It’s that time again when we gather together the most esteemed of our filmmaking experts and put them in the spotlight to answer your questions about our noble pursuit.
Filmmaking isn’t an exact science since the advancements in technology and ways we can capture and share or footage and the methods in which they are edited and presented are changing constantly, so it is natural that these changes will be a mystery to those of us out of the loop. Conversely, there are those tried and tested traditional practices that will never go away so learning about them from the past masters is always a boon too.
Whether you have a query about filming, sound recording, editing, or post production techniques out panel of brainiacs should have an answer for you and maybe open up a debate on the subject if there is a difference of opinion or procedure, which should be of benefit to all of us. We do ask however that your questions are contained to the subject of filmmaking and not about computers as seems to be the way these discussions head which ends up in heated arguments over what is a subjective topic.
These sessions are designed to help and not humiliate so remember there is so such thing as a silly question – we all had to start learning from the beginning. If you don’t ask, you don’t learn.
So get your thinking caps on, or make a list if you have to, and be at the meeting on Tuesday with your questions with you where our panel will do their best to answer them for you.
We need a strong chairperson to control the topics.
John, Who do you have in mind to ‘control the topics’?
I thought it might be helpful to pose a few questions ahead of the Brains Trust evening.
It would be useful if those folk who feel they could answer any of these questions, indicate that they are willing to answer.
The list below is really intended to get people thinking and involved, and not all the questions need be asked or covered.
1. I would quite like some clues as to different ways of animating an object. I assume time lapse can be used, another topic that might be helpful to some, green screen, but are there other ways too? I’d like to know my easiest option.
2. How do I take a clip with say a plain red background, where there is no other ‘red’ in the shot and change that background to a green screen colour so that I can delete it and superimpose the remaining elements onto a background of my choice?
3. The same question as above, but where there is other ‘red’ objects in the background
4. How do I made a film black and white, but keep one element of colour, say ‘yellow’ for instance?
5. The same question as above, but where there is no ‘yellow’ in the original scene, but I want to colour an object ‘yellow’ and then make that colour move with the object so that the colour remains within it at all times.
6. What is a jump cut (for those who don’t know)?
7. How can I make my ‘sound’, sound like Lee’s?
8. How can I best see what the true ‘colours’ of an image will be, baring in mind all TV’s and monitors tend to give a different look that may affect the apparent picture quality?
9. If I were to import an MP4 file into my timeline and re-edit it, will I loose some quality?
10. If I am new to making films, how do I go about my editing to get to a good standard early on?
Are their types of shots that should be quickly disregarded? If so, what type of shots.
11. How can I make my titles more in keeping with my film?
12. Have you got any ‘tricks’ to light a scene to give an interesting effect?
13. How can you change the mood of a film by using different angles?
14. What is the best way to capture an individuals ‘character’ for a drama?
Hopefully someone else will add to the list!!!
That’s quite an enquiring mind you have there Jane! 😉 I will says that the answer to a lot of those questions will be either “keyframing” or “masking”! 😛
Incidentally, a lot of editing software now have the function to isolate a single colour in a clip as part of their main programme, like Premiere Pro CC 2017 onwards and Pinnacle Studio 22 so it won’t be that difficult to do if you end up with a newer editor one day. 🙂
Oh I forgot my most important question
How do I make an object look like a ‘diamond’, when I don’t possess the real thing, but need a shot that will appear very realistic
and
how do I make a night sky with stars shining like diamonds against it, something my camera cannot deal with? Any ideas?
Thanks Lee, you are one of the few who has mastered this art as was seen in that lovely film you made changing the colours throughout.
I can use chromakey to replace greens and blues, but then I get stuck so any help I can get is good news.
Young children ask ‘why?’ and when you give them a plausible answer they ask ‘why’ and so it goes on. I’ve found that it is not a bad thing to use these tactics when one’s a lot older. The ‘Why’ ‘How’ questions have certainly provided me with a greater understanding of how things work and how to react to different challenges or circumstances in life!
Actually mine was done in camera. I found a setting that allowed me to isolate four colours (red, green, blue, yellow) when filming. If It wasn’t limited to just those options I would have been able to have made use of the whole rainbow spectrum which you can do in editors.
The one in Premiere Pro CC involves using the colour drop tool to select your colour but the trick though is to ensure everything is well lit, otherwise the colour only shows up in patches, but I am sure that can be fixed with colour correction tools too.
Thanks for your reply Lee . I don’t have Premiere Pro or Pinnacle Studio so have to work round my own edit gear, but no doubt will find a way soon to use the colour drop tool etc!