Advice 1: Stick to one format. Hard/painful to mix
Advice 2: Please don't use 4K for this class
Key terms ('standards' that Premier, FinalCut, DaVinci Resolve...etc understand)
Aspect ratio
Resolution
Scanning method
Frame rate
Codec
Modes we need to understand: HD: 4K, 1080p, 1080i, 720p
Resolution: Pixels dimensions of your video
4K (we won't be using this in class. Too big == takes too long to do things)
3840 x 2160 pixels
HD: digital video with a resolution of at least 1280 x 720 pixels
HD
1080 stands for 1920 x 1080 pixels
720 stands for 1280 x 720 pixels
Aspect ratio: 16:9
SD (or SONY calls it STD)
720x480 pixels
Aspect ratio 4:3 or 16:9
Why would we want 1080 or 720, 16:9 or 4:3?
Frame rate
60 fps (frames per second)
30 fps
24 fps
... actually there are like 8 different frame rates being used in HD
why any of these framerates? why not 1?
Scanning method: p or i
Video is a series of still pictures displayed fast enough to create
the illusion of motion. Scanning is the process of displaying
pictures on the screen.
P (progressive scan) - display the entire image at once
I (interlaced) - each picture is divided into two fields composed of
all the even lines in the image, followed by all the odd lines and displayed in sequence
CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors: electron gun draws lines of light on the screen left-to-right, top-to-bottom
Flat panel: composed of fixed grid of pixels.
"Interlaced video is a technique for doubling the perceived frame rate of a video display without consuming extra bandwidth.
It effectively doubles the time resolution (also called temporal resolution) as compared to non-interlaced footage (for frame rates equal to field rates)." (from Wikipedia)
So in summary, HD TV has three modes:
720p
- progressive video
- resolution: 1280 x 720
- used in: broadcast television, internet downloads/streaming, video games, artists video
1080i
- interlaced video
- resolution: 1920x1080
- used in: broadcast television, internet downloads/streaming, video games, artists video
- not necessarily better than 720p. 720p suited for high-motion subjects.
- progressive video
- resolution: 1920 x 1080
- used in: Blu-ray, internet downloads/streaming, video games, artists video
Look at the sample video files in the Media folder in the Google Drive folder to see the difference between video standards.
Notes
Question
Youtube has a 1080p option. But it is not necessarily better quality than broadcast HD. Why?
Notes
Video Format
Aspect ratio
Resolution
Scanning method
Frame rate
Data rate or aka. bit rate
Data rate conveys how many bits that are processed per second. Even in
the same standard (eg. 1080p), if the videos are compressed
differently, they will have different data rates. Generally image
quality degrades the more you compress. Data rate correlates to file size as well.
Thus a broadcast 720p may look much better than a highly compressed youtube 1080p file.
This is called a "lossless" compression because you can decompress to the original image.
"lossy" compression algorithms sacrifice quality/fidelity in order to make the files larger. More complex the algorithm is the more computing power required.
This example only used the spacial dimension to compress but video compression also uses the temporal dimension.
Notes
Adobe Premier Review
how to export your sequence to a video you can share
Notes
Video Camera
Anatomy of a Video Camera (Hardware)
Power On/Off
Battery (DC in)
Lens
Viewfinder
LCD screen
Record button
Microphone and Headphone sockets
Internal Storage
MiniDV tape
DVD
hard disk
flash memory
Zoom: W <--> T
Manual focus
Threaded hole for tripod mount
Interface to connect to computer/TV (USB/HDMI)
Notes
Video Camera Menu (Software)
When you checkout a camera, I want you to look for the following.
I strongly suggest you choose the same image quality for all your footage for a project. Dealing with different quality footage is a nightmare. (Merging 24 fps footage with 30 fps footage?)
Exposure -- How much light to let in. Controls how dark or bright your video is
White balance -- Controls the color temperature of your video.
Shutter speed -- Changes how moving things look. Motion blur with slow shutter speed.
Image Quality (Video Format)
For older Sony flash based cameras
Menu -> Image/Quality/Size:
HD (which is actually AVCHD) or STD
Frame Rate 60p , 60i, 24p
if you select anything other than 60p, you will get the option of FX, FH, HQ, LP.
These options give you the choice of data transfer rates
- manual control for exposure, focus, shutter-speed
- has night vision
- smooth slow record high-framerate capture (3 seconds into 12 second long slow-motion)
- can be used as a projector
Getting footage from the camera:
Connect the camera to the computer via USB. Note that the USB cable is hidden in the camera handle. There is an extension in the camera bag
On the camera menu, choose "USB Connect". And a volume should appear on your Desktop
If you shot XAVC S HD
Go to Untitled -> private -> M4ROOT -> CLIP.
Files with the MP4 extensions are your video files. Copy them to your drive
If you shot AVCHD
Select the drive "NO NAME" (or Untitled). Go inside AVCHD (which may be inside
a folder named "Private") by righ-clicking and selecting "Show
Package Contents".
Repeat with BDMV.
You will see a folder
named "STREAM". The files with the MTS extensions are your video
files. Choose the clips you want and copy to your drive.
In summary the video files are located here: NO NAME -> (Private) -> AVCHD -> BDMV -> STREAM ->
Notes
Nikon (D7000, D7100, D7200, D7500)
- Better optics. More manual control (eg. depth-of-field) through aperture/shutter speeds.
- Interface slightly more complicated (designed originally to take photos)
Basics:
- Use the "Auto" setting
- To turn a Nikon DSLR into a video camera, turn #54 (Live view selector) dial to video and press the #53 (Live view button)
- The record button is the red dot (#10 in picture below) close to the shutter
Key points:
- You can use the main menu to change the video format or you can hit the info button while in video mode
- If you want autofocus, you really want to use continuous autofocus
(AF-F). If you use regular autofocus for photography, the camera will focus with jerky movement.
Use manual focus by manually turning the focus ring on the lens or
turn on continuous autofocus. Press the Focus-mode selector button (#26
on the picture) and rotate the Main command dial (#47 in the picture)
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW5KfzXo43M
from http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/dslr/d7100/compatibility03.htm
To capture footage from Nikon cameras.
Connect the camera to the computer through a USB cable