot using PB's recommended video settings (cine-4 etc see previous blog post) with the Zoom H6 recording dual audio both on the stereo XY mic and via the Rode Lavalier which I clipped onto the interviewees.
Thats Andrew from SLR Magic talking about their new Rangefinder, Anamorphot and Noktor lenses.
The plan was to shoot the 10 interviews with plenty of B-roll and begin editing that night. It was a late one, staying up until 4am editing the first batch of videos. I got the SLR Magic one out that morning before my head hit the pillow.
4 hours later.
Up I was to complete the last of the edits in Premiere Pro. The videos follow the same format, so after opening the exported XML sequence from Pluraleyes I could simply drop in the titles and credits, the lower 3rd and QC the video before exporting.
The show opened later that day, so I made my way down that afternoon. The Manfrotto tripod I was using was perfect for this kind of filming. Being mobile and having a small footprint is a real issue when covering events, and you should try and stay as small and quick on your feet as possible.
The rig was so convenient I carried around on my shoulder all day!
That evening it was recovery time from the lack of sleep and jet lag carrying over from the previous night, but while I was putting my feet up watching Jurassic Park in the hotel I had Premiere whizzing away with the new footage I had shot that day.
Because of the format, replication of sequences was rather fast. Using Premiere means no rendering time and instant playback, so I spent little to no time waiting around as I queued up the finalized sequences into Media Encoder, and batch exported while I was editing together the next sequence. Keeping check on the white balance and varying exposure of indoor and outdoor shooting meant no colour correction was needed in the edit, which also sped up the production process, I could get the news from the show quicker out to NewsShooter!
The beauty of shooting on the A7S was that I could shoot at F/11 and beyond outside due to the wonderful Hollywood weather, but inside if I needed extra light I could punch up the ISO to 2400-6000 with no real visual difference (unless you want to pixel peep).
The Rode Lavalier is a real workhorse for me. Before leaving I set it up with the small wind jammer and the Micon-5 XLR adapter so it would plug comfortably into the H6. For an inexpensive microphone it does a fantastic job of capturing the subject and cancelling out the background noise, which at an expo is quite loud in some cases.
In case you need advice on SD cards, I use the Transcend Ultimate 600x 64Gb U3 cards (purply pink label) as they are XAVC and S-log compatible.. Not that I have shot using the S-log yet.
Feel like I should say 'Mirror, mirror, on the huge podium in the centre of my hotel room'.
Just as quickly as I arrived, it was time for me to depart. I got an UBER to LAX where I picked up a couple of snacks to munch on while I edited the remaining videos to be exported when I got back home.
That guy sitting above my laptop was vaping away on an e-cig by the gate. I thought to myself 'surely this wouldn't be legal in England'.. It isn't!
Bye bye wonderful Mondrian and LA
I returned home after a stop over in Las Vegas for probably about 20 minutes. So no gambling or anything like that as it was a quick transfer. So quick in fact that I needed to run to the gate (again, thanks to Delta, grr).
A fun filled 12 hour flight across the states and Canada, across the ocean and back into England was compiled of all 3 Hobbit films (as I was yet to watch them), followed by a hilarious comedy film called 'What We Do In The Shadows' by the same guys that made 'Flight Of The Concords'.
Damn its dry down there.. No forests or green!
Overall it was a brilliant working trip to Paramount to cover CineGear 2015 for NewsShooter, and a wonderful experience visiting the US too. I look forward to working again with NewsShooter at future events!
BVE Show 2015!
Wow what a show! I cut my stay short to come home and begin editing, which I am still working on now.. But here are a couple of photos from around the show (from my phone) of the various interviews and people I saw!
Exclusive blogs coming later from: Rode, Movidiam, JVC, Sony, Manfrotto and more.