MAKING THE GROUP TEST: FINAL CUT LED FRESNELS SWITCH REVOLUTION Spice up your lighting with focusing lamps
from still to moving images
Big changes for editing software
MEDIA PARTNER 2017
The ultimate magazine for next generation filmmakers
SPRING 2017 @ProMoviemaker
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WIN A TASCAM DR-70D
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CONTENTS NEWS
6 THIS JUST IN
Keep up to speed with the latest news including the new Panasonic GH5, a retro Kodak film camera, two medium-format movie cameras and much more. FEATURES
16 WIN A SENNHEISER MIC
One lucky reader is going to win a rugged Sennheiser MKE 440 stereo microphone that’s designed to sits snugly in place on the camera’s hotshoe.
18 CASE STUDY: BRAVING THE COLD How filmmaker Dave Spurdens goes through the harshest of conditions to create stunning action sports footage.
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26 CASE STUDY: COOL WEDDINGS
The once staid world of wedding videos is being transformed for the modern, visually aware client by the creativity of Kissing Gate films.
32 WIN A TASCAM RECORDER
Recording top quality audio is easier than ever with Tascam’s portable DR-7-D recorder unit. And you can win one! ACADEMY
41 FINAL CUT PRO UPDATE
Apple’s popular Final Cut Pro X has had a major top-to-bottom makeover. We look at the biggest changes and show you how to get the best out of it.
44 MAKING SENSE OF VR
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How those working at the cutting edge of VR film production are coming to terms with the need to produce storyboards that serve as a three-dimensional template.
46 CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON!
With the latest crop of larger-sensor camcorders and more video-friendly DSLRs and mirrorless cameras, what’s the best choice right now?
54 FILMS WITH A MESSAGE
Getting a serious message through to an audience is not about preaching but making an entertaining film and allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions. MOVIE MATTERS
62 ASK THE EXPERTS
How to focus on fast-moving action subjects, whether to invest in cameras or lenses and other vital questions answered by our knowledgable panel.
66 THE VIMEO BUSINESS MODEL
The well-known video sharing platform can make you serious money direct from your viewers if you know how. We talk to a man who has made it work for him.
71 FROM STILLS TO FILM
We look at how best to switch from shooting stills to working with moving images and talk to two photographers who have made the big swap.
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80 NEWS FROM ABOVE
All that’s hot in the world of aerial filmmaking, including the crashing of the Lily drone kickstarter project.
83 CASH MACHINE!
Shooting stock footage from your drone can offer a good income source, as Skyvantage filmmakers explain.
87 PERMISSION TO FLY
It’s not impossible to get the legal green light to fly your drone over cities or restricted airspace, as we find out.
GEAR
96 PANASONIC HC-X1 Feature-packed new camcorder tested.
100 CANON XC15 The Xc15 has lots of new pro features.
104 SONY A99 II
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The surprise new full-frame Sony.
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107 OLYMPUS OM-D E-M1 MKII Pint-sized camera now shoots 4K.
110 GROUP TEST: LED FRESNELS The latest cool-running lights.
119 MINI TESTS
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Lots of new kit used and rated.
128 NEW-LOOK BUYERS’ GUIDE! Commerical kit for every budget.
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NEWS LATEST UPDATES SPECIFICATIONS FUJINON MK18-55mm T2.9 Lens mount E-mount Focal length 18-55mm F-stop f/2.75 T-stop T2.9 Image size 24.84x13.97mm Minimum object distance (MOD) 0.85m/2ft 9in (with macro function 0.38m/1ft 2.9in) Object dimensions at MOD (HxV) 16:9 aspect ratio 18mm: 924x520mm; 55mm: 291x 164mm Angle of view (HxV) 16:9 aspect ratio 18mm: 69.2x42.4°; 55mm: 25.5x14.5° Iris blades 9 Filter diameter 82mm Dimensions (DxL) 85x206.3mm Weight (approx.) 980g
Fujifilm targets independent filmmakers Lens and camera giant launches a pair of affordable high-tech cinema lenses in a Super 35 E-mount Fujifilm may be best known for its hugely successful stills-based cameras and wide range of very high-end Fujinon cine lenses that are used worldwide to shoot feature films, TV dramas and commercials. But now, to target the growing band of independent filmmakers who use DSLR-based lenses for cine applications, the Japanese firm has come up with a pair of cinema-style zooms aimed at transforming image quality and usability. Fujifilm says that compared with its current broadcast cine lenses, they retain the optical quality but everything else about the new zooms is reduced - weight, cost and size - to make them more suitable for smaller productions. The new MK lens series has been developed for those who are tired of the pitfalls of using DSLR-type lenses in markets such as commercial and event filmmaking, independent film
