Videography with Fujifilm: Alex Shapiro

How did you get started in videography?

About seven or eight years ago, I wanted to become a travel vlogger. I vlogged daily for a while, but I was not very good at it. One of my vlogs gained a fair bit of traction with a brand that paid me to make a video.

After that I found that I have fallen in love with cinematography and storytelling. This to the point that it consumes my mind every waking moment. That’s probably the shortest way I can tell you how.

Currently I find myself not just shooting commercial work, but also documentaries and conservation work – I genuinely think I was born for doccies.

You find yourself stationed in Hoedspruit. What drew you to the bush?

During my filmmaking journey I found myself shooting for a lot of outdoor brands, travelling so much that Joburg was more of a storage unit. At the time my girlfriend (now wife and kick-ass partner in life) was finishing up her contract at a baby therapy centre in PTA. She had done some courses in Hoedspruit a year or two before and loved the lifestyle. We went up for a friend’s party, and I thought I was in deep dark Africa – it is hilarious to think about.

On that weekend, a speech therapist mentioned they needed an occupational therapist in town desperately – three months later we moved. Now it is hard to picture living anywhere else.

 

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A post shared by Alex Shapiro – South Africa (@someshap)

What camera do you work with? What do you believe Fujifilm brings to the table for your videography?

I use two X-T3 bodies which I am needing to retire, ha-ha. The thing I love about Fujifilm is the depth at which you can get with the footage. With a lot of trial and error I’ve learnt how far you can push the F-Log profile to a point where most people think I shoot on much higher-grade gear.

And speed – just the rec.709 is so good, from white balance, skin tone, to the ability to match colour grading with other cameras.

Plus, the bodies are also solid as anything – I have been through the wars with these cameras and they still hold strong. No idea how.

 

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A post shared by Alex Shapiro – South Africa (@someshap)

Do you have an elaborate rig setup or do you prefer to keep it simple?

My rig changes for the needs of each project but I generally have it fairly rigged out, with monitors, v-lock batteries and various other things.

 

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A post shared by Alex Shapiro – South Africa (@someshap)

Do you shoot with Film Simulations or are you a believer in F-Log and grade in post?

My wife says I should use the Film Simulations more, but if I can, F-Log is my go-to. However, with clients needing social media content and a fast turnaround, I build a look for them straight in camera then film to deliver the same day. Clients love it because it gives a distinct look to their brand.

What is the one thing you learnt or did differently that greatly improved your videography?

1. Light for depth and story. Too often people focus on the subject and do not build a world in their cameras’ field of view to immerse the audience. Light the space and allow your subject to live in that world.
2. I stopped shooting slow-mo and use a tripod. This is a big one for me. Shots can always look impressive on a gimbal because of movement but you sacrifice narrative when done too much. Also, determine what is the purpose of slow-mo in your narrative? If it doesn’t add to the story, is it worth it?
3. Knowing ISO works differently in video. When you learn how your ISO impacts your log profile dynamic range in certain instances, your world changes drastically.

What editing software do you use?

I’m currently switching between Premier Pro for editing and DaVinci Resolve for colour grading.