3 DSLR Camera Settings You Wish You Knew

It can be tough looking for Film Degrees in Chicago that actually give you what you need. Learning by doing is how we teach. In this article Film Faculty John Otterbacher gives us 3 camera settings that will up the quality of any film project.

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1. Frame Rate (24fps)

Before there was digital video, everything was captured using film. For over 100 years the frame rate standard has been 24 Frames Per Second (24fps). Pair that with the correct shutter speed and you get the look and feel of the cinematic content we love. Though most TV shows and movies today are no longer shot with film, they are shot at 24fps to emulate that look..

“We are building on a history of storytelling which was established with the medium of film” -John Otterbacher

24fps was not originally chosen because it was the best or better. It was actually the slowest frame rate they could go that still looked good because the producers were trying to save money. The more film you run through the camera the more expensive it is.

Note: Most TV’s today will change the frame rate which, to the trained eye, can really ruin a movie. So make sure your TV is set to 24fps when you sit down to Netflix.

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2. Shutter Speed (Double the frame rate)

At 24fps there is a very specific shutter speed that we need to use in order to get that cinematic quality we are looking for. The easy rule for this is to double the frame rate. So the shutter speed for 24fps should be 48. Since most DSLR’s don’t have 48 they do have 50 which is so close that it doesn’t matter.

The history here is an actual film camera had to physically move in the next frame of film 24 times every second. So there’s a spinning shutter that would close, put in the next frame of film, open, take a picture and repeat very quickly. That is call a 180 degree shutter. So half the time the shutter is open and half the time the shutter is closed for every frame.

Though this is a simple rule of thumb, sometimes you might want to change the shutter speed for effect. Other than that, don’t touch it!

3. Picture Profile (Neutral)

An easy way to understand picture profiles is to think of them as filters. When you shoot with a specific picture profile it is burned into your shot. Most DSLR’s will have an automatic picture profile setting that will allow the camera to choose the best “filter” for the shot you are taking.
If you have the time, you should never let the camera choose.

To have the most control over the look of your shot, think about it this way. You can always add to the picture, but you can’t take away. For this reason on a Canon DSLR for instance, you would want to select the “Neutral” setting. Once neutral is selected you can then go in and turn the sharpness, contrast and saturation all the way down so you start with a flat image.

In post, you now have control of how much sharpness, contrast and saturation you add back in to give you that cinematic quality you are looking for. This may also be called a “Cinema”, “Cine”, “Flat” or even a “Film” setting depending on the camera type you are using.

BONUS: 2 camera apps for your smart phone

For those of you who shoot with your smart phone and don’t have access to a DSLR, here are a couple apps that give you more control.

1. ProCam5 – This is especially great for photography. “This app provides more control over the setting of the iPhone’s built-in camera than your old compact camera probably ever did.” -New York Times
2. FiLMiC Pro – The most advanced video camera for mobile. The most responsive manual camera interface available on iPhone, iPod or iPad.

For anyone interested in diving deeper, download our free film guide: Film: From College To Career

The expertise and technical information in this article was provided by film faculty, John Otterbacher and written by Timmy Barron. Join Timmy LIVE every Friday at 1PM on Facebook for #TipsWithTimmy where Timmy sits down with an expert in the field of Film, Animation, Recording Arts and Graphic Design to bring you tips to not only help you create something awesome but of quality!

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