The concrete test of the image

Our director of photography has prepared a fun and instructive test for you. He filmed the same shot in three different ways. This exercise allows us to see at first hand the nuances in quality that are characteristic of these three ways of shooting.

Find out more about the implications in terms of materials, time and skills required for each below.

Plan 1

In this first version, the cinematographer used a high-quality cell phone. He didn't light and ignored his notions of framing in the manner of an untrained videographer.

The plan was completed in a matter of minutes.

You'll notice that the figure appears to be embedded in the wall of the room. The environment looks clinical. The face is hard to focus on, and the image shakes, because there's no support, apart from an automatic stabilizer, to hold the cell phone in place. The cell phone may have its virtues for travel souvenirs, quick testimonials or family videos, but it's hard to achieve cinematic results with this one.

Plan 2

In this second version, the cinematographer used a DSLR camera. These are high-quality cameras offering a wide choice of lenses and the possibility of using depth of field for video. Today, this type of camera is most often used with a Ronin or any other gyro-stabilizer with a wide-angle lens to achieve fluid movement.

In an attempt to mimic this style, the cinematographer executed fluid camera movement with a wide-angle and standard framing. However, he still didn't light, direct or play with the staging to make her stand out. A colorist also calibrated the image with a basic formula to give it a level of saturation and contrast that resembled reality.

The result: our figure's eyes are unfortunately hidden in shadow, distracting reflections draw our attention behind her, and she always seems embedded in the background. It all took about 10 minutes.

Plan 3

In this third and final version, the cinematographer brightened things up. Artificial lights were used to give a clear view of the subject's eyes, highlight his skin and create a warm atmosphere. He also used a polarizing filter to eliminate distracting reflections in the background. The cinematographer attached a telephoto cinema lens to a camera designed specifically for video. The effect of this lens is to maximize a cinematic blur enhanced by the foregrounds carefully placed by the cinematographer. The cinematographer also imitated the reflection of the sun behind the figure to detach her from the background.

For this shot, the cinematographer called on the services of a director to direct the extra. You'll notice the difference in the expression and rhythm of her movements. With the help of his solid experience and technical mastery, the time it took the cinematographer to accomplish the whole thing was about 30 minutes.

Optimal quality

You'll have gathered that at Productions Optimales we offer the latter standard of quality. We believe that our customers' images should be treated with the same deference as their products or services. With this level of cinematography, we get the viewer's seriousness and attention right from the first frames of the video. The result is an impression of professionalism and refinement, conducive to greater impact on the audience. There are no limits in video, just think of Hollywood's multiple crews with their cranes and closed streets. It all depends on time, crew size and budget.

You want production with a focus on Optimales quality, contact us !