Frame Rate & Motion

How many frames per second — and what each rate feels like

Cinematic — the classic film look with natural motion blur

24 fps Cinematic Film, narrative, music videos. The standard for cinematic motion cadence.
30 fps Broadcast Web video, vlogs, interviews. Smooth but still natural.
60 fps Smooth / Slow-mo Sports, action. 2.5× slow-motion when played back at 24fps.
120 fps Dramatic Slow-mo 5× slow-motion at 24fps. Dramatic reveals and impact shots.

Shutter Speed & the 180° Rule

Set your shutter speed to double the frame rate for natural motion blur

180°
11° Sharp 360° Blurry
Shutter Speed 1/48
Frame Rate 180° Shutter Nearest Standard
24 fps 1/48 1/50
30 fps 1/60 1/60
60 fps 1/120 1/125
120 fps 1/240 1/250

Resolution & Aspect Ratios

How many pixels define your image — and what shape the frame takes

8K
6K
4K
1080p
720p
3840 × 2160
4K UHD
8.3 megapixels • 4× the pixels of 1080p
Standard for professional and prosumer video. Allows reframing in a 1080p timeline.

Common Aspect Ratios

16:9 Standard widescreen. YouTube, broadcast, most cameras.
2.39:1 Anamorphic / CinemaScope. Cinematic widescreen look.
4:3 Classic TV ratio. Used for retro or intimate feel.
1:1 Square. Instagram posts, social media ads.
9:16 Vertical. Reels, TikTok, Stories, Shorts.

Bitrate & Codecs

How much data per second — and how it’s compressed

Quality
100 Mbps
Delivery H.264 AVC Universal compatibility. Great for web delivery. Moderate file sizes.
Efficient H.265 HEVC 50% smaller files at same quality. Needs more processing power to decode.
Production ProRes Apple ProRes 422 Edit-friendly with minimal quality loss. Large files. Industry standard for post.
Maximum RAW Uncompressed / CinemaDNG Full sensor data. Maximum flexibility in grading. Enormous file sizes.

Color & LOG Profiles

Flat profiles preserve dynamic range for maximum grading flexibility

Shadows Midtones Highlights

Standard color profile. What you see is what you get — vibrant and contrasty.

8-bit 16.7 million colors Standard for most consumer cameras. Fine for Rec.709 but limited for heavy grading — can produce banding.
10-bit 1.07 billion colors 64× more color values than 8-bit. Essential for LOG/grading workflows. Smooth gradients.
12-bit 68.7 billion colors Cinema-grade. RAW workflows. Maximum latitude for extreme color work and HDR delivery.

Common LOG Profiles

S-Log3 Sony cameras. ~15 stops dynamic range.
C-Log3 Canon cameras. Balanced noise and latitude.
V-Log Panasonic cameras. ~14 stops dynamic range.
N-Log Nikon cameras. 12+ stops dynamic range.
F-Log2 Fujifilm cameras. Wide dynamic range for grading.
BRAW Blackmagic RAW. Combines RAW flexibility with smaller files.

White Balance

Lock your Kelvin value to keep color consistent across cuts

5600K
Tungsten Fluorescent Daylight Shade
3200K Tungsten Indoor lights, practicals. Warm orange cast if not corrected.
4300K Fluorescent Office lighting. Often has green tint — adjust tint slider too.
5600K Daylight Midday sun, strobes, LED panels set to daylight.
7500K Overcast / Shade Cloudy sky, open shade. Cooler blue cast.
Video tip: Always set white balance manually (Kelvin) rather than auto. Auto WB shifts between shots and makes color matching in post far more difficult.

Audio Essentials

Good audio is half the production — get your levels right

-48 -24 -12 -6 0 dB

Peak level in the sweet spot — clean audio with headroom.

Shotgun Directional On-camera or boom-mounted. Rejects off-axis sound. Best for dialogue and interviews.
Lavalier Clip-on Wired or wireless. Consistent levels as subject moves. Hidden on talent’s body.
On-Camera Built-in / Mounted Convenience backup only. Picks up handling noise and room ambience. Not for primary audio.
48 kHz / 24-bit Standard for video production. Matches camera internal recording.
96 kHz / 24-bit Higher sample rate for dedicated recorders. More headroom for post processing.

Camera Movement

Every movement tells a story — choose the one that fits

Pan

Camera rotates left or right on a fixed axis. Reveals environment or follows subject laterally.

Tilt

Camera tilts up or down on a fixed axis. Reveals height or follows vertical movement.

Dolly

Camera moves toward or away from subject. Creates depth and intimacy that zooming cannot replicate.

Truck

Camera moves left or right alongside the subject. Parallel tracking that maintains framing distance.

Crane / Boom

Camera rises or descends vertically. Dramatic reveals and establishing shots from above.

Handheld

Camera held by operator. Organic, immersive energy. Documentary and action feel.

Zoom

Lens changes focal length. Compresses or expands perspective without moving camera position.

Orbit / Arc

Camera circles around the subject. Adds dimensionality and reveals the scene from shifting angles.

Dolly vs Zoom: A dolly physically moves through space, creating natural parallax between foreground and background. A zoom magnifies from a fixed position, compressing depth. They look fundamentally different on screen.

Quick Video Cheat Sheet

Recommended starting points for common scenarios

Interview

Frame Rate24 or 30 fps
Shutter1/50 or 1/60
Aperturef/2.8 – f/4
ISOAs low as possible
CodecH.265 or ProRes
AudioLav mic, -12dB peak

Documentary

Frame Rate24 fps
Shutter1/50
Aperturef/4 – f/8
ISOAuto or 400-1600
CodecH.265 / ProRes LT
AudioShotgun + lav backup

Cinematic B-Roll

Frame Rate24 fps (60 for slow-mo)
Shutter1/50 (1/120 for 60fps)
Aperturef/1.4 – f/2.8
ISONative ISO
CodecProRes 422 / LOG
AudioNat sound / wild track

Event / Wedding

Frame Rate24 + 60 fps
Shutter1/50 + 1/120
Aperturef/1.4 – f/2.8
ISOAuto 100-6400
CodecH.265 high bitrate
AudioWireless lav + recorder

Social Media / Reels

Frame Rate30 fps
Shutter1/60
Aperturef/2.8 – f/5.6
ISOAuto
CodecH.264 / H.265
AudioWireless lav or shotgun

Slow Motion

Frame Rate120+ fps
Shutter1/240 or faster
Aperturef/2.8 – f/4
ISOHigher — needs more light
CodecBest available (often limited)
AudioSeparate recorder