02 Digital cinematography

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02 Digital cinematography
DAD141P Principles of Basic Video Editing and
Production
2
Aspect Ratio

• Television screen is a different shape than the
  screen in a movie theater.
• The technical term for the difference in shape is
  aspect ratio, which means the proportional
  relationship between width and height.
• Traditional forms of video use a 4x3 aspect
  ratio, and widescreen video uses 16x9.

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Widescreen Aspect Ratios

• While 16x9 is commonly referred to as widescreen
  there are, in fact, a number of other widescreen
  aspect ratios. Each of the following widescreen
  aspect ratios has an even greater width to height
  ratio than 16x9. If you shoot at any of these
  aspect ratios, you'll need to make some
  adjustments to fit your work on a 4x3 or even a
  16x9 screen.
• 35 mm film displays at a ratio of 1.85x1, which
  is slightly wider than 16x9.
• Widescreen Anamorphic, which has an aspect ratio
  of 2.35x1, requires a special lens on the camera
  and another special lens on the projector. This
  extremely wide aspect ratio creates a frame
  that's more than twice as wide as it is high
  (approximately two and one third units of width
  for every one unit of height).
• 70 mm film, used to shoot widescreen epics such
  as The Poseidon Adventure, Apocalypse Now, and
  The Thin Red Line, displays at 2.0x1.

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169 to 43 Conversion
Compressed
Pan Scan
Letterbox
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43 to 169 Conversion
Stretched
Curtains
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Anamorphic Video

• Mini DV native aspect ratio is 4x3
• Higher-end mini DV camcorders that offer a true
  16x9 recording option to affordably shoot
  widescreen digital video.
• 16x9 video recorded on one of these mini DV
  camcorders uses a process called anamorphic
  video.
• Test whether your mini DV camcorder records
  anamorphic media.
• If, for one reason or another, you shoot at 4x3
  and your finished project becomes so successful
  you need a 35 mm print for theatrical
  distribution, you have to use one of the
  techniques described earlier in this chapter to
  make your material fit a widescreen aspect ratio.
  
• If you know all along, however, that you plan to
  exhibit your work in a widescreen format (16x9
  digital video or 35 mm film), you can simplify
  things by shooting 16x9 from the start. That way
  you'll never have to make a round peg fit in a
  square hole.

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Frame Rate and Video Standards

• Frame rate the no. of images that appear on
  screen each second.
• The broadcast video standard for North America is
  called NTSC and uses approximately 30 fps (29.97
  to be exact).
• Europe uses a different video standard, called
  PAL uses 25 fps.
• NTSC method is referred to as interlaced video,
  since each frame is made up of two interlocking
  frames. (30i)
• PAL, on the other hand, uses progressive video,
  because PAL displays a progressive series of
  complete images one after the other. (25p)
• Film and some forms of high-definition video run
  at a progressive 24 fps (or 24p) a full six
  frames per second less than NTSC video.
• The 24 fps progressive option eliminates the need
  for pulldowns in video-to-film transfer, and,
  combined with the camera's ability to shoot 16x9
  video, it becomes easier than ever to shoot mini
  DV and distribute your work in a professional
  format.
• A rate of 24 frames per second results in easier
  transfers to film.

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Video on Your Computer, Pixel Aspect Ratio

• Unlike video, which uses lines of resolution to
  create images on a television screen, computer
  monitors create images using thousands of small
  squares called pixels.
• If you're creating images in a program such as
  Adobe Photoshop, and you plan to use them in a
  video, you need understand pixel aspect ratio to
  ensure your images don't distort.

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Why It All Matters in DVD Production

• Until recently, years after digital cameras and
  editing systems became standard equipment for
  independents, filmmakers still had no choice but
  to output their work onto VHS for home viewing.
  VHS is an analog format, so image and sound
  quality always suffered.
• You can make a DVD that displays 4x3 content,
  16x9 content, or both. you can give the user a
  choice of watching a letterboxed 4x3 version of
  your widescreen masterpiece or the original 16x9
  version, but you then need to produce a 4x3
  version along with a 16x9, and make sure there's
  room for both on your disc.
• DVD menus can contain just about anything you
  dream up, including moving images, background
  audio, and complex image montages you create in
  the editing application of your choice

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Swing-out Monitor, Viewfinder, or External NTSC
Field Monitor

• A field monitor is designed for use on location
  shoots. It features a variety of professional and
  prosumer video inputs, and lets you see your
  footage exactly as it will appear on a television
  screen.
• If the nature of your shoot doesn't permit you to
  work with an external field monitor, a camera's
  onboard LCD monitor may be a better choice. The
  image displayed in a camera's onboard monitor
  probably won't provide the exact and precise
  results of an external NTSC monitor, but the
  freedom of movement you gain may be worth the
  trade-off
• A third option is to simply look through the
  camera's viewfinder. One of the chief benefits of
  using the viewfinder comes from the way you hold
  the camera. If you're shooting handheld, the
  action of holding the camera's eyepiece to your
  face can help stabilize your shot the camera,
  your arm, and your body form a triangular shape
  that's naturally stable.

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Working with a Viewfinder Color Versus Black
and White

• The image your audience sees on screen will most
  likely appear at a substantially larger size than
  the image you see in a field monitor, and will
  definitely appear larger than what you see in the
  viewfinder.
• Imperfections become more visible in larger
  images, so while you might not notice soft focus
  in the viewfinder, it can be really obvious to
  someone watching your work on a large screen.
• Viewfinder images with greater contrast make it
  easier to spot focus mistakes, and black and
  white viewfinder images generally contain more
  contrast than color images. So, although black
  and white may seem really low tech and less
  attractive, using a black and white viewfinder
  might help you make a better movie.
• Lastly, the color you see in a viewfinder, or
  even a swing-out monitor, may not be the exact
  color you see on an NTSC monitor anyway. Color
  management is a complex and precise process that
  requires measurement beyond what you can see in a
  color viewfinder.

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Thank you