Overview

• Core Training Value: A quick technique simulating a camera following an emitter, a look at organic butterfly movement, and a super simple explanation of position arrays.
• Difficulty: Intermediate

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Here are some basic terms you will need to know when it comes to DSLR Video:

Framerates:

The number of frames taken in a single second by the camera. (fps: frames per second)

• 60 fps: high speed framerate used if you want to slow it down or chop it to NTSC standards for broadcasting, or for some high-end HD televisions
• 48 fps: high speed framerate used if you want to slow it down or chop it to PAL standards or for some high-end HD televisions
• 30 fps: NTSC standard framerate
• 25 fps: PAL standard framerate
• 24 fps: Cinema framerate (anything wanting the "movie" look)

NTSC and PAL are two different broadcasting standards throughout the world, Wikipedia has an excellent map of their distribution.

The story behind why Cinema is shot at 24fps… Back in the day they were figuring out what the slowest framerate was that film could go through a projector without it looking too choppy (because the projectors would constantly jam at high speeds.) They figured out that 24 frames a second was the lowest speed they could feed without the footage looking too choppy and it has stuck that way ever since and since then, has been a signature and a standard must-have for all footage wanting to warrant the film look.

Video resolutions:

• 1080p: 1920×1080px sized footage. highest resolution achieved by DSLR cameras. Also known as True-HD or Full-HD.
• 720p: 1280×720px sized footage. lower resolution used by video DSLRS that is able to achieve higher framerates, still considered HD.
• 480p: 640×480px sized footage. Not considered high definition, but rather "enhanced definition" video.

Rolling Shutter:

This effect is caused due to the CMOS-type sensor in DSLR cameras. As opposed to CCD sensors, CMOS sensors capture the image by recording the information on the sensor from the top of the sensor first and then taking down the information from the bottom. This means that fast moving objects and whip pans in your footage will significantly show the top portion of the image before the bottom portion, making the image altogether skewed. And when the camera footage is shaky, it will be shown with a very apparent "Jello" effect.

This is quite possibly the biggest downside to video DSLR cameras.

You can reduce the effect of rolling shutter by using slower framerates on your footage, effectively hiding the effect by masking it with motion blur.

Sensor Size:

The camera’s sensor is a light sensitive plate that picks up light through the lens once the shutter is opened. You can think of it as the film in film cameras. A larger sensor size allows you to achieve a shallower depth of field.

Also, keep in mind that full frame sensors require full frame lenses, so an APS-C sized (ie. E-FS) lens will leave you with horrible vignetting on a full frame sensor camera. (of which an example can be seen in this article by Philip Bloom)

Different sensors have different standards of lenses to be used with them. EF type lenses are to be used for Full Frame Canon cameras, while EF-S Lenses are made for Cropped Sensor APS-C cameras.
This is due to the crop factor associated with the sensors. An EF lens on an APS-C sized Sensor will be multiplied by it’s crop factor.

Crop Factors:

• 35mm/Full Frame = 1.0 (50mm EF lens will appear as 50mm)
• APS-C = 1.62 (50mm EF lens will appear as 81mm)
• Nikon DX = 1.52
• APS-H = 1.26

For much more in depth reading on sensors see here

and as always,
Wikipedia.

ISO:

This is the light sensitivity of the camera, the higher the ISO the higher the sensitivity to light. You will be able to shoot at faster shutter speeds and smaller apertures, but with a higher ISO level, you will also see significant amounts of increases of grain in your video footage. Each camera deals with it’s grain differently and some cameras have lower grain at higher ISOs than other cameras. (5D Mark II, and especially the 1D Mark IV being known for their low amounts of grain in high ISO settings)

Introducing the Cameras:

Canon 1D Mark IV

This newly announced camera is known for it’s remarkable low light/high ISO video quality.
The 1D Mark IV is not currently out.

Suggested Retail Price: $5000 U.S.

FPS/Resolutions:

1080: 30p (29.97); 24p (23.976) / 25p;

720: 60p (59.94) / 50p;

Sensor Size: APS-H (a seemingly extinct sensor size not in much use until recently brought back by this high end camera)

ISO: 100-12800 (1600 is heard to be an easily usable ISO)

See a video of it in action (using only the natural lighting) at Prolost.com

Canon 5D Mark II

This was the first HD-DSLR Camera to explode onto the scene and quickly led people to realize how versatile the video feature of DSLRs were. But it came with it’s drawbacks without full manual control and major disappointments to both international users and users seeking the film look, as the camera did not shoot in 24p.

