Help: Shooting a music video with that "look" (the slow motion effect)

[Daniel Rutter]

Hey guys;

Technically this is an artistic discussion, and I couldn't figure out a good google search term for this... so maybe some of you can help.

I'm looking a lot more into music video shooting now... and one of the things that keeps cropping up is that "slow motion look" that videos have. The singer and band members all look like they're playing in slow motion, but they're in time with the music.

I understand how to *roughly* work the audio so that I can do this, but camera settings wise... how do I go about this? Shoot it in 24/25p and slow it down in time with the music... or shoot it in 50p/60p and slow it down? The reason I ask is because if I shoot 60p on a video, I lose resolution by going down to 720p. Otherwise I stick with 1080p, but run the risk of choppy shots.

Anyway you guys could enlighten me here?

Cheers;
Dan

[Lunchbox]

One way I know is to play the music at 200% speed. Then have everybody lip sync at that speed too. Then slow down 50% from your 60p footage.

[Playing]

I recall Eugenia Loli-Queru has some tutorial on this.

[Daniel Rutter]

Lunchbox, this is one of the techniques I've run into as well. Of course, I want to keep resolution if possible... But by the sounds of it, 720p 50p/60p is the way to go. I guess the only real way to see is if I test it out...

[drapeama]

One way I know is to play the music at 200% speed. Then have everybody lip sync at that speed too. Then slow down 50% from your 60p footage.

I think this would probably be the best method! That way the people sing slowly while the music is playing normally. Nice effect.
I doubt doing the opposite (song at 50% while recording in 60p and slowing-down in post) would work well. But this would probably give more fluid slow-motion though.

[drapeama]

But by the sounds of it, 720p 50p/60p is the way to go.

The more FPS, the better the results. And about 720p, you can always uprez it in post (resize + little Sharpen).

[Daniel Rutter]

I just did a really quick test with 720/50p and speeding up a song 50%... It seems to work well, but it looks strange compared to stuff I've seen on the web. Lets see if I can upload it and show you what I mean.

[Daniel Rutter]

Ok, here's me making a tool of myself for testing purposes. It works, but I still think it's sloppy (doesn't look right) compared to say... a pro music video.

Yeah, the song isn't royalty free... I'll delete it in a few days, it's just to show what I mean.


Compared to:



EDIT: The effect I'm really after is for fluid looking motion in metal videos, similar to about 1minute27seconds into this video:

[Lunchbox]

That's a sexy man face

[Daniel Rutter]

That's a sexy man face

Hehe... righteo then. I know, I'm an ugly sod with girl hair... but thats not the reason I posted the video. I'm trying to figure out how to do this effect. I'd appreciate anyone giving some advice... Lunchbox's original suggestion seems to work, but not amazingly.

[drapeama]

Ok, here's me making a tool of myself for testing purposes. It works, but I still think it's sloppy (doesn't look right) compared to say... a pro music video.[..] EDIT: The effect I'm really after is for fluid looking motion in metal videos, similar to about 1minute27seconds into this video

1) I think it looks just as good. You simply want the best lip sync possible but otherwise, lighting, color correction and a good concept will do! The technicals seems to work just fine for me!
2) It looks very similar to yours...you simply don't see it like us, as you're involved!

That's a sexy man face

Sort of!

[drapeama]

I'm trying to figure out how to do this effect. I'd appreciate anyone giving some advice...

Add some motion to your shot, use different lighting techniques and add a bit of color correction. With a good concept to tell the story behind the song, you'll be good to go. Try it, color correct that video and it'll look already better!

[Daniel Rutter]

2) It looks very similar to yours...you simply don't see it like us, as you're involved!

Thats a fair point.

Ok, the reason I'm looking at this technique is that it's a well known "high budget" look that seems really easy to do. The only issue is that the bands/performers I film might not like the idea of performing their song at twice the speed. I had intended to try it with my last music video, but I forgot to take that MP3 with me (rookie mistake). Lucky I had another one on me.

That being said, I want to shoot a hiphop video using this technique... just don't know if the rappers can keep up with a song twice the speed it normally is. I mean, does Eminem rap twice as fast for his music videos (considering how fast he raps normally)?

