Filmmaking basics: six tips even the pros should know

Canon's cine cameras are formidable tools for both established filmmakers and beginners. With high-resolution sensors, Dual Pixel CMOS AF and Canon Log all available at the touch of a button, it's easier than ever to start shooting professional video without the need to necessarily undergo formal training.

No matter how advanced the equipment you're using is, the essential elements of filmmaking remain vital. From framing and composition, to what recording formats to use and how to get great results without a big crew to help, there is a very definite learning curve.

Here, we explore some of the key principals to capturing professional video, with expert insight from two filmmaking pros. Director of photography Patrick Smith shoots features and drama documentaries for the likes of the BBC, Netflix and Channel 4, while filmmaker and post-production specialist Ollie Kenchington runs Korro Films, an award-winning agency specialising in commercials, documentaries and branded content.

Whether you're looking to take the next step in filmmaking or wanting to brush up on your existing skills, you'll find these basic tips invaluable.

The majority of feature films are shot in 16:9 Ultra High Definition (UHD) 4K with a resolution of 3840 x 2160, 19:9 DCI 4K or Cinema 4K at 4096 x 2160. Social media video shooting with 9:16 vertical shots has also taken off and cameras such as the Canon EOS C70 have this built in.

Lots of filmmakers, however, love the wide look of the classic CinemaScope, where the footage is intentionally distorted to create a very wide image. This is usually done with a special anamorphic lens on the camera and corrected in post-processing to produce the different vertical and horizontal dimensions of the picture. Classic anamorphic characteristics include oval-shaped bokeh and long, horizontal flares.

Some advanced Canon cameras allow anamorphic lens correction, so you can view the footage in a corrected widescreen format. To get a rough approximation of the final image, some filmmakers use standard 'spherical' lenses and crop in post.

"For the beginner, aspect ratio is a very cheap way of elevating perceived aesthetic," says Patrick. "The simple press of a button can elevate footage that looks quite pedestrian to cinematic levels of perceived quality. That's simply because you put black lines at the top and bottom of the frame – but the viewer instinctively associates that with cinema production.

"A lot of documentaries now vary the aspect ratio and have 4:3 archive, 16:9 footage and 2:35 CinemaScope interview footage. It's a cheat, frankly, but one I always recommend to directors because it's a lovely place to compose. Aspect ratio is a great storytelling device."

Video shooters are offered a range of file formats to choose from, with some offering better quality at the cost of larger file sizes. For the ultimate in calibre and control, using the RAW data straight from the sensor is often best – but leaves you working with huge files.

Canon's Cinema RAW Light format offers a significant reduction in file size without sacrificing image quality, and gives the widest dynamic range. It is available in cameras such as the Canon EOS C200, EOS C500 Mark II, EOS C300 Mark III, EOS R5 and EOS-1D X Mark III.

Using Cinema RAW Light allows flexibility in grading, accurately setting white balance, sharpening and adding noise-reduction in post. "I treat Cinema RAW Light like any other file," says Ollie. "I just ingest it straight into the system, put it on the timeline and start working. It's full of rich colour information.

"The RAW image doesn't have a gamma applied, so you can make it Rec.709, Canon Log 3, Log 2 or Log," he continues. "You can make adjustments to ISO, gamut, gamma, white balance, tint, highlights, shadows and sharpness."

Deciding whether to shoot solo or with a crew often comes down to budget, but there are wider considerations too, explains Patrick. "It's something I'm always having to be involved in decisions about," he says, of his experience in documentary filmmaking. "The smaller the crew, often the longer you can shoot, and there is a payoff between having larger crews and the ability to work at speed.

"A lot of directors and producers worry about the intimacy and the footprint of a documentary crew, so the smaller your team, the better. Sometimes it's very liberating to have just you and the director going on filmmaking trips.

"Having said that, a knowledgeable crew can give you creative freedom. When you have people to support you, and the technologically challenging bits of the job are taken on by someone else, that enables you to focus just on the creative, lighting and storytelling side."

Most standard screens can't reproduce the full range of brightness that a camera is capable of capturing, so many filmmakers record in standard dynamic range using the Rec.709 colour space. But as bright and colourful High Dynamic Range TVs and smartphones flood the market, shooting in HDR is becoming an essential part of filmmakers' workflows.

HDR complies to the Rec.2100 standard for screens that can display a far greater range of brightness, so shooting HDR in PQ or Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) settings is essential. Cameras such as the Canon EOS C300 Mark III, EOS C500 Mark II, EOS C700 FF and EOS C70 all offer HDR capture internally. The EOS C200 can shoot in RAW, which can then be processed at HDR.

Footage recorded in PQ and HLG does not require grading, and HLG is also backwards compatible with Rec.709 standards for viewing on standard monitors, resulting in a faster workflow.