Stepping into the movie-maker mindset

The biggest shift: thinking in time, not moments

With photography, our stills can often tell a whole story (multiple stories, perhaps) in a single frame. We know how powerful this medium can be. With video, the meaning and story will emerge over time. One clip that stands alone in a video might tell a story, but the full meaning tends to emerge over the course of a sequence of clips stitched together – each one depends on what comes before and after.

When you capture video, yes, you still want each and every frame to stand strong on its own, but you also want to be mindful of where it fits into a timeline – what’s happening before this? What’s coming after? What’s the overall context?

A long-held static clip may or may not work. A moving subject is going to change how we read the frame. Anticipation and payoff are now part of your composition.

How camera settings behave in motion

By this point, your camera and lenses of choice are familiar tools. When we step into the world of video, we’re simply introducing ourselves to some new rules, looking to bridge our photography knowledge into the realm of video logic. With that in mind, let’s look at the following.

Frame rate

Frames per second (fps) is a new concept if you’re coming from the world of photography. Essentially, a lower frame rate of 24 or 25fps gives a more cinematic feel. If we record in a higher frame rate, it might feel a bit too ‘hyper-real’ with little to no motion blur. Where higher frame rates can prove very useful is in achieving slow motion footage.

Read more: How to choose frame rates

Shutter speed

In photography, our shutter speed can freeze or reveal motion. In video, shutter speed has a different purpose. It now controls how motion feels when we watch the footage. When you have natural motion blur, you get a more ‘cinematic’ movement. To achieve this simply use a shutter speed double that of your frame rate. It’s common in cinematography to film in 25 frames per second with a shutter speed of 1/50, as it creates that natural motion blur that looks the closest to how we’re used to seeing movement in real life. But if you use another frame rate simply double it to get the ideal shutter speed. The motion will feel smooth, intentional and familiar.

Read more: What is shutter speed?

ISO and aperture

The principles for ISO and aperture remain the same for both photography and video. What’s most important to remember here is that in video you have a lot less flexibility mid-clip. 

Let’s say you’re capturing a beautiful Norwegian fishing village through photography. There are indoor and outdoor scenes, so the lighting can be hard, then soft, then almost non-existent. As you go, you can easily adjust the ISO and aperture between each photograph, always adapting to the environment. 

With video, you can’t necessarily play with the ISO or aperture mid-clip. The audience will notice, and it can become quite jarring, taking them out of the moment. With this in mind, you have to plan a lot more before hitting record.

Read more: What is ISO?

One clip is no longer enough

Video is built through a relationship between multiple clips. Let’s go back to the Nordic village sequence. We want to establish where we are, show what’s happening and reveal why it matters. So now, instead of hunting for one perfect image as a photographer, you’re collecting various pieces that will make sense once stitched together.

It can be handy to think about the logic of wide, medium and close clips. The wide frame can establish the location of, for example, a quaint town nestled between majestic snow-capped mountains and icy blue waters. A medium frame focuses on a few rorbuer (the iconic red and white fishermen’s cabins) dotted along the shoreline. The closeup focuses on a bird perched on a cluster of rocks.

Wide, medium, close is context, action, detail. Together, these things provide clarity.

Top tip: Using a viewfinder for filmmaking is not ideal – you’ll most likely want to film with the camera slightly removed from your body, in front of you. This means you need a great backscreen. One of the highlights of the Nikon ZR is its bright 4-inch vari-angle touchscreen, which makes framing and reviewing moving sequences far easier without the need for external monitors.

Having the edit in mind

When we capture video, we want to be intentional. Thinking ahead for the edit will save you frustration further down the line. You want to have a list to tick off – those wides, mediums and closeups. If you record more than what’s on your list, that’s OK. When you capture more footage, it’s just giving yourself more options in the edit. 

As you record, you can already begin the edit in your mind. Why am I recording this? How does it speak to the other clips? Where on my timeline does it sit?

Why the Nikon ZR feels like a natural next step for photographers

If you’re stepping into the world of video from a photography background, then the Nikon ZR feels familiar, but it’s built for video from the ground up.

Its full-frame, 24.5 MP sensor and Nikon Z mount let you use the lenses you already know and love. The ZR combines internal RAW recording up to 6K/60p and a bright 4-inch vari-angle touchscreen that makes framing and reviewing moving sequences easier without external monitors. It also includes cinematic RED colour science and presets, intuitive autofocus, in-camera slow motion and robust audio capability. All of this comes in a lightweight body that invites you to explore sequence and motion as an extension of stills photography, not a departure from it.