7 Documentary filmmaking trends to ditch in 2023

[@kneepayne]

I thought this was going to be another smug video of a random KZbinr pushing their one-sided view on others but it really wasn't. You made reasonable statements that didn't come off as passive aggressively shaming people who may prefer the opposite of your perspective.

[@YuvalAloni]

Couldn't agree more on Gimbals and Drones. Give me immersive handheld all day

[@LucForsyth]

💯

[@Raul-lc4gh]

Trends to ditch: 1. Overusing Slow Motion 2. Differentiate between B-roll & Scene. A scene has a beginning, middle, end. 3. Explaining a Story, rather than showing it 4. Overusing a gimbal 5. Overusing a drone 6. Relying on autofocus 7. Over the top Color Grading Trend Luc is joining: Switching to DaVinci Resolve

[@LucForsyth]

good summary!

[@bottledwaterprod]

Couldn't agree more. I started off investing in gimbals and autofocus. Now I'm investing in audio, follow focus, and vintage lenses. I started as an old school film photographer, so bringing my focus skills and that tactile feedback into my filmmaking has been so satisfying.

[@spelunkerd]

I ditched Premier Pro a decade ago when they started with the predatory subscription pricing. Brand allegiance is hard to maintain when the company is all about reaching into your wallet.

[@TrentErwin]

100% agree about manual focus. Being fully in control of my focus always turns out better when I’m running and gunning. Even when I shoot some more “studio” product videos, I go manual so nothing is lost to hunting AF. More filmmakers need to get comfortable with MF and see how much it offers.

[@scotey]

I'm trying to wean myself off auto-focus for one-man-band interviews. Not sure if that's realistic. But even when the subject is mostly stationary and the AF isn't hunting, the viewer is probably aware, subconsciously, that no human is at the controls. That said, even manual pulling isn't fully satisfying on a lens with a short focus throw. There's a reason cine lenses exist, and I'm going to have to shell out at some point, I guess. :)

[@TrentErwin]

@@scotey I still used AF mainly for interviews because cams these days are very good with facial recognition and it's often too hard manage multiple cams and audio by yourself. But b-roll I've gone nearly 50% or more in MF, even on a gimbal at times because there's nothing worse than a clean moving shot and the AF hunting right in the middle. Cine lenses definitely have their place for sure! I'm going to invest in a few here soon myself.

[@LucForsyth]

AF hunting is a big personal pet peeve of mine...but I do get it when running multiple cams for sit downs as mentioned here too!

[@TheLevidance]

I need to do this more often. I’m too reliant on AF even though I know the negatives. Gotta just get out and practice more

[@El.patch.o]

I love setting up my focus points with manual focus. People just don't seem to want to plan out every aspect of the shoot. I'm down to using AF only on a stabilizer and I'm only using it for 3D tracking.

[@aaronsambeyfilm]

I agree with all of these. I run into people all the time who think I'm insane for shooting handheld for 95% of my shots. I've even seen editors go so far as to use warp stabilizer on every one of my shots because they think everything is supposed to look like jell-o. For a jitter here or there? Sure. But I'm intentionally shooting with movement and shake in order to be immersed in the story. I also keep running into people who think because I shoot 24fps for almost all of my work that I'm doing it 'wrong' somehow. Wild. Well done on this video.

[@guillaumezhang753]

We’re shooting in the same way brother - mostly handheld, my gimbal is collecting lens and I use my 24-70 mostly on the wide end to get that immersive vérité style.

[@BTMovieSecondChannel]

I shoot handheld for 95% too! I only use a tripod besides it.

[@eifionjones8513]

One of the Netflix style doc trends that’s overused right now for me is the contrived BTS bit at the beginning of the interview when they’re sitting down or being mic’d up (but there’s already camera and sound running). It’s an interesting device to use occasionally to put the doc process itself into question and remind the viewer of the situation in which interviews are given, but it’s being done to death now and starting to look naff.

