2023 Canada Day Celebration Fireworks at The Beaches in Toronto

In this video I use my Sony A7IV, with a 55mm prime Zeiss lens, with a shotgun mic and edited in Final Cut Pro. I converted using a LUT, colour graded via Maxon One Magic Bullet Looks, Colorista, Mojo and Renoiser and then edited the sequence together.

The video is of Canada Day here at The Beaches in Toronto. The video attempts to convey us, as human beings, coming together, with strangers mind you, to celebrate, Canada Day. I contemplated the notion of 'blowing off steam', the need for connection and celebration. The video also has police lights, drone and All-terrain vehicle which at times is juxtaposed, perhaps even futuristically (apocalyptic?) with the dance party celebrations. Fireworks, people, my friend and I, open up the sequence at the beach.

How to Use the Elgato Stream Deck + for Video, Photo Editing & Productivity

In this tutorial video, I show you how to use the Elgato Stream Deck + for video, photo editing & productivity, including using Smart Profiles from SlideshowFX for Final Cut Pro, After Effects and Lightroom. I'll also cover how to use Keyboard Maestro to set up launchers for apps and websites, using the Stream Deck +'s 'dial stacks.'

Top 10 Sony A7IV Menu Setup Tips: to Speed Up Your Video Shooting Workflow (PART 1)

The following Top 10 Sony A7IV Menu Setup Tips will be covered in this Sony tutorial video:

1. Setting up a key to 'Gamma Disp. Assist Type' as a Key

2. Simplifying the display

3. Customizing your Favorite Menu

4. Customizing the recording button to change between Focuses

5. Set white balance as a Key

Vlog: East End Work - Cinematic B-Roll of Toronto East End (Queen East & Broadview)

The following vlog was taken from the east end of Toronto, where I captured some cinematic b-roll shots of Queen East, Broadview, Danforth and along the Don Valley.

Making My Way Through the Demystify Color Course

I'm currently making my way through the Demystify Color course by a nice fellow from Austria, who's a professional Colorist. The aim is to become a better color-grader myself, particularly to understand the foundations of color-science and developing that 'film look' in Davinci Resolve. Check out the course's promotional video here and enjoy the proper post-production aesthetic your video deserves:

My Current Editing Post-Production Workflow for Instagram Stories

In this blog post, I will share my steps to my post-production workflow using Sony DSLR footage in Final Cut Pro X; post-production is what occurs after the shooting of the video - the editing component.

I shot a video at High Park here in Toronto. I’ll be using this video as an example to explain my post-production workflow:

A Couple Pointers of How I shoot My B-Roll With My DSLR:

For this video, I shot the footage vertically, as opposed to horizontally, using my Sony A7II. This allows for the best quality in terms of shooting for Instagram Stories.

The critical point is to shoot/ use the gear for the format of the video you plan to deliver. So, in this case, because I was shooting for an Instagram Story, to get the best resolution, I shot with the camera vertically.

In terms of frame rate, I shot in two formats using my DSLR/ I used both 60 frames so that I could slow the footage in post, and 24 frames per second, recording in 4K.

I could have shot in a log profile (S-Log 2) to get the best most desired results in terms of dynamic range. However, because for my workflow, I’m working on simplicity and minimalism, I choose to bring just one camera, with one lens (my nifty fixity 1.8) and shot in the built-in standard settings for this shoot.

My Post-production Workflow:

For my videos, I often start by giving a quick overall cut of my footage. I will use the Command ‘A’ to ‘select’ the clip in Final Cut and ‘B’ for the ‘blade tool’ to quickly edit the best shots. For me, this initial cut is focused on my ‘creative eye,’ as well as focusing on the story I want to tell. I try not to overthink this initial step and consider it more art than science.

After I have made this initial cut, I may then bring in music. I’ll pick a track on Epidemic Sound and will cut to the beat and rhythm of the song. This next part will focus on the story in terms of the sequence of clips and the overarching themes I uncover as I edit. Using my chosen song, I will often edit to a build-up or climax of the song. In short, I will structure the edit using the song, timing the cuts to the rhythm, beat and build-up/ climax of the song.

I have been focusing more on the pacing of my videos, so this is where I’ll spend the majority of my edit.

