One very hot afternoon recently, Lauren D'Aria and I got together for still photos and to film footage for a music video of her song, "Sunny Side Up."
I used the following equipment for the video:
Panasonic GH1
Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens mounted on a Voigtlander Micro Four Thirds F (Nikon) adapter
Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 lens
Panasonic 14-140mm f/4-5.8 lens (which I used very little and could have gone without)
Manfrotto/Bogen 3021 Pro tripod
Monopod with a small ballhead
Compact Glidetrack SD
Sunpack Medium Ballhead
Assorted ND filters (B+H, Hoya, Tiffen)
The footage of Lauren singing and playing the guitar was filmed in a couple of locations. The camera was mounted on the Manfrotto tripod for these clips. I used the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 on the Voigtlander adapter. The camera remained static with the exception of the first time you see Lauren. For this clip's beginning, I moved the camera (mounted on the Sunpak Ballhead) along the Glidetrack, which was mounted on the Manfrotto tripod.
In order for Lauren to lip sync, I played her song using an iPod connected to a small battery-powered boom box.
The bridge scenes were with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 or the Panasonic 14-140mm. All of these are handheld with the camera set on AFC (continuous) autofocus. I preferred the 20mm footage and will likely use this lens in the future for these types of scenes due to its close working distance and shallow depth of field look, relative to the 14-140mm.
The scene in the car was somewhat handheld. I sat in the passenger seat holding a monopod on which the camera was mounted. I do not remember what lens I used for this clip.
In total, we probably worked on video footage for about 3 hours. I would have liked to worked a bit longer and had more B-roll footage but the day was very hot (97 degrees, I believe) and typically humid for Maryland in the summer. By the end of the afternoon, we were both spent and had no energy left for more footage.
All editing and color grading was done using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 on a 24 fps timeline. The slow motion clips are at a speed ranging from 30% to 50% with most being at 40%.
These are my settings for editing and exporting GH1 video using Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.
Sequence Settings
I use the Sequence Preset for DSLR 720p24. Premiere Pro CS5 seamlessly works with my 720/60p clips in a 24 fps timeline. It is as simple as moving the clip onto the timeline.
Source and Program Monitor Playback Resolution
If your computer is powerful enough, you can smoothly play back the GH1's AVCHD files by changing the Playback Resolution to 'Full' via the monitor's options list.
Export Settings
Via File > Export > Media, I use the following.
Export Settings
Format: H.264
Preset: Start with 'HDTV 720p 24 High Quality'. This will change to Custom once you modify other settings.
Video Settings
TV Standard: NTSC (since I am in the U.S.)
Frame Width: 1280 pixels
Frame Height: 720 pixels
Frame Rate: 24 fps
Field Order: None (Progressive)
Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels
Profile: Main
Level: 4.1
Render at Maximum Depth is checked
Video Bitrate Settings
Bitrate Encoding: CBR
Bitrate: 6 Mbps
Other Video Settings
Use Maximum Render Quality is checked
Basic Audio Settings
Codec: AAC
Output Channels: Stereo
Frequency: 44.1 kHz
Audio Quality: High
Audio Bitrate Settings
Bitrate: 320 kbps
Audio Advanced Settings
Precedence: Frequency
Reviewing Your Exported Movie
Apple Quicktime is a poor choice for viewing your exported movie. Even on an adequate computer, playback can be jumpy which may lead you to believe your export settings are incorrect. Instead, view your movie on one of the better video players such as VLC Media Player or GOM Player.
I know I'm late, posting information for a camera at the end of its availability. That said, here are my camera settings for using the Panasonic GH1 for video.
General Settings
Mode: Creative Motion Picture (the one with the movie camera icon and the letter 'M' next to it)
Focus: MF or AFC as needed
Film Mode: Smooth with Sharpness set to +1 and Noise Reduction set to -1. Contrast and Saturation left at zero.
Motion Picture Menu
Rec Mode: AVCHD
Rec Quality: SH (for 720/60p)
Exposure Mode: M
I.Exposure: Off
Digital Zoom: Off
Wind Cut: Off
Custom Menu
LVF/LCD Auto: Off
Histogram: On
MF Assist: Off
Shoot W/O Lens: On
Setup Menu
Beep: Off
For this last setting, select a mode of P, A, S or M.
