Question about filters

[Pilotrob56]

Hi all, I am new to video. I use a variable ND filter when I shoot video with my cameras in manual mode. I am trying to get the movie/cinema look. Would adding a Cinebloom and Bluestreak filter to it give me a cinematic look with my current lens? I am talking stacking the three filters. Can you even do that? That would be three filters on my lens. Is that the best way to get that cinematic look with regular lens? I am looking for that anamorphic look. Thanks for any help with this.

 

[Off The Mark]

I think it will be best if you could better define what YOU mean by "cinematic" look.

Do you mean that you just want an anamorphic lens with blue flares?

Anamorphic lenses come in different squeeze factors.

Maybe you can post a link to a video that has the exact look you want to copy?

Also, on a side note, I would just kindly suggest that the term "cinematic" is meaningless.

Is Citizen Kane Cinematic? Ben Hur? Vertigo? The Searchers? Eraserhead? The Revenant? The Blair Witch Project? Napolean Dynamite? Parasite? A Chinese Ghost Story? (I loves me some Tsui Hark!!!), Bladerunner? Showgirls? The Room?

 

[Pilotrob56]

I think it will be best if you could better define what YOU mean by "cinematic" look.

Do you mean that you just want an anamorphic lens with blue flares?

I don`t have to have the blue flare but I like the fuzzy focus of the lights the anamorphic lens gives It also gives a pleasing look to the people too.

Anamorphic lenses come in different squeeze factors.

I don`t know much about the squeeze factor, just trying to get the anamorphic look with my Panasonic G9 and a 15mm f1.7 lens and 14-140mm

Maybe you can post a link to a video that has the exact look you want to copy?

This is the look I am after in this music video

Susie McCollum - You're In My Head (Official Music Video)

Also here is the guy who shot the video talking about it but he used anamorphic lens. I am trying to copy that look with my regular lens.

Is Micro Four Thirds the BEST for Anamorphic Filmmaking?

Also, on a side note, I would just kindly suggest that the term "cinematic" is meaningless.

Got it.

Is Citizen Kane Cinematic? Ben Hur? Vertigo? The Searchers? Eraserhead? The Revenant? The Blair Witch Project? Napolean Dynamite? Parasite? A Chinese Ghost Story? (I loves me some Tsui Hark!!!), Bladerunner? Showgirls? The Room?

Thanks for any help,

 

[Off The Mark]

Thanks for the clarification. I will watch through those videos over the next day or two (I did watch through about half the music video)

On a different tangent, to get the actual LOOK of the music video, you are going to need lots of lights and grip gear, too, as well as hair / makeup / wardrobe artists / set design / VFX and attractive actors.

But when I have time to watch the full BTS video, I will see if there are any easy things one can do to replicate the look.

 

[Pilotrob56]

Thanks for the clarification. I will watch through those videos over the next day or two (I did watch through about half the music video)

On a different tangent, to get the actual LOOK of the music video, you are going to need lots of lights and grip gear, too, as well as hair / makeup / wardrobe artists / set design / VFX and attractive actors.

But when I have time to watch the full BTS video, I will see if there are any easy things one can do to replicate the look.

Ok thanks for any info. I just didn`t want to get a anamorphic lens if I didn`t have to. Looks like the anamorphic lens really shine with the lights in very low light. Hoping to replicate the look with filters if possible.

 

[Off The Mark]

Thanks for the clarification. I will watch through those videos over the next day or two (I did watch through about half the music video)

On a different tangent, to get the actual LOOK of the music video, you are going to need lots of lights and grip gear, too, as well as hair / makeup / wardrobe artists / set design / VFX and attractive actors.

But when I have time to watch the full BTS video, I will see if there are any easy things one can do to replicate the look.

Ok thanks for any info. I just didn`t want to get a anamorphic lens if I didn`t have to. Looks like the anamorphic lens really shine with the lights in very low light. Hoping to replicate the look with filters if possible.

There are anamorphic "adapters" that I think can screw on to any photo lens.

And another look (not exacly like the one you linked to, but pretty popular) is the Helios 44 (or 44-2 is the cheaper version) lens. An old Soviet lens that can be adapted to mirrorless cameras.

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My Digital Signature (unrelated tot he above post):
WARNING: Rant About The State of Public Education in America!!!

 

[CanonC100User]

If it is the wide screen look you are after it can be done with an ultrawide lens. This example was shot on the Sigma 10-20mm lens at 10mm. When editing the timeline resolution was set to 3840x1600 giving an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, So only part of the original 16x9 is being used.. The top and bottom black bars are merely the blanking added by the 16x9 monitor and are not part of the video.

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DaVinci Resolve Studio, Avid Pro Tools, and a Canon C100 mk2.

 

[Pilotrob56]

Thanks for the clarification. I will watch through those videos over the next day or two (I did watch through about half the music video)

On a different tangent, to get the actual LOOK of the music video, you are going to need lots of lights and grip gear, too, as well as hair / makeup / wardrobe artists / set design / VFX and attractive actors.

But when I have time to watch the full BTS video, I will see if there are any easy things one can do to replicate the look.

Ok thanks for any info. I just didn`t want to get a anamorphic lens if I didn`t have to. Looks like the anamorphic lens really shine with the lights in very low light. Hoping to replicate the look with filters if possible.

There are anamorphic "adapters" that I think can screw on to any photo lens.

And another look (not exacly like the one you linked to, but pretty popular) is the Helios 44 (or 44-2 is the cheaper version) lens. An old Soviet lens that can be adapted to mirrorless cameras.

Thanks so much for your help! I will try the filters first just to see how close I can get to that look.

 

[Pilotrob56]

If it is the wide screen look you are after it can be done with an ultrawide lens. This example was shot on the Sigma 10-20mm lens at 10mm. When editing the timeline resolution was set to 3840x1600 giving an aspect ratio of 2.39:1, So only part of the original 16x9 is being used.. The top and bottom black bars are merely the blanking added by the 16x9 monitor and are not part of the video.

Thanks! I am going for the wide screen look and the widest lens I have is 24mm. Might have to look into a wider lens. Also all of this sqeezeing and unsqeezeing of the picture is something I am not familiar with. Isn`t that just for the anamorphic lens? My regular M4/3 lens are too sharp and clear for the look in the video I am shooting for. I am looking for that softer, velvet look the best I can describe it.

 

[CanonC100User]

The "look" is something you create in post. That includes softening the image, adding film grain, etc.

The best use of an anamorphic lens is on a camera that has the ability to use open gate to use the full area of the sensor. Un-squeezing of the image is normally done in your edit software.

The Sigma lens can be had for under a £100 secondhand on Ebay, which is where mine came from. I don't know how many lens mounts it is available in. Mine is designed for small sensors, my camera having a super 35 one.

 

[Pilotrob56]

The "look" is something you create in post. That includes softening the image, adding film grain, etc.

The best use of an anamorphic lens is on a camera that has the ability to use open gate to use the full area of the sensor. Un-squeezing of the image is normally done in your edit software.

The Sigma lens can be had for under a £100 secondhand on Ebay, which is where mine came from. I don't know how many lens mounts it is available in. Mine is designed for small sensors, my camera having a super 35 one.

May I ask what Sigm lens you are talking about? I have a Panasonic g9 I was going to use but I also have a Canon T6s (APS-C) that I can use for video. So maybe it would be in one of those sizes I don`t have opengate. Newbie here when it comes to video. Looks like there is alot more to learn about video than I first thought, lol. A steep learning curve by the looks of it. This squeeze and unsqueeze is all new to me. Can you get close to the "Look" with out all of that? This will be just for home movies. This has become my new hobby.

 

[CanonC100User]

I'm using the Sigma 10-20mm f4-5.6 EX DC HSM lens with the Canon EF mount. The DC letters indicate it is for smaller sensors like APS-C and Super 35. There is a review of it here.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sigma-10-20-4-5p6-n15

--
DaVinci Resolve Studio, Avid Pro Tools, and a Canon C100 mk2.

 

[Off The Mark]

So I guess I should clarify that I am not an expert on anamorphic lenses and filters. Just that I do know there are some filters out there that create SOME of the effects of anamorphic.