After I have made these two categories of edits, I mostly have the skeleton of my video, edited to the beat and rhythm of the song. I’ll then turn to colour grading my footage.

As mentioned, I often will shoot in a ‘flat profile,’ such as S-log 2, using the Sony Profiles. But for this example and video used at High Park, I decided to shoot the video in its original capture setting. This allowed for less colour correction.

I will then do an overall edit of the video, correcting the footage using Magic Bullets Colorista IV. I will focus on lowering the shadows and upping the mid-tones and sometimes the highlights, often utilizing an s-curve, allowing for a more excellent dynamic range. I may also touch up the colour temperature, exposure and highlights.

Once I have the bade colour correction, I will add a LUT using Magic Bullet Looks 4. A favour LUT I will apply is the Blockbuster Warm.

The LUT will often be too intense, so I will lower it considerably, often reducing it to between 10%-30%.

After this LUT treatment, I turn to Magic Bullet Mojo II. Mojo gives that Hollywood look, offering a beautiful teal look in the shadows and upping orange in the highlights. Mojo can be a bit strong as well, so I will switch it to the video section because I didn’t shoot the video in a flat format. I will also use the light preset as I find it offers a lighter treatment of Mojo to my footage. After this, I will go ahead and lessen the amount, hovering between 10-30% as well.

My final step is to apply a grain effect, using Magic Bullet Renoiser. There is a nice feature in this effect, to select either Image Vitamins or Compression Proofing.

I will then go into the edit a make minor adjustments to each clip, cutting up the adjustment layer.

Then, after I have made a base colour edit, and have the basic story down in the video, edited to the beat, I will focus on sound design.

My Sound Design Workflow.

I will go through each clip, adding sound to each clip.

For my High Park video, I added nature sounds - particularly bird sounds to all clips.

I then added a backpack sound, a bike sounds with a bell, a runner sound and a whoosh sound when transitioning from a tree, as examples of added sounds added to the footage.

A crucial step you can do is extend the sound before and after the clip, allowing you to transition to each clip.

A Final Couple pointers

A key feature I’m trying to incorporate is to tie my clips better together using logical sequencing.

So, for example, I may share a similar object or theme between clips. For instance, in the High Park video, I used similar scrubs to transition clips. In another shot, I added several shots of a bird, to tell a story; I also used the brightness of the sun, to both begin and end the sequence of the story.

I hope this video was helpful to give you some tips on your video editing workflow.

I’d encourage you to get creative if you enjoy photography and video.

Thank you for watching my video. Don’t forget to like this video and subscribe.

What Is the Ideal Length for Your Social Media Video?

Think ‘Shorter Is Sweeter’ and ‘Content is King’ in Terms of Your Social Media Posts for Your Brand*

Do you struggle to consider how long to have your social media posts or ads? According to Matthew Barrett, Senior Videographer at Prodigy, a Toronto-based Educational Tech company, ‘shorter is sweeter’. He considers 15-30 seconds as the ideal length for a social media ad, but this depends on the social media platform your brand is using.

If your video is not a social media ad, and you are doing more an educational or instructional video, then the content can be longer. Social media platforms such as YouTube are better served with this longer form content; Instagram content is often shorter.

Production value of your video matters, according to Matt, but ultimately ’content is king’. You can shoot on an iPhone if it means the content is there. But if you don’t have the quality content your audience seeks, then it won’t really matter if you shot the video on a $40K RED camera.

So for your next social media post, think ‘shorter is sweeter’, but also consider the quality of the content your audience is seeking.

Through The Creative Eye The Creative Eye: Matthew Barrett, Videographer

In this Series, Through The Creative Eye, I interview Matt, Senior Videographer at Prodigy, regarding what brands should be looking for in a videographer and what story engages an audience. 'Through the Creative Eye, is an interview series, featuring Toronto-based creators. The series explores the artist's inspiration behind their art and what drives their creative expression.

Through the Creative Eye: Who Is Sumartist? And How Does Nipsey Hussle Inspire His Art?

In this video, Sumartist, a local Toronto-based artist, speaks about what inspires his art and why he painted the street mural of Nipsey Hussle in the Graffiti Alley. 'Through the Creative Eye, is an interview series, featuring Toronto-based creators. The series explores the artist's inspiration behind their art and what drives their creative expression.

