How to film long ambient nature video?
March 17, 2022 10:46 AM Subscribe
I'm looking at making a few ambient nature videos similar to this one in a dog park. What equipment do I need to do this and is there anything I should think about regarding the process for shooting this other than setting up a camera and pressing record?
Unlike the video I linked above, I won't be capturing people in my videos. I have an iPhone and a tripod. Will I need an external mic? Should I get a different camera? Any advice from people who've created something similar would be much appreciated!
Unlike the video I linked above, I won't be capturing people in my videos. I have an iPhone and a tripod. Will I need an external mic? Should I get a different camera? Any advice from people who've created something similar would be much appreciated!
Response by poster: dog park video Okay, hopefully this link works.
posted by shesbookish at 11:36 AM on March 17, 2022
posted by shesbookish at 11:36 AM on March 17, 2022
Rambalac makes 4K walking videos around Tokyo. Probably higher end than you need, but he shows his current setup here: My new setup (autoplays music).
Look online for other people who do walking videos and driving videos, and see what they use. A few of them use GoPros of some kind.
posted by ralan at 2:29 PM on March 17, 2022
Look online for other people who do walking videos and driving videos, and see what they use. A few of them use GoPros of some kind.
posted by ralan at 2:29 PM on March 17, 2022
Best answer: With the iPhone, since you're recording to its internal memory, you need to be concerned about its storage capacity, especially if you're shooting long videos at high quality, and if your phone has lots of other stuff on it.
Personally, I'd use something that lets me record to an SD card if I were doing this kind of thing regularly. Video cameras are ridiculously cheap these days, and while I imagine the quality can vary a lot, they might be sufficient for what you're doing.
An external mic or audio recorder will most likely let you get better audio quality. A windscreen like a "dead cat" will get rid of (or at least greatly minimize) wind noise.
posted by jonathanhughes at 7:02 PM on March 17, 2022
Personally, I'd use something that lets me record to an SD card if I were doing this kind of thing regularly. Video cameras are ridiculously cheap these days, and while I imagine the quality can vary a lot, they might be sufficient for what you're doing.
An external mic or audio recorder will most likely let you get better audio quality. A windscreen like a "dead cat" will get rid of (or at least greatly minimize) wind noise.
posted by jonathanhughes at 7:02 PM on March 17, 2022
Best answer: I have both a Zhiyun Smooth-Q2 gimbal for my iPhone, and a DJI Osmo Pocket 2, and the Pocket overall wins for surprisingly awesome video quality in an amazingly lightweight and easy to carry and use format with crazy good stabilization. (It doesn’t beat the micro-four thirds Olympus and Panasonic’s IBIS, but what does?) While the current generation iPhone 13 has better dynamic range using the HDR mode, the Pocket is close enough if you’re willing to color grade it in the free DaVinci Resolve or using Final Cut with the cinema profiles.
You can plug your iPhone in and use it as a remote display with the Pocket and with a monopod or tripod opens up the ability to do awesome cinema style crane moves if that is your thing. Also check out the bundle with the external microphone if you’re planning on recording the sound seriously. The built in directional microphones are pretty good if you’re just wanting the ambient sound though.
The last thing is the Pocket is so small that it is easy to slip it into a bag or pocket whenever you go out. While you also probably carry your iPhone, the superior usability of the smaller Pocket seriously trumps it and it is nicely fast to start up too.
posted by rambling wanderlust at 7:32 PM on March 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
You can plug your iPhone in and use it as a remote display with the Pocket and with a monopod or tripod opens up the ability to do awesome cinema style crane moves if that is your thing. Also check out the bundle with the external microphone if you’re planning on recording the sound seriously. The built in directional microphones are pretty good if you’re just wanting the ambient sound though.
The last thing is the Pocket is so small that it is easy to slip it into a bag or pocket whenever you go out. While you also probably carry your iPhone, the superior usability of the smaller Pocket seriously trumps it and it is nicely fast to start up too.
posted by rambling wanderlust at 7:32 PM on March 17, 2022 [2 favorites]
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posted by hydra77 at 11:04 AM on March 17, 2022