YouTube Videos #8 - Expensive Idea as a Gift

A special expensive gift to any of you interested in making videos using iPhones. 

This end result takes professionals a long time to achieve because they insist on doing it in many takes. The end result comes only after a long time editing and always looks unfinished, and it’s expensive the way they film this. 

I’ll even show you how to edit this in less than 5 minutes to obtain a reality professional look that you will be amazed you did it on your own. 

The scene we will produce is two models ( male/female ), standing at a resort reception, turning, walking a few steps, then a slow motion of the female model removing her large brimmed hat, whilst still walking, focused closely on their faces, then a zoomed out shot of them walking. 

I call these type walks the Right Stuff Strut. 

All up about 6 seconds of film with 4 seconds of slow motion taken from that 6 seconds ( of a one second segment ). Total time of seamless scene will be a useable 9 to 10 seconds. 

The scene when finished will look like it’s early morning with a soft warm glow effect, with what appears to be a early morning sunlight filtering in at an angle. 

Lighting is achieved with a fill led panel light illuminating the area behind the reception. 

Another fill light is positioned illuminating the frontage of the reception and the models. 

A key light is positioned about 5 meters away aimed at the models path they will walk. These 3 lights are set to the left of the models. The key light about 60 degrees off the models track. 

Another key light is positioned to the right of the models. Positioned about 7 meters away and about 30 degrees off on the right side. 

All these lights are set to a warm white and are diffused. 

The cameras are 3 iPhones 12 pro Max series. All running the new version of filmic pro that allows Dolby HDR. 

All 3 are remote controlled by 3 iPads running the filmic remote app. One iPad per iPhone. 

Camera A and Camera B are mounted on a dji ronin handheld gimbal. Also attached to them are 2 Rode Go wireless receivers, each having 2 rode go mics linked to them. 

Camera C is mounted on a large custom tripod, about 3 meters high, the camera is actually attached to a remote pan/tilt accessory. Remotely operated by the remote operator. 

Camera  A and C are running at 25fps in Dolby HDR, in 4K. Camera B is running at 120fps at 1080. 

The tripod is set about 6 meters away from the reception and about 30 degrees off to the models left. 

I’m walking with the gimbal and the remote operator is running the 3 iPads and pan/tilt remote control. 

After a few rehearsals, everyone takes their positions. The models will simply walk away from the reception along a predetermined track, looking like they are on holiday, the female removing her hat after the 3rd step. 

I’ll be walking to their right out of the Camera C field of view for the first few steps, then I’ll move into a position facing them, still walking backwards slowly, whilst she removes her hat. 

The remote operator will adjust the focus of all 3 cameras and the position of camera C. 

Once we are ready the remote operator starts all cameras recording and I’ll press my electronic clapper in my waistcoat. That leaves a spike on the audio of all cameras and serves as the start reference point. 

The models turn from the reception. After the first step the operator says over the radio, zooming in IN 3, 2, 1, 0. 

At 0 I’ll have moved to a position in front of the models walking backwards, keeping the cameras framed as we’ve planned. 

When the remote operator starts zooming in he moves camera C on the tripod so that the focus is on the models upper torso, not their whole bodies. This allows me to move in whilst staying out of frame. 

He is also zooming in camera A and C whilst moving the tilt on camera C. Once he gets to 0 he leaves camera C alone and readjusts camera B to match the focus of camera A. Remember camera B is running at 120fps. It’s the slow motion camera. 

At this point the remote operator zooms camera A out to a upper body shot of the models. 

I will have while walking backwards have reduced the two fill lights luminosity to virtually zero to allow the closeup slow motion a dark background. 

I will also have increased the key light to the right of the models track to allow greater light of the right hand side of the models face to make the slow motion look more realistic. 

After 6 steps in total I’ll blow my whistle and all recordings will be stopped. 

That’s it, done in one take. Everything is perfectly synced, everything. 

Now to edit. 

The video from camera c I’ll input into the 2 video track on my preferred video editing software. 

Video from camera b goes into the 3 rd video track. 

The video from camera a goes into the 4 th video track. 

I now watch the video from camera c, when it get to the position where the models faces are at maximum zoom, I’ll make a cut there. Noting the time. 

Now I’ll watch the video from camera a. When I get to the position that the camera starts zooming away from the models, I’ll cut there. Again noting the time stamp. 

I’ll now cut the video from camera b ( the slow motion camera ), at both time stamps that camera a and c were cut at. 

Now I’ll move the first part of camera c into the 1st video track of my video editing software. Next I’ll move that piece of camera b into track 1. Making sure it snaps properly to camera c video.  Lastly I’ll move the piece I’ve selected from camera a up to track 1. Done. 

Now I’ll play the composed video on track 1.  It’s very unusual that I even have to adjust anything. 

The transitions are perfect as they are done using change of focus, not those amateur transitions that are supplied with these softwares. 

That’s it. A professional video ready to be added to others to form the whole promotional video. 

Try and find that training elsewhere. Cheers.

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