[@LucForsyth]

yeah, anything that trends too hard eventually becomes gimmicky - agreed!

[@DarraghCox]

Auto focus hunting is a huge pet peeve of mine. Manual focus is second nature to me from shooting a lot of shows on ENG cameras. However Auto focus has gotten soo good I do use it as part of my shooting workflow a lot now. I have it mapped on a few buttons on my Fx9 to push to focus. It is off all the time until I hit that button. I have control of when I kicks in. It still has its quirks but has literally changed how I shoot some run and gun shows.

[@LucForsyth]

yeah, news is great training. I use AF too, don't get me wrong...just not for the important verite scenes where hunting would be a disaster

[@TheTechnoPilot]

Yes! This is how to use auto focus! It’s so great to use when you need to absolutely nail that moment without retake, but relying on it all the time, letting it tell the story is just lazy in my book when it’s only due to the lack of a skill.

[@richarddzisiewski7197]

Nothing ruins a shot more than that!

[@zongmuas]

I agree with everything that was said. All these trends were cool, fun, and interesting initially but became overused very quickly. Don't get me wrong, I've participated in these trends because they were trends, everyone was doing them, so naturally, I did as well. But very quickly learned that a lot of it just wasn't my style. And as you said, the point isn't to say STOP doing them, but it's about using them with the right intentions and moments.

[@LucForsyth]

We've all participated - myself included!

[@MitchLally]

Great video Luc, I've been thinking this way for a long time too - its why I abandoned anything above 25p and ditched my gimbal and drone recently (I'll rent them if the scene really calls for it). I think this is totally relevant in documentary but I think it applies in general to filmmaking too - I've seen so many yawn-fest commercial/corporate videos touted as 'amazing' but it's usually just a montage of pointless camera movements with autofocus glitching and stuttering while nothing is lit properly or graded tastefully. I wanted to make this video but now I don't need to because this was bang on perfect!

[@vandeweijer_filmstudio]

Finally someone who agrees with me on drones(I hate to have to explain to clients why I'm not using drones). And with gimble vs handheld, my rule is "what needs the story". If I'm making a promotional video for a company that needs to look professional and in control I'll use my gimble. The steady shot gives a feeling of control and mastery. But when I'm working with emotion and I want to show emotion in a shot I'll go handheld to give a more grounded and personal feeling to the shot. Anyway that's just my take on it.

[@choanlpoto]

Same thing can be said about drone don’t you think ?

[@vandeweijer_filmstudio]

that is true, and if the story calls for it I will use a drone(well hire someone to use a drone) but I haven't encountered a situation where I thought a drone could tell a better story than a camera. @@choanlpoto

[@retlwiz]

Agree with the excessively colour-graded shots thing. Also too much use of very shallow DOF is annoying, especially when a sign or an object is only partly in focus. The main thing I notice is beautiful shots interspersed with crappy Zoom call footage because that's the only way to get that person in the doc or report. We take it for granted, but it is weird to go from SLog3 4K to crappy mp4 Zoom call in 720p!

[@DominusFeles]

Great list! Only bad thing was the practical on your right, it’s so bright that my eyes wandered to it all the time 😅

[@raifmcdude3573]

Me too, glaring.

[@johnclay7644]

slow motion, show don't tell, and colour grading very useful trends, informative video thanks Luc.

[@LucForsyth]

thanks John!

[@lonestagfilms]

I agree - autofocus is nice but as a video journalist who does run and gun shoots 90% of the time, manual focus works best for me.

[@Phoebetheboss]

Absolutely agreed with most of these points. I also highly dislike the over grading and weird heavy filters. I get wanting to imitate vintage looks, but it's just pure haze and weird colors. Such a no for me. Also agreed with the gimbal and drones and slow mo, everything just starts looking the same and it doesn't push us to story tell as much as just getting eye candy. I like this return to a focus on story telling and more natural visuals! Thanks for this video, it was great!