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productions, run-and-gun documentary films and even wedding videography. The lenses are the MK18-55mm and MK50-135mm, which both feature a consistent and very fast T/2.9 speed right through the whole zoom range, ideal for creating a shallow depth-of-field. They will be available in the Sony E-mount. It’s not yet clear whether the lens range will eventually be available in other fittings, such as Canon EF or PL. The 18-55mm will hit the shops first, with the 50-135mm out in the summer. Prices haven’t yet been announced, but they will be very competitive and significantly less than Fuji’s existing high-end broadcast cine lenses. It’s believed the lenses should be around $4000 in the US at launch. The image circle of the new MK series is big enough for Super 35 rather than full-frame, so the lenses are an ideal match for cameras like the popular Sony
FUJINON MK50-135mm T2.9 Lens mount E-mount Focal length 50-135mm F-stop f/2.75 T-stop T2.9 Image size 24.84x13.97mm Minimum object distance (MOD) 1.2m/3ft 11in (w/macro function 0.85m/2ft 9in) Object dimensions at MOD (HxV) 16:9 aspect ratio 50mm: 534x300mm; 135mm: 196x110mm Angle of view (HxV) 16:9 aspect ratio 50mm: 27.9x15.9°; 135mm: 10.5x5.9° Iris blades 9 Filter diameter 82mm Dimensions (DxL) 85x206.3mm Weight (approx.) 980g
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LATEST UPDATES
HOW CINE LENSES BEAT DSLR OPTICS Fujifilm knows what makes DSLR lenses less than ideal for filmmakers – focus breathing, zoom shift, fly-by-wire focusing, click-stop aperture rings and no size consistency between lenses – and has ensured the new MK series lenses have none of these issues. There is a constant T-stop instead of f-stops, which means the light transmission is constant as you zoom, or even change lenses. So filmmakers spend less time adjusting lighting or changing exposure settings. When zooming a conventional DSLR lens, the focal point shifts so you have to refocus, and often the image skews slightly off centre. This makes reframing slower, and zooming during shooting impossible. The MK lenses are designed to suppress focus shifts and off-axis changes by driving the front focus group and the zoom group independently. As it’s all done optically or mechanically, there’s no lag as there often is with electronically-controlled lenses. Many DSLR optics display lens breathing, so when you change focus you also get a change in angle of view – almost like you are zooming. The MK lenses are designed to avoid this by using a front inner focus lens system.
FS7 and FS5. They can be used on the fullframe A7 series but only if the camera is used in crop sensor mode. Fujifilm has focused on the new lenses retaining the cine lenses’ famed low distortion and excellent optical performance right across the whole image through the zoom range. And if used in combination with Fujinon’s current HK, ZK and XK series, colour remains standardised so it makes grading faster and easier. Both the lenses have a macro function that lets you focus as close as 0.38m with the MK18-55mm and 0.85m with the MK50-135mm at the wide end. And they come bundled with a zoom lever for fast adjustment of focal length and a dedicated lens hood. www.fujifilm.com
Three all-mechanical lens rings control the focus, zoom and iris. For experienced camera operators, this is much more intuitive to use and there isn’t the time lag that you get with electronically-controlled lenses. This is especially evident with critical focusing, as a mechanically controlled ring gives a much more sensitive feel. And the iris ring is stepless for greater precision when changing exposure. With clickless operation, there is no vibration or noise as you alter settings. Standard cine lenses like follow focus rigs all fit easily due to the 0.8M standard-sized gear pitch on the focus, zoom and iris rings. These rings are in the same position on both MK lenses, making swapping lenses much faster and easier. The front of the lenses are 85mm to ensure they work with most standard matte boxes, and the filter size is 82mm on both lenses to enable filter swapping between them. Both MK lenses allow you to alter the flange focal distance, so you can make adjustments for individual cameras – impossible on conventional DSLR lenses.
When manual focusing many modern DSLR lenses, there is often a very short focus throw which makes critical focusing difficult. And electronicallycontrolled, fly-by-wire focusing systems make this even worse. The MK lenses have a large 200° focus rotation angle, more than double that of most DSLR lenses.