The Importance of Dynamic Range for Your Promotional Video

Considering dynamic range is essential for a cinematic image, as it allows more degrees in terms of light, which is closer to what the human eye captures. Let me explain:

The Human Eye & Dynamic Range of a Camera

Dynamic range is the ratio between the maximum and minimum measurable light intensities. Cameras have different dynamic ranges, depending on the power of the sensor. For instance, the human eye can capture 24 stops of light, while a typical DSLR camera can capture up to 12 stops. The 6K Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera I work with has 13 stops of light! Higher-end cameras, such a what is used on Hollywood film sets, like ARRI cameras or a RED, have up to 17 stops of light.

Taking Full Advantage of Dynamic Range of Your Camera

When you can expose the shot correctly, without losing any detail in the highlights (the brighter part of the image) and the shadows (the darkest part of the picture), you are taking full advantage of your cameras dynamic range. This is why people shoot in RAW formats or 'flat profiles' (i.e. such as S-log and C-log) as it allows for a higher amount of stops of light. Capturing the full dynamic range for your camera is pleasing on the eye, as it's closer to what the natural eye naturally picks up in terms of gradience of light. Taking full advantage of the dynamic range of your camera is an essential component of capturing what is often referred to as a 'cinematic image.'

In this video, I describe the importance of dynamic range and natural light in capturing an interview.

Framing, Leading Lines & Geometry for Your Promotional Video

When shooting your next promotional video, consider how you frame and use lines for your shot. When we frame and use lines for our business video, we are directing the viewer to a given subject and drawing the attention of the eye. This produces a more professional and intentional video for your audience. So for you next, consider adopting these cinematic techniques.

Leading lines

When lines are directed towards the subject, our eyes intuit that they are who we should be paying attention to. It is pleasing to the eye to see leading lines, as our eyes naturally follow symmetry. This is why the top Hollywood movies use the leading lines technique often. So for your next promotional video, consider how you use lines as part of your composition.

Framing Your Shot

There are many ways to frame a shot. This is often best done by having an object be in the foreground, which frames what the main shot is featuring. As you can see in this photo, the CN Tower and cityscape is framed by the three on the right. This other shot is framed by the part of the building being in the foreground.

Rule of Thirds

Rule of a Thirds is a popular photography and cinema convention, which splits the image into nine equal parts. The belief is that my setting the main feature of the image in one of the the four intersections, that it leads to a more pleasing composition. Most beginners will shoot a given subject in the centre, which certainly can be a delightful picture. However, Rule of Thirds, for me at least, is a technique I often implement when shooting my subject in my promotional videos. I also try and incorporate leading lines and framing.

For your next promotional video, consider using symmetry, leading lines, framing and geometry when shooting. Your viewer will intuit a more pleasing shot, and it will keep the focus on the subject when they are speaking.

Why Blackmagic 6K Can Deliver Cinematic Quality for Your Business

I recently purchased the Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema 6K Camera. What this camera allows, is for me to produce true cinematic quality for my clients and personal projects, be it for promotional or instructional commercials, high-end interviews or film features.

6K 12-Bit Raw: Cinematic Goodness

The Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema 6K Camera can shoot in 6K 12-Bit Raw. What does this mean? Well, for short, it means an overall better image. Mainly, shooting in 6K allows me to deliver a more pixel sharp image, as well as for the ability to ‘punch in’ or zoom in to the image if needed in post. Raw allows me to colour correct and grade with much more freedom, including adjusting aspects such as colour temperature, Exposure and ISO in post.

4K Deliverable: Increasing the Longevity & Sharpness of Your Video

Most clients now desire a 4K deliverable in 2020. Social Media sites such as YouTube are allowing the ability to upload to 4K and higher. New TVs are also now 4K and higher. So when I can deliver 4K footage for my clients, it’s providing for them the current standards needed in 2020 and moving forward into the decade. Furthermore, it allows for the future-proofing of archival footage, substantially increasing the longevity of the video delivered.

What Is 12-Bit?

