In some ways technology has surpassed the natural ability of the human eye and it can create a jarring or distracting effect on the viewer. Lets take for instance shutter speed on a camera. The video below shows a foot

tapping with a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second. This is the duration that the “film” (or in this case digital sensor) is exposed to light and records each frame. When film is exposed to light that is moving we get blur, which we all know is the exact thing we want to remove. The second clip is a foot tapping with the shutter only being open for 1/2500 of a second, meaning less movement is captured and therefore less blur. As they play side by side you will see a freeze frame showing the blur in the slower shutter speed and the relative clarity in the faster speed. You may also notice that in normal speed the slower shutter speed is easier on the eye to watch for some reason. How can that be right? As it turns out the eyes and brain aren’t used to seeing movement so clearly and they expect objects moving quickly to be blurred, so even though the faster shutter speed creates a clearer image, its distracting to the viewer. Take a look:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sometimes this jarring effect is intentional. For instance, when a zombie is charging on the screen, the subconscious visual uneasiness adds to the intended feel of the scene. All this to say that a great videographer knows when a picture is too clear. And it all comes down to creating a ”natural” experience for the viewers.

It certainly begs the question why on earth didn’t HD video crush the Betamax-VHS war at the time? Well the market is a funny thing and due to costs of technology, the already established broadcasting system, and many more political and social factors it wouldn’t be for another few decades that HD emerges as the new standard. Don’t sell off that 60” plasma screen out of fear of what’s yet to come though, HD is the definitely the market standard for the next few years. What your children and grandchildren will be watching is a whole other story…

While recently planning a shoot in the Cameron Park Zoo here in Waco we hit a similar problem with trying to capture the all around beauty of the area (exotic vegetation, decor elements, etc) all apparent in long wide shots. Although as a whole the area was gorgeous, any tight shots seemed negatively dominated by cages, wires, and all things necessary to keep an 8 ft orangutan from eating our equipment for breakfast. Our solution was found in removing the cages by a combination of tight shots thru gaps in the meshed nets (which effectively appears as if we’re in the cage with our lives on the line) and shots in which we relocated to parts of the zoo with no cages at all. Thus we landed the shoots we wanted and survived to blog the experience!

A couple of days ago, I was watching a show about Marilyn Monroe. Come to find out, she used to date someone in a band called The Lone Star Playboys. I thought back to a commercial I filmed for INNOVATiON. And then I realized… I felt special.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

We’re experimenting with the idea of using video and stills together. The video below will eventually include a mixture of stills and motion that highlights a young couple’s relationship. With the 7D, we were able to create a very “filmic” look, epitomized by shallow depth of field and stark contrast. There’s still a lot to learn, but so far, I’d say the camera delivers. Enjoy!

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For those of you who aren’t wrapped up in the video production world, digital SLRs are revolutionizing the industry. They’re small, awkward and hard to maneuver, but the images they make are stunning. Video producers have long sought to mimic the look of film. For years it was impossible. Then it was prohibitively expensive (unless you’re George Lucas). Now there are no more excuses.

What does it mean for a small video production company in Waco, Texas? I’ll have some explaining to do when I show up to a video shoot with a still camera. But – with some experience – I think the video will do the talking. I’m waiting on some accessories before I can post my own test shots, but here’s one of the guys who inspired me to make the purchase. (Don’t hold me to this… yet.)

You’ll come across a lot of stock answers… “Two to three minutes – people stop watching after that.” But I’ve found that most of my clients don’t have a stock message. Here’s my take. I’ll spend about 15 seconds watching an online video about a certain brand of DVD. If I’m going to buy a new camera, I’ll devour every minute of content I can find before I make my purchase.

In my marketing classes, we used to talk about “customer involvement.” How involved does a customer become in a purchase decision? If the product or service has little impact socially or economically, he won’t become very involved… And he won’t spend much time making a purchase decision. If, on the other hand, the customer cares greatly about the product and has to invest a lot of money in the purchase, he’ll be very involved. In this case, the customer will take his time doing research. He’ll appreciate any material he can find on the product at hand.

The same rules apply to online video. Are you asking the target audience to make a large purchase or make a decision that has significant social impact? Give them the in-depth content they want. Does the viewer feel that little is at stake when they make the purchase? Use the power of video to differentiate your product or service. But don’t expect anyone to stick around for two or three minutes.

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to see the video, it tells the dramatic and dangerous tale of one man’s efforts to install a 30-foot strand of DNA in a science building. No seriously.

When I was asked to produce a documentary about the installation of two glass sculptures in a new science building at McLennan Community College, the words “edge-of-your-seat” weren’t the first to come to mind. And then a winch broke. The rest, as they say, is history.

Click here to view the embedded video.