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CASE STUDY DAVID SPURDENS
FILMING IN EXTREME CONDITIONS
It can get perishing outside in the winter in any case, but David Spurdens goes actively looking for snow and ice on regular filming forays to the Alps. We asked how he prepares for his adventures WORDS TERRY HOPE IMAGES DAVID SPURDENS
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DAVID SPURDENS CASE STUDY
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t might look beautiful but snow and ice is a challenge to anyone with a serious job to do. However, if that task involves filming dedicated activities taking place against a wintry background then there’s no option but to brave the elements, and for those that go prepared the results can be exceptional. For David Spurdens the Alps has acted like a magnet for several years, and he’s been drawn back there again and again to shoot winter sports footage. The combination of high action, deep blue skies and crisp white snow is irresistible and, if they’re well executed, clips of this kind are powerful and very much in demand. The downside is that the moment you step into extreme conditions the level of difficulty starts to rise exponentially; it’s cold, wet and slippery, and contrast levels can go off the scale when sunlight is reflecting back off pristine white snow. There are also very real dangers up there in the mountains and you need to be aware of the risks, both to you and your crew. “I’ve filmed both stills and video in extreme cold from 1228km north of the Arctic circle to glaciers 3657.6m above sea level,” says David, “I’ve landed on frozen seas in the Arctic and on glaciers in light aircraft with skis fitted, and I’ve snowboarded and skied down huge, north face, deep snow glaciers. So I’ve had the chance to experience some very tough conditions and I’ve worked out how to survive. “The challenges have changed over time. In the old days my issues were things like brittle film snapping in the cold and
“There are very real dangers up there in the mountains and you need to be aware” the lubrication freezing inside the camera. Now it’s the electronics and monitor screens failing in the icy air. Even a bit of moisture freezing and expanding in the focusing and/or zoom mechanism will sometimes leave you unable to focus or zoom without twisting so hard you feel as though the lens is about to explode. “Set against all of this is the crucial need to guard against breakdowns which can be catastrophic if you’re in some remote place miles away from an assignment-saving
service centre or a rental house. Sod’s Law being what it is, this will inevitably always happen when conditions are perfect for filming, and the weather will close in the minute you’re up and running again; highly frustrating!” David has come up with various solutions to the issue of cold weather working, some of which are common sense while others are ingenious and home-made. On the latter front, he’s made a protection bag for his camera out of the bottom of an old sleeping bag, with an elasticated hole for the lens to poke through and a second hole to enable the EVF to be seen. “This ‘needs must’ arrangement is cheap and easily replaceable,” he says, “and it protects the rig from the worst of the elements. I’ve never had the need to use hand heaters as my hands remain warm in most conditions, which is important as it is the heat inside the sleeping bag that allows everything to function well.” Naturally there are also more traditional steps to take as well. “I make a point never to take an unprotected camera from a warm lodging environment outside into the extreme cold, and instead always leave it in the camera bag to adjust to the ambient temperature,” says David. “By the same token, if you take a camera from extreme cold into a warm lodging a layer of moisture will instantly form on it, and this will seep into the electronics. “The best way around this is to have supermarket zip bags (or other sealable bags) and you then seal the camera inside. This way, when you enter the lodging,
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CASE STUDY JAMES DUNBAR
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Stylish and romantic short movies shot in a beautiful cinematic style are helping Kissing Gate Films to deliver highly watchable contemporary results that are redefining a much-maligned genre WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
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t’s fair to say that wedding filmmakers haven’t particularly enjoyed the best reputation as creative powerhouses over the years. Many people have memories of being forced to endure hours of footage of a loved one’s nuptials, often filmed from the back of the church by a man with a heavy camcorder on his shoulder. Hardly inspiring stuff. And within filmmakers, the massive demands of potential bridezillas wanting everything covered from dawn till dusk, at cut price, has hardly led to legions of young talent dreaming of a career shooting weddings. If that’s your view of the life of a wedding shooter, then perhaps it’s time to think again. Just as wedding stills photography morphed from stiff, formal
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family line-ups and staged cake-cutting into more creative lifestyle and reportage images, wedding filmmaking has had its own transformation. Armed with lots of more affordable, lightweight kit that was not even dreamed of years ago, and with more media-savvy brides demanding cinematic-style movies, the world of wedding films has changed almost beyond recognition. And one of the driving forces who have led the change is British-based Kissing Gate Films. “Nowadays, it’s mainly the bride and groom’s parents who still want the long film with every minute of all the rituals covered, and of course we sometimes have to provide that,” says Kissing Gate’s creative director Ben Marlow. “But more often than not, the couple themselves
want a creative, five-minute wedding trailer in a cinematic style.” It’s the sort of thing they will share with their friends, or on social media, and is a thing of beauty that will genuinely be watched with real joy. With everything from drone shots to shallow depth-offield focus pulls, camera movements on a crane and slider, gimbal shots following the couple, time-lapse, super slow motion, carefully recorded and edited audio and more, Kissing Gate’s films are mini cinematic masterpieces that modern wedding couples love and share around. And of course, pay handsomely for. Changing direction It’s all a long way from where Ben initially thought his career would go. “I started at college studying photography and video,
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KISSING GATE FILMS CASE STUDY
“The couple themselves want a creative, five-minute wedding trailer in a cinematic style”
IMAGES Kissing Gate films make a point of going the extra mile, incclusing setting up epic location shoots, to get the footage they need to create a striking cinematic approach to weddings.