[@mtmccornack]

The moment I flew my first drone, I was enamored, and hooked, but a year later I noticed that I don't fly for photography reasons, but rather, it's the most kick ass therapeutic thing to do in the world and I just end up flying for flying sake.... I keep the b roll just in case, and drones rock for one shot per project, but no one wants to see hours of edited drone footage. Also, I'm new to channel, I love the wisdom you share, others only share product knowledge.

[@JaronLatona]

Not sure I 100% agree but I very much respect your experience and point of view. I feel like you weren't really arguing to "ditch" these techniques as much as to rein in excessive use of them, or at least have a purpose other than being trendy. Which is honestly super reasonable.

[@Alpha8713]

Agreed on everything. Speed ramping is my current scourge, especially in sports highlights.

[@ChristianElia]

these tips are all gems, dude. the over cooked color grading one is huge and something i’m seeing a lot of in my area and network. i just want things to look like real life when it comes to docs. not so insanely dramatic and moody and stylized. it can be cool if it helps tell the story… but not just for the sake of it. love your content!

[@walkingmanvideo9455]

Agree with drones and gimbals. I have been manual focus for 35 years. It’s how I learnt back in the old days.

[@RobertWGreaves]

Making videos is for me a hobby. I have used a few different editors over the years starting with Vegas Video 4 and settled on Davinci Resolve.

[@LucForsyth]

Nice, glad to know it's working for people out there!

[@sotocine99]

Me too. Since Resolve 9. What a nice software.

[@evanthecameraman]

Finally a list I agree with start to finish. I'll add one more: Not everything needs to be shot wide open. There, I said it.

[@DRONEYOURHOMELTD]

What a refreshing theme for a video. I agree with all your comments and am guilty of a few of them. I think as we grow we learn and try new trends, become influenced, but eventually most people create a style of their own.

[@moonrise_media]

Couldn't agree more about the; 1. Slowmo. 2. B-roll (I'll still call it that) which doesn't add to the story and BME is essential to be both engaging and relevant. 3. Show not tell. In order to keep engaged WE the viewer want to discover 4 when we see 2+2. 4. Gimbals? Well as someone who recently bought his first and hasn't used it in anger I have to be careful here but on the whole I think I agree. I'm intending to use mine mostly for streaming live events. 5. Drones. I've lost count of the number of folk asking me about drones. If I'm going to use one I will do it properly and legally. In the UK at least that means being licensed and insured and if you're going to spend on that it means you may as well get a decent drone so you're talking about a £5k investment? So, as much as the kid in me wants to play with the cool tech, if I REALLY need a drone, I'll hire it in thank you. 6. Autofocus - totally agree. 7. Grading. I'm struggling as it is without learning how to be a colourist so I'm sticking with grading to camera match. And finally Premiere will do me for now - my partner uses Photoshop all the time and I use Lightroom so may as well stick!

[@longross4763]

Biggest film trend of 2023: do whatever my client thinks is dope because I don’t want to get evicted from my closet.

[@deardaughter]

Hahaha

[@buddyholly863]

Lol top comment on KZbin

[@itsGAMiE]

This is very informative, I started shooting documentaries this year and I very much relate to the things you share in this video. Learning a lot on this journey. Thanks for sharing

[@cameragod1]

100% I think of all these trends like spice when you are cooking. A little well planed sprinkling goes a long way to add flavor but too many people are just dumping the entire contents of the spice draw into the mix and hoping for the best :)

[@svencarlsson343]

Agree with all points and I'm impressed by the flawless vocal delivery. Trend 8 to get rid of would be expecting KZbin viewers to stand by while I hum and hah...

[@charliegardnermedia]

Wow, definitely needed the validation on a few of these trends haha, especially the slow motion. Crazy how much it’s used these days, sometimes I almost feel guilty for shooting most of my work at 24FPS. But I couldn’t agree more, those creamy shots just look that much better when they’re not overused and used in the right way!

