I am constantly on various websites watching video that you guys create and I must say, some of it is really good. With that being said, having watched all of the videos that I have, I've noticed that the some of you have some really good looking video that, unfortunately, looks nothing like my final projects. I am currently using a macbook pro retina maxed out in every way that was available along with the Adobe software subscription through the cloud. I don't have any plugins. I honestly have no clue as to what is out there. I guess, I'm just a very simple editor and I don't want to be. I have included a sample video, actually shot on the C100 but as you can see, it's really kinda boring in comparison.


So, what I'd like to know is what am I missing. What can I do to make my videos pop?

Lora & Abdul Muhammad Wedding - Music By India Arie, Ready for Love - YouTube

Try some color correction?

Quick Looks
Red Giant - Products - Magic Bullet Quick Looks 1.4 (http://www.redgiant.com/products/all/quicklooks/)

Colorista
Red Giant - Products - Colorista II (http://www.redgiant.com/products/all/colorista-II/)

Will the Magic Bullet Quick Looks 1.4 and Colorista II do the same thing as the Adobe SpeedGrade product? I have this available in my suite but, I haven't had a chance to learn how to use it.

Another tip - especially for weddings and content that deserves a glossy feel - is to use mild diffusion filters. Below is a video that compares various filters on various cameras.

Personally, I own Glimmerglass #1 and #3 filters. (The #2 is only available in square formats.) The #1 is subtle and I often use it. The #3 is too much for normal use but could be used when you really want to push the effect. I get the feeling that a #2 would be ideal for a robust but not overdone effect.

That said, the Digital Diffusion filters in the test look brilliant. From the video, they diffuse in more of a star pattern than a matte pattern. This makes the "bleed" from bright areas less obvious, yet the filters still smooth skin nicely. The combination of sparkle and smoothness is very compelling.

Another thing to consider in bright daylight is an ND filter - probably 0.9 (three stop). That would allow shooting with a larger aperture, which will deliver a shallower depth of field. That gives more of a portrait feel, isolating your subject from the background. The downside is that you need to achieve critical focus live, which isn't easy. You'll want a good loupe, EVF, or monitor and a follow focus to really nail it. Part of the solution is to learn to love out-of-focus moments and to be able to edit them in artistically. And this is why I recommend a 0.9. With that filter in broad daylight, you'll be shooting at, say f/5.6 rather than f/16. It's not wide-open shallow, but it's not completely deep either.

Beauty Filter Test - 6 cameras, 18 filters to enhance digital on skin on Vimeo