and quickly my main interest developed from stills into making films,” he says. “That was around 20 years ago, and afterwards I did a few small-scale films and some weddings too. Like many, I wanted to be a film director. But I fell into shooting weddings, then people like what you do and tell others so it grew from there. A real snowball effect. “So around 14 years ago I decided to do weddings full time and from there jobs just got bigger and bigger until I reached where I am today, shooting huge three-
day weddings at Blenheim palace and big weddings around the world. Of course you start off shooting as many weddings as you can, but now I’m taking on fewer as I can pick and choose the bigger, more interesting or foreign weddings. “In the time since I started, I’ve seen the wedding video industry have a terrible reputation and we’re not totally out of it, but at the higher end it’s changed a lot.” Ben puts the big changes down to not only the fast-moving tastes of brides and their exposure to far higher-quality films
and shorts, but also the improvement in kit that’s more affordable than ever. “A lot of the changes have been to do with kit. I started with Mini DV cams and now we have DSLRs that can see in the dark, and drones that can be bought for £800/$1001 to do aerial shots at weddings – something you’d never have thought possible,” says Ben. “It was only about four years ago that we hired a helicopter to get some aerial shots for a fishing documentary we were making. It cost a fortune. Now we have
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ACADEMY VR STORYBOARDING MAKING SENSE OF VR
STORYBOARDING IN VR
Most filmmakers are aware of the concept of storyboarding and how it provides a template for the making of a film, but how does this work when you move from 2D to work on a VR production? WORDS TERRY HOPE
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s we’ve mentioned before in this series, the rule book goes out of the window when a conventional film production moves into the world of virtual reality. All the things you thought you knew either don’t apply or have to be seriously adapted to take into account the radically different way you’ll be producing your footage. It’s part of the fascination of the whole genre; those who are working in VR are aware that they’re effectively at the coalface of new technology and are consequently making much of it up as they go along.
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Storyboarding is one of those areas that has had to change beyond recognition, simply because pretty much everything that has gone before no longer applies. The concept remains the same: a storyboard is the visual instructions that describe the various scenes of a film and how they fit together. This is an invaluable aid for any director, and it helps to keep them on track, ensuring all the essential footage is shot. However, it usually takes the form of 2D drawings, with the premise being that all of the action is going to be taking place within a tightly defined rectangle of space. With VR, however, you’ve opened up the whole 360° around the camera, and suddenly it’s not so easy to provide guidelines as to where to set the camera up or even where the talent is supposed to go. Fortunately, there are certain guidelines you can follow, based on the technology you’ll be working
ABOVE The build window, which includes how the virtual world looks when you are building it, what the view is for the audience and the different storyboarding panels.
with. The field of view in a typical VR head-mounted display (HMD), for example, is around 94°, assuming your viewer is in a seated position. From here you can predict that they will comfortably be able to turn their head 55° to each side and up to a maximum of 90°. Obviously this theory will start to fall apart if they’re sitting in a swivel chair, but you have to start somewhere. The next thing you need to consider is distance, and humans have evolved to pay more attention to objects that are closer. The considered opinion is that the minimum comfortable viewing distance in an HMD before a user will feel as though they’re going cross-eyed is around 0.5-0.7m/1.62.3ft, while beyond 20m/65.6ft the sense of 3D stereoscopic depth perception starts to diminish rapidly. What this boils down to is that there is a sweet spot of between
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VR STORYBOARDING 0.5m/1.6ft and 10m/32.8ft within which the VR director should place their most important content. Put these two things together and you end up with a chart that suggests the area you should be concentrating on. This is the first building block in the formation of a virtual storyboard that can be used to guide you in your VR production. With VR, of course, this is just the beginning, and there is a requirement to take all kinds of other things into consideration. In theory your viewer can look all around them so you need to direct their attention to where you want it to go. So your storyboard also needs to take into consideration the things you might do to make this happen. You can probably assume that your audience will be facing the same direction at the start of a scene as they were at the end of the previous scene, but you can reset their point of view with something as simple as a sound that causes them to turn around. Indicate what this is and where it needs to happen on your storyboard, and it all becomes part of the set of instructions that your director will need to have. Building a virtual storyboard Because the whole field of VR technology is so new the toolkit available to those working within it is still limited, and many of the more go-ahead film production companies in this arena have had to come up with their own solutions. One of those that has done so is Breaking Fourth, a London-based VR specialist that was founded in 2015 on the back of worldwide rising interest in this field. The studio is now at the cutting edge of the medium, focusing on the task of immersive storytelling. “Breaking Fourth’s mission is to push the boundaries of compelling high-quality narrative content in VR,” says Alyssia Frankland, Breaking Fourth’s head of marketing. “By harnessing the power of presence and immersion in VR our team of writers and directors create unparalleled experiences that take storytelling to a new level.” Faced with the need to create comprehensive storyboards that could be followed by its production team, Breaking Fourth decided to create its own software called Storybox. Presently intended solely for in-house use, the company
STORYBOX
PRODUCTION
ABOVE Storybox and production shows the move from the Storybox view into something that would be released as part of the production.
