Slow-motion footage can add drama, suspense, or beauty to your video production, but it also requires some careful adjustments to your camera settings. In this article, you will learn how to optimize your camera settings for slow-motion footage, and what factors to consider before shooting.
The first and most important setting to change for slow-motion footage is the frame rate, which is the number of frames per second (fps) that your camera records. The higher the frame rate, the smoother and slower the motion will appear when you play it back at a normal speed. For example, if you shoot at 120 fps and play it back at 24 fps, you will get a 5x slow-motion effect. However, not all cameras can record at high frame rates, and some may have limitations on the resolution, quality, or duration of the footage. Check your camera manual or specifications to see what frame rates are available and how they affect your video output.
Always make sure you have a big enough storage device (SD card, CF Express card, SSD etc.) when planning to shoot higher fps footage. High frame-rate videos tend to have larger file sizes as they typically have an increased amount of data.
All videos will have a set playback frame rate, depending on where they are displayed. Cinemas play at 24 frames per second. NTSC devices at 30 fps. PAL devices at 25 fps. So for a video being played on a UK television this will be at 25 fps. This means to record a video that plays in slow motion at 25 fps, you need to record at a higher frame rate than 25. E.g. recording 50 frames every second and playing these frames back at 25 frames per second means 2x slow motion. To work out the ratio of slow motion, divide your recording frame rate by the playback frame rate (e.g. 50/25=2x. 120/30=4x etc).
1. Use shutter angle if possible over shutter speed. Depending on camera settings will differ but for example. My Cine Cam is Micro 4/3 so when filming 160fps i will use a shutter angle of 37.5 to keep the target sharp and remove as much motion blur as possible. 2. Be prepared to crank that ISO and compensate with fstop. Some cameras come with a dual Native ISO so I always tend to start where the dual native kicks in and compensate by bumping the fstop to allow less light into the lens, this also increases the focal plane which keeps more of the target in focus for longer. 3. 750 characters is just not enough ??
To optimize camera settings for slow motion, increase your frame rate to at least 60 fps, preferably 120 fps or more for fluidity. Set your shutter speed to at least double your frame rate to minimize motion blur. Opt for the highest resolution available to counteract quality loss, and maintain a low ISO to avoid noise, compensating with good lighting. A wider aperture may be necessary for proper exposure due to the faster shutter speed. Always conduct tests to fine-tune these settings, ensuring the best slow-motion quality under your specific lighting conditions.
Lighting may affect how slow you can go due to flicker. You should be able to get to 50fps in the UK and 60fps in the US due to the frequency of the electricity supply. But, if you use them the other way round you may find flicker in your shots. Cheap LED lighting tends to produce more issues. Make sure you do test shots with your planned lighting and frame rates to make sure everything works.
The next setting to adjust for slow-motion footage is the shutter speed, which is the amount of time that your camera sensor is exposed to light for each frame. The general rule of thumb is to set your shutter speed to double your frame rate, or as close as possible. For example, if you shoot at 120 fps, you should set your shutter speed to 1/240th of a second. This will ensure that your footage has a natural motion blur and avoids flickering or stuttering. However, you may need to adjust your shutter speed depending on the lighting conditions, the speed of the movement, or the creative effect you want to achieve.
An alternative to ensure you're using the correct shutter is to use a shutter angle. The shutter angle should be set to 180° - which is the equivalent of doubling your frame rate.
Shutter speed can be a hack when it comes to shooting outside on a DSLR if you do not have ND Filters and would like to keep a low F stop. Everyone loves bokeh shots where your F stop is lower (1.2-2.8), so to keep your footage from being blown out, you can turn up your shutter speed while shooting in a higher frame rate like 60 or 120fps. I have used this many times while filming outdoors to keep a beautiful image.
#1 rule is minimum double of framerate. BUT don’t hesitate to go higher than the double . Result is a much more smooth and detailed slowmo.
The third setting to tweak for slow-motion footage is the aperture, which is the opening of your camera lens that controls how much light enters the sensor. The aperture also affects the depth of field, which is the range of distance that is in focus in your shot. The smaller the aperture (higher f-number), the more light you need and the deeper the depth of field. The larger the aperture (lower f-number), the less light you need and the shallower the depth of field. Depending on your desired look and exposure, you may need to adjust your aperture accordingly. However, keep in mind that changing your aperture will also affect your ISO, which is the sensitivity of your camera sensor to light. The higher the ISO, the brighter the image, but also the more noise or grain. The lower the ISO, the darker the image, but also the less noise or grain. Ideally, you want to keep your ISO as low as possible to maintain a clean and sharp image.
In my experience it would be better to try to stay on or near the cameras native ISO to get a cleaner image. Keeping your ISO as low as possible is a bad idea in some scenarios such as when you are filming outdoors and you already have plenty of light to work with, in these instances keeping a low ISO will actually reduce your highlight stops, lowering your iso in brighter scenarios actually takes away the latitude in your highlights making it easier to lose your highlight details basically telling the camera to sacrifice a few stops of dynamic range in the highlights and put it in the shadow details vise versa. A better choice when in the situation would be to put on ND and get enough lighting units in the space to properly light.
