Music video in low light shot with 7D at DVinfo.net

Jason LeFrense · February 1st, 2011, 04:01 PM

Hey Guys, I just finished shooting a video with 80% of it in almost no light. I am coming from shooting the EX3 and I have to say the 7D really out performs the EX in low light. This is a video we shot 2 weeks ago. Any comments or suggestions on how to improve the color during out door shoots at night would greatly be appreciated. All of the street lights are a bright bright orange and I can't seem to get the color balance right even in manual.

Gear
2- 7D
50mm 1.4
16-35L 2.8
Cinevate Atlas 30
Monfrotto Monopod
Monfrotto Tripod
Glidecam Camcrane 200
Glidecam 4000HD

Chris Westerstrom · February 1st, 2011, 04:57 PM

awesome work

Jason LeFrense · February 1st, 2011, 05:44 PM

Thanks Chris. I have to give a lot of credit to these cameras. They allowed us to shoot in conditions that we wouldn't even think of shooting in before. I pretty much left my bag of lenses zipped up and shot it with the 50mm 1.4mm We actually thought most of the shots were too sharp and softened them in post.

Jonny Norquist · February 4th, 2011, 06:32 AM

this is really well done, what kind of color grading did you do in post?

Jason LeFrense · February 4th, 2011, 08:38 PM

Hey Thanks, I really need to work on coloring actually specially night shots. But for the majority of the color I crushed the blacks a little and added a little blue to the lows and mids. Not much to be honest lol. I softened up some shots because they were a little too crisp specially for the tight shots.

Tyge Floyd · March 14th, 2011, 09:51 PM

Wow, very impressive work there on the shots and the edit.

I'm just getting interested in having a DSLR rig for my work. Thanks for the insight on what they can do.

Simon Denny · March 15th, 2011, 02:54 AM

I really liked that.

What picture profile did you use on the 7D?

Cheers

Luc De Wandel · March 16th, 2011, 05:16 PM

Impressive, and beautiful photography. Good music, too! The orange light is monochrome vapour light, any camera will struggle with this. I'm getting a 7D tomorrow as B-cam next to my 5D mkII. Especially after seeing this, I can't wait to put it to work. Congrats!

Jason LeFrense · March 20th, 2011, 04:59 PM

Thanks for watching guys, I really struggled with getting the best quality video under the street lights. I used the 85mm 1.2 to make sure I got the best image possible hitting the camera. As for settings I really didn't change too much on the camera. I dropped the sharpness back 1 notch and the same for Contrast,Saturation. Other then that everything else was done in post using FCP Color.

Doug Bailey · March 28th, 2011, 02:17 PM

Hi Jason,
Beautiful work and encourages me to use my 7D in low light for music groups. Great storyline and positive message. Overall the work is so good I didn't even notice streetlights. Thanks for sharing the gear you used. that's very helpful. You could use this for an ad campaign to stay off X. Please go out and sell it.

What did you use for audio? It's really good too.

Regards & happy shooting,
Doug.

Jason LeFrense · March 29th, 2011, 09:47 AM

Thanks a lot Doug for watching. Like I have said in earlier posts I use to use the EX3 and Z7 cameras so shooting in dark dark areas made me cringe. But honestly these cams with a good prime and you are set to go. I forgot to mention I used the 85mm 1.2 for the outdoor night shots. But the entire video was shot with 50mm 1.4 and 17-35mm 2.8. The sound was recorded at a recording studio not far from here. So the day of the shoot we just played it through a PA system with a click track so we could sync it. You will notice some shots being slowed down, we had the band play the song at double the speed and slowed it down in FCP. You know you have amazing artists when they play the song at twice the speed and still stay in time. lol

David Chapman · March 29th, 2011, 05:57 PM

Haha man that's awesome. Great work! Definitely shows the artist makes it look good, not the tool.