Suggested Retail Price: $2500 U.S.

FPS/Resolutions:

1080: 30p (29.97); *24p (23.976) / 25p;

720: *60p (59.94) / *50p;

Sensor Size: Full Frame (which keep in mind, requires EF lenses and NOT EF-S)

ISO: 100-6400 (expandable to 12800)

*these framerates are supposed to be available by a firmware update in the upcoming Spring, as of the posting of this article these framerates are not available.

Canon 7D

The 7D was the first HD-DSLR out with full manual control and support for 24p. Because of this it has been in much more use than the 5DMKII (5D Mark II) by professional video workers.

Suggested retail price: $1700 U.S.

FPS/Resolutions:

1080: 30p (29.97); 24p (23.976) / 25p;

720: 60p (59.94) / 50p;

Sensor Size: APS-C (EF-S Lens compatible)

ISO: 100-12800

Canon 500D/T1i

(Known as the T1i in America and internationally as the 500D)

This little guy came out in-between the releases of the 5D Mark II and the more recently released 7D. It was taken as a disappointment by the video community however due to it’s lack of any manual control and only a 20fps framerate for 1080p HD video, but it must be understood that this camera wasn’t meant to handle the demands of true video professionals, note that it’s price is only at $800.

Suggested retail price: $800 U.S.

FPS/Resolutions:

1080: 20p (said lack the processing power to achieve higher framerates)

720: 30p

480: 30p

Sensor Size: APS-C

ISO: 100-3200 (ISO expansion: 6400, 12800) ISO 1600 is the highest it will achieve while shooting video.

Panasonic Lumix GH1

Suggested Retail Price: $1,500 U.S.

FPS/Resolutions:

1080: 24p

720: 60p

Sensor Size: 4/3

ISO: 100-3200

Nikon D5000

Suggested Retail Price: $630 U.S.

FPS/Resolutions:

720: 24p

420: 24p

Sensor Size: DX (SLIGHTLY bigger than Canon’s APS-C sized sensors)

ISO: 100-6400

Nikon D90

Suggested Retail Price: $900 U.S.

FPS/Resolutions:

720: 24p

420: 24p

Sensor Size: DX (SLIGHTLY bigger than Canon’s APS-C sized sensors)

ISO: 100-6400

Here are a couple articles on getting the most out of the video from your DSLR camera:

Colouring your Video DSLR footage in After Effects

Stu Maschwitz has a great post over on his website ProLost.com on getting the highest dynamic range out of your Canon video DSLR

Which settings have also been ported over to Nikon

And don’t forget these two excellent HD-DSLR resources/personal sites run by Philip Bloom and Stu Maschwitz

The Winners!

• Brad Chmielewski from Chicago, Illinois
• Mark Billingsby from Knoxville, Tennesse

Just because you didn’t get a free copy doesn’t mean that we’re leaving you behind… Remember, you can head over to DigiEffects.com and purchase a copy of Atmosphere for 25% off the actual price of $49! Just enter the coupon code “AETUTS” before final checkout to get your discount! Make sure you act fast though, because the coupon code isn’t going to last forever!

The Winners!

• Luis Cabrera from Cleaveland, Ohio
• Bjarke Kragh from Risskov, Denmark
• Christian Kasper from Gronau, Germany
• Lawrence Chabela from St. Louis, Missouri
• Jared Flynn from Portland, Maine
• Shaka Nkosi (50$ VCP Gift Card)
• Alex Gibbs (50$ VCP Gift Card)

Just because you didn’t win this time doesn’t mean there won’t be more chances for more great prizes down the road. As for Optical Flares… I think we’ve seen how important it is you get your hands on this plug-in! Head over to VideoCopilot.net and treat yourself to a quality plug-in that will take your projects to the next level!

Requirements

• Nothing And that should feel good!

Overview

• Core Training Value: You’ll learn how to recreate the look of “Lux” through illuminating a solid and attaching it to a light with some help from expressions.
• Difficulty: Intermediate

If you’d like to get a little more in depth with this technique you can read Satya’s Blogpost.

QuickTip

Our generous friends at Video Copilot decided that along with our review of their newest product, Optical Flares, our loyal readers would love a chance to win a couple prizes courtesy of Andrew Kramer himself! Check out our newest giveaway to win some awesome Video Copilot prizes!