Bokeh is what makes a lot of shots in film beautiful. Where the background is blurred out and the highlights roll off. To create that look, you will need a lower F stop number which is your Aperture. Anything in the 1-2 F range is going to create that look for you. When it comes to ISO, you want to keep the number below 1600 on most cameras to keep the footage from starting to look grainy. The nicer the camera, normally, the better it can handle higher ISO numbers without grain.
The fourth setting to consider for slow-motion footage is the white balance, which is the color temperature of your shot that affects how warm or cool it looks. The white balance should match the lighting source of your scene, such as daylight, tungsten, or fluorescent. You can either use the preset options on your camera, or manually adjust the white balance using a gray card or a color meter. The white balance will affect how your colors look in post-production, so make sure you set it correctly before shooting. You may also want to choose a color profile or picture style that suits your video production. Some cameras offer different options for color profiles, such as standard, neutral, or flat. The color profile will affect the contrast, saturation, and dynamic range of your footage, and how much you can edit it in post-production. Generally, a flat color profile will give you more flexibility and latitude in color grading, but it will also require more work and skill.
Your camera should have a "white balance" button. Before starting recording, point your camera at something you know is white. It can be a wall, a t-shirt or, if you don't have anything else, remember to carry with you a white blank page. With that in focus, press the "white balance" button. This will tell your camera what white looks like in the light conditions you're shooting in. From that information, the camera will adjust all the other colors.
White balance is normally 1 of 3 colors if you have manual control over it. When you are indoors, on average your White Balance will be 3200k, if you are indoors yet have outdoor light coming in, your White Balance would be 4300k, and if you are outdoors, your White Balance will be 5600k. The higher the White Balance, the warmer (orange) your footage will be, the lower your White Balance, the colder (blue) your footage will be.
The fifth and final setting to check for slow-motion footage is the stabilization and focus of your camera and lens. Stabilization is the feature that reduces the camera shake or vibration that can ruin your footage. Some cameras have built-in stabilization, while some lenses have optical stabilization. You can also use a tripod, a gimbal, or a rig to stabilize your camera. However, be aware that some stabilization methods may crop or distort your image, or reduce the quality or resolution of your footage. Focus is the feature that ensures that your subject or object is sharp and clear in your shot. Some cameras have autofocus, while some lenses have manual focus. You can also use a follow focus system or a remote control to adjust your focus. However, be aware that some focus methods may be unreliable, noisy, or slow, or may not track your subject well in slow-motion. You may need to test and practice your stabilization and focus before shooting to avoid any problems or mistakes.
Remember if you are filming in slow motion that all of your actions will also be slowed - not just the actions of the subject! This means if you are filming in 4x slow motion, your focus pulls will also be 4x slower. Sometimes this will mean having to rack focus faster than normal so it feels natural when slowed down. As for stabilisation, any shakes or camera wobbles will seem reduced because they take longer to occur when played back. This is one reason why many people opt to shoot hand held "B-roll" in slow motion.
The general rule of thumb is to set your shutter speed to double your frame rate or close as possible, For example, if you shoot at 120 fps, you should set your shutter speed to 1/240th of a second. This will ensure that your footage has a natural motion blur and avoids flickering or stuttering.
Shooting in a studio, make sure your lighting is flicker-free. Do tests as you’ll be surprised how many so called flicker free lights, “flicker”.
Here are the main keys for shooting best slow motion footage: 1st set your camera to a higher frame rate. Most cameras have the option to shoot at higher frame rates. The higher the frame rate, the smoother your slow motion footage will be. 2nd adjust your shutter speed accordingly. Set your shutter speed to double the frame rate you're shooting at. This will help reduce motion blur and give you crisp slow motion footage. 3rd adjust your lighting conditions. Shooting at higher frame rates requires more light. 4th increase your ISO setting to make your camera more sensitive to light, this is tricky coz this can introduce noise into your footage. 5th must have enough storage. Shooting at higher frame rates will result in larger file sizes.
ND (neutral-density) filters are an essential piece of kit when you want to shoot slow-motion video in an outside environment. An ND filter allows you to have the correct shutter speed, ISO and aperture along with your high frame rate. Making your footage look as good and as natural possible!
The level of available light plays a pivotal role in crafting exceptional slow-motion shots. To achieve optimal results, it's essential to have ample illumination when undertaking these sequences. For indoor shoots, ensure that you have an abundance of video lights at your disposal. When working in outdoor settings with abundant natural light, I often opt for camera filters to maintain control and enhance the visual quality of the footage. This approach ensures that you have the tools necessary to capture stunning slow-motion shots, whether you're working indoors or outdoors, creating a positive environment for the creative process.