“Probably more like theatre than a conventional piece of filmmaking” hasn’t ruled out the possibility of offering it to other VR filmmakers in the future. It’s already revolutionised the way they work. “Storybox is a collaborative creative tool that has the ability to plan out environment design (for creation in CGI), camera placement, movement, dialogue, audio and timings for the full production,” says Alyssia. “Its proprietary internal software is exclusive to Breaking Fourth and we’re using it as part of our process this year when creating our new productions. When creating narrative content for VR, it’s crucial that the creative team is able to visualise and rapidly prototype what the stage or set would look like in VR and how all the moving pieces – sounds, characters, dialogue, lighting – will fit together and be perceived by the viewer from a variety of vantage points. “Basically it’s quite a simple storyboard, but one of the key
things the software allows us to do is to work out how close characters need to be to the camera position to enable the viewer to get the sensation we want them to get. It helps to get the interaction right, and that’s something that’s very difficult to get across by conventional means. “It also helps our filmmakers to design an environment that takes the viewer through the various scenes and holds their attention. It’s probably more like theatre than a conventional piece of filmmaking, and it’s all about working out the camera movement you need. “We’ve been working on the software for four to five months now and still have some way to go, but ultimately, it will be fully featured and will help us immensely with our VR productions.” This bespoke solution is working admirably for Breaking Fourth, while other production houses are coming up with their own ways to tackle the thorny issue of planning a VR production. Exciting times indeed, and all part of the evolution of a new and dynamic new sector of the filmmaking business.
More information www.breakingfourth.com
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MOVIE MATTERS ASK THE EXPERTS
Our line-up of experts this issue covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from keeping the action in focus through where to invest your money if you’re looking to capture top-quality audio FLYING SOLO? Justin Pringle, chief technology officer at Drone Operations Can you offer a professional drone operation working solely on your own? Don’t fall for the marketing from consumer companies advocating that drones are so user-friendly that you too can capture that magic solo moment of climbing in Nepalese mountain passes or paddling your ocean kayak all on your lonesome. Under some circumstances the safety case for flying your drone alone may well be manageable and carry low risk, but I would still suggest that it’s ill advised. Get a job working solo in a nice quiet valley within the Welsh Machloop, for example, and you could find yourself connecting with a F-15 fighter plane before you even hear it coming. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) rules are quite clear when it comes to working safely at distance (50m) but also make reference to the requirement to maintain due diligence by having a spotter (or three) to offer you, as a pilot, spatial awareness of any incoming aircraft. The MOD can fly under 250ft at anytime, and drones can legally work up to 400ft. So we have an unpredictable risk, especially in rural test flying areas. Other threats include bird strike from above that you might not see coming if you’re concentrating on achieving the footage you’re after. I do have my concerns about those flying drones fully reliant on first person view (FPV) cameras. I’m sure you’ve watched videos of the drone racers pedalling their drones at speed in excess of 80mph using goggles. Do this, however, and there’s no way you’ll be able to see
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“You could find yourself connecting with a F-15 fighter plane before you even hear it” a collision threat from the side or behind, as you’ll be operating like a ‘blinkered’ racehorse. So my advice is to make sure you have a mate or two with you out in the field to reduce your vulnerability and you’ll enjoy your flying much more knowing you are working safely. It’s also good to have impartial advice offered to you in the field from someone you trust and that second pair of eyes for the back of your head that you just weren’t born with.
Justin has successfully implemented designs and trained many SUAS operators for movies and broadcast including the teams involved with Star War, James Bond and Game of Thrones. At Drone Operations he delivers costeffective and risk averse SUAS solutions. www.drone-operations.com
SPEEDY FOCUSING Mikey Neale, award-winning action sports filmmaker What’s the best way of keeping fast-moving subjects in focus? I have always used manual focusing. I just don’t trust autofocus systems, and I mainly shoot a Red Epic with Canon and manual-focus Zeiss lenses so there’s no autofocus anyway! I started shooting Sony camcorders with Letus lens adapters and old manual lenses, then moved on to Canon DSLRs like the EOS 7D and 5D Mark II and always used those manually too. I now have an 5D Mark IV as a B-camera and shoot manually. Focusing takes time and practice. You get used to how to focus pull your lenses. And it’s about planning every single shot. I look at the shot, and where the subject will enter the frame and leave it, and then I practise lots of times before the action starts. I often shoot motorcycles or cars, so it’s useful to practise on
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ASK THE EXPERTS
INVEST IN CAMERA OR LENSES? Nick Millen, business development manager, Proav
“Focusing takes time and practice. It’s about planning every shot” subjects using the same course as your subject first, if you can – like in practice at a race meeting. This gets you used to the speed you’re going to have to move the camera or rack the focus. I like to have practised the shot two or three times before the actual take. Over time, you get a sense of the timing you need to keep the subjects sharp. And you also get a sense of how each of your lenses reacts to the focus ring being moved. I use DSLR lenses from Canon and Zeiss. I like the Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 ZE2 as there is no breathing as you focus it, and the focus changes slowly. I use the Zeiss 18mm as well as Canon lenses like the 70200mm f/2.8, which is my go-to lens for most action. I don’t use focus peaking much. I judge it by eye. With peaking, it can be difficult to see exactly what’s sharp and it’s distracting. I never use a follow-focus rig. I just don’t like the feel. They are fine in a slower-paced environment but I need to work faster. And when you’re changing lenses between shots it slows you down too much. A lot of the things I film just happen off the cuff so you have to be ready. Many people shoot shallow depth-of-field. You can’t be shooting long lenses at f/2.8 right away. Start at f/8 for more depthof-field.