Jason LeFrense · March 30th, 2011, 05:02 PM

Thanks Buddy, in Cape Breton Buddy means Pal . LOL

February 1st, 2011, 04:01 PM	#1
Jason LeFrense Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Sydney Canada Posts: 126	Music video in low light shot with 7D Hey Guys, I just finished shooting a video with 80% of it in almost no light. I am coming from shooting the EX3 and I have to say the 7D really out performs the EX in low light. This is a video we shot 2 weeks ago. Any comments or suggestions on how to improve the color during out door shoots at night would greatly be appreciated. All of the street lights are a bright bright orange and I can't seem to get the color balance right even in manual. Gear 2- 7D 50mm 1.4 16-35L 2.8 Cinevate Atlas 30 Monfrotto Monopod Monfrotto Tripod Glidecam Camcrane 200 Glidecam 4000HD Slowcoaster on Vimeo

March 14th, 2011, 09:51 PM	#6
Tyge Floyd Major Player Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Ft. Worth, Texas Posts: 287	Re: Music video in low light shot with 7D Wow, very impressive work there on the shots and the edit. I'm just getting interested in having a DSLR rig for my work. Thanks for the insight on what they can do. __________________ At full draw, Tyge Floyd

March 15th, 2011, 02:54 AM	#7
Simon Denny Trustee Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Australia Posts: 1,409	Re: Music video in low light shot with 7D I really liked that. What picture profile did you use on the 7D? Cheers

March 16th, 2011, 05:16 PM	#8
Luc De Wandel Major Player Join Date: May 2008 Location: Knokke-Heist, Belgium Posts: 963	Re: Music video in low light shot with 7D Impressive, and beautiful photography. Good music, too! The orange light is monochrome vapour light, any camera will struggle with this. I'm getting a 7D tomorrow as B-cam next to my 5D mkII. Especially after seeing this, I can't wait to put it to work. Congrats!

March 20th, 2011, 04:59 PM	#9
Jason LeFrense Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Sydney Canada Posts: 126	Re: Music video in low light shot with 7D Thanks for watching guys, I really struggled with getting the best quality video under the street lights. I used the 85mm 1.2 to make sure I got the best image possible hitting the camera. As for settings I really didn't change too much on the camera. I dropped the sharpness back 1 notch and the same for Contrast,Saturation. Other then that everything else was done in post using FCP Color.

February 1st, 2011, 04:57 PM	#2
Chris Westerstrom Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden Posts: 259	awesome work

February 1st, 2011, 05:44 PM	#3
Jason LeFrense Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Sydney Canada Posts: 126	Thanks Chris. I have to give a lot of credit to these cameras. They allowed us to shoot in conditions that we wouldn't even think of shooting in before. I pretty much left my bag of lenses zipped up and shot it with the 50mm 1.4mm We actually thought most of the shots were too sharp and softened them in post.

February 4th, 2011, 06:32 AM	#4
Jonny Norquist Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 30	this is really well done, what kind of color grading did you do in post?

February 4th, 2011, 08:38 PM	#5
Jason LeFrense Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Sydney Canada Posts: 126	Hey Thanks, I really need to work on coloring actually specially night shots. But for the majority of the color I crushed the blacks a little and added a little blue to the lows and mids. Not much to be honest lol. I softened up some shots because they were a little too crisp specially for the tight shots.

March 28th, 2011, 02:17 PM	#10
Doug Bailey Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Jupiter, FL Posts: 164	Re: Music video in low light shot with 7D Hi Jason, Beautiful work and encourages me to use my 7D in low light for music groups. Great storyline and positive message. Overall the work is so good I didn't even notice streetlights. Thanks for sharing the gear you used. that's very helpful. You could use this for an ad campaign to stay off X. Please go out and sell it. What did you use for audio? It's really good too. Regards & happy shooting, Doug. Last edited by Doug Bailey; March 29th, 2011 at 06:00 AM.

March 29th, 2011, 09:47 AM	#11
Jason LeFrense Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Sydney Canada Posts: 126	Re: Music video in low light shot with 7D Thanks a lot Doug for watching. Like I have said in earlier posts I use to use the EX3 and Z7 cameras so shooting in dark dark areas made me cringe. But honestly these cams with a good prime and you are set to go. I forgot to mention I used the 85mm 1.2 for the outdoor night shots. But the entire video was shot with 50mm 1.4 and 17-35mm 2.8. The sound was recorded at a recording studio not far from here. So the day of the shoot we just played it through a PA system with a click track so we could sync it. You will notice some shots being slowed down, we had the band play the song at double the speed and slowed it down in FCP. You know you have amazing artists when they play the song at twice the speed and still stay in time. lol

March 29th, 2011, 05:57 PM	#12
David Chapman Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 346	Re: Music video in low light shot with 7D Haha man that's awesome. Great work! Definitely shows the artist makes it look good, not the tool. __________________ David Chapman www.davechapfilms.com

March 30th, 2011, 05:02 PM	#13
Jason LeFrense Regular Crew Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Sydney Canada Posts: 126	Re: Music video in low light shot with 7D Thanks Buddy, in Cape Breton Buddy means Pal . LOL