Camera Tech: Shutter Speed

Shutter speed is the speed in which the lens gate on a camera opens and closes during a shot or whilst filming, on DSLR cameras this speed can be manually adjusted to create different effects. Shutter speed effects the amount of time the camera sensor is exposed to light and can also affect how movement appears in the image. For example a slow shutter speed would mean the camera lens gate is left open for longer periods of time, exposing the cameras light sensor for longer and capturing movement at a slower rate, whereas a fast shutter speed would rapidly open and close the cameras lens gate, limiting the amount of time the sensors are exposed to light and capturing quick movement instantly.

Shutter speed is measured in direct relation to the cameras Aperture settings at a 2:1 scale e.g. an aperture of f/2.8 is equal to a shutter speed of 1/1000s so the wider the aperture the faster the shutter speed this is to ensure that the camera is exposed to the correct amount of light to produce the image and is not overexposed, the highest shutter speed for a typical DSLR camera today is roughly 1/1600s with the lowest being 1/10s. Below is an example of how shutter speed can effect an image.

The first image is taken with a very high shutter speed to quickly capture the movement of the object and the far right image is taken with a slow shutter speed which is exposed longer and thus captures more of the objects movement which blends it together and creates a blur of motion.

While being used in tandem with other settings such as Aperture if the aperture is set on a low setting and the aperture is very wide then a quicker shutter speed would be required otherwise it would be too overexposed to light, this is also true if a high ISO is being used as the cameras sensor would be more sensitive to light so a faster shutter speed would ensure that the camera is not exposed for too long, if the aperture was a very high setting and it was a very narrow depth of field with a low ISO a slower shutter speed would be used otherwise the image would be underexposed and would appear very dark. 

Camera Tech: I.S.O

ISO is the measure of how sensitive the camera becomes to incoming light and effects how exposed the image or film is light. An example would be using a high ISO is areas with limited light sources or whilst filming at night and a low ISO for areas that are well lit such as a high volume of natural light, however a high ISO also increases the amount of image noise which distorts the image by giving it a very grainy, static appearance, so a low ISO is often the best option, especially when used with either a low shutter speed or wide aperture as using a high ISO in this circumstance would overexpose the image.

Most digital DSLR cameras have the option to alter the ISO manually depending on the situation you are shooting in and generally have ISO values that range from 100 to 3200, 100 ISO in the right light conditions would give a very crisp clear shot whereas an ISO of 3200 would dramatically increase the film grain on the image. Below is an example of how ISO affects an image.

The image on the left uses an ISO of 100 so the shot is very crisp and clear whereas the image on the right is shot using an ISO of 3200 which has increased the amount of grain on the image, distorting it slightly. Generally a low ISO would be used for high density light conditions however it can also be used in tandem with a wide aperture or a low shutter speed to limit the amount of film grain on the image while still being brightly lit as the wide aperture would allow more light into the camera so a low ISO making the light sensor less sensitive would be appropriate.

Camera Tech: White Balance

White balance is how the camera adjusts the intensity of primary colours, to correct the colour scale in an image by keeping neutral colours neutral. This means that by adjusting white balance it ensures that objects which appear white in reality are rendered as white in the image and removes colour casts that may occur that would give the image a blue,orange or green tint to it. The adjustment of white balance on a camera means it has to discern the "colour temperature" of a light source which refers to relative "coolness" or "warmth" of neutral white light which can improve the image taken on a camera under different light conditions.

The following table is a guide on  the correlated colour temperature of common light sources.

Color Temperature	Light Source
1000-2000 K	Candlelight
2500-3500 K	Tungsten Bulb (household variety)
3000-4000 K	Sunrise/Sunset (clear sky)
4000-5000 K	Fluorescent Lamps
5000-5500 K	Electronic Flash
5000-6500 K	Daylight with Clear Sky (sun overhead)
6500-8000 K	Moderately Overcast Sky
9000-10000 K	Shade or Heavily Overcast Sky

The following footage shows how the white balance needs to be adjusted in certain light conditions in order to render colours correctly within the image as they would appear in reality.

White balance from Lewis Mercer on Vimeo.

The first piece of footage shows how the white balance as it was by default which in the lighting conditions of the location we were in cast an orange tinted glow over the images which was not how the colours appeared in reality, the second piece of footage shows the effects of the white balance being changed to suit the lighting conditions which made the images appear much clearer, the whites in the images also appear as they appear in reality which makes the footage look brighter by comparison.