[@LucForsyth]

totally agree!

[@lighttram]

Great work! Thank you!

[@norskradiofabrikk]

My contribution to trends to ditch: "Full frame with no DOF" (Reason? My whole life in cinema was with S35 24fps, and then anamorphic) Imperfect lenses with "swirly bokeh" (Reason: As a frame around newlyweds, OK. Mostly distracting and a bit nausea provoking, and distracting.) "Anamorphic blue flares from light sources" (Reason? Back in the day, renting a set of anamorphics was expensive, and DOPs wanted to show off their equipment hire. Often in intros or establishing shots. It has now (IMHO) become an overworked cliche.) "Orange and teal grade" (Reason: we don't all live in California. And we're not all in a orange mood.)

[@KarlRock]

Thanks for the tips 🙏

[@ThomasBrunkard]

Great film Luc. I summarised it internally as "just because one can doesn't mean one should".

[@illtrax]

From one Forsyth to another, great list. Manual lenses, especially old ones, have much more character and are usually far cheaper to be had. A Small Rig follow focus and a cage with a top handle goes a long way.

[@the_daily_ping]

I’m just a beginner but I’ve antsy found that my gimbal is way less useful than I expected. I also agree that color grading usage has gone haywire. Thanks for the thoughtful video.

[@Adamjmckay]

The gimbal is absolutely the modern equivalent of shooting wide open with a 5D.

[@TomBailey2]

agree with all of these, especially colour, i used to freak out for hours trying too hard to get it coloured like all the "trends" but if your story is great, it doesn't matter and long as you can see and hear it

[@SHOEMAKERFILMS]

Great video! I love my drone but agree in general they are over used these days. I do think a few second drone shot to establish a scene or exit a scene mixed in with about 98% hand-held camera work can really enhance the production value of a film.

[@LucForsyth]

yes, 100%!

[@JJKoester]

2. You get two drone shots in your doc if it's under 10 minutes. I don't want a third drone shot. Unless it's a doc about drones.

[@BenEncounters]

The part about scenes versus B-rolls was eye-opening, I need to dip-dive more into that concept

[@imagemakerssociety]

I’m really considering switching to Resolve however as a professional illustrator/digital artist I still kinda need the adobe suite so cost hasn’t really been the issue because I can’t cancel my Adobe sub. More worried about the learning curve and slow down my process.

[@EnvoyJapan]

Taking an Illustrator file into After Effects and have the comp constantly updated is worth a lot. So, happy to work in Davinci (have the Studio version), but still can't cancel Adobe. The subscription model was the smartest move ever (for them).

[@BrisbaneChannel]

Loved this. Really great points which despite the fact that I am guilty of many of them, I agree with completely. A really clear set of principles that will help me improve my work dramatically in a short space of time. Thanks so much!

[@LucForsyth]

You're very welcome!

[@adamdrakestudio]

I was having (little) fun earlier with my rigged out 6k Pro which i've brought to Norway to try and make a mini mini doc and was regretting not just bringing my A7siii and having a lot of stress taken away but many of the reasons you brought up are the reasons I decided to bring the Blackmagic. Glad this popped up today.

[@LucForsyth]

Great, glad to hear it!

[@clarkeemalarkee]

Can't wait for the future Resolve videos!

[@rickardnilsson9267]