A 12-bit space is essentially the degree of colour able to be included in the captured footage. Most DSLRs shoot in 8-bit, which means you’re gaining more colour when shooting 12-bit video with a cinema camera. When colour correcting/ grading 8-bit footage, a process that occurs when editing footage in post, colours I have found can quickly degrade. This is especially the case when shooting on the Sony A7RII. Specific colours get too pulled apart, i.e. many colour artifacts are introduced, meaning the image does not look great. The reason for this, is that there is only so much you can push colours, in terms of colour correcting, in an 8-bit colour space. However, a 12-bit is a significant step above what I used to with my DSLR. I can pretty much adjust an image to any individual style or design I want, which allows for greater creative freedom.

Shooting Raw Gives You the Best Image

The fact that I can shoot in Raw, as well as a 12-bit colour space, means I have a lot more room to push the image and colours in post. Raw is essentially the same as what you find if you were shooting a Raw image vs a JPG in photography. All the details are captured in the Raw image, as Blackmagic creates a ‘sidecar file’ which can be read and adjusted in post. It essentially allows for more flexibility to play with, as the video is closest to its original capture. In other words, as the image is less compressed, it allows for greater flexibility in grading and editing of the footage. For more details on what Blackmagic Raw (BRAW) is, see the following video by Blackmagic:

One Minor Downside of Shooting in 6K Raw

Yes, it’s impressive that you can shoot in such a high resolution, but the file sizes and the ability for your computer to process the video can be a bit more challenging. It certainly takes more planning to have an efficient workflow to grade and edit the footage. I’m currently working on ways to improve my video workflow, as when you have much larger file sizes, and your computer needs to process these larger files, it can take more time. I’m confident with my current testing and workflow that my editing will become much more efficient, so I can spend less time editing and more time shooting or enjoying the efforts of my labour.

Conclusion

6K 12-Bit Raw is a game gamer in terms of the cinematic quality I can deliver for clients. This means more professionally, and higher-end promotional commercials and films can be produced using my camera. Indeed it’s an exciting time to an independent filmmaker in 2020!

If you liked this blog post, please like, comment and tell a friend.

Why Teal and Orange Are Two Popular Colours for Video

What is the Teal and Orange Look?

The Teal and Orange look is a popular colour science trend used in video and images. It has been a conventional trend in Hollywood movies and TV for at least a decade now and is still very much in vogue. It is often attributed to the cinematic look you see in Blockbuster movies.

But why is the Teal and Orange look such a popular colour schema to use in film? The main reason is that teal and orange are two complementary and contrasting colours. But what in particular makes these two colours such complimentary, as indeed there are other complementary colours? Well, teal is used in the shadows (the darker part of an image), while orange is used in the highlights (the brighter part of an image). Orange is a flattering colour for skin, as skin colours exist on the orange spectrum. So when the highlights are orange, it compliments and draws one's eyes to the subject's skin. It helps contrast the subject from the background. Thus, it is flattering for the talent, as it helps draw attention to the person speaking or acting. In short, it creates a flattering depth to the image focusing on the subject.

So next time you’re watching a popular Blockbuster film, see if you can spot this trend. For instance, I recently watched the TV series Westworld. In the HBO show, the Teal and Orange look is often used:

After you understand this popular look, it’s hard not to see Teal and Orange.

The Teal and Orange look can also be referred to the 'California look’. It’s no coincidence, as Hollywood is the leader in terms of defining this iconic look.

Overused Trend?

Some critics in the film industry will say that the Orange and Teal look is overused. This may be the case, but certainly, if you want to make your video more cinematic, you can't go wrong with this look popular colour scheme. YouTube creators I follow, also highlight this point.

Future Blog Post I’ll Show You

In a future blog post, I'll show you how I colour grade, to get the Teal and Orange look. This can be accomplished by either pulling the highlights to orange and dropping the shadows to teal or you can also add a LUT using the Orange and Teal look. Stay tuned, and I’ll show you how to do this in a future video!

If you liked this blog post, please consider sharing it and subscribing to my YouTube channel, for quality educational content on the subject of video production.

How to Create Cinematic Video Using Red Giant’s Magic Bullet Software

In this video, I walk you through my 5 steps when creating cinematic videos using Magic Bullet Software by Red Giant. For more information on tutorials of Red Giant software visit their website: