IT COST AN ESTIMATED $100 million to launch Sandra Bullock into space in 'Gravity' and $40 million to turn back the clock in 'American Hustle.' But not all the films up for Hollywood's top honors had such exorbitant budgets. A few of the short-documentary Academy Award nominees were made with cameras that look like something you might bring to the beach--with price tags that won't send you into a sweat.
在电影《地心引力》(Gravity)里把桑德拉・布洛克(Sandra Bullock)送进太空估计花了一亿美元(约合人民币6.13亿元),而在《美国骗局》(American Hustle)中让时光倒流花费的资金估计达4000万美元(约合人民币2.45亿元),然而并非所有角逐好莱坞(Hollywood)最高荣誉的电影都有如此高昂的预算。获得奥斯卡奖(Academy Award)最佳纪录短片提名的几部片子所用的拍摄器材,看上去跟你带去海滩的那种设备差不多――其标价签也不会让你出身冷汗。
'My camera kit literally fits into a duffel bag,' said Edgar Barens, the director of 'Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall ' . More compact, affordable equipment doesn't just keep budgets down; it can also enable a different type of movie making. 'To not have this huge technological thing on your shoulder,' explained Mr. Barens, 'also breaks down that wall,' making it easier for him to bond with his subjects.
《牢狱的终结:二等兵杰克・霍尔的最后日子》(Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall)的导演埃德加・贝伦斯(Edgar Barens)说:“我的整套摄影装备用一个行李袋就能装下。”用更紧凑、更实惠的设备拍电影不仅仅能降低预算,还能让人进行一种别开生面的电影拍摄。贝伦斯解释说,不肩扛巨大的技术设备,也照样可以打破藩篱,还能让他更容易与拍摄的对象建立关系。
No less impressive than the Oscar-nominated films being made for relatively small sums is what amateurs are able to capture with the smartphones in their pockets. As the price of cinema-quality gear drops and the consumer-level cameras advance, the barrier to making a high-quality film has never been lower. No matter what your skill set or budget, great tools are within reach.
业余爱好者用他们兜里的智能手机拍摄的东西,可以给人深刻印象,并不逊于较小成本制作的奥斯卡提名影片。随着电影级画质设备价格的下跌以及消费级摄像器材品质的提升,阻碍拍出高质量电影的门槛已经降到了历史最低点。不管你的综合技能或预算如何,好工具都是唾手可得的。
We asked the pros to recommend gear appropriate for smartphone shooters and soon-to-be Oscar-contenders alike.
我们请专业人士推荐了以下设备,它们既适合手机党,也能满足即将角逐奥斯卡奖的人。
Shoot steady. Nothing screams 'amateur home movie' like shaky, nausea-inducing shots. Conrad Mess, a Spain-based filmmaker, has won several awards at the iPhone Film Festival. His favorite solution is the Lollipod ($50, lollipod.co.uk ), an ultra lightweight tripod that can also serve as a monopod or boom stand. 'You can pan or tilt very smoothly with it,' he said. 'And it almost fits in your pocket.'
稳定拍摄。没有什么能比摇摇晃晃、令人反胃的镜头画面更能表明一部影片的“业余家庭电影”身份了。家住西班牙的电影制作人康拉德・梅斯(Conrad Mess)在iPhone电影节(iPhone Film Festival)上好几次获奖。他最青睐的解决方案是用自拍乐(Lollipod)三脚架(lollipod.co.uk上售价50美元(约合人民币306元)),这种超轻的三脚架也可以当独脚架或万向支架使用。“有了它,你可以很平稳地进行摇摄或倾斜镜头,”他说,“而它几乎可以装进你的口袋里。”
Keep the camera moving. 'If you move the camera smoothly, you will get a much better, more 'pro' look,' said Mr. Mess. To get this effect, he recommended the Glidetrack Mobislyder ($95, mobislyder.com ). It includes five different mounts for attaching a smartphone or a small DSLR camera to a 12-inch track. Even though it's relatively short, it can be used to pull off interesting tracking shots. Another solution is the Steadicam Smoothee ($150, tiffen.com ), a version of the stabilizing equipment used by the pros that is been scaled down for smartphones and small cameras. Just be sure not to overdo it with the motion. 'Movements with a cellphone should be mostly slow and smooth,' Mr. Mess said.
让摄像机动起来。梅斯说:“如果你平稳地移动摄像机,你会有一个更好、更‘专业’的派头。”要取得这种效果,他推荐使用Mobislyder滑轨(mobislyder.com上售价95美元(约合人民币582元))。该滑轨有五种不同的底座,用来把智能手机或小型的数码单反相机(DSLR camera)安装到12英寸(约合30.48厘米)的轨道上。虽然滑轨相对较短,但它可以用来实现有趣的跟踪拍摄。另一种解决方案是使用Smoothee摄影机稳定器(tiffen.com上的售价为150美元(约合人民币919元)),专业人员使用的这种稳定设备已经针对智能手机和小型照相机按比例进行了缩小。拍摄时只需确保动作不要过猛,“用手机拍摄时动作通常都应该做到缓慢、平稳,”梅斯说道。
Vary your lenses. The standard lens on your smartphone will only get you so far. For example, when shooting indoor scenes where you want to capture as much of the surroundings as possible, iPhone Film Festival co-founder Ruben Kazantsev said a wide-angle lens is ideal (he used one to film inside a police car for his latest film, 'Departure.') For iPhone shooters, he recommended the Smart Phocus 3 Lens Bundle ($110, smartphocus.com ). It includes a case that gives an iPhone a more camera-like grip and includes three detachable lenses: wide angle, macro and Telephoto.
更换你的镜头。你的智能手机上的标准镜头只能让你施展这么一点能力了。iPhone电影节的共同创办人鲁边・卡赞采夫(Ruben Kazantsev)说,比如,当拍摄室内场景时,你想尽量多地把环境都拍下来,使用广角镜头十分理想(他在拍摄最近一部影片《离开》(Departure)时就用了一支广角镜头来拍摄警车内部的场景)。对于用iPhone手机拍电影的人,他推荐的是Smart Phocus 3镜头包(Smart Phocus 3 Lens Bundle)(在smartphocus.com上的售价为110美元(约合人民币673元))。这套镜头包可以让iPhone更具相机那样的手感,其中包括三个可拆卸的镜头:广角镜头、微距镜头和远摄镜头。
Upgrade your software. For greater control over the iPhone camera than the stock Camera app allows, Messrs. Kazantsev and Mess both use the Filmic Pro ($5, available for iOS). It allows you to focus on different objects in the frame; increase resolution for a higher quality picture; and achieve special effects, like slow motion and time-lapse video.
升级你的软件。为了实现对iPhone摄像功能的控制突破现有拍摄应用所允许的范围,卡赞采夫和梅斯都使用了Filmic Pro应用程序(适用于iOS操作系统,售价5美元(约合人民币31元))。该应用让你能够对取景框内的不同目标实现对焦、提高分辨率以获取高质量的画面,还能实现诸如慢动作和延时动态视频这样的特殊效果。
Upgrade your camera. For Mike Staniforth, a filmmaker who has shot award-winning films on an iPhone and traditional cameras, a DSLR camera is a must-have for anyone who's serious about movie making, because it delivers a better quality picture, especially in low light. The relatively affordable Canon EOS Rebel T5 EF-S paired with the Canon EF 50 mm f/1.8 II lens ($550 and $126, shop.usa.canon.com ) make a good starter kit, he said. But be sure to upgrade the lens when you're ready to commit to the art form. 'Realize that camera bodies come and go each year,' he said. 'The real investment is the glass on the front.'
升级你的摄像器材。在迈克・斯塔尼福斯(Mike Staniforth)(用iPhone和传统相机拍摄过获奖影片的电影制作人)看来,单反数码相机对于任何严肃对待电影拍摄的人来说都是必备之选,因为它可以拍出更高质量的画面,尤其是在低光照的条件下。价格相对便宜的佳能(Canon)EOS Rebel T5 EF-S单反相机搭配了佳能EF 50 mm f/1.8 II 镜头(在shop.usa.canon.com上的售价分别为550美元(约合人民币3365元和771元)),是很好的入门套装器材,他说。不过当你准备要投身这门艺术的时候,一定要升级你的镜头。“要知道机身每年都在更新换代,”他说,“真正该投资的是前面的那块玻璃。”
Record better audio. According to several filmmakers, beginners are better off using prerecorded music for their films than trying to record live dialogue--mainly because the quality of built-in microphones on smartphones and camcorders aren't up to the task. But if you want an affordable way to capture intelligible dialogue, Mr. Staniforth recommended the Zoom H1 ($100, zoom.co.jp ). This stand-alone digital recorder also functions as a stereo external mic for a video camera, and can be attached using an optional hot-shoe mount.
录制更好的声音。据好几位电影制作人说,初学者最好为他们的电影配用预先录制好的音乐,而不是现场录制对话――主要是因为智能手机和便携式摄像机上内置的麦克风质量无法达到任务要求。但如果你想找一种经济实惠的方式录制清晰可辨的对话,斯塔尼福斯推荐使用Zoom H1录音笔(在zoom.co.jp上的售价为100美元(约合人民币612元))。这款独立操作的数字录音设备还可以用作摄像机的外接立体声麦克风,用一个选配的热插拔底座就可以与摄像机实现连接。
Stretch time. Time-lapse is another technique that can take amateur video to the next level. Filmmaker Jeffrey Karoff used it for his Oscar-nominated documentary short, 'CaveDigger,' by leaving an old DSLR camera and a Canon TC-80N3 Timer Remote Controller ($210, shop.usa.canon.com ) with one of his subjects. Although this model is only compatible with Canon cameras, 'timer remote controls' are available for other brands of camera.
延长时间。延时拍摄是另一种让业余级别视频得以提升水平的技术。电影制作人杰弗里・卡洛夫(Jeffrey Karoff)在他获奥斯卡最佳纪录短片提名的《挖穴人》(CaveDigger)中使用了这种技术,他用一台旧的数码单反相机和一台佳能TC-80N3遥控计时器(在shop.usa.canon.com上的售价是210美元(约合人民币1,285元))对他的一个拍摄对象进行了长时间拍摄。虽然这种型号的遥控计时器只兼容佳能相机,但其它相机品牌的“遥控计时器”也是有售的。
Frame your shot...with an app. To get a sense of what a shot will look like using different lens configurations and settings, Kieran Crilly, director of photography for the Oscar-nominated short documentary 'The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life,' uses the Artemis Director's Viewfinder app ($30, available for Android and iOS). 'You tell it what camera and what lens you are on, and it shows you what the frame will look like,' he said. 'It's handy when you're scouting.'
用应用软件查看画面构图。为了弄清在不同的镜头配置及参数设置条件下拍摄的画面会是什么样子,奥斯卡最佳纪录短片获奖提名影片《6号屋的女人:音乐拯救我的生命》(The Lady In Number 6: Music Saved My Life)的摄影指导基兰・克里利(Kieran Crilly)使用了Artemis Director's Viewfinder应用程序(售价30美元(约合人民币184元),安卓(Android)和iOS系统的均有售)。“你告知程序你使用是哪种相机和什么镜头,它会给你显示画面构图会是什么样子,这真是非常方便”他说。
Track the sun. According to Mr. Crilly, another popular app among DPs is Sun Seeker ($6 for Android, $7 for iOS), which will map out the sun's trajectory using your smartphone's camera, GPS and compass. 'If you're going to set up a shoot and you're not sure if the sun is going to come in, it's a really useful tool,' he said.
追踪太阳。据克里利说,在数据处理中大受欢迎的另一款应用程序是Sun Seeker(安卓版的售价6美元(约合人民币37元),iOS版的售价7美元(约合人民币43元)),它会利用你智能手机上的摄像头、全球定位系统(GPS)和罗盘绘制出太阳的轨迹。他说:“如果你打算布置场景进行拍摄而你又不确定阳光是否会照射进来,这款应用真的是一个十分有用的工具。”
Get a pro-grade camera that won't blow your budget. At least two of the films nominated for best short documentary at this Sunday's Academy Awards--'The Lady In Number 6' and 'CaveDigger'--were shot on a camera that cost less than $3,500: the Canon 5D, the latest model of which is the Mark III ($3,400, shop.usa.canon.com ). Its price point is almost unheard of. 'To have that quality on a consumer level was really something brand new,' said Mr. Karoff. That said, the lens is what's key. 'It doesn't matter how good a camera sensor is, you need good glass to get the best from it,' said Mr. Staniforth. To shoot 'The Lady In Number 6,' Mr. Crilly used a Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens ($2,299, shop.usa.canon.com ). 'That really is kind of the hero lens that most people tend to take out on docs,' he said. But to soften the Canon 5D's ultra-crisp image, Mr. Crilly also employed filters, in this case, the Tiffen 4x5.65 Soft/FX 1 Filter ($431, tiffen.com ) and Schneider 4x5.65 Classic Soft 1 Filter ($365, schneideroptics.com ).
