How Does High Speed Video Work?
High speed video production shows the world in ways that our eyes cannot comprehend. It’s a great way for certain shots to stand out from the rest and have more weight to them.
The Origins Of High Speed Video
Slow-motion photography was first discovered when film cameras were hand cranked. By cranking the reel faster when exposing, the films projected more slowly when played back. Despite the name, slow-motion captures images very fast typically at the rate of at least 120 images per second and often 300 or more, hence the alternate term; High Speed Video. Film and video are typically played to an audience at 24, 25 or 30 frames per second for video content and 50 or 60 for tv content. These frame rates are internationally accepted as being the closest to how a human eye perceives motion in terms of the speed.
An example of slow-motion in 35mm from the film Platoon (1986).
When 300 images are played back at a normal 25 frames per second rate, there will be a huge excess of images. The footage has been exposed in 1 second of real time but it will last about 10 seconds on screen.
High Speed Video
Capturing high frame rates digitally works just like over cranking a film camera. You could be shooting hundreds and even thousands of images per second. When shooting in high speed images are being captured by the camera very quickly. And depending on the camera and frame rate, images are usually of a lower resolution. Light only has milliseconds to hit the camera sensor and create the image. This is all dependant on the camera and the frame rate in which the high speed video is captured in. There is always a tradeoff between resolution and frame rate. A higher frame rate results in a lower resolution.
To shoot all of these images in one second the camera must be as stable as possible. To reduce any unwanted movement, a tripod must be used to stabilise the camera. If the camera is moving then the subject must be exposed to as much light as possible.
Memory must also be taken into account as the amount of images taken in 1 second at 300fps can take up a significant amount of media storage.
Frames Per Second
60fps
Shooting at 50 or 60fps will create footage that is twice as slow when played back at 25 or 30fps . While it is not super slow motion, it creates impact whilst keeping up the pace. Just doubling the frame rate creates a sense of emotion in movement. Consider using this frame rate to build anticipation in your video marketing.
120fps
Baseline high speed video, just a quarter the speed of the standard frame rate. Generally used in sports coverage for high speed video playback. If you are looking to emphasis on certain important elements of your video that include movement, consider using 120 frames per second in your high speed video production.
300fps
300 frames per second is often used to display heroism and emotion. With this approach in high speed video production you’ll be able to capture quick and fast events in great detail. Let’s say you’re recording someone jumping and it takes five seconds. Watching the entire clip at 25 frames per second will take you a full minute.
600fps
Human movement becomes too slow for narrative and its use becomes more anatomical. Popping balloons, food dropping or coffee dripping are excellent examples of high speed video production in context. High speed manufacturing would be great as well.
1000 – 1200fps
Human movement is far too slow for these frame rates. Instead, it is more suitable for capturing events like extreme explosions. Events that happen in the blink of an eye. Remember that on 1000 frames per second, one second of real life events captured on camera will take 40 seconds to play back.
5000 – 10,000fps
Only professional cine cameras are capable of recording at these frame rates. Suitable for ‘bullet time’ style explosions and lightning. This is where we’re not worrying about seconds. Instead, we’re looking at events that happen in milliseconds.
High Speed Video Equipment
Slow motion isn’t easy. You need more powerful lighting than usual and you need people who know how to produce great slow motion footage. Besides the technical skill set, you’ll need people who know how to use it in your video strategy. Yes, High Speed Video Production requires specialised equipment that comes at a certain cost. But you’ll be surprised to hear what we can do for smaller budgets.
Phantom VEO640s
In order to capture slow motion video to the speeds that will really be impactful, you need specialist high speed cameras such as the Phantom VEO640 or VEO4k. These cameras can show you the world hundreds of times slower than you can ever see with your own eyes whilst producing superb film-quality high-definition imagery.
High Speed Video Production – Up To 10,000 FPS
The Phantom VEO 640s can film up to 10,000 frames per second. Fast enough to capture a speeding bullet! Below is an overview of the different frame rates we can record in and how long it would take to play back in a normal 25 frames per second video. Witness the power of High Speed Video Production.
2.5K @ 1500 FPS – 1 second captured takes 60 seconds to watch on normal speed
2K @ 2510 FPS – 1 second captured takes 100 seconds to watch on normal speed
1080 @ 2822 FPS – 1 second captured takes 118 seconds to watch on normal speed
720P @ 5788 FPS – 1 second captured takes 231 seconds, nearly four minutes, to watch on normal speed
576P @ 8650 FPS – 1 second captured takes 346 seconds, nearly six minutes, to watch on normal speed
480P @ 10,000 FPS – 1 second captured takes 400 seconds, almost 7 minutes, to watch on normal speed
Utilising High Speed Video For Anatomy and Science
The Phantom VEO640 can shoot up to 290,000 frames per second. However at this frame rate the video resolution and aspect ratio gets longer and slimmer. The camera is merely capturing strips of video at 128×4 pixels which is far too small for commercial purposes. This is where science and filmmaking come together. This technology allows for anatomical observation of human and animal movement. Examining how an athlete is performing a jump or how a bird flaps its wings in intricate detail can bring great insight in research and development.
Why should you care?
We now live in a world surrounded by video and it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. So if you show your target audience something that’s impossible to see with their own eyes, then it will make them, at the very least, stop scrolling and watch your content. High speed video can turn a single moment into an emotional and impactful sequence by sustaining human emotions for longer and utilising the full power of that expression.
I hope you found this brief rundown useful and that we have at least scratched the surface of high speed video production. If you have any questions then please feel free to get in touch with us.