I think I agree with it all. Especially on Gimbals and Autofocus. I shoot most of my stories on an FS7 with a Zeiss Milvus 50mm. I most of the time stay at 2.8-3.2 f-stop. I shoot 90% handheld and pull focus manually, literally. Meaning, one hand on the lens. Having the rubber of my eyepiece flipped I look through the eyepiece with my left eye. By doing so I get more stability as the cam naturally rests horizontally on my shoulder. I also get extra contact points as the eyepiece against my eye, the body of the cam against the side of my face, a hand on the lens, camera on my shoulder and the other hand on the handle. Having shot like this for years now, using the same lens for 80% of my shots, I have become extremely fast in pulling my own focus. As I shoot mostly documentary and ENG sort of action, this is CRUCIAL to me. I am 100% in control of what I capture and how I capture it. If I shoot B-roll I can easily whip pan and create natural transitions by whipping the cam into a complete blur. Another important thing is of course that I can easily decide when I want my subject to go out of focus. I see a lot of walking shots in which the autofocus system will track the person far too long. As a person starts to come close to camera it looks way more natural that they become out of focus and that something in the background stays in focus. This is extremely hard to do with autofocus, as once the subject is no longer the center of attention your autofocus won't know what it is that you want to have in focus. Anyways, nice video!

[@thomaslanterman4638]

I think I agreed with all of your trends to drop. My biggest disappointment has been with things labeled DJI on it somewhere. Not for lack of spending time to master my gimbal and drone, but issues of customer support, batteries, short runtimes, etc. I DO love aerial shots for opening closing and major transitions when warranted.

[@AmadoWildlifeVideos]

Right on, add to all that: Rapid fire jump cuts synchchchchcchchchopated to music.

[@cinema8564]

Really an excellent point, that shot movement needs "motivation," as it is sometimes called.

[@AlexWitkowicz]

Man, you are reading my mind. I co-sign all of this!

[@ant-onio948]

I thought I was wrong when I always argue with my director about the too much usage of drone shots.

[@BTMovieSecondChannel]

Great video! We share a lot of similar sentiment about avoiding trends as much as possible (although I have certainly followed them). I don't own a gimbal, I don't own a drone, I ditch slow-motion for most of my shots. Handheld, normal-speed footage carries the most emotion for me most of the time. Great tip about showing rather than telling - this is something where I can grow. I depend quite much on interviews in most video's, but could introduce a little more storytelling scenes in my video's.

[@LeeHarris]

Resolve! I am a firm believer in supporting the 'niche' players especially if they make the hardware, as a photographer I use Capture One because it is the best and I trust them not ditch their customers like Apple,. Adobe is a massive company and we should not just let them take over, especially when the other options are actually better.

[@ClassicCyclingCC]

Thanks for the video. At the end of the day there is really no dos and don’ts in filmmaking and all rules were made to be broken I believe. I am no expert in the matter but based on my amateur experience, everything goes as long as it has a purpose; meaning it actually enhances the power of your story or your message. Effects for the sake of effects or beautiful shots for the sake of beautiful shots are the enemy. The greatest filmmakers, I think, have this uncanny way of making everything come together (videography, effects, sound, dialog, acting, lighting, color grading and on and on) and know when to break the rules, when to use a drone, when to out of focus, etc… in order to completely immerse the audience in their film: A true art form. Cheers to all KZbinrs.

[@burgeroraclefilmco]

Omg - Amen to all of this. You nailed it.

[@TheObsoletian]

Agree 100%, I've been doing this for 30+ years and I've seen trends come and go. From dutch angles, compressed shots, to time ramping and drones. As a DOP you have to decide sometimes between trendy and timeless, it depends on the job, but I'd go for the latter. A good handheld shot is way more expressive than a gimbal shot, so is a well composed and stable tripod shot and will endure the test of time.

[@peterheitmann2844]

Great thoughts mate! I always had the same feeling as a corporate filmer... since gimbals and great AF arrived in the industry, I see other videographer using gimbal shots combined with AF and slow motion in all their videos. Always found this weird... or felt old fashioned, when I was sitting on my dolly and using manual focus.

[@venturasurfing]

An excellent reset. Well done. Made me think (re-think, reset) and that's always a good thing. Thanks! Liked and subscribed.

[@anetamlodzikova8832]

Thank you ! Struggling Still with constant upgrading my equiment I loose Focus what is essential, carrying less stuff definitely will help to Focus on the caracter not on beautiful scenes ..

[@martinekwall4671]

Great video! Always so professional 🤗 Overly shaky and zooming in and out that’s something I want to see less of.