买一台不会打破你的预算的专业级相机。获得上周日奥斯卡奖最佳纪录短片提名的影片中至少有两部――《6号屋的女人》和《挖穴人》――是用价格不到3,500美元(约合人民币21,450元)的相机拍摄的:佳能5D,其最新的型号是Mark III(在shop.usa.canon.com上的售价是3,400美元(约合人民币20,838元))。这样的零售价格几乎闻所未闻。卡洛夫说:“在消费级的相机上拍出那样的画质的确是一件新鲜的事情。”尽管如此,关键还是在于镜头。“不管相机传感器有多好,你需要好的镜头才能将它发挥到极致,”斯塔尼福斯说。在拍摄《6号屋的女人》时,克里利使用了佳能的EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II 超声波马达(USM)镜头(在shop.usa.canon.com上的售价为2,299美元(约合人民币14,090元))。他说:“这真是大多数拍摄纪录片的人会想要使用的那种超级镜头。”但是为了柔化佳能5D超锐的图像,克里利还使用了滤镜,在拍摄这部影片时用的是天芬(Tiffen) 4x5.65 柔光/FX 1滤镜(在tiffen.com上的售价为431美元(约合人民币2,641元))和施耐德(Schneider) 4x5.65经典柔光(Classic Soft)1滤镜(在schneideroptics.com上的售价为365美元(约合人民币2,237元))。
Invest in a quality mic. At this level, you're going to want to record usable audio and ambient sound, and a mic like the Sennheiser ME66 ($500 with power module, sennheiser.com ) will help you pull that off. It's what Mr. Barens, the director of 'Prison Terminal,' used when shooting his Oscar-nominated film at the Iowa State Penitentiary. 'It's directional enough to be crisp,' he said, 'but not too shot-gunny that it's hyper crisp on one person only.'
投资购买高品质的麦克风。在这一阶段,你会希望录制可用的音频及周围的声音,像森海塞尔(Sennheiser) ME66(在sennheiser.com上带电源模块、售价500美元(约合人民币3,064元))的这种麦克风会祝你一臂之力。该麦克风正是《牢狱的终结》的导演贝伦斯在爱荷华州监狱(the Iowa State Penitentiary)拍摄他这部奥斯卡提名影片时使用的那款。“它的定向性能足以保证声音的清晰,”他说,“但又不像猎枪的声音那样只有一个人的声音是超级清晰的。”
Tailor your lighting. The pros customize their light sources to the shoot. For the lowlight alleyway shots in the Oscar-nominated short documentary 'Facing Fear,' director of photography Svetlana Cvetko, used the battery-powered Bescor LED-95DK2 Dual LED Light Kit ($200, bescor.com ). But she lighted her interviews with the more expensive Kino Flo Diva-Lite 400 Universal Fluorescent Light Fixture ($1,233, including lamps, kinoflo.com ).
量身定做你的照明设备。专业人士都是定制他们拍片用的光源设备。为拍摄光照度低的小巷场景,奥斯卡最佳纪录短片提名影片《直面恐惧》("Facing Fear)的摄影指导斯维特兰娜・茨韦特科(Svetlana Cvetko)使用了用电池供电的Bescor LED-95DK2双LED灯组套件(在bescor.com上的售价为200美元(约合人民币1,226元))。但她在接受采访时使用了更昂贵的Kino Flo Diva-Lite 400通用荧光灯照明设备(Universal Fluorescent Light Fixture)(在kinoflo.com上含灯管的售价为1,233美元(约合人民币7,557元))。
Make your rig portable. The downside of being able to fit your gear into a bag is having to carry it all yourself. Mr. Karoff recommended the LowePro Pro Runner x450 AW ($370, lowepro.com ) because it has wheels and, critically, backpack straps: 'That was important because we did a lot of hiking into the hills.'
让你的装备携带轻便。用一个包装下所有设备的缺点,就是所有的东西你得自己扛。卡洛夫推荐乐摄宝(LowePro)Pro Runner x450 AW摄影包(在lowepro.com上的售价为370美元(约合人民币2,268元)),因为它装有滚轮,关键的是,它有背包肩带:“这很重要,因为我们到山中徒步的次数很多。”