There are filters out there for adding the flares (usually EITHER blue, or orange, or a neutral color flare), then there are filters out there for the oval bokeh. Not sure if there are filters that can reduce the shallow depth of field in the edges of the frame, but there are definitely filters out there that will reduce the SHARPNESS towards the edges of the frame.

I watched through the video by Rhett Shull covering the BTS of the music video, He mentioned using plugins like Film Convert to give the video a film-like appearance as well.

So, again, I am not an anamorphic expert. Maybe if you poke around on the youtbe channel Anamorphic On A Budget you could get some ideas?

Anamorphic Channel

In-depth reviews and tests of anamorphic lenses and adapters. Find modding instructions, anamorfake tutorials and everything else CinemaScope related. I'm Tito Ferradans and this is the Anamorphic Channel.

www.youtube.com

If it were me, I would just think a bit more on what effect(s) exactly you would like to emulate, and then see if you could do it with some (relatively) inexpensive filters and / or free software. I would try to use the 15mm lens on the G9 that you already have.

However, if the 15mm lens is too sharp, you might try looking for an old all manual film lens that can be adapted cheaply, or a diffusion filter such as a black pro mist or glimmer glass or some other type of diffusion filter.

Hopefully someone can chime in with advice on specific filters for you.

 

[Pilotrob56]

So I guess I should clarify that I am not an expert on anamorphic lenses and filters. Just that I do know there are some filters out there that create SOME of the effects of anamorphic.

There are filters out there for adding the flares (usually EITHER blue, or orange, or a neutral color flare), then there are filters out there for the oval bokeh. Not sure if there are filters that can reduce the shallow depth of field in the edges of the frame, but there are definitely filters out there that will reduce the SHARPNESS towards the edges of the frame.

I watched through the video by Rhett Shull covering the BTS of the music video, He mentioned using plugins like Film Convert to give the video a film-like appearance as well.

So, again, I am not an anamorphic expert. Maybe if you poke around on the youtbe channel Anamorphic On A Budget you could get some ideas?

https://www.youtube.com/@AnamorphicChannel/videos

If it were me, I would just think a bit more on what effect(s) exactly you would like to emulate, and then see if you could do it with some (relatively) inexpensive filters and / or free software. I would try to use the 15mm lens on the G9 that you already have.

However, if the 15mm lens is too sharp, you might try looking for an old all manual film lens that can be adapted cheaply, or a diffusion filter such as a black pro mist or glimmer glass or some other type of diffusion filter.

Hopefully someone can chime in with advice on specific filters for you.

Thanks so much for the time you took to watch the video and all the tips. Some people have mentioned the black pro mist and cinebloom filters. One of those might be the answer.

 

[Off The Mark]

Thanks so much for the time you took to watch the video and all the tips. Some people have mentioned the black pro mist and cinebloom filters. One of those might be the answer.

You are welcome.

Yes, those filters are pretty common. Their are minor differences in most of those diffusion filters and a lot of it is how much halation (very light "blooming" around bright light sources that occurs) each filter has.

(BTW: In addition to a Black Pro Mist, I am pretty certain there is a White Pro Mist as well. Not sure exactly what the differences are, but it SEEMS like Black Pro Mist filters are more popular than White Pro Mist filters).

It might be that the effects you want to achieve are already available in your editing software. What Non-Linear Editor (usually just referred to as an NLE, which really means "video editing program," in human speak) do you plan on using?

The problem with doing effects in the NLE (instead of "in camera", which are often referred to as "practical effects") is that 1) you might have to pay for plugins to do the effects you want, and 2) there is generally a learning curve, and 3) they generally bog down your computer (in which case, you have to spend a LOT more money to upgrade your computer).

 

[Pilotrob56]

Thanks so much for the time you took to watch the video and all the tips. Some people have mentioned the black pro mist and cinebloom filters. One of those might be the answer.

You are welcome.

Yes, those filters are pretty common. Their are minor differences in most of those diffusion filters and a lot of it is how much halation (very light "blooming" around bright light sources that occurs) each filter has.

(BTW: In addition to a Black Pro Mist, I am pretty certain there is a White Pro Mist as well. Not sure exactly what the differences are, but it SEEMS like Black Pro Mist filters are more popular than White Pro Mist filters).

