White Balance Task

WHITE BALANCE TASK

WHITE BALANCE TASKAs a refresher from last year on white balance and how it works, I carried out a simple task in order to test the white balance on the Canon AVCHD Legria HF G40, as well as the Panasonic AVCCAM AG-HMC41E. In order to test the Canon's white balance, I first needed to know how to use the basic functions. After consulting the manual, I wrote some directions on how to set the white balance, and what the different pre-sets and settings were:

WHITE BALANCE TASKI was set the following task to trial the white balance capabilities of the camera:1. Use each camera’s AUTO functions in an INTERIOR setting.

2. Use each camera’s MANUAL functions in an INTERIOR setting.

3. Use each camera’s AUTO functions in an EXTERIOR setting.

4. Use each camera’s MANUAL functions in an EXTERIOR setting.

INTERIOR ACTION: A person walks into a classroom and sits down on a chair.

EXTERIOR ACTION: A person walks towards a wall and sits down on the wall.

ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL CODES TO CONSIDER:

Editorial techniques: match on action

Camera Movement techniques: panning and tilting for smoothness of shot; framing for headroom and nose room; anticipatory framing during movement

Camera coverage: MS and CU

WHITE BALANCE TASK

WHITE BALANCE EVALUATION

The automatic white balance in the clip was filmed first, and then the manual. The automatic white balance makes the white appear quite true to plain white, with maybe a darker tint to it. The other colours also appear quite true to what they were, although perhaps a little cool toned.I am unsure of any differences made to the manual white balances, as I can't detect any change in colours. This may have been a mistake that I made in setting the white balance on the custom mode, although I did notice that the colour temperature value 'K', did change. However, in the future I will ensure that I am setting the white balance correctly according to the directions I wrote out, in order to get the most accurate reference for white.


Outside, it was sunny, and therefore I think that the automatic white balance picked this up and made it's reference for white quite warm toned, as the colours in the clips definitely look more yellowish than the ones previous to them. Filming outside meant that I was filming in varying weather conditions, and so the sun went behind the building, which meant that I was already filming in a different lighting set up, which causes the colours to change anyways. I set the white balance against a white wall, and the colour temperature value 'K' went down, and made the colours look cooler, more like the settings inside. Compared to the other exterior shots, the colours were definitely more cool toned, although I can't say that this is definitely the change in white balance, due to the lack of sun in the second set of shots.Overall, the automatic and custom white balances set the colours similarly, although in the future I should look out for a clear change in the colour temperature value 'K' in order to make sure that I am using the custom setting and not the automatic one by mistake.

WHITE BALANCE TASK

Likewise, to test the Panasonic's white balance, I first needed to know how to use the basic functions. After consulting the manual, I wrote some directions on how to set the white balance, and what the different pre-sets and settings were:

WHITE BALANCE TASK


The automatic white balance in the clip was filmed first, and then the manual. The automatic setting had a similar effect to that on the Canon camera. It makes the colours appear quite true to what they were. However, the clip does come across as being very cool toned and a little dark. This might be expected because the light was coming from outside, and there was little use of warm interior lights. The manual setting on this camera varied to the manual setting on the Canon. It made the colours seem warmer than the automatic setting, giving the effect that the natural light coming from outside was from brighter and sunnier weather. Whilst the Canon camera shows a change in temperature value, it seems that this camera only tells the user when it has set, and then they have to decide for themselves if the colours have changed.


I was filming in the shade on a sunny day. The camera picked this up and in the automatic setting, set the reference for white to be quite dark and cool toned, as there are a lot of areas of the image that can hardly be seen as a result of the light coming from the background.The manual setting for the exterior shot being filmed in the shade looked very similar to the automatic. As there was less light behind the camera and on the subject, the camera was unable to pick up anything else to change the reference for white, as it was all quite dark.Overall, I think that the more natural light there is, the warmer the colours. Although when there is less light, the camera can’t pick up much more than what it can for the automatic mode. When I come to shoot my short film, I will be considering lighting, and so I will be able to use white balance to my advantage.

TECHNICAL CODES EVALUATION

EDITORIAL TECHNIQUE: MATCH ON ACTIONI feel as if my matches on action were not as effective as they possibly could have been. The interior clips, in my opinion, cut together a little better as there was no overlap in between the action in both clips, whereas in the exterior shots, there is, which makes it look as if the actor is taking longer to sit down than what is necessary/ realistic. I also think that I could have used varying angles for the different shot sizes to help the action flow better and the clips overall to cut together more successfully.When it comes to shooting my film, I will consider different angles, and I will play with the different matches of action that I could possibly use and the best point to cut in between.


CAMERA MOVEMENT TECHNIQUE: PANNING/ TILTING The panning and tilting of the camera was somewhat successful, as I was able to move the camera smoothly with a lack of unsteadiness, with help from the tripod. The only problem I ran into was when the lever got caught on one of the tripods legs, however, I was able to rectify this by switching its position so that it was out of the way. When shooting my film, I will ensure that my tripod is set up so that I can continue making smooth movements with the camera.


CAMERA MOVEMENT TECHNIQUE: FRAMING FOR HEAD ROOM/ NOSE ROOMThis was quite difficult, as when the shot began, I was happy with the head room and nose room left for the actor. However, when she began to move, she became closer or further away from the camera, which therefore altered the head room, making it a shot that was less successful. In instances like this, I feel that I tracking shot would be more effective than a pan. Overall, I would be happy framing a static shot for head room and nose room, although when I shoot my film, I will take into consideration the possibilities of camera movement as and when I would need it, and which would be the most effective.


CAMERA MOVEMENT TECHNIQUE: ANTICIPATORY FRAMINGDespite my subjects becoming closer and further away from the camera, I think that I was somewhat successful in panning to follow the actor’s horizontal movement, keeping consistent nose room. There are several times where the camera movement was a bit too slow for the actor, although not enough to be cut out of the frame. The vertical movement was a little more difficult, as there were times that my actors heads were cut off by a fraction. To improve this, I could practise anticipatory framing by following moving objects, such as my actors whilst they are rehearsing the action for my short.


CAMERA COVERAGE: MEDIUM SHOT AND CLOSE UPSimilarly to my framing for head room and nose room, I was happy with my shot sizes before I began to move the camera. As the actors moved closer or further away, the shot size was altered. For example in the first video, the interior shot starts as a close up, which I was happy with, and as the actor gets closer to the camera, her shoulders are cut off and the head room becomes larger. I would be confident in considering camera coverage in a static shot, although again, I would have to carefully think about any camera movement when necessary, in order to choose the right shot.

Education

White Balance Task