How to Become a Good Follow Focus Puller

Are you facing difficulties using follow focus? Well, you're not alone. There are lots of people facing troubles as the act is easy but the mental pressure is quite huge. if you're a novice or an experienced, becoming a skilled expert requires much labor.

There is no denying the fact that a follow focus system is important because DSLR cameras don't have auto-focus capabilities. Now, the question arises, why do you need a follow focus system. Here's the complete guide.  

Why Do you Need a Follow Focus for your DSLR   

In simpler terms, the aspects of focus are quite complex and delicate. While filming, using your hands to make adjustments can be a perilous task to do and it can even lead to decrease the video production value of your video. And the reason behind is that because these cameras are lightweight and they wouldn't manage your subtle movements. This would ultimately result in the jumpy footage. 

These complications may be avoided when you are filming for a little audience as they are more of forgiving such technical errors. Talking about the scenario, if you are making videos of longer length, commercials or any other films, it is important for you to use a  follow focus DSLR to make sure that each shot should be crisp as possible. Attaining a follow focus puller helps you to achieve the best possible results you've always wished for.  

Steps to Become a Good Follow Focus Puller  

Following are the steps you can follow to become a good follow focus puller.  

1. Predict Distances

 

One of the easiest ways to become a better focus puller is to become accurate at guessing distances. Or in other words, you can say that you should become a human measuring tape. Make sure you start doing it by going into a room with a measuring device and sit in the corner. Take an object and note down the best guess for its distance and then write an estimation from where you were sitting. 
Once you've become good at this, you can choose an object and move on with the process of guessing and checking with an in-depth calculator. 

2. Start Paying Attention to the Public 

Make sure you go out to a public place like a park, a mall, and start paying attention to how people act around certain spaces. In addition, it is important for You to visit a variety of atmospheres where people will act differently. Talking about the settings, there are a plethora of settings like restaurants.  

3. Pretend the Motions 

To do this, just sit in a room and act like you are holding a follow focus DSLR. After that, look at the doorway and assume a character is walking in and sitting down in the room. Make sure you adjust follow focus if necessary. Furthermore, it emphasizes the motion of focus pulling and will get your mind to the direction in which you must pull to go a certain way.

Top Reasons Why You Should Choose a DSLR Camera

Do you feel disappointed with the quality of photos clicked from your phone? If so, then it's time to revamp your old camera with the best professional camera, i.e. DSLR. Needless to say, digital single lens reflex cameras (DSLRs) are the choice of serious photographers as these cameras help to deliver a superior performance when it comes to clicking pictures.

Here are the top reasons why you should choose or prefer DSLR camera than anything else.  

1. Better Picture Quality:
This is the first and foremost reason you should consider investing in a DSLR camera. When you consider images taken with a 10MP camera and a 10MP DSLR, you will find that the image taken from DSLR seems to be clearer than the one taken from a normal camera. Although the pixel count is the same, still DSLR can produce better quality images. And the reason behind it is that DSLR's uses much larger images with bigger pixels which help improve color accuracy substantially.  

2. Sharper Images:
Since the small cameras or mobile cameras use a single focus point which means the camera keeps searching for something to hold onto before you actually hit the shutter. The things, however, is quite different in terms of a DSLR camera. DSLRs use multi-point focusing systems which mean there's no point of delay. And the best thing is that you may take sharp shots with focus point almost anywhere.  

3. More Lens Options:
If you go for a DSLR, you will be welcomed to the world of optional lenses that feature top-quality than the glass used by low-quality digicams. There are some DSLRs that offer more than 60 lenses. No matter what your artistic vision is, there's a lens to capture it.  

4. Lots of Add-ons:
Purchasing cool stuff for your DSLR is an exciting job to do. And why it shouldn't be? You can choose filters, flashes, GPS units, tripods, and some extra accessories. With these, you can give your shots a pro touch with the help of the best professional camera, i.e. DSLR.  

5. Sturdy Construction: 
Since you are making a good investment in DSLRs, it is quite important for you to know these units are built much more sturdy than digicams. However, it doesn't mean that you will drop them on the floor, but you can do long hours of shooting for years.  

6. Good Response Time:
Talking about the response time, no one could be better than DSLRs in this aspect. All you have to do is just press the shutter on burst mode, and then the camera will start clicking away. Since the latter is more powerful, DSLRs can take a handful of shots before slowing down.

Why You Should Consider Follow Focus Puller

If you are a professional cameraman or a filmmaker, then it's important to consider purchasing a 'follow focus system' for your DSLR. Needless to say, a follow focus system is important and that the reason behind is DSLR cameras aren't capable enough. And this is where the question arises.....Why do you need a follow focus system? 

The need for a Follow Focus Puller  

There is no denying the fact that mathematics of focus is quite complex. Using your hands to make adjustments will definitely degrade the value of your video quality. These things are alright if you are shooting a documentary film because there are limited people and can forgive such minimal technical errors.  

