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9 things to check on your camera before you hit record

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One would think that shooting video would be fairly straightforward these days. With all the advances made in video-capable cameras the last few years, a newcomer might assume it’s simply point and hit record.

But if you want to make the most of your equipment and get the best shots you can, this is simple not true. In this video, filmmaker Darious Britt talks about the 9 things he checks before he hits the record button. His checklist might not be perfect for everybody’s workflow, but it’s a great starting point for developing your own.

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5 things you should buy right after your camera

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The first piece of gear you need for capturing photos and videos is the camera. So, you’ve bought it and used it, but there are some items you should also invest in right after your camera. The guys from The Film Look suggest five things you should buy right after your camera. They focus on the filmmaking stuff, but most of these can also be applied to those who want to upgrade their photo gear, too.

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These are the first 12 things a filmmaker should buy

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If you have decided to start making films, there is a list of items you need to have before you get started. Darious Britt shares a list of 12 things you absolutely need to get before you start shooting videos and films.

If you are transitioning from photography to video, you already have some of these items. As for the others, you might need an upgrade to your gear or buy new stuff, so you can make the recording, storage, and editing possible. Darious suggests some budget-friendly solutions, so you don’t have to save up for years to start making your first film. For us with a smaller budget, it sounds pretty encouraging.

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Most common travel video problems and ways to fix them

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When you want to shoot a decent travel video on vacation, you may face plenty of challenges. They won’t only make the vacation less enjoyable, but also the footage won’t turn out as you wanted. Filmmaker Brandon Li lists four most common problems of making travel videos and gives practical solutions to overcome them.

Brandon’s tips will help you on several aspects. First, you’ll plan your shooting better. Second, you’ll return from a vacation with great footage you’ll turn into an interesting and engaging travel movie. And last but not least – you’ll enjoy the vacation more.

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New to filmmaking? These are some mistakes you should avoid

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We all make mistakes, and that’s okay – it’s one of the ways to learn and grow. However, it costs you less time, money and energy to learn from someone else’s mistakes, and Jordy Vandeput from Cinecom.net kindly lets you learn from his. He shares five biggest mistakes he made as a filmmaking beginner, so you can avoid them and be more successful in from the very beginning. What’s more, most of them are applicable to photography as well, and even to whatever you do.

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These are some must-have accessories for smartphone filmmaking

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Ryan Connolly of Film Riot recently gave us an example of a neat-looking video shot on a smartphone. Of course, if you’re limited only to the smartphone, it’s possible to shoot a movie, but there are certain challenges you’ll need to face.

In this video, Ryan gives you a few suggestions for improving your smartphone moviemaking with some additional accessories. They won’t only make the footage quality better, but they’ll make the shooting easier and less frustrating.

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Gear doesn’t matter: here’s how to shoot a high-quality movie with your smartphone

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“Gear doesn’t matter.” You may agree with this statement or not, but it’s definitely the case if you have a good idea and an engaging story to tell with your photos or films. Sure, expensive gear can make the job easier, but what if you don’t have a high budget? Well, in that case – just shoot with what you have in your pockets – a smartphone.

Ryan Connolly of Film Riot gives you some guidelines how to shoot a high-quality video using nothing but your smartphone camera. He gives his own example of a very file-looking sketch he filmed with an iPhone, along with the advantages and challenges you’ll have with this approach.

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Watch 115 years of color film evolution in only 4 minutes

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I’ve heard from many people that they highly prefer color movies over black and white ones. Still, many of them take them for granted (myself included). Most of us often don’t think about the color movies and how much they’ve evolved since they first appeared. Change Before Going Productions show us the evolution of color film from 1902 to this day, in a very concise and interesting 5-minute video. Even if you’re not a fan of history lessons, you’re gonna love this one. And what’s more, you’ll get a new respect for color films.

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Learn how to choose the best frame rate for your videos in just 10 minutes

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When you start shooting video, there are plenty of things to learn, and one of the first things to master is definitely the frame rate. If you’re just starting out, filmmaker Brandon Li has made one of the best video tutorials for all the newbies in video shooting.

He explains how and why to choose a certain frame rate, but also – how to determine frame rates for different subjects. So, if you’re new to filming, this video contains a lot of useful knowledge and practical examples that will boost your knowledge in only a couple of minutes.

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Inequality in filmmaking industry: do filmmakers need to be male?

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When it comes to male and female roles in the society, there are a lot of stereotypes and a lot of inequality. One of the fields where disparity seems to be largely present is filmmaking, and movie industry in general. Simon Cade of DSLR Guide discusses this topic in his latest video trying to get some answers. Do filmmakers need to be male? And if not – why men are still predominant in this industry?

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