[@LucForsyth]

Ah yes, the crash zoom...would have made a solid addition to this list!

[@ADrowning]

I have to point out the trend of lo-fi music on the intro of every KZbin channel. I can’t wait for that one to go away! ;)

[@MrExel47]

I agree on each point. I was about to get a gimbal, but than I asked myself how often I would really need one for wildlife and documentary film making. In the end I ditched the idea and bought a slider. For bts stuff I will probably just get a pocket 3.

[@kevinterrell95]

Interesting & thought provoking. Gonna chew on this for a little while. Thanks for the video!

[@AnandaGarden]

Thank you, Luc. Totally love that you've done the work and are willing to share what you've learned. That said - oh yeah, here goes - I've been a nonfiction writer and editor for 49.5 years, and I'll state this as fact: the hardest thing for creators, and the most valuable skill, hands down, is the ability to put yourself in the reader's - or viewer's - seat. If you can do it, you've got a tremendous competitive advantage. Now then, I've watched a ton of handheld video that worked really well because it didn't distract the viewer, and I've seen docs and TV series utterly ruined by its misuse - as documented by negative comments on Prime. At any rate, you asked! Oh, another pet peeve is the deliberate ungraded "log look." Per a comment I heard in 1959 when a Giants fan mouthed-off at a Dodgers game, "Go stick your head in a fog bank!"

[@nickchristyfilms]

This is my favourite channel on KZbin! Thank you for helping all of us improve our skills :)

[@nicholasjackson2167]

Love your stuff, man. I learn a TON each and every video. Hope to connect with you someday!

[@inframe-brooklyn993]

I totally agree with everything you said. For me Documentary filmmaking is literally striping back all the "Stuff" and letting my subject matter tell the story. I believe if you need flash to make your story more interesting, then find a more interesting story or a more interesting way to tell it. All the Slo-mo/montage/drone shots in the world will not make up for poor story telling, and isn't that what we got into Documentary filmmaking for in the first place? To tell interesting stories? Of course thats just my two cents.

[@SodaDjinn]

One editorial thing documenteries need to ditch is ignoring chronology completely to maximize tension. I'm talking about those documentaries where half a dozen people sit down on interview chairs, random scenes with wild cuts flash in between random quotes. So there you're sitting, expected to process and keep dozens of impressions in mind while the story slowly unfolds, putting these puzzle pieces slowly together in a seemingly arbitrary way. Netflix has championed this discipline of missing structure and I find it very hard to watch.

[@jamesharrison4272]

I think you will like DV Studio once you become familiar with it. Not a big leap from other high-end NLE offerings. I made the switch from Vegas Pro about 2 years ago and love it. Hate the concept of subscription-ware and will not use it. Have always used beta versions and never had a problem. Also the one-stop shop environment for edit/fusion/color/fairlight is sweet. Oh, and for those who ditched their M43 for FF ... I'm still buying ~ let me know what you have!

[@LucForsyth]

agree! Looking forward to learning it better!

[@samt8017]

5:40 I use a weebil 3s quite a bit and if I want the Hand held look, I’ll lock all the arms. It is a happy medium and super easy to switch from handheld look to steady look.

[@joenicklo]

5:47 YES! YES! YES! I'm so tired of gimbals. Last year, my RS2 was stolen while on a shoot out of town. Never bothered replacing it. This year, I sold my MoVI Pro...why? Because I found that I was never using it. There are times when they've got their place but an entire scene shot on a gimbal just gets old.

[@LucForsyth]

💯

[@travmatt]

Certainly a difference of opinion in there at times. One thing you mentioned with the mum assassin interview, the main lesson there is to stay alert & focussed. These impromptu opportunities arise and if you can capture them you are all the better for it. There may be no way of foretelling what will unfold. You may need to adopt a surreptitious approach to capture it and not affect what is happening. The audio may not be great, the frame compromised, but as you say, its far more beneficial to the storytelling to have it than not. There is a word there too for sound recordists, if you have that luxury. They can quite often fade the sound when the main act is between takes, and golden opportunities can be lost through lack of sound - sound is so often more important than the images. Thanks!