What We Are Giving Away:

• 2x Licenses of Video Copilot’s Optical Flares + Pro Presets Pack
• 2x $50 Gift Certificates to Video Copilot’s Online Store
Please Download The Latest Version of Adobe Flash Player

How To Enter:

All you have to do is comment below with your email linked to your name! Feel free to plug your site, Twitter, Facebook, or whatever you want. Maybe you could voice an idea on what you could use the plugin for? It’s up to you. We will be announcing our winners on Friday! So you’ve got two days to get your entries in!

If you enjoyed this post, please give it a vote on Digg or a stumble to say thanks!

Finally! Optical Flares is here and the behemoth of a lens flare plugin could not be more worth the months of hype! I decided to run through all the features, poke around and try out the plugin and give my exclusive opinion on how fantasmically AWESOME this thing is! Trust me, it has been well worth the wait.

January 25th has come and passed, and the release of the fabled Optical Flares has finally become a reality. This has been one of the most hotly anticipated plugins for a long time aside from Particular 2.0, and I am sure if you haven’t already gone out and bought it or watched the introduction videos, you are wondering if it is really all that it is hyped up to be. The short, easiest answer I can give you is… OH YEAH.

Please Download The Latest Version of Adobe Flash Player

This plugin at first glance is so much more than just a plugin within itself. It has a completely custom interface, beautifully designed at that, that makes the user experience a joy to work inside of and almost makes it feel like it is it’s own program separate from After Effects itself. Like every product that Video Copilot comes out with, there is an enormous amount of TLC that goes into designing and shaping a product, especially one of this magnitude, and once you get yours hands dirty with this plugin you will know exactly what I am talking about.

First off, this thing is rich in features that will revolutionize the way you work with lens flares in projects. Gone are the days where you have complicated workarounds to link lens flares to 3d lights to move them around in 3d space or trickery to create anamorphic looking lens flares. We all know how annoying little workarounds like that can be, and that time adds up especially when you are working on a big project! Simple things like these are what we need in a lens flare generator! I swear its like they stalked the message boards and took every want and workaround and made it a feature. You can map your lens flares to the luminance of a layer, you can add textures to overlay onto your virtual lens so that whenever the flare moves over it you see that texture, there is their unique “dynamic triggering” system that makes flares sparkle or move when they get close to a certain area, and that is just the beginning!



Now the biggest pull about this plugin is the 3d capabilities, and we’re not just talking you can move these around in 3d space and they have mass, but the interoperability with layers in After Effects; being able to utilize 3d layer occlusion where the flare moves behind an object while being obscured like in the real world; tracking to AE lights: using their colors, intensities, or being able to map an instance of Optical Flares to lights that start with a certain letter. Then there is the ability to track to lights from a 3d scene saved out of Cinema 4D, or 3ds Max using Max2AE or whatever other program you can use to transfer your 3d data into AE, you can actually map your OF flares to follow the lights set up in your external 3d app of choice with ease… its crazy the way they have really simplified the process and hassle of working with flares.

Next comes the interface… ohhh the beautiful interface. You might think my drooling over something as the GUI of a plugin is ridiculous, but I have to be able to enjoy myself inside of a program to actually want to continually use it, and this got an A+ in that department. When you first come into the Design Interface you notice it looks nothing like any other plugin on the market. There are tons of preview screens, one big one for previewing the flare (which you can toggle the background to show or not… awesome), and all the littler ones are for previewing your individual elements that update as you move your flare around in the preview window. Each of these objects can be controlled by the global parameters, as well as delved into deeper by just clicking on each element and modifying it separately from the rest. You can also add a wide range of core objects or modifications of those objects to further customize your flares and you can also save those for later as well as custom presets. The preset browser ain’t too shabby either, with a ton of already made presets (and way more, if you get the Pro Presets Pack – HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), you can apply, re-save, access and share presets across the preset network with people all around the world!



So now comes the big question… is this worth it? Are you kidding me? Do you actually have to ask that? Of course it is… this is probably one of my newest favorite plugins to work with, given the wide range of possibilities, ease of customization, and and the massive amount of extra little features that are built in. The uses for lens flares is almost infinite, you can integrate them into anything you create. If you are looking to add a bit more oomph to your projects, want to go a little nuts and boost After Effects’ internal lighting system, or just simply want a really cool plugin to have fun and experiment with, get it. It’s really a no-brainer, this is no doubt going to be one of the next big plugins to have for motion graphics and visual effects artists alike.