Talking about the feature-length films, you need to measure out each scene and a good-quality follow focus help ensure that each shot should be of top quality.

Nothing ruins a video much more than a soft focus and that's the reason follow focus system is there to help you achieve the best results.  

What is the role of a Follow Focus   

With respect to exceptions, almost all follow focuses nearly on a huge number of gears, which are manipulated by a circular knob.  

All the professional camera lenses are outfitted with a gear on the focus barrel that helps to match the pitch size of the gear. If you are working with lenses that are still, then you should use gears that can attach to your lenses and guess what, they can do the same thing.  

When you line up the gears on the follow focus, you just have to turn the knob on the follow focus. The main advantage of using a follow focus has to do with accuracy and that's what we all want. The series of gears helps to give you more fine control over focus, which would ultimately help to decrease your likelihood of completely missing your focus pulls.  

Tips for Follow Focusing  

Once you've set up a follow focus, now all you need is to start to follow focusing. And at the same time, you should follow tips as well.  

1.Creates Marks:
If you clearly see, there is an outer circle of white plastic around the knob itself which is usually for setting focus marks, which is a general practice on narrative sets. Make sure you get your hands on some dry-erase markers because now you have to create marks. If you’re working on a project where rehearsals are possible, you can even dry-erase markers in order to set focus marks for a given shot. 

2.Practice:
No matter how you’re interacting with your follow focus, always bear in mind you should try to practice your pull a few times. In addition, get your hand and wrist used to where close-focus and infinity are. Pulling focus is a skill and the more practice you do, the more successful you’re going to be. 

3.Don't Fidget:
If you watch movies carefully, you’d be surprised how many times you see a shot that’s either slightly, or sometimes get out of focus. However, it doesn't mean that you should not follow the action, but if you are regularly fidgeting the action, you will end up looking like an amateur.

Things to Consider While Buying a DSLR Digital Camera

Whether you're a novice or an experienced or upgrading yourself in the field of photography, buying a DSLR digital camera isn't a cakewalk. These days, people are taking their picture clicking ambition levels to the fullest and that's the reason, they look for a digital camera that can work wonders for them.  

Talking about the meaning, DSLR stands for a digital single reflex camera that allows viewers to look through a lens and see what will show up in the final image. The best thing about these cameras is that they are available at cheaper rates, making easier for professional photographers to shoot top-quality images.

  

However, choosing the best one is still a concern for many. Don't need to worry, in this post, we'll talk about the choosing the best DSLR digital camera. 

 
1.Size of your Sensor:
Needless to say, it is one of the most important features that you should consider first while buying a DSLR camera. In every DLSR, there's an image sensor that helps to record the image and send it to your memory card. Always keep this in mind, the bigger the sensor, the more information it can capture. 
However, there are a number of sizes available, but there is a simple fact, the bigger, the better.  

2.Resolution:
Another crucial factor that contributes a lot in making your photos clearer, most people think that mega pixels help to measure the quality of the camera. In an honest way, these days, DSLR comes with more than enough mega pixels. If two cameras are differentiated only by the number of mega pixels then you won't be able to see any difference. If you do see a difference, it’s likely due more to lens or sensor quality than the resolution. 

3.Video:
Before buying a DSLR, make sure you take a look at the options available. For instance, there are some entry-level cameras that can record up to 1080p videos while others can't. If you don't have a plan for how many videos you will record, then a camera with a better video might be useful in the future.  

4.Editing  Features:
There are many quick editing abilities that help you edit photos right from the screen on the back by automatically making adjustments, applying filters or changing the exposure settings. Make sure that the DSLR  you choose, you be equipped with a variety of modes, including Action, Night, Portrait or Landscape.  

5.Appearance: 
Almost all DSLRs look good in appearance, however, there are still some considerations that you should keep in mind. Like, there are some cameras having LCD screens that are much better than the ones included on cheaper models. It has been observed that now, these cameras come with a touchscreen that is easier to navigate and offers a comfortable user experience.

How to Maintain a Focus on Moving Subject While Filming It Alone?

Keeping your focus on the moving subject and making adjustments with the lens to capture the subject with the best attributes is one of the most challenging tasks. And it can even worse situation if you are short on staff and shooting the film along with the moving subject. To make your task bit easier, this blog has shared few tips on how to maintain your focus on moving subject.

With the great advent of technology and innovation, many cameras come with autofocus in-build feature. This advanced feature can make your life easier and help you shoot the film like a pro if you know how to maintain your focus on the moving object. Until or unless you don’t know how to use this smart feature, you can’t reap the benefit.

Shifting your focus from the nearby object to faraway object within the same shot can be a daunting task for you, but with the smart follow focus techniques and setting up a system, you can easily shoot what you actually want to present to your audience. Shoot your video like a pro, a good composition, perfect lighting and colour are some of the essential things to get a clear and crisp image.