[@oldad73]

One of my pet peeves (and I'm just a viewer) is music behind dialogue. This is happening in films, documentaries, TV drama and news. Often it is way too loud and masks the dialogue. This is coupled with (actors) mumbling their lines rather than speaking clearly. (Maybe I'm just too old and need to go back to books.)

[@rickbiessman6084]

I’m 33 and couldn’t agree more. ...maybe I too should go back to books. :D

[@sharkerio]

Lol you literally pointed out every single aspect of the documentary film, making to make a film… Can you take away some it all up? Use everything with intention. Cracks me up, great video.

[@MarioCastillion]

Thanks for yet another great video with insightful information. Love it!!!

[@LucForsyth]

Great to hear!

[@Dubi00]

I agree with everything and have been trying to say the same notes myself. Especially the drone ordeal, its like yeah cool. But recently I said something like treat your drone more like a helicopter than a toy.

[@charlieross-BRM]

Trends are a reason I choose some gear at the low end of pricing instead of "investing" in good gear. I have a small gimbal and I have a programmable slider - both gathering dust. They weren't junk, however I realized in short order that for the amount of times I want them, the learning curve is too long and/or the packing and setup kills my vibe. B-roll . . . "Learn to shoot Epic, Cinematic, B-roll" LOL. Don't get me started. I've had chats with long term cameramen and to them B roll was when the least experienced person in the crew was sent off to shoot around the location to get familiar with the equipment while the actual camera man is having lunch. It had nothing to do with audio/no audio. Now B-roll apparently includes long prep, rehearsals, multiple takes, etc. eg. scenes, like Luc mentioned.

[@crevometamedia]

This is one of the best channels on KZbin. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@LucForsyth]

Thank you, appreciate that!

[@travelbagphotography]

Hey Luc! Love your videos, really great. Couldn't agree more with all you said; limit drone shots, use slow motion on fast-moving things only, shoot hand held and use MF. All excellent suggestions. Keep up the good work, dude.

[@LucForsyth]

Thank you!

[@travelbagphotography]

Welcome!@@LucForsyth

[@joestrahl6980]

​@@LucForsyththanks for this a many other of your videos. I am not in documentaries, a university lecturer who records some of his lectures and sometimes outdoors not on campus. If I could add a trend: the use of quasi old film film flickering past backgrounds when introducing the next topic in a you tube video? Like in this otherwise excellent one? That is a trend that should have been put to rest!

[@dylanjaymes]

I was just thinking to myself that I hadn't seen one of your videos come up in awhile & I was going to go specifically look for one to watch then this popped up. I like all the things you said & I'm not fighting you on the AF but the lens really makes a difference on this one. I find it so hard to hit focus when using my 24 to 70 GM & other photo lenses or cheap cinema lenses. On a decent cinema lens I am better able to really hit the focus marks. & I've been on Resolve for about a year now but still have been hanging on to my Adobe subscription to access old projects when needed (not often enough to warrant it to be honest).

[@consulatbum]

This is gold. Thank you so much for providing these valuable advice from your own experience 🧡

[@firehorseweddingphotograph3995]

Not only can I not disagree with any of that, but already heading in that same direction myself, I think on every point, as long as my handheld element is not too jittery.

[@astrojungle]

Always love the usefulness of your videos! Shooting my first doc at the end of the month! Can you do a video about memory during shoots. Dropping footage, backups, laptops etc.. That's where I'm having a tough time hunting for gear.

[@LucForsyth]

Good idea! I'll put it on the list.

