Are there "standard" FPS/Shutter Speed settings used in commercial filming?

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Hello friends,

I'm doing a filming project this weekend for a company filming a documentary. They've hired me to film some aerial B-roll footage.


Is there a "standard" frame rate & shutter speed I should film at, that would likely keep the look consistent? I admit I don't really understand FPS and shutter speed. But I know that I don't want my footage looking different from what they film...in other words, I'd worry my footage looks so crisp and sharp in 4K high def and theirs would be more cinematic...


So I wondered if there was a "standard" or "safe" setting I should use?


I have the phantom 4 pro.
 
24fps is more cinematic and ideally you want to want to get your shutter speed at double so about 1/50th second for nice smooth film. To do this you will need ND filters.
 
In addition to what Dandesbo wrote, I would say it would be perfectly reasonable to ask the people who hired you what frame rate they'd like you to shoot at. If the documentary is intended to be shown in theaters it's probably 24 fps. If it's for television primarily in the U.S. and Canada (I'm simplifying here) it could be 30 fps. If it's for television in Europe, it could be 25 fps. You have no way of knowing, and I'm sure the director has a preference.

Once you have the frame rate, ideally you want the shutter speed number to be about twice what the frame rate is. You'll have to round based on the selections available. So, 24 or 25 fps would get you a shutter speed of about 50 (1/50th of a second). 30 fps would be 60. This is so the shutter speed is slow enough that you get some motion blur and the videos won't be overly sharp and "digital" looking.

Set your ISO as low as possible, like 100 or 200.

With those two parameters set, point the camera at the landscape you're going to shoot video of right before you launch the flight. There will be an EV meter on screen that shows you how much you're over or underexposed. If it's daylight you'll be over exposed. This is where you put a neutral density filter (ND filter) on the camera lens to knock down the amount of light getting into the lens to what it needs to be. ND filters come in sets (PolarPro is highly regarded) of varying density. Use the one that brings the EV meter as close to the proper exposure as possible.

Here's a YouTube video that will explain a little more about using ND filters:

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Octoruss. You are going to a big world. Are you really up to professional photography. If you want to take these videos. Get an inspire with professional cameras.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
 
I use ph4 for photography I am a professional photographer but accept the restrictions. It is very good and I only fly up to 20'. If you need to ask about apertures you should not be selling your services to companies.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots
 
I use ph4 for photography I am a professional photographer but accept the restrictions. It is very good and I only fly up to 20'. If you need to ask about apertures you should not be selling your services to companies.
He didn't ask about apertures.
 
Is there an app that helps calculator which ND filter to pop on based on the FPS, ISO, and shutter speed you want to use and based on the current EV meter readings and where you need to get it?

Basically something to make it quicker to get up in the air and also reduce stress on the gimbal from constantly installing/removing the filters.
 
Once you have the frame rate, ideally you want the shutter speed number to be about twice what the frame rate is. You'll have to round based on the selections available. So, 24 or 25 fps would get you a shutter speed of about 50 (1/50th of a second). 30 fps would be 60. This is so the shutter speed is slow enough that you get some motion blur and the videos won't be overly sharp and "digital" looking.

Set your ISO as low as possible, like 100 or 200.

With those two parameters set, point the camera at the landscape you're going to shoot video of right before you launch the flight. There will be an EV meter on screen that shows you how much you're over or underexposed. If it's daylight you'll be over exposed.
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Mr. Salty, I went out and experimented with this today in noon sunlight. I set the ISO at 100, frame rate at 24 and 30 fps, then set the shutter speed at 50. But at those settings, it was so overexposed, no amount of reducing the EV would get rid of the overexposure zebras. I had to get the shutter speed up to about 800 to get reasonable exposure. Even if I added an ND filter, none are available yet for the Phantom 4 Pro. So I must be doing something wrong... 50 just seems to be too slow for normal operation...
 

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