Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Removing noise from video (not audio)

I have old GoPro Hero2 cameras and I'm not yet prepared to buy new ones.

I prefer the narrow view, but when I use it, naturally the noise level ramps way up. Any FCPx tools, apps, etc out there to reduce noise or techniques to minimize it? I'm running it at 1080 30p. Dropping to 720 in the camera eliminates the narrow option. Tried it.

I know, I can get one with a 4K sensor that doesn't have this problem at 1080p, but that's a chunk of change to replace my existing ones.

OS X Mavericks (10.9.2)

Posted on Mar 1, 2015 5:25 PM

22 replies

Mar 2, 2015 10:22 AM in response to Hooked4lifeca

Hooked4lifeca wrote:

… I'm usually by myself and it can be quite the challenge being simultaneously the director, the cameraman, the audio tech, the script writer and the actor.… Here's a recent video…

wow!!! I'm impressed! Kudos, chapeau, or whatever you phrase in English!

I have absolutely no clue what you're doing there, reminds me a bit of knitting 😝, I will never understand, that fish are that stupid, to 'think', hmmm, yummy .... btw: The way you do knots, I've seen by surgeons ...

So, aside content, from a video perspective: well lit (you should consider a head-light on the right (your left) to separate your head better from the bg. Excellent sound (most instructional videos are cheap on that part); I would consider more use of 'titles'; titles give the audience a chance to rest, to understand what you're showing there. I like that macro close-ups when your crocheting (I can't get that out of my head sorry!). You have a superb voice, wording and tempo... great! … but that is 'studio', out in the wild it is much more difficult.-

Esp. working solo.

(I'm solo too, handling 6 cams around a soccer field....)

I have seen a few of your outdoor ones - 'room for improvement', compared to the studio ones: don't use the cams mic, when you stand a mile away in a roaring river. A lav mic, and a tiny recorder in your vest do an excellent job. Or, don't talk at all, do the voice-over at home. Finally: no need to record in a single take! More edits! When you're talking about a nice morning, add some beauty shots. Do the same scene 3x, 4x, 5x, and record yourself from diff. perspectives, incl. your GoPro for close-ups and p-o-v.

In edit, it will look like a single scene. Is that cheating you audience? For sure not! It's an instructional video.

I really like the one you have linked to;

the music is borrowed by Bob Ross, hm? 😉

Enjoy movie making! And fishing.

… and more 'edit', no single takes - it's much easier....

Mar 2, 2015 11:49 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Thanks for the feedback

I've change the studio around since that last vid, but I can't do a head light that is more or less straight on, due to the risk of lens flare. It's a constant battle to light me, the fly and yet not light the lens of one of the three cameras. One camera for space reasons does not have a lens hood so it will flare in a heartbeat if I'm not careful. I use barn doors on the lights, but it's not enough. To light me better, I've added some reflectors rather than add lights. I've already re-aimed the hair light to gain better separation as I had noticed the same as you, the merge with the background. Change of shirts helps too.

BTW, some of my vids are titles and graphics heavy. I use a vector graphics app to make fly line profile diagrams. I have to juggle the fact that the viewer's attention can only be on one thing, either the graphics or the vid content. So I have to make a judgment on where to focus that attention. A graphics heavy example: http://youtu.be/s6JPcWpQyFg

The outdoors stuff is a different kettle of fish. Most of it is impromptu, done with a single camera or a couple of GoPros as I'm traveling light. No doubt I'm a much better photographer/videographer in the studio than I am in the wild. I do have lavs and a wireless mic setup, but often it's just not practical to lug both all of the video gear and all of my fishing gear. I have to make a choice between the two. My fishing buddies are great guys, but they're hopeless with a camera.

Some of the outdoor stuff is really old, shot back when I only had one cheap camera and nothing else.

Oh ya, the music. I bought a bunch of royalty free CDs years ago that I use for the vids, so I have no idea who is actually performing.

Cheers

Mar 2, 2015 9:59 PM in response to Hooked4lifeca

Hooked4lifeca wrote:

…but often it's just not practical to lug both all of the video gear and all of my fishing gear. I have to make a choice between the two. …

Others have the same problems, and came to this :

http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2014/12/a-new-production-haiku/

or, less words, same source, illustrated with a few pics:

http://www.philiphodgetts.com/2015/02/two-production-extremes/

My travel luggage, alone due to three tripods of 16ft (sixteen) plus the main tripod, a rock solid one from amazon, plus cameras, plus plus plus, comes to ~55 pounds, the kids laughing at me "Here comes the TV-truck!" ... LOL!

… back2topic:

try to avoid too much digital zoom, on camera or in post (=re-framing) - no de-noiser can fix that.

Or, like me, switch to 4k recording (got my Pana FZ1000 as a 'warehouse deal' for under 800$), then you have enough 'beef' to zoom, pan, re-frame in post ....

Concerning lights: there are several tutorials on YouTube, showing 3-point lighting, how to use bouncers (I love bouncers!), and, finally, have a look on LED lights - a bit tricky reg. colors, but very handy, cheap, and easy to handle, 'cause the don't get hot as Tungsten, esp. for headlights, close to heads, this is a killer feature.

............. <sigh> movie-making is an endless story ... 😀

Mar 3, 2015 4:49 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Ya, it is an endless story and that's what makes it interesting.

Shooting fishing video solo has its own challenges including sand, water, wind, wading in fast currents with expensive cameras, etc. I've given up using still cameras for most of the shoots as they come with too many limitations. Currently I shoot video mostly with camcorders including two Canons, a Sony, two Hero2s and a Shimano Action camera. I can add three still cameras (two Fujifilms and an Olympus waterproof) if I need more.

Only one of the still cameras is really usable as a video camera as it can take old manual focus lenses and with those I'm in control of what the camera does. With the other two, I just hit the button and hope the AF doesn't screw things up too badly. I need real time HDMI out for the studio stuff as I run the HDMI output through a switch to a TV so that I can monitor what the cameras are seeing, so that means camcorder only.

The studio lighting is far more challenging than standard three point as I'm lighting me plus a macro subject using only three lights. Two lights are used to light the fly with spill and reflectors used to light me. They're much closer to me than normal as they have to intensely light a subject that can be no bigger than 1 cm long. My homemade barn doors are reflective and I use them to spill light onto me and at the same time keep the light off of the cameras.

Two cameras point toward the fly while the third points toward me, resulting in cameras pointing at each other. I have to mask off the camera shooting me otherwise the lights on the fly would flare it badly.

I realize I'm going to have to eventually bite the bullet and buy 4K GoPros to avoid the digital zoom issue, I'm just looking for ways to prolong the arrival of that day.

Cheers

Mar 3, 2015 5:11 AM in response to Hooked4lifeca

Picture worth ten thousand words . . .

http://www.hooked4life.ca/h4l/files/studio1.jpg - three lights and two Canons

http://www.hooked4life.ca/h4l/files/studio2.jpg - three lights and two Canons, fly, reflectors

http://www.hooked4life.ca/h4l/files/studio3.jpg - TV monitor and fly in vise

http://www.hooked4life.ca/h4l/files/studio4.jpg - masked off Sony

http://www.hooked4life.ca/h4l/files/studio5.jpg - fly and macro camera

http://www.hooked4life.ca/h4l/files/studio6.jpg - hair light and overhead camera

Mar 3, 2015 7:12 AM in response to Hooked4lifeca

Hooked4lifeca wrote:

Picture worth ten thousand words . . .

yeah, never have a look behind the backdrops! 😝

Why not a wooden ladder as light stand, when you get such a result:

This is a superb portrait… technically. 😉

This is our green screen at school:

(no, that is not me…)

a blanket from the 99¢-shop, some Gaffa tape, done!

… I need real time HDMI out for the studio stuff as I run the HDMI output through a switch to a TV so that I can monitor what the cameras are seeing, so that means camcorder only. …

not necessarily - my FZ1000, a 'bridge cam' has a HDMI too, connected to a Lilliput Control Screen makes panning fun.

call me stubborn, but …

Two cameras point toward the fly while the third points toward me

… isn't needed; you could record yourself on Monday, and record the close-up 'making' on a Tuesday... = all in a sudden you have six cameras!! Imagine the options…

I'm telling my kids from the school-film-club not to do 'theatre' - we do movies = editing!

… you see, your 'theme' thrills me. LOL!

A funny source for us no-budget-filmmakers is

The Frugal Filmmaker, <<< link to ext. website

who isn't shy to built a light from a trashcan etc.-

Again: chapeau for your results!

Mar 3, 2015 7:53 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Ya, the only thing wrong with the portrait -- the subject. 👿

Back when I only had one decent camera, I always shot things separately and then edited it together, plus added in some voiceover. For logistical reasons I don't do that with these videos.

The studio is left set up throughout the winter when I'm not fishing. I have guest fly tiers come in and shoot them while they tie up a few. I need to get everything in one shoot rather than have them do two separate shoots. It's tough enough to get guys to sit in front of a camera for one shoot, let alone two. 🙂

Thanks for your comments and the link to the frugal guy. That will be handy. I especially like his safety track wire idea for the Zoom H1 and will probably build one as soon as I can find the specs for my mics. It also gave me an idea for a splitter to use on the Sony, one going to the shotgun or wireless receiver, the other to a lav worn by me. It'll let me do interviews while holding the camera and have my voice at the same level as the subject.

Removing noise from video (not audio)