[@rasmusflindtpedersen4554]

Spot on, Luc 👍

[@AdamLoretz]

Cheers Luc. Great points. TQ

[@genji5312]

I haven’t touched my gimbal in a long time. I also almost never take my drone out unless it’s absolutely necessary and requested/paid for by a client. These are two pieces of kit that if I were to sell today, it would not be missed

[@LucForsyth]

💯

[@alessandrobigardi]

Thank you for your useful point of view. I was very much in doubt about not using gimbal and autofocus, but wanting to give a documentary look to my work as well, I agree with you that a little naturalness in both camera movements and focus helps in immersion.

[@kalamoproductions6268]

Definitely agree with most if not all. Well said

[@LucForsyth]

always room for healthy disagreement! Thanks!

[@TheApp9]

I only use AF with vintage lenses without focus by wire. So I can set marks and use muscle memory. All my Sony lenses are fbw and I always prefer AF.

[@popartmediaPL]

Luc great video! Regarding AF - I've found the best solution is to use it hybrid way (GM lenses work best in this case). You just assign the button on the lens to AF/MF switch and then whenever you press the button you can have AF or MF instantly. Philip Bloom made video about it. It is one of the reason why I use GM lenses - the button is so smooth and placed perfectly but I guess You will be also fine with Sigma :-) Cheers

[@LucForsyth]

Yeah, the side button changing is great. My AC set that up for me recently and I do like it a lot more. But as you say it's only on my G master lenses, which unfortunately don't have the best manual focus system. Great tip though!

[@jockslifeatliftvideoproduc8528]

Benefit of being a panny boy for over 6 years while also studying film, where autofocus isn't even in the discussion has meant that I've always shot manual exclusively for years. Now I have the S5iix I'm finally discovering the beauty autofocus and youre right! A hybrid way of utalising autofocus is the way to go. Pretty much any time the camera is in my hand its in manual focus, unless i dont feel confident in getting the focus and Lumix cameras have a focus switch that sits right beneath your thumb so swapping back and forth is extremely easy. Interviews are always manual, occasionally use autofocus to check focus if Im struggling to see the eye. And of course for most cases when using a gimbal, autofocus is the way to go, not always though! I feel a touch lucky now, almost like learning to drive manual on your learners, it makes going auto easier, where I could imagine going the other way to considerably more difficult! Using the program button on the GM or sigma lens is a great idea!

[@bradleyc79]

Thanks form Chicago

[@bardurlydersen1444]

I like this video a lot. Many of the tings you mantion, have bin in my head for some tine now. Good job👍

[@LucForsyth]

great to hear!

[@CsiklosMiklos]

Great video, we need more of this to knock down the sameyness of recent videography. For example, this compositionally boring newspresenter style needs to be dropped in favor of faithful representation of the topic being talked about. When talking about editing, sit at the workstation and talk there. Or when talking about gear, stand up and touch one of them specifically. There are infinite ways to go about this, just stop being completely in the center of the frame with the meticulously crafted fake blurry background. Show, don't tell, remember?

[@XVIIsionsProductions]

Davinci Resolve 18 Studio is absolutely awesome. I’ve always used Davinci and it just keeps getting better.

[@theothermarkwilliams]

Just recently found your channel, Luc - nice work! I found this list to be really refreshing. I've really been growing tired of shooting with a gimbal the past few months, and I'm concerned about how many people (including clients) have grown so accustomed to that look. And while I enjoy the look of a good drone shot, I don't enjoy shooting with drones myself. And re: your comments about manual focus: YES! I stopped using autofocus a little over a year ago, and it has made the biggest difference in my filmmaking journey out of anything ever.

[@glennsak]

So glad I found your channel and videos. So practical and well delivered.

[@DeonMitton]

Great information Luke - thank you for sharing these insights... very valuable.

[@DanielHodotcom]

Wonderfully informative! Thank you for your advice.

[@LucForsyth]

You're very welcome!

[@Saylerjesse]

Love this video idea. I'm like super interested in timeless classic doc movements and choices. I don't love trends but whatever it's cool. Great video man