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Requirements

• Coffee Cup Model You can download the model here.

Overview

• Core Training Value: Add text to the composition that transitions with the camera movement. Create realistic steam with CC Particle World, a liquid coffee pour simulation with CC Glue Stick/Roughen Edges/Fractal Noise and give your coffee cup 3D model an accurate drop shadow.
• Difficulty: Intermediate

Preview

Want access to the full AE project files and assets for every tutorial on Aetuts+, including this one? Join Ae Plus for just $9/month. You can view the final effect preview video below.

Tutorial

Requirements

• Coffee Cup Model You can download the model here.

Overview

• Core Training Value: Learn how to import a 3d model and style/light it with Photoshop. Then import that model into After Effects to create a 3D scene with camera animations.
• Difficulty: Intermediate

Preview

Want access to the full AE project files and assets for every tutorial on Aetuts+, including this one? Join Ae Plus for just $9/month. You can view the final effect preview video below.

Tutorial

I know you were itching for another Demo Reel Roundup… I could just feel it from the innermost cockles of my being. Well I got 32 more for you to take a good gander at, get some ideas, and go out and make some AWESOME! That’s right I just used ‘awesome’ as a noun. Now do it!

• 

  Miguel A. Salek 2009 Reel

  Miguel is an amazing Effect Technical Director, with an amazing looking reel filled with some really interesting spots that he has worked on. His reel shows the position he held for each spot as well, so you know exactly what he was responsible for.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Spov Ltd Showreel 2009

  Spov has some killer looking screen UI and wireframe design as well as some slick looking titling for various clients.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Dvein Showreel 2009

  I know you saw Dvein in my last roundup, but I had to include their reel on this roundup… its amazing. Just wait for the page to load, and then navigate to Reel 2009 right in the middle of the scrolling menu.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Mark Theriault/Partially Frozen 2009 VFX Reel

  With most of Mark’s work coming from stuff he created at Blur, Somersault and Prime Focus, you can see this guy really has what it takes when it comes to the compositing and VFX game.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Engine

  Engine is a group of designers, producers and talented VFX artists working together in Sydney, Australia to produce some amazing looking pieces for some top clients.

  View Demo Reel Youtube Version

• 

  Royale Spring 2009 Showreel

  I think I featured Royale a while back, but they are about due for another appearance. They have only been in the biz for around a year, but they have a ton of awesome mograph pieces to show for it.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Ahmed Max 2008 Reel

  Ahmed is an all around production guy spending the last ten years full time in the business. He has a great eye for awe inspiring 3D mixed with motion graphics and 3D environments.

  View Demo Reel Vimeo Version

• 

  Toch

  Toch’s another new studio to the scene. They’ve only been around for about a year, but they got a reel to make up for the time they haven’t been in existence.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Daniel Macedo Reel

  It’s too bad this guy’s website is actually offline… because I really enjoyed his reel, and was looking forward to seeing more work. It’s one of those reels that isn’t super pro, and doesn’t blow you away, but gives you some ideas of what you can implement into your own work, if you aren’t as well versed as some others. No offense Daniel… still love your reel!

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Miles Christensen 2009 Showreel

  Miles has some fantastic work from when he was working at Spov as well as some killer work done on Call of Duty and Transformers 2. I especially enjoy the screen UI for Transformers 2… the wireframe stuff is phenomenal.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  James Pina Spring 2009 Reel

  This reel might be short… but it still blows me away every time I see it. I wish I could be those good of a roto & paint artist. The work on the Bear Grylls Man VS. Wild stuff is mind blowing!

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Capacity

  With a catchy custom tune for the reel, this one really grabs you, showing some of Capacity’s spectacular work from commercials, branding, titling, show packages, promos and some of their experimental stuff too!

  View Demo Reel

• 

  GKASTER Motion Demo Reel

  Is it just me, or do you get a steampunky, organic-ish feel from these guys? I really like their reel, from the very first shot of the GK all the way through to the end. They have a great talent for making their work look gorgeous.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Colors and the Kids

  These guys are located in Germany, and actually have a really wierdly (is that even a word?) designed site to see their work and find the reel… luckily I got it for ya below. Forgetting about that, take a look at their reel, and you can see where they get their name from… at least the colors part.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Gabriel Gareso

  This Brazilian graphic designer decided to take ten months off from his mainly web based life and hitched a ride to New Zealand to study animation and vfx, and what came out of it is fantastic! You can tell that Gabriel really took in the information handed to him and became a very accomplished motion graphics and vfx artist.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Franco Barroeta 2008 Reel

  Fraco has a great site with tons of examples of past work, but his reel is all you need to see to know that is a top class designer. Dealing in mostly commercial production he has collaborated with some top Canadian studios, and taken part in work for some prestigious clients.