[Lunchbox]

I think you don't have enough motion/movement.. so the effect isn't obvious.

[Lunchbox]

Get a bunch of guys danced in the background will do

[drapeama]

Thats a fair point.[..] I mean, does Eminem rap twice as fast for his music videos (considering how fast he raps normally)?

1) I'm sure it's simply that.
2) What I would tend to think:
a) slowing down the speed for music (singer will sing it slower than original)
b) shooting normal speed (this would be equivalent to shooting at higher FPS)
c) slowing down the video (this is the normal slow-motion process, from a "poor-man-higher-fps-method")
d) playing music at normal speed. (this *should work)


That's theoretically though. I'm not sure if different speeds could match properly.

[EvilBastardProductions]

The only way to do this is to sync to a sped up version of the song, and then to drop back in post (ie the original plan). If you do the reverse (slow down the song first) it will just look like they are trying to play it absurdly slowly, and the effect will be killed (but you can use it for the opposite effect). Basically, the band just has to deal with it. remember though, they don't have to actually play it at twice the speed- they just have to look like they are, so as long as it pretty much looks like they are playing the right thing, it will be fine. (if you really want to mess with them, go for the reverse look... then they have to learn their songs backwards)
Shoot as high frame rate and shutter speed as possible too, and make sure you get some movement in there to highlight the effect.

Also, pay very careful attention to the length of it all, as re-sampling and speed manipulation isn't always an exact science.

But what you got there looks fine

[drapeama]

re-sampling and speed manipulation isn't always an exact science.
But what you got there looks fine

1) That's right! Best method is experimentation, you could find something you like more than another!
2) I agree. As I said, he doesn't like it that much because he's in it and he probably doesn't like to watch himself. Dan, do the same test with a good-looking woman in the same conditions. You'll be convinced!

[EvilBastardProductions]

1) Dan, do the same test with a good-looking woman in the same conditions. You'll be convinced!

Shhh... I think he thinks he IS a good looking woman... don't burst his happy bubble!!!

[MrMicah]

Daniel,

Looking at the first clip, it seems like the only slow-mo is of the extras, with the band and music being shot at normal speed. The smoke effect is slow but that might have been chroma or green screen editing, or just naturally slow. There is a scene of the drum stick hitting the drums in slow-mo where the contact syncs with s distinct drum beat in the clip. Think that this was just a clip with the video stream of the slow drum stick fall sync'd to the beat of the music.

Looking at around 1:27 of the second clip, are you talking about the guitarist jumping and playing in slow-mo? It seems like a really short sequence that leaves an impression, but not enough time to realy criticaly evaluate it. (Isn't this a trick with lots of special effects?)

I'd need to be better at picking the strum of the guitar, with the rise and fall of the musician jumping to see how well it connects with the actual music. My thought is that the scene is just slowed down by some factor that:

a) does not look 'out of sync' (even if it is not perfectly sync'd)
b) looks cool
c) does not create choppy effects, maybe by the insertion of additional repeated frames?

Most importantly, it is so short your eyes / senses don't hame time to start checking for tings that are not 'right'

[HueyNRolf]

Here's an old one, but a good example, I think. Apparently Sting was exhausted after the shoot.

[Daniel Rutter]

The jumping in the video already annoys me two minutes in, but I see what you mean by "selling the effect".

Thanks guys, I'll keep practicing the technique and see if I can get something I'm happy with.

[HueyNRolf]

The jumping in the video already annoys me two minutes in, but I see what you mean by "selling the effect".

Thanks guys, I'll keep practicing the technique and see if I can get something I'm happy with.

Understood, but I think the point is, unless your shooting something very animated, the effect will be lost. I've never done one of these, so it's all good learning. Interesting thread.

[Daniel Rutter]

unless your shooting something very animated, the effect will be lost.

i.e, a metal band or maybe an acoustic artist (although obviously not quite as well as I thought). Thanks Huey, I appreciate your input

[Steve_Karl]

Daniel,

I think you've found the correct was to do it.