Welshman Mikey Neale shoots everything from Formula One cars and World Superbikes to freestyle motocross and speedway. www.vimeo.com/mikeneale
I’m looking to buy my first large-chip camera. Should I invest in quality lenses or spend more on the camera? Buy a camera that is capable of doing the job you need now and no more, and invest in the glass as it’s for the long term. Then don’t get your head turned by every new camera that comes out. There will always be new ones that appear that will make you wish you’d waited six months before buying! You’ll get incremental model changes with some upgrades, but every three to five years something totally new comes out, with a new processor or sensor. Be confident the camera you bought is capable of doing what you need now and make sure it lasts three years. Make sure you buy the right camera for your needs. Many people want a camera that can do everything – including super slow motion. Some manufacturers like Black Magic and Sony are happy to compromise certain aspects, like using higher compression to get
higher frame rates. Others like Canon and Panasonic don’t want to compromise image quality and so may offer fewer features. People are either driven by features or by quality. With a Canon out of the box, the skin tones are great. With a Sony, you may have to tweak it to get the right look. But it will have faster frame rates. Now you can get a Sony FS5 for £4250 and it’ll shoot 4K and 240fps slow motion in HD. It doesn’t have the high-end codecs for drama or documentary, as then you’d need to go to an FS7 or F5. Then invest in a suite of lenses that will be with you for 15 or 20 years. I’d suggest EF mount lenses as they can be adapted to most cameras. Red, Arri, Sony, Canon, Panasonic or Black Magic – you can put an EF lens on all of these and get some degree of electronic features. The EF mount has firmly become a new industry standard. So if you switch brands, your lenses will still work. There are three sensor sizes: full-frame which not many use for video; Super 35 or APS-C; and then Micro Four Thirds such as Blackmagic and Panasonic. A lot of people buy full-frame EF lenses as you have the ultimate compatibility. If you’re using a smaller sensor – on anything but a Canon – you can use a Speedbooster to increase the brightness and sharpness as the image circle is smaller. Buying full-frame lenses and making them work with your camera system is the most popular thing to do and for longevity of ownership, the most sensible way to go. Compared with crop-sensor lenses, Canon full-frame L lenses hold their value. They’re weatherproof, will last longer, are optically better, coated better and have iris blades designed to produce more pleasing bokeh.
After ten years at Canon, Nick Millen recently joined retailer Proav. www.proav.co.uk
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AERIAL FILMMAKER PERMISSION TO FLY
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hose who have qualified as a commercial UAV pilot in the UK have had to prove themselves to be on top of all of the current rules and regulations relating to drone operation, such as keeping their craft within line of sight, not flying higher than the 400-foot limit and flying no further away than 500 metres (122m and 0.3 miles respectively). These standard requirements apply in many countries around the world, but what happens when you get asked to carry out a job that you can only complete if you venture outside of these restrictions? No responsible pilot would consider breaking the rules, but it is entirely possible to gain permission to fly legally outside of the guidelines if you can justify the requirement and prove you have the experience and the necessary hardware to carry out the operation safely. As you might expect, dispensation is not given lightly, and it can also be quite costly. However, it can be worth it. The laws relating to drone operation differ from country to country, but the starting point will always be the regulatory body that issued the pilot with their licence in the first place. In the UK this is the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and the procedure you need to go through is known as a UAS OSC. This tackles any requirement for an operator to go beyond the standard legal parameters and, in essence, the CAA allows an operator more permission by reducing their limitations.
