New F-Stop academy DVD download by Dan Chung goes on sale.
DSLR Video on Assignment combines two of my greatest passions – DSLR video and real world storytelling. I’ve been shooting DSLR video since day one, I made a short video the day the Canon 5DmkII came out and I’ve not looked back. I’m constantly being asked about how to achieve the best results and it’s impossible to answer everyone’s questions. So when training professional Den Lennie of the F-Stop academy asked me to make the ‘DSLR Video on Assignment’ DVD download I jumped at the chance. He had previously shot and produced Phil Bloom’s excellent 5DmkII and 7D DVD guides.
I wanted to create a one-stop shop for shooters looking to up their game, explaining not just the technical stuff but my whole approach to shooting. I believe this practical information to be the key to great DSLR video and even though there are a lot of DSLR websites out there (including this one), this download offers the sum total of the knowledge that I’ve accumulated about how to shoot DSLR video during live events.
To give you an idea of what it’s really like to be on assignment it was shot during the real events surrounding the Hindu festival of Thaipusam, held annually in Malaysia’s Batu caves.
Thaipusam Trailer from Den Lennie on Vimeo.
It’s for news photographers and photojournalists who can’t afford to miss the action, but it’s also for documentary makers, event videographers or keen amateurs; anyone who ever needs to film with a DSLR in a real world environment.
Whilst I mainly use Canon DSLRs in the DVD I believe the majority of the techniques apply whatever brand of DSLR you are using.
As I say in the DVD, I think photographers owe it to themselves to give DSLR video a go, to find out if they are any good at it or not. This will make your life much easier when you do so.
Here’s a list of what you’ll find on the DVD download:
Chapter 1 Understanding D-SLR Functions
We look at the core differences and similarities to photography and we spend some time setting up the a Canon to shoot in Video Mode.
Chapter 2 Lenses, Focal Length & Crop Factor
Understanding the effect of crop factor has on effective focal length.
Chapter 3 Light control, Picture Styles and using Filters
The optimum set ups to give you the most control visually.
Chapter 4 Camera Movement And support for Video
Moving the Camera. All the techniques that are largely specific to shooting video. This is a steep learning curve for photographers but I walk you though clearly and concisely.
Chapter 5 Shooting in Low Light
Low light shooting on the 1D Mark IV- This section covers working at night in a Hawker market, demonstrating the incredible low light and resolving capability of the Canon 1D Mark IV
Chapter 6 Basic Audio recording techniques
In a busy restaurant I demonstrate 3 separate ‘simple’ audio recording techniques.
Chapter 7 How to record advanced audio for DSLR
Recording Advanced Audio, we return to the Hawker market but this time I share an advanced ‘Dual Sound system’ for recording audio that gives me more control.
Chapter 8 The Pre Assignment Recce
I spend 4 hrs scouting the location in advance of the assignment. I will walk you through my thought processes and how the shoot will differ from a straight stills only shoot.
Chapter 9 Pre Assignment Final Kit Check
Working solo in movie mode requires some extra kit, I explain how the kit breaks down and what to carry without compromising on quality.
Chapter 10 The Assignment
This is a very intimate journey, working side by side with me in the thick of a festival with over 1 million devotees, body piercing, rituals and stunning images make this the climax of the training documentary.
You can read a review by videographer Jon Mckee here. Jon says
Without hesitation I recommend this training video to anyone who shoots or desires to shoot documentary style DSLR video, or even someone simply interested in following a pro in the field as he crafts his story.
