While Blackmagic didn’t reveal a new camera at the 2016 NAB in Las Vegas, they did introduce a bunch of hardware updates software updates and products that you may want to get more intimately acquainted with. And that’s exactly why Blackmagic Design is now extending to you an invitation to join them for a day of hands-on demonstrations, theater presentations and complimentary beverages.

Sign up here.

Academy Originals is a treasure trove of film knowledge presented documentary-style through interviews with directors, cinematographers, producers, master craftsmen, set designers, consultants, actors – anyone playing a part in creating movie magic. The videos are grouped into categories like ‘Moments That Changed Movies’ or ‘Credited As’ – each exploring the movie-making process from a different perspective.

This is truly a rabbit hole to get lost in, if you have any interest in getting behind the scenes of some of the most groundbreaking films in modern history.

Here are some of my personal favorites.

Instead of shaping, coating and polishing glass to perfection, science will (some time in the future) be turning to titanium dioxide for optimal light and color reflection. And it comes in a tiny package. As in nano-tiny. Which means that, while it sometimes feels good to hold a heavy lens, it will be possible to package powerful lenses in ultra-compact camera bodies. Not hard to imagine what this might do for phone and action cameras, but I’m sure it will also make high-end equipment a lot more agile and versatile.

Hopefully that means that – at some point – even those of us working with zero $ budgets will get access to lenses providing million-$ picture quality.

Check it out, science geeks.

RocketJump Film School did a field test and, I gotta say, I like the results. I completely acknowledge that there are many uses where the cheap lenses would tank, but for a filmmaker on a budget, with little more than a prosumer 4K camera and a creative urge, the cheap lenses can mean the difference between getting a great shot – and staying on your couch, drooling over equipment you can’t afford.

Can you tell the difference?

And while certain aspects of camera movement, dialogue, lighting, etc. can be hashed out on set, sometimes just minutes before the cameras are rolling, you don’t want to take any chances when it comes to pulling off those visual FX that are really gonna sell your story. It’ll be too time-consuming and if a certain effect is not playing on camera the way you anticipated, you might not get the shot you need – let alone the shot you want.

In the case of The Storyteller there’s a magical realism that imbues the story with a certain mood, sometimes even moving the characters forward, informing choices and plot. In certain scenes, this magical realism is manifested by fairies. But how do you successfully pull off showing fairies on camera, when you’re working on a limited budget and don’t have access to the bells and whistles of high-end CGI? Or perhaps more importantly, when you don’t want to use high-end CGI, but rather have your actors interact with practical effects on set? Well, you think, then you experiment and then you plan accordingly.

When faced with the challenge of creating organic, realistic and practical fairies for The Storyteller, the team (producers, director, writers, actors) came together for a visual FX test – and 20 Questions Film tagged along for some behind-the-scenes video:

Let’s break it down. The filmmakers wanted to create a small, moving light source, ethereal and whimsical, effectively coming off as a fairy, fluttering around – and interacting with – the actress. They wanted to add visual detail in post-production, but to have the light from the fairy play off of the actress’ face realisticially and organically. They also wanted to be able to capture the spontaneous reactions and movement by the actress, as she responds to the fairy (and in some scenes several fairies) flying around her. This is how they went about it:

#1. The Tools

Pulsating single-LED lights were to act as the fairies. Removing the outer plastic shell of the lights, leaving only the tiny LED diode and the battery, decreased the footprint enough for the camera to only pick up the light and not the hardware. String was used to hang the lights from a C-stand – and later to be controlled by the producers, moving the lights around the actress and camera. When it comes time to shoot, the string will be replaced by clear fishing line, which won’t show up on camera or will be easily edited out in post. Plastic wrap (the ordinary kitchen variety) was used to experiement with grouping together several LED diodes into a single light source, while also slightly changing the way the light breaks on camera, changing its properties like hue and brightness.

#2. Positioning

Hanging the light from a C-stand allowed them to have a controlled height of the light when moving the LED around, making it easier to frame on camera and to reset between takes.

#3. Interaction With Light

One of the most important reasons for the FX test was to see how the light would bounce off of the actress’ face while moving around. This gave the DP a chance to experiement with exposure and focus in order to achieve the effect needed.

#4. Movement

Testing the movement of the lights proved beneficial, not just because it gave the DP a chance to see how the light would bounce off of the actress’ face, but it also gave the filmmakers a chance to see how the light behaved differently when moved on the C-stand vs by hand.

#5. Several Light Sources

Some scenes call for just one fairy on camera, while some scenes call for several fairies moving around at once. The practical test showed the filmmakers how close to – or how far away from – the camera they could have the lights and still have the lights look like organic, moving creatures.

#6. Lens Whacking

Experimenting with lens whacking as a way of creating dream-like visuals with light leaks and tilt shift focus also gave the filmmakers an idea of how to move the fairy lights around in a realistic, organic way.

#7. Distance

A common theme in the FX test was experimenting with distance. Distance between lights and actress. Distance between actress and camera. Distance between lights and camera. All while keeping in mind that the end result should feel magical, but real and natural.