© ANDREW MOORE
“It is entirely possible to gain permission to fly legally outside of the guidelines if you can justify the requirement”
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“There are a number of circumstances where a pilot might be looking for a UAS OSC,” says Sion Roberts, head of academy for training provider, RUSTA. “For example, this could cover filming in a congested area where it would be impossible to maintain the minimum separation required or it might be a surveyor looking for permission to fly higher than 400 feet (122m) to enable them to inspect a building. An operator can apply directly to the CAA but it’s not a straightforward process: many applications end up being rejected, and it can cost a pilot around £2500 to go through the process.” The onus is on the pilot to demonstrate why the particular dispensation they’re looking for is going to be safe. The more detail provided, the better the chance of obtaining the required permission. If you’re looking to film in a congested area, for example, you would have to prove what additional safety measures had been factored in. Obtaining permission might be as simple as preparing a safety case or a risk assessment for a one-off flight. Those looking to conduct regular flights with their drone, however, could be
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PERMISSION TO FLY
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required to submit an operating manual to the CAA for a permanent approval. While more time consuming and convoluted this allows greater freedom to operate continuously without the need for ad hoc approvals. “Whether or not the UAS OSC applies to other areas and jobs would depend on what’s being requested,” says Sion, “but it’s not unusual to have a year’s permission without the need to apply for every individual job. However, to reach this point you need to write a further two ops manuals in addition to your standard permission one: it’s a lengthy process!” You also need to have a blemish-free track record over a reasonable period of time. “The more flying hours you have logged up the more it’s going to help,” says Sion. “If you had only five hours of flying under your belt, for example, you would probably end up being rejected, as this would not be considered as a proficient measure of experience.
across a public road, that I should be fine from their perspective to do what I wanted with no further paperwork or cost involved. “Armed with their approval I then contacted the CAA with a detailed email proposal and explained what I wanted to do and told them that I had the approval of the council. I also had to make it clear that I wasn’t planning to fly over the River Thames, since this is a low flying zone, and helicopters might well come down this route at a lower than normal altitude. Finally I offered to send them over the risk assessment for the job that I had put together. They very quickly gave me the go-ahead and I was all set. In this particular case I didn’t need to fill in any forms or pay any fees and nor did my ops manual have to be amended: it was a one-off dispensation and it all went through in a very straightforward manner. “All I needed to do then was to check the NOTAMS just before the shoot, as I always do in any case, to make sure that there were no special notices issued that I needed to be aware of, and the shoot itself passed off really well. So well, in fact, that I hope to go back to Lambeth Palace to film again in the future.”
More information andrewmoorephotography.co.uk https://vimeo.com/187797610
© ANDREW MOORE
BELOW LEFT AND RIGHT Presented with a wedding shoot at Lambeth Palace, Andrew Moore sought and got permission from both the local council and the CAA to fly his drone above the guests in the gardens.
Wedding photographer, filmmaker and qualified drone pilot Andrew Moore regularly uses a Phantom 4 and he could see plenty of opportunities for aerial footage when he was hired to photograph a wedding at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s official residence in the heart of London. However, on the face of it, he faced a stiff task obtaining permission to film. For a start the location was close to housing and, more delicately still, it was just across the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament, with all the security issues that were bound to be raised. “Despite the difficulties I thought I would give it a try,” says Andy. “In my favour was the fact that I could prove I was an experienced pilot with a good safety record and I wouldn’t be flying in the middle of a built-up area, but instead in a large garden, a green oasis amidst the city. “My first port of call was Lambeth Council, under whose jurisdiction Lambeth Palace fell. They have lots of requests from film companies for dispensation to use UAVs, and so they were up to speed with what was required. What I was after was dispensation to fly within 50m of people instead of the usual 150m, and they very quickly came back to me to confirm that, providing the people at the wedding would be under my control and I wasn’t planning to fly outside of the Palace boundaries and
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GEAR PANASONIC HC-X1
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PANASONIC HC-X1 Panasonic hits back for handheld camcorders with the stunning and feature-packed 4K HC-X1 WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
ust when it seems like all the latest technology is going into large-chip video cameras or DSLR and mirrorless models, Panasonic comes out fighting for handheld camcorders with its new HC-X1 that comes with lots of high-end features and functions, at a shockingly reasonable price. It may not have a Super 35-size sensor, but its one-inch type chip is bigger than many of its rivals. It shoots full 4K video and 60fps at UHD which is still pretty rare. And
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in HD it shoots up to 120fps super slow motion in real time without any buffering, too. It offers the widest zoom in its class – the equivalent of 24mm at the wide end – with 20x optical magnification and has an advanced image stabilisation system. In HD, a digital zoom adds another 10x. With twin XLR inputs, a fast Leica-branded lens that has proper triple manual control rings for focus, iris and zoom, plus twin SD cards slots, it’s packed with
ABOVE The new Panasonic HC-X1 has an amazing zoom range, shoots 4K at 60fps and does super slow motion too.
