If you’re a regular reader, you know that I am on-the-record with a deep belief that photography and filmmaking are not all about speeds and feeds or how big your megapixels are compared to mine. Nonetheless, I do have a healthy respect for the technical side of the craft — and for those who dive in deep.
Like the guy who made this video, for example.
This optical illusion is “purportedly” made possible by synching the camera shutter speed with the rotation of the helicopter’s blades, giving the latter the appearance of “staticity.” Some cry hoax. Others say it’s real. Those who believe it is real have engaged in lengthy debate about how it was achieved. The two sides’ arguments break down like this:
SS: “As the title of the video suggests, the filmmaker synched his shutter speed with the rotation of the helicopter blades to make it appear as it does.”
FR: “This is a matter of frame rate, not shutter speed. The frame rate has to be synched such that with each frame exposure the blades are in the exact same position.”
So here’s the quiz – what’s your take? Real or fake? Shutter speed or frame rate?
Actually, it’s a matter of neither shutter speed or frame rate. It’s photographed with a camera that has the capability to adjust shutter ANGLE, like the Arri Alexa.
show lcd of the camera used while being filmed, if its pure logic then it shouldn’t be that hard to do it again but this time with another camera filiming the camera used to achieve this so called sync… im a doubting thomas so to see is to believe.. not hating or anything.. just show tangible proof so the questions are answerd.
Watch this clip … http://youtu.be/-yorvhbzs48?t=1m36s same effect … not fake
This is totally correct. The effect has been done in many ski movies already. I have been at the shots and have seen the Heli leave … then watched the video after. The sure as hell didn’t fake the chopper leaving a backcountry lodge.
Of course it’s real. Anyone who’s done any kind of cinema work should be familiar with the concept of aliasing.
The rotors turn, let’s say, 300 times per minute, or 5 times per second. That means, given 5 blades, the rotor would appear identical to this 25 times per second. If one were shooting at 25 fps, which is a pretty standard frame rate, boom, done.
Also worth noting: 25 FPS is not the only rate that would work with these example numbers, though it is the fastest. 25/2, 25/3 25/4 25/5 – all these would work as well.