The take-away from a day of experimentation? Some things work and some things don’t. Some things will require additional planning and experimentation. Regardless, a day or two spent in pre-production will no doubt save the crew precious, stressful hours on set, which may again be the difference between getting the shot they need or not. It’s worth it.

We’re following the production of the feature film, The Storyteller, from idea all the way through to distribution. Learn from the process with real-world examples right here.

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to Every Frame A Painting on YouTube – and check out our list of other channels to follow.

If you want to tackle this DIY project, be sure to download the handy PDF templates to aid in your endeavors.

If you have questions about lighting, equipment, safety on set or any of the other 317.000 things a good cinematographer needs to consider, chances are Shane Hurlbut knows the answer. His credits include Terminator: Salvation, Act of Valor, Need For Speed, Fathers & Daughters, We Are Marshall and many more, but in this context our focus will be on his passion for sharing what he’s learned in his years on the job. His website, hurlbutvisuals.com, is a treasure trove of articles, How-To’s, product tests, and glimpses from behind the scenes of major Hollywood productions. If you want to dive even further, you’ll find Shane’s Inner Circle, which is a member’s only section of his website that offers premium content for a modest fee.

We highly recommend you spend some time getting to know Shane Hurlbut, whether you are an aspiring cinematographer or simply curious about how the pros work.

A few of our favorite posts are linked below. Get to it.

The Power of Shaping Hard Light

Turning Your GoPro Into A Cinematic Movie Making Machine

The Importance of Being Mobile

Photo credit: Shane Hurlbut

Since 2012 Simon Cade has been learning about filmmaking in one of the best ways possible – by teaching others. His DSLRGuide Youtube channel has amassed almost 150.000 subscribers and about 5 million views spread out over a treasure trove of tutorial videos on anything from lighting to storytelling to camera movement to DIY tricks to color grading and so on and so forth. His output frequency (a new video every week) and quality is really quite remarkable. His guide for shooting beautiful, cinematic video with a DLSR camera and low-to-no budget should be the first place you start your research, if you’re looking to do just that.

One of my favorite things about Simon’s videos is how directly relatable they are to my own trials and errors as an amateur filmmaker. Having trouble getting the right look for your film using whatever natural light you have available? Simon has an answer for you. Unsure about how to get started with color grading? Simon will walk you through it. Wondering why your shots feel flat? Simon’s got some suggestions on where to make changes.

All that and he seems like a nice bloke.

Here is but a small selection of his many videos. Be sure to check out his many videos here and to subscribe to his channel. For more in-depth information about the gear he uses and where he gets it, visit his website.

#1 Every Frame A Painting

My personal favorite. Every Frame A Painting is like the class you wish you had in film school. It’s a triumphantly unpredictable  bastard of a film analysis class and the rantings of your favorite, passionate teacher. By analyzing certain scenes, director trademarks, genre-specific filmmaking tools or something else you would have never thought to analyze, host Tony Zhou and his expertly edited videos will leave you not only smarter, but inspired and amazed.

#2 Film Riot

Fast-talking host, independent filmmaker and DIY handy-man Ryan Connolly and his rag-tag team of film aficionados deliver tutorials, DIY builds, real-life examples and How-To’s on just about everything you could ever think of related to filmmaking. The beauty of this channel is not so much the hyper-active presentation (though that’ll certainly keep you focused), as it is the way in which these guys manage to take the mystery out of Hollywood filmmaking, while preserving all the magic. Specifically targeting independent, DIY or super low-budget filmmakers, the channel abounds with videos on how to make your film look and sound like a million $ without breaking the bank.

#3 Filmmaker IQ

With a somewhat more technical and perhaps film school-like approach, Filmmaker IQ is an immensely valuable resource. Think of it as a ‘How Stuff Works’ for filmmakers; some topics are highly technical, borderline scientific, while other topics are pure entertainment. Wanna know how a camera sensor works? No problem. Wanna brush up on the origins of auteur theory? Why not. Wanna learn how to light a film noir? You should. And all of that can be done in the same place. Filmmaker IQ.

#4 Indy Mogul

With roughly 1250 videos on their channel, Indy Mogul is almost like a Discovery Channel of the Internet. Before Discovery Channel became all about reality TV, of course. Indy Mogul is an impressive library of engaging video tutorials, hands-on reviews of cameras and equipment, Q&A’s with filmmakers and a whole lot of tips and tricks to up your indy filmmaking game. Now, Indy Mogul hasn’t been active in years, so don’t expect new videos about the latest in gear or software. But do expect to get lost in a massive library of goodies that are equally helpful today as they were 6 years ago.

#5 Now You See It

Similar in style to Every Frame A Painting, Now You See It is sort of a hybrid between film analysis and geeky musings on what makes movies great. Though not always entirely on point, mostly the videos from Now You See It will give you lots of a ha! moments and insightful takes on movies, scenes or techniques you already thought you knew everything about.