Innovative Camera Movements

One aspect of New Wave films that made them separate from mainstream cinema during their time was with the use of innovative and creative camera angles and movements using anything they could to move the camera in different ways, such as in Godard's "Breathless" where the camera is placed on the top of an escalator to film the woman as she ascends. The use of innovative camera movements can alter the way in which an audience views a film.

This is a few examples of how we have tried to use innovative camera movement within our process of filming.

Spinning Shot test 1 from Lewis Mercer on Vimeo.

For this shot we tried to use a local parks "merry go round" as a way of making the camera spin whilst a subject was in the foreground, giving the appearance that the background was moving while the subject remained motionless. We used a setting of Aperture of f/22 to make the subject in the foreground in sharp focus however the background became blurry and out of focus which would be due to the spinning of the camera, we also used an ISO of between 600-800 so that the footage would be brighter as on the day we filmed this it was very dark and overcast.



escalator footage from Lewis Mercer on Vimeo.

This footage was done to try and imitate the scene from Godards "Breathless" where a woman ascends on an escalator and the camera is placed in front of her during the ride upward as if the camera is moving with her as an innovative and cheap alternative to a tracking shot, also we tried to shoot the footage in black and white to further imitate the scene from Godards film. This footage was done to be New Wave as it was using a single camera being handheld in a public area, and also we have no budget to film with so innovative use of the camera is needed.

Filming in Coloured Environments

During filming there is something that needs to be considered, something that can define a shot and make it stand out and that is the kinds of colours used. Colour can provide subjective meanings and can have multiple connotations of different things within a shot, e.g. red meaning danger or white meaning innocence etc. Colour within a shot can help set the mood and atmosphere of a scene such as bright colours being used to suggest an upbeat positive feel, and this can provoke reactions from audiences.

We tried to film in various different coloured environments to see how colours may change depending on the type of background they are in and what effects they may have. This is a short montage of a few locations that use bright colours in the background or to purposely draw people towards them, such as advertisements or sweets.


Color footage from Lewis Mercer on Vimeo.

The coloured buildings on the street seem to give the area a sense of variety and it makes them all look quite inviting, as while they seem like old styled buildings due to the bright colours they are not too imposing. While the brightly packaged sweets and chocolates seem to try and draw you towards them as an incentive to buy them which shows how colours can affect what people may buy, this is also the case with the small cafe as with it being coloured very brightly it looks like it would have a rather positive atmosphere inside, inviting people in.

OH&S: Occupational Health and Safety

As this was a new area we were filming in there would need to be some precautions as to how we were going to film and where as the area was unfamiliar to us we would need to take extra care when travelling to a location. In this instance it was a rather busy street so we would need to be careful not to get in peoples way or have any of the equipment damaged. some of the risks involved included:

• Risk of falling and causing injury to ourselves/other crew members/ members of the public
• Risk of dropping and/or damaging equipment
• Risk of being mugged/robbed
• Risk of accidentally hitting members of the public with equipment whilst travelling/setting up
• Risk of being hit by traffic
• Risk of getting lost
• Hazards such as objects in the path e.g. broken glass

These risks could be avoided with simple measures and precautions whilst filming in this location and to prevent injury/damage to either equipment or others.

• Travel in groups between locations
• Do not leave equipment unattended, always have one member watching the equipment at all times
• Share the load of equipment to avoid risk of one person being over encumbered and dropping the equipment
• Ensure that when filming either the camera is set up in an open clearly visible manner that will be easily avoidable by members of the public or the camera is set up in a position that is out of the way and will cause minimal disruption to members of the public
• Ensure that whilst filming all crew members stay clear of the road and traffic to avoid getting hit and injuring themselves
• Ensure that all equipment is safely packed away once filming has been completed and while travelling to different locations

These simple measures will help ensure the safety of the crew whilst filming as it is an unknown area and there would be many hazards and risks that we would need to be aware of during the course of the filming session, in order to prevent these risks from becoming a problem these simple precautions must be taken to reduce the risk of any harm coming to any crew members or the public.

