[Question] what kind of filming technique/equipment were used in these clips

[Yen Chang]

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0t-1-gZZsAc

 

In this first one, I think it racks the focus with a special lens put in front of the camera. Or it is simply done in the post-production?

 

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OB0XVyddSo&feature=youtu.be

 

It's like a time-lapse but seems to be a stop-motion video. How to create this kind of effect?

 

Thanks, folks?? :>

[David Mullen ASC]

The first one is just shifting / racking the focus on a longish, maybe macro lens.

The second one is harder to decide, it feels like normal speed footage shot with a short shutter angle that was sped up now and then in post, as if you were scrolling through the footage. Stop-motion normally feels crisper than low frame-rate footage sped up because of the shutter time issues, a stop-motion shot might only be shooting at, let's say, one frame every second, but it can have a shutter time of whatever you want, maybe a normal one for 24 fps like 1/48th. 

Whereas if you actually ran the camera at 1 fps with a 180 degree shutter, your shutter time would be 1/2 of a second per frame, so there would be a lot of motion blur in each frame.

[Phil Rhodes]

I wonder if that's just someone holding down the button on a DSLR and shooting a load of stills.

[Yen Chang]

@David Mullen ASC

Hi David, 

Thanks for your answer!! That makes much sense. To double check, I wonder whether it's the frame rate or shutter speed that really matters to the visual effect shown in the second video.

I suppose if we speed up a low frame rate video we can get a fast-moving but choppy visual like this one, but if with a higher frame rate the motion will appear smoother.

Correct?

Chris

 

 

[David Mullen ASC]

Obviously if the frame rate is higher there are more motion samples to create smooth motion despite the fact that usually the PER FRAME shutter time is shorter at higher frame rates so there is less blur PER FRAME. 

So if you shot at a higher frame rate BUT dropped frames to create normal speed at 24 fps playback, then the motion would be choppier, as if you used a shorter shutter angle at 24 fps.

[Yen Chang]

Appreciate that!