It might be that the effects you want to achieve are already available in your editing software. What Non-Linear Editor (usually just referred to as an NLE, which really means "video editing program," in human speak) do you plan on using?

I have installed CapCut and Kdenlive but haven`t messed around with them much yet. I plan on checking them out in the next couple of days.

Do you you know of a better one for beginners?

The problem with doing effects in the NLE (instead of "in camera", which are often referred to as "practical effects") is that 1) you might have to pay for plugins to do the effects you want, and 2) there is generally a learning curve, and 3) they generally bog down your computer (in which case, you have to spend a LOT more money to upgrade your computer).

 

[Off The Mark]

I have installed CapCut and Kdenlive but haven`t messed around with them much yet. I plan on checking them out in the next couple of days.

Do you you know of a better one for beginners?

Well... if you have time to dedicate to learning it, DaVinci Resolve is great. Resolve has several different features that they call "pages", and there are two different "pages" for editing video footage: The cut page, and the Edit Page.

The Cut Page is simpler and might be more intuitive. You might try and look up some tutorials SPECIFICALLY about the Cut Page in Resolve.

There are a few limitations with the free version, so not 100% sure it will work for you.

I used KdenLive before and it seemed [retty decent. I don't think it leverages the power of ones graphic card as well as Resolve does.

Hope this helps.

 

[Pilotrob56]

I have installed CapCut and Kdenlive but haven`t messed around with them much yet. I plan on checking them out in the next couple of days.

Do you you know of a better one for beginners?

Well... if you have time to dedicate to learning it, DaVinci Resolve is great. Resolve has several different features that they call "pages", and there are two different "pages" for editing video footage: The cut page, and the Edit Page.

I heard DaVinci Resolve is really good too. I will definitely look into getting it.

The Cut Page is simpler and might be more intuitive. You might try and look up some tutorials SPECIFICALLY about the Cut Page in Resolve.

Thats nice to know, I will check it out.

There are a few limitations with the free version, so not 100% sure it will work for you.

I used KdenLive before and it seemed [retty decent. I don't think it leverages the power of ones graphic card as well as Resolve does.

My gaming laptop has a Ryzen 7 with a RTX3070 graphic card so hopefully that will be fast enough.

Hope this helps.

It helps a lot. Thanks again for all your help, it is much appreciated!

 

[Off The Mark]

My gaming laptop has a Ryzen 7 with a RTX3070 graphic card so hopefully that will be fast enough.

Should be good for MOST things but if you start doing a LOT of effects, it could bog down.

And just to reiterate, if you want to give Resolve a try, I suggest you look at tutorials that focus on the Cut page of Resolve first. It's a simpler version of the Edit Page and might be better for people who are new to video editing.

Hope this helps.

P.S. The thing that worries me about CapCut is that their terms of service basically allows them to generate and use AI images derived from the actual images of people who are in the videos that are edited in CapCut. So if you shoot a video of a musician / artist / whoever, then CapCut is able to use their likeness for creating an AI image. I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice. But it sure SEEMS like that is how it works with capcut.

 

[Pilotrob56]

My gaming laptop has a Ryzen 7 with a RTX3070 graphic card so hopefully that will be fast enough.

Should be good for MOST things but if you start doing a LOT of effects, it could bog down.

And just to reiterate, if you want to give Resolve a try, I suggest you look at tutorials that focus on the Cut page of Resolve first. It's a simpler version of the Edit Page and might be better for people who are new to video editing.

Hope this helps.

It sure has helped. I have been messing around withi Resolve this afternoon. I ran across a Youtube tutorial about it and it has helped a lot. Been using the Cut page like you suggested. It looks like it will be fun once I get the hang of it. I have been working on a short video of one of my cats to get the hang of it. It will be my first movie. WoooooooooHooooooooo!

Thanks!

P.S. The thing that worries me about CapCut is that their terms of service basically allows them to generate and use AI images derived from the actual images of people who are in the videos that are edited in CapCut. So if you shoot a video of a musician / artist / whoever, then CapCut is able to use their likeness for creating an AI image. I am not a lawyer, this is not legal advice. But it sure SEEMS like that is how it works with capcut.