Photographers and filmmakers often dismiss kit lenses for being cheap and of poor quality. But before you write off the lens that comes bundled with your entry-level or ‘prosumer’ camera, give it a chance. It does serve a purpose, and you might as well learn to make the most of it. What is

Heads up—there’s a new Blackmagic update in town, and it’s a big one. The last 3 models in the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera series (4K, 6K, and 6K Pro) have all been highly successful on release, managing to hit the sweet spot between quality, features and price. However, just because a

TikTok has quickly catapulted to become one of the fastest-growing social media platforms in existence. Available in more than 150 countries, with around 700 million users, it’s easy to see why 13- to 40-year-olds can’t get enough of the dancing, social media challenges, animal videos and s

When it comes to building up your cinematic lens collection, a wide-angle lens will probably be quite high on your list. But what does a wide lens do for your filmmaking? What are the dos and don’ts of wide-angle lenses? And what’s a wide-angle lens vs a fish-eye lens? What is a wide-angle

Your script is finished, and you’re ready to begin production. Well done! Now it’s time to look for the best video production software out there. Although the choices are plentiful, here’s a list and breakdown of some of the most popular names out there. Studiobinder Studiobinder boasts a

For some filmmakers and videographers, the idea of having a zoom lens in their kit isn’t exactly fashionable. Many video creators quite simply want prime lenses to have quality glass for their most desirable focal lengths, like 24mm, 35mm, Nifty 50, 85mm and beyond. Yes, most video creators

When it comes to the cinema camera, there’s never been a better time to be a filmmaker than right now. In 2021, it’s pretty amazing what you can achieve with the gear available. In this competitive, growing market, manufacturers have all been busy vying for our attention (and money) with th

You’re filming outside in very bright light. You cannot adjust your shutter speed because it is set to the correct shutter angle for your frame rate. Your aperture is as small as it will go, and your ISO is as low as possible. But your scene is horribly over-exposed. What can you do? You ca

If you’ve ever seen images with strange, mixed-up, glowing colors that feel completely surreal, you might be looking at an infrared (IR) image. IR images can be captured using an IR pass filter over your lens, but their long exposure times make that method tricky for video. But, it can be d

The Lavalier Microphone. It’s the mic that, if used well, will never be seen in movies and only occasionally in television and internet videos, yet it’s one of the most used mics in film, video and live productions. The lavalier goes by many other names, including Lav Mic, Lapel Mic, Body M

Most of the best vlogs, videos and films all have one thing in common—great audio. The same is obviously true for podcasts. Greater sounding videos and other productions will undoubtedly feature excellent audio mixing and editing, often with audio plugins. But the single most vital ingredie

ISO is a measurement of sensitivity to light. It forms part of the exposure triangle in photography and filmmaking. Knowing what it is, how it works and the impact that it has on your work is crucial to being able to obtain the best possible exposure in every shooting situation. What is ISO

There is no shortage of action car and car chase scenes in cinema history. Even with televised Formula 1 and NASCAR races and YouTube’s catalog of rogue drivers fleeing the law, cinematic car scenes are still the medium of choice when watching humans hurtling at insane speeds and geometries

Understanding the exposure triangle is one of the basics of photography and filmmaking. It’s not tricky, but when you know how aperture, ISO and shutter speed work together to create an exposure, it makes a world of difference to your shooting. Perfect exposure Image by WClarke and Samsara

You need light to make an image; there’s no getting around this. But we don’t live our lives in perfect light. Night follows day. Interiors can be dim. Stories need to be told in low light, too. So how do you shoot video in low light? Here’s everything that you need to know, from choosing c

Slow motion is a ubiquitous term that all of us throw around, but to filmmakers, it means something very specific depending on how it’s employed. Slow motion is the process of playing back footage at a slower frame rate than it was recorded. For example, to a sports videographer, slow-motio

Sometimes, you can look at a scene and feel that it’s so sharp, so perfect, that it’s verging on the harsh. It can be overwhelming, and you might want to tone it down a bit, but not at the expense of making your shots blurry. The solution to a softer but not blurry scene might well be to us

Buying a new camera can be a lengthy, drawn-out process that, if you’re not careful, can quickly become overwhelming. Which is better, a mirrorless or DSLR? What’s your budget? What are your needs as a video creator? While the number of great choices out there can feel overwhelming, it’s gr

In film, television, and internet video, one of the most common microphones for creators is the “shotgun microphone.” So named because of its slotted tube’s resemblance to a shotgun barrel, it is used for highly directional audio pickup and recording. Anything outside of the shotgun microph

30 years ago today, a young writer/director exploded onto the Hollywood scene with a movie that would transform his career and those of the leading cast. The writer/director was John Singleton, and the movie was none other than Boyz n the Hood. With the 30th anniversary of the film upon us