So if you're a beginner, here's how you can maintain the focus on the moving object:


1. Set the Focus
The most common technique to use follow focus is to use your hands smartly. Put your one hand on the camera and another on the focus ring to make instant adjustment throughout the shot. This is the most useful technique but sometimes beginners don't get the results due to lack of knowledge that when and how to keep their camera steady and pulling focus. With the little bit of practice and patience, this technique can give you the decent results.


2. Maintain the Distance
Another technique to keep your shot in focus while filming a moving object is to maintain a good distance between the camera and the subject throughout the shoot. Before you begin the shoot, determine the length and set the distance between the camera and subject to adjust the focus accordingly. You can ask your subject that while moving around the camera, they should maintain a certain distance to get the best shooting results.


3. Shoot At a Higher Aperture
If you're constantly shooting the moving objects then it is worth investing in the camera that comes with the inbuilt autofocus system. Not only these cameras can provide you better results but also allow you to target a subject and have the camera followed them around as they have superb motion tracking feature as well. If you can't afford to invest in these high-end cameras, then go for the best technique to use higher aperture get the object clicked in the best posture.

When it comes to shooting the film like a pro, everyone can’t afford to buy such a high-end camera, so in that case, you can use these tips to use follow focus in the best way.

3 DSLR Filmmaking Tips to Dramatically Improve Your Work

Have been curious about the DSLR videos and looking for the tips to bring great improvement in your work? This blog has rounded up some of the basic DSLR Video shooting tips to bring a great change in your work.

Now gone are those days when DSLR's were only limited to capture HD quality images, in fact, you can shoot amazing films if you are equipped with right DSLR video Accessories and have perfect shooting skills on hand. The latest version of DSLR cameras has revolutionized independent filmmaking with their ability to deliver stunning professional-looking videos in a cheap and compact package. They are fast becoming the camera of choice for cinematographers around the world, and reap the best benefits of this latest technology.

Here are the few tips that you need to keep in mind while shooting the film with DSLRs:

1. Know Your Camera Limits

All the DSLR cameras are not meant to shoot HD videos, so make sure the model you choose must be appropriate and inbuilt with all latest video shooting features. Before directly taking them to the shoot, it is advised to study, test and shoot with your camera as much as possible because some DSLRs work best in low light but have poor dynamic range, whereas others are fantastically sharp but may not produce good quality images. To get best from your product, you must know your camera inside and out.  

2. Slow Pans Are Your Enemy

Sometimes, shooting in 24p mode have a very difficult time to move your pan at slow speeds. In fact, the judder effect would be absolute worst when planning across an image with vertical lines. Actually, you should avoid unnecessary pans whenever possible. Simply shoot the second setup and get your take in two shots instead one to avoid having to pan too often.

3. Keep Changing Your Perspective/ Angle

People will see the things from the eye level of photographer. So does your photographer constantly record the world with the same altitude? The photographer should have good angle perspective to represent the things in the best way. You can bring a great change in your film by shooting it from your knees or high ground. See how other professionals move their gear and capture the things in an interesting manner.

Aside from having right skills and experience on hand, it is important to keep your video kit ready with all latest DSLR video accessories to shoot high-quality film with DSLRs.

4 Must-Have DSLR Video Accessories to Shoot HD Quality Film

Buying a DSLR camera is just the first step in your video journey. The most fun part is kitting and adding perfect DSLR accessories to your kit here and there and learning ins and outs of video production along the way to shoot a high-end quality film. So this blog has listed 4 essential DSLR camera accessories that can help you improve the quality of your video.

Shooting the film with a DSLR is simple but only when you are equipped with the right gears. No matter whether you are venturing into the world of DSLR videos for the first time or a high experience photographer, all you need to do is to just keep upgrading your DSLR kit with the latest accessories to bought up superb high-quality results. So here's the list of stuff that will make your movie making experience more interesting, enjoyable and more productive.

1. Have a Variety of High-Quality Camera Lenses

So if you have finally purchased that shiny DSLR camera body, the first main accessory to purchase is a lense. No matter how much you have spent in your DSLR, it can't do anything without a lense. The lens is actually to capture the image and broadly there are two main types of lenses. Zoom lenses as its name suggest and allow the user to zoom in and out to click the picture from a fixed position. Whereas prime lenses come with fixed width and do not offer any flexibility.

2. LED Panel

When shooting video, you will want a sharp dependable, controllable source of light and an LED panel is the perfect accessory to have a pitch. The higher you spend, the better you can buy LED panel for your DSLR kit, but there are few companies or brands that offers very decent bang for your buck at a competitive price.

3. Own a Professional Level Tripod Kit

A strong and sturdy tripod kit is essential for video and if you want smooth camera production, then it would be worth investing in a quality pan head. While buying the tripods, make sure that it should be super cheap, lightweight and inexpensive and not only meant for the still photos.

4. Quality Headphones

Since audio monitoring is the important part of shooting videos, it is vital to invest in right headphones for the job. There are such brands and companies that specifically designed monitoring headphones for sound professionals that ensure what you are hearing is what you're getting.