Oxford Location - Turf Tavern

One of the last locations we visited whilst in Oxford was a local bar which we had heard a rumour about which was famous for the people who had visited it in the past, so we decided to investigate it for one of our final locations. Finding the location actually proved rather difficult as it was supposedly hidden behind a building and the only access to it was through a narrow alleyway, so it took a while for us to actually discover it, but once we did it proved to be quite a useful location as it lead out into a very open area but with many twisting paths leading to the streets outside, and the tavern itself was located next to a part of a medieval wall that ran through Oxford. Whilst in the location we managed o get a few panning shots of the surrounding building and also some cutaway shots which would most likely prove useful during editing, so the location seemed to offer some decent footage.



Filming location-Turf Tavern footage from Lewis Mercer on Vimeo.

For this location we decided to keep the same settings from the last location, using an aperture of f/22 to get everything in focus while using an ISO of 800 to ensure that enough light entered the camera, while since it was outside and there was a lot of natural light we kept our white balance at 5000 as well as keeping the shutter speed at 500/1

Release form signed by staff of the Turf Tavern

As with the previous locations we were required to obtain permission to shoot on the premises, so we explained the situation to hem and they were cooperative and friendly and gave us permission to film both outside and inside the building, although we tried to be careful as there were a few customers that were dotted around the location and we attempted to try and avoid filming anyone without their permission.

OH&S: Occupational Health and Safety
As with the previous locations there were a few health and safety issues that needed to be addressed before we began filming in this location, as there would be other people around and we would need to be cautious about how we handled the equipment as the ground was uneven. some of the other issues include:

• Risk of falling due to uneven ground
• Risk of damaging equipment 
• Risk of injuring oneself or others
• Possibility of equipment being stolen
• Risk of fire

These issues could be easily resolved by following simple measures to prevent any injury to ourselves or others, especially as we were on someone else's property and they would be held responsible otherwise.

• Be cautious while moving around the location due to uneven ground
• Ensure that all equipment is secured before filming
• Ensure that all equipment is kept safely out of the way and in a visible location
• Be careful around others to avoid injury to crew members or patrons
• Ensure that no customers are filmed without their permission

Oxford Location - Record Shop

Another location we decided to film in was a local independent record store, we thought that as well as filming in the location we could ask about the local area and any social problems affecting Oxford at the current time which would provide us with some insight into any issues concerning the local area. We managed to get some decent footage from the record store and as the organised shelves and angular objects like cd and record casings made for some good compositional potential in our footage, it was also appropriate as it had many aspects of youth culture which is often shown in New Wave films so that was an added advantage since most of the customers were either young adults or students.

This is a montage of some of the footage we gained from the record shop.


Record shop footage from Lewis Mercer on Vimeo.

For this location our camera settings were set at an ISO of 800 with an Aperture that changed from f/22 whilst filming around the shop to an aperture of  f/2.4 whilst conducting the interview with one of the employees. The white balance needed to be changed to 5000 instead of 8000 like in the sweet shop since there was a lot of natural light in this location.

Release form signed by staff of "Truck Store" Record shop

Again we were required to obtain the manager of the stores signature in order for us to be allowed to film anything on the premises, so we explained our task to the employees and they were very friendly and cooperative so the process of obtaining permission went rather smoothly. One of the employees was even willing to give an interview where we could ask them questions about the shop and if there were any issues they were concerned about in the local area such as the music scene in Oxford. They were very willing and we were able to obtain an interview with them which turned into a documentary styled piece of footage.

OH&S:Occupational Health and Safety
As with any location there were a few health and safety concerns we needed to deal with before we began any filming in this location, as it is someone else's property extra care must be taken when moving around and operating any equipment.

• Ensure that all equipment is stored away safely while not in use to avoid creating an obstacle for any customers
• Ensure that whilst walking around the shop extra care is taken to avoid falling and injury/damaging any of the displays or products/ crating an obstacle for staff or customers
• Make sure not to film any customers or staff without their permission
• Don't use or carry equipment in an improper manner to avoid risk of damaging it.
• Don't damage any products or furniture in the shop
• Ensure that all equipment is kept safe and secure whilst using/carrying it to avoid theft and damage.

Following these simple measures it was easier to operate the camera equipment in this location in a safe manner that wouldn't disturb customers or staff and we were able to manoeuvre around the location without much trouble as we kept all of the equipment while not in use with one member of the crew who was in an isolated area of the shop well out of the way of other customers, and we ensured that we took care whilst moving between the shelves in the shop to a void any unintended damage to the items stored not them.