pro-quality features that are hard to match. Especially considering it costs just £2390/$3200. Its aggressive pricing is partly due to it coming from Panasonic’s consumer division rather than the broadcast arm. In fact, the HC-X1 is virtually the same camera as the broadcast division’s UX180 apart from this camera offers provision for live streaming with SDI output, time code and an improved prostyle warranty. Otherwise the cameras offer identical spec, looks
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PANASONIC HC-X1 and performance, with the UX180 costing more at £3500/$3500. If you need a camera for TV or web broadcast, then you’ll need the UX180, but for event and general use, the HC-X1 simply costs less. The Panasonic offers all the advantages of a relatively lightweight camcorder, such as a proper top handle with a nice grippy covering, lots of threaded holes for attaching an assortment of brackets, plus a proper shotgun mic mount. There are clearly marked and easy-to-use audio controls on the side of the body that look similar to the camera’s higher-end DVX200 sibling. The lens has a removable and effective lens shade with built-in lens cap, and a 62mm thread to attach regular filters. There are a pair of rocker switches for the zoom, and a covered record button on the top surface for easy use if the camera is at a low angle. Plus three-stage built-in ND filters, a useful stereo mic and a retractable 3.5in touchscreen that’s easy to see in bright light. The battery lasts for a long time, and larger-capacity options are available and not too expensive, so you can shoot all day. You can also plug into to a mains source. There are focus peaking and zebras, and using the menus you can change the parameters of how these work and even their colour. At 2kg/4.41lb with lens and battery, the camera is light enough to hold to the eye and still remain very stable. The design is typical of a modern camcorder that has evolved over many years because it works so well. If you’ve used similar cameras from any manufacturer, you’ll find the Panasonic easy to use and hold, and simple to figure out all the functions. And the triple rings on the lens for full manual control will make old-school filmmakers happy. Focusing is electronically controlled, but the feel can be changed from a geared, manual style to something much faster. It’s in the realm of getting your images in sharp focus where the mid-sized one-inch sensor can really help. Although a one-inch sensor doesn’t actually measure an inch in any direction, it’s larger
SPECIFICATIONS Prices: £2390/$3200 Sensor: 9.46-megapixel MOS 1in sensor
than most camcorder sensors but much smaller than full-frame, APS-C or even Four Thirds. The smaller the sensor, the shorter the focal length needed for a field of view which leads to increased depth-of-field at a given subject distance and aperture. The camera just gets more of the scene in focus so is ideal for fast-paced events when there just isn’t time for precise manual focusing. Not everyone needs or wants a cinematic-style shallow depthof-field, and not every shooting scenario allows you to do this anyway. At closer distances, shooting with the lens wide open and controlling exposure by using the built-in ND filters, you can blur the background. It’s just much harder to do than on a largersensor camera fitted with a fast prime, and you’ll never really be able to replicate that effect. Many filmmakers turn their noses up at autofocus but the HCX1 had such an advanced system that it’s worth giving it a try, as it works well in many situations. Panasonic call it Intelligent Auto Focus as it uses a fast-acting focus unit for speedy and precise focusing and subject tracking, in 4K and other shooting modes. It even keeps focus on the subject when another object enters the frame. In our tests, the AF was not the fastest to snap into focus on moving subjects when set to the default settings, even when the
“Not everyone needs or wants a cinematic-style shallow depth-of-field, and not every shooting scenario allows you to do this anyway”
Recording format: MOV, MP4: 4K (4096x2160) 24p @ 100Mbps, UHD (3840x2160) 60/50p @ 150Mbps, UHD (3840x2160) 25/24p @100Mbps, FHD (1920x1080) 60/50/30/25/24p @ 200Mbps, FHD (1920x1080) 60/50 @100Mbps, FHD (1920x1080) 60/50 @ 100Mbps, FHD (1920x1080) 60/50/30/25/24p/ 60i/50i @ 50Mbps. AVCHD: (1920x1080) 60/50/24 @25/21/17Mbps, (1440x1080)/ (1280x720)/(720x480) 60/50 @9/8/5Mbps Frame rates: 10 steps from 2 to 60fps, plus 120/100fps super-slow motion in (1920x1080) 30/24 recording mode Recording media: Dual SDHC/SDXC slots Lens: Leica Dicomar 20x optical zoom, 8.8-176mm (equivalent to 24-480mm at 4K 24p), f/2.8-4.5 Audio input: 2x XLR inputs, built-in stereo mic ISO: Auto, 100-25,600 (expandable to 50-102,400 for stills) Image stabilisation: 4K/ UHD: Optical image stabiliser. FHD: 5-axis hybrid image stabiliser Screen: 3.5in sliding touch panel LCD Shutter speed: 1/2sec1/8000sec Dimensions (WxHxD): 173x195x346mm/ 6.81x7.68x13.6in Weight: 2kg/4.41lb
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