  View Demo Reel Vimeo Version

• 

  Timo Boese/LowerGround Winter Reel 2007

  This guy’s opening song makes me giggle, therefore I was sucked in to watching more. You have to hear it to understand what I am talking about, oh and the work ain’t to shabby either.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Matt Lavoy

  Matt is a freelancer working at a few different agencies you have probably heard of… Digital Kitchen, Superfad, and Vitamin to name a few. You will almost for sure recognize his work, either from TV or somewhere on the web, like the Playstation 3 spots or Budweiser commercials.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Steffen Knoesgaard

  Heavily showcasing typography, Steffen’s reel really grabs you with the music track as well as his unique way to integrate simple shapes, live footage and amazing colors along with his titling.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Fredrik Ekholm

  This hard hitting reel from Fredrik Ekholm is short, since he is still in school, but from looking at what he has been learning and done with his media degree, I am sure you can expect more awesome pieces from this guy very soon.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  North Kingdom 2003-2009 Reel

  Entitled “A Story From North Kingdom” their reel shows some of their proudest pieces of work from the last six years. The compositing and CG in that they put out is absolutely phenomenal… some of the pieces are from website designs, but you have to watch this reel.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Justin McClure 2009 Reel

  Ahh you guys know Justin! The founder of Rerendered, (recently acquired by VideoHive) is an amazing motion graphics artist working for clients like CMT, Discovery, MLB, and tons more. The thing I like about Justin’s work, is it always looks so polished and perfected, you would think an entire studio took part in the endeavor.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  JR Canest 2009 Reel

  Still a student at Vancouver Film School, JR had a piece featured on Motionographer a while back called Crazy Enough which had around a thousand keyframes, all created within After Effects to create an awesome one minute animation. This is a great student reel, probably one of the best I have seen in a long while.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Asylum 2010 Design, Main Titles, & Screen Design Reels

  This entry here counts as three different reels, because Asylum has a ton of work to show off. First their design reel really shows off everything they produce from film VFX, to titling as well as commercial production. The second focuses mainly on their titling, and then the third focuses on their phenomenal screen design.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Anton Sakara

  With the help of the Raketmedia Design Studio Team, Anton Sakara shows off some of his best work with a lot of it including live action rather than strictly motion graphics. Based in Moscow, Russia, Anton has worked on a lot of big name russian clients like the Miss Russia competition, and the MTV Movie Awards

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Qube Konstrukt 2009/2010 Motion Reel

  The amount of detail in each and every piece in this reel is looking like it is going to be one of my favorites of the list. I love it when a company can take the time to model, light, matchmove, and render things absolutely perfectly, it really shows the pride that they take in their work.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Margo Design Reel 2009

  These guys have a very unique way that they put together their reel… they mix print design along with their video stuff by taking a camera around their studio and zooming into different screens, posters and print ads. Very cool concept and it really makes things flow together very well.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Alain Lores 3D/Motion Reel 2009

  There is some fantastic particle and 3d works in this reel, especially the stuff with blue and red fire types of elements. That, mixed with a bunch of 3d as well as a bunch of help from his friends, really brings Alain’s demo reel to life.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Holke79 – This is Not a Reel

  I beg to differ. This looks very much like a reel, I guess you could call it a killer collection of artistic works… but that is kind of a mouthful. I really like the slo-mo effects, as well as the way they edited this thing together, whatever it is.

  View Demo Reel

• 

  12Frames Jan Schönwiesner Reel Summer 2008

  You really get a feeling of surrealism as you watch a lot of the stuff put out by 12Frames, especially with the manipulation of buildings and the weird puppet looking things. Hats off to 12Frames, and kudos for the breakdown and the creepy narrator. Note: this only displays well in Internet Explorer and Chrome (didn’t test in Safari).

  View Demo Reel

• 

  Teddy Gore

  Another artist that you have probably seen his work all over the place on promos for shows like Heroes, 30 Rock, and Cartoon Network, I always like seeing this stuff in people’s reels, because it really gives me a push to know that we, as artists can make it to that point someday. Another really fantastic collection to end with.

  View Demo Reel

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