Monday 30 January 2017

GoPro 5

TBC
A few pointers on using this hugely impressive but tiny camera...

Its not immediately obvious how to open it/separate from the protective cover - which is why there are so many guides online, such as this:


The top clip needs quite a lot of force to open - it needs to be carefully checked; I've seen comments online saying its been water damaged as a result of this or other port openings not being properly closed again.

You can view a manual online:
Capture looks like a really convenient smartphone app, but its up to you whether you use this or not. Reviews seem less favourable for iOS.
There are LOTS of videos talking you through the operation of the camera:
...




Wednesday 11 January 2017

Gimbal for smoother handheld shots

There are many variations of the 'steadicam' - from over-the-shoulder rigs (like that famously used in the long opening takes of the original Halloween) to simpler, cheaper handheld devices that seek to smoothen out handheld footage that otherwise tends to be unpleasant to view, and outside of certain contexts will most certainly slash the marks awarded for Media productions.

Below, Jonny and Kristian demonstrate how to use one example, the Afunta Stabilizer Pro - this type of device is known as a gimbal. (amazon link)

...

Motion - titles and SFX software to supplement Final Cut

Motion has been installed on the Macs this week, so here's some quick links if you want to try it out, or just get a sense of what it can do:
Google: apple motion 5.3 guide (the current version, released Oct 2016)
 Apple's web page provides a useful initial overview of what it is:



FCPX: layering within a body

So long as you have a reasonably plain colour background you can achieve an advanced layering technique. The thought came to mind watching the original video for Sophie/Bronwen/Kristian's change of track, Bullet For My Valentine's Throne, as illustrated in the screenshot below:
Adel used this technique in her 2017 video;

It was easy to find both official Apple and user guides for this with a clear search phrase, something you should bear in mind whenever you see any FX you think you'd like to use. FCPX has its limitations, but it is still a very powerful tool.
I'll do a guide myself if I get time, but if you can ignore the 1D soundtrack, this kid did a decent job at explaining the process: