Script real-estate video tutorial

INT. PHOTOMATIX STUDIO - DAY

MID SHOT OF PHOTOGRAPHER

Photographer in his studio, a TV set next to him on the left shows a photo of the living room.

ZOOM IN TO:

PHOTOGRAPHER

Today we'll be talking about a technique for taking real estate photos of rooms with a view.

We're going to use this living room as an example.

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INT. ROOM - DAY - INTRODUCING THE TASK

LONG SHOT OF ROOM

Show the room in a LONG SHOT (i.e. sufficiently wide angle to see a large part of it) with the window(s) open (i.e, not covered by shutters, blinds or curtains) and taken at the default exposure

ZOOM IN TO:

VOICEOVER

This is a nice room and the view is attractive too, can you see it?

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INT. ROOM - DAY - SPOTTING THE PROBLEM

MEDIUM LONG SHOT OF THE WINDOW

Gradually zoom in on the main window, though still not a complete close-up on it (i.e. part of the rest of the room still showing)

VOICEOVER

No you can't!
The video camera just can't show it with the default exposure.
The brightness difference between the room and the window is just too large to show everything in one exposure.

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INT. ROOM - DAY - EXPOSING FOR THE WINDOW

MEDIUM LONG SHOT OF THE WINDOW

Change the video camera's exposure until the view out of the window can be seen well

ZOOM OUT TO:

VOICEOVER

Now that I've changed the video camera's exposure, you can see the view!
But you can't see the rest of the room anymore

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INT. ROOM - DAY - BACK TO NORMAL EXPOSURE

LONG SHOT OF ROOM

Back to default exposure and LONG SHOT view as in 2

VOICEOVER

You can see the room's interior again now, but it still looks a bit dark

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INT. ROOM - DAY - EXPOSING FOR THE ROOM

LONG SHOT OF ROOM

Change the video camera's exposure until the interior looks "pleasantly" bright

VOICEOVER

I need to change the exposure again to make it look better

And this doesn't just affect this video. We have exactly the same problem when taking a photo of the room.

So, what's the solution? You guessed it: Combining exposures! And this is what I'm going to show you

–

TITLE 'EQUIPMENT' - INTRODUCING REQUIRED EQUIPMENT

TITLE 'EQUIPMENT'

Screen containing the heading "Equipment"

VOICEOVER

Pause a little bit

To start with, let's talk about the equipment

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TITLE 'EQUIPMENT' - #1 CAMERA

LIST ITEM #1 'CAMERA'/IMAGE OF A CAMERA

Same screen as above with a "1" item listed below the heading, and an animation adding the picture of a camera symbol next to it

VOICEOVER

First you need a camera. But you already know that of course

If your camera includes an Automatic Exposure Bracketing function, then this will certainly help.

Most DSLR's and mirrorless cameras offer Automatic Exposure Bracketing, and some compact cameras do as well

–

TITLE 'EQUIPMENT' - #2 TRIPOD

LIST ITEM #2 'TRIPOD'/SYMBOL OF A TRIPOD

Same screen as above with a "2" item listed below the camera, and with an animation adding the picture of a tripod symbol next to it

VOICEOVER

If your camera doesn't offer Automatic Exposure Bracketing, then you will need to use a tripod, and change the exposure manually.
If your camera does offer Automatic Exposure Bracketing, but with a limited number or EV range, then you may need a tripod as well.

–

TITLE 'EQUIPMENT' - TRIPOD NOT NEEDED

LIST ITEM #2 'TRIPOD'/SYMBOL OF A TRIPOD

Same screen as above with an animation removing the picture of the tripod

Note: If the EV range is wide, given no additional lighting, it is likely that at least the longest exposure exceeds the shutter speed a photographer can hold without causing camera shake. So I would recommend to mention this.

GJ comment: I would find it better to mention that it is a good idea to switch all available lighting on to reduce the DR a bit

VOICEOVER

If your camera offers Automatic Exposure Bracketing with a large EV range, you may be lucky and not need a tripod at all.

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TITLE 'TAKING THE EXPOSURES' ITEM #1

ITEM #1 '1. SET ISO AND APERTURE PRIORITY MODE'

Screen containing the heading "Taking the exposures"

PHOTOGRAPHER speaks to the audiance

Then, an animation adds "1. Set ISO and Aperture Priority mode"

VOICEOVER

Now let's get to the meat of the matter, and learn how to set your camera to take the exposures

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INT. ROOM - DAY - SETTING CAMERA'S ISO

MCU OF CAMERA

Show PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and how he sets the ISO

VOICEOVER

To adjust the exposure, you will change only the Shutter Speed. The ISO and Aperture will remain the same for each shot.
Set the ISO as low as possible. This will help keeping noise to a minimum.

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - SETTING CAMERA TO APERTURE PRIORITY

MCU OF CAMERA

PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and how he sets it to Aperture Priority

Note: This could be the right moment for a mention to disable Auto Focus and Auto White Balance.

GJ comment: There are already a lot of things to remember for the person who watches this video, so I am a bit concerned that adding this might increase the chance of forgetting about the Aperture Priority. I would suggest to put this mention in our html tutorial instead.

VOICEOVER

Set the camera to Aperture Priority mode

–

TITLE 'TAKING THE EXPOSURES' ITEM #2

ITEM #2 '2. SPOT METERING'

Same screen as 10, with a "2. Spot metering" item added

VOICEOVER

We're now going to measure the exposures required for the darkest and brightest parts of the room

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INT. ROOM - DAY - SETTING CAMERA TO SPOT METERING MODE

MCU OF CAMERA DISPLAY

PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and how he sets it to spot metering mode

VOICEOVER

To do that, switch your camera to spot metering mode

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INT. ROOM - DAY - METERING THE DARKEST SPOT

MCU OF PHOTOGRAPHER AIMING HIS CAMERA

PHOTOGRAPHPER aiming his camera to the dark area, followed by Live View of the camera with OSD (On-Screen Display) showing the dark part of the interior and its shutter speed reading

NOTE: Moving the metering point doesn't work with my cameras, neither with my Canon nor with my Sony. I can set Spotmetering Mode, but the spot is fixed in the middle.

GJ comment: I haven't understood the purpose of the above comment, but maybe Matthew will and will adjust the voice over accordingly

VOICEOVER

First, aim the focus point at the darkest part of the room, and read the shutter speed.

It reads Shutter 1 sec.

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - METERING THE BRIGHTEST SPOT

MCU OF PHOTOGRAPHER AIMING HIS CAMERA

PHOTOGRAPHPER aiming his camera to the window, followed by Live View of the camera with OSD (On-Screen Display) showing the window and its shutter speed reading

NOTE: Moving the metering point doesn't work with my cameras, neither with my Canon nor with my Sony. I can set Spotmetering Mode, but the spot is fixed in the middle.

VOICEOVER

Then, go next to the window and aim the focus point at the brightest part of the view, and read the shutter speed.
It reads Shutter2 sec.

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - METERING CONCLUSION

Room at default exposure and LONG SHOT view as in 2

VOICEOVER

You have now measured the exposures at both extremes.

However, the difference in brightness between the interior and the window is very large, so you'll need to take intermediary exposures to get a "smooth" combined image.

Taking intermediary exposures is easy if your camera offers Automatic Exposure Bracketing. However, it requires a bit of math to calculate the shutter speed for each bracketed set.

–

TITLE 'TAKING THE EXPOSURES' ITEM #3

ITEM #3 '3. HDR EXPOSURE CALCULATOR HTTP://HDRSOFT.COM/EV'

Same screen as 11, with a "3. HDR Exposure Calculator" item added and below it "www.hdrsoft.com/ev" and presented it in a way that gives it a good visibility

VOICEOVER

If you are like me and don't want to do the math, use the free online tool called HDR Exposure Calculator

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - RUN HDR EXPOSURE CALCULATOR

MCU OF IPHONE

PHOTOGRAPHER's iPhone and how he enters hdrsoft.com/ev in Safari

VOICEOVER

You can access the tool by typing hdrsoft dot com slash ev in your browser

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - ENTER SHUTTER SPEED FOR DARKEST EXPOSURE

ECU OF IPHONE

Show the HDR Exposure Calculator and how PHOTOGRAPHER enters Shutter1

VOICEOVER

The exposure measured for the darkest part of this room is Shutter1. So I enter Shutter1 in the first field

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INT. ROOM - DAY - ENTER SHUTTER SPEED FOR BRIGHTEST EXPOSURE

ECU OF IPHONE

Show the HDR Exposure Calculator and how PHOTOGRAPHER enters Shutter2

VOICEOVER

The exposure measured for the window is Shutter2. So, I enter Shutter2 in the second field

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - ENTER NUMBER OF FRAMES

ECU OF IPHONE

Show how PHOTOGRAPHER does that

VOICEOVER

As my camera can take up to 3 bracketed frames, I leave the Auto-bracketed Frames selection to 3

The maximum number of auto-bracketed frames depends on your camera model

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INT. ROOM - DAY - GET EXPOSURES

ECU OF IPHONE

PHOTOGRAPHER taps on "Get Exposures"

VOICEOVER

As my camera can bracket exposures spaced by 2 EV, I leave the EV Spacing selection unchanged

The maximum EV spacing depends on your camera model. It is often 2 EV on Canon camera models, and 1 EV on Nikon cameras

You can now tap on "Get Exposures"

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - RESULTS IN HDR EXP. CALC.

MCU OF IPHONE

Show the results generated by the HDR Exposure Calculator.

Note: The sequences below assume that PHOTOGRAPHER's camera can take 5 bracketed exposures spaced by 2 EV, AND that the measured shutter speeds only require one bracketed set of 5 photos at 2EV according to the HDR Exposure Calculator. If this assumption isn't possible, then the script will have to be adjusted accordingly.

Note 2: Actually the 5D MK II can only take 3 photos at 2 EV. However I usually use Magic Lantern to overcome this restriction. I don't think it is a good idea to mention Magic Lantern, but I could use it without a mention. What do you think? The other option could be to rent a 6D, which can do 7 photos at 2 EV.

GJ comment: Let's not complicate things, as the video already introduces many things that aren't so easy to grasp for the intended audience. So, just adjust the script for 3 frames. This is in fact better, as few people will have access to a camera that can take in one bracketed set the range given by 5 frames at 2 EV.

VOICEOVER

The Calculator tells me that I need to take two bracketed sets. The first with shutter speed NormalExposure1.

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INT. ROOM - DAY - SETTING UP THE CAMERA

MCU OF CAMERA

PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and how he sets the dial to M 'Manual Mode'

VOICEOVER

To use Automatic Exposure Bracketing, switch the camera to Manual Mode first

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - SETTING TO NORMAL EXPOSURE

ECU OF CAMERA

PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and how he sets normal exposure

VOICEOVER

Set the Shutter Speed, as given by the HDR Exposure Calculator. The first one is NormalExposure1

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - SETTING UP AEB

ECU OF CAMERA'S MENU

PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and how he sets AEB in the menu

VOICEOVER

Now set your camera to Auto Exposure Bracketing

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - SETTING UP EV SPACING

ECU OF CAMERA'S MENU

Show PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and how he does that

Note: Activating AEB and setting EV spacing with the 5D MK II is done in one step

VOICEOVER

Set the EV spacing to +/- 2 EV if your camera supports it, or else to the highest EV spacing it supports.

With this Canon camera, I set AEB from the second menu screen, choosing Exposure Compensation/AEB. Then I turn the dial to the left until both red markers reach 2 EV

Consult your camera's user manual for the correct instructions on setting Automatic Exposure Bracketing for your camera model.

–

INT. ROOM - DAY - SETTING UP CONTINIOUS SHOOTING

ECU OF CAMERA'S UPPER DISPLAY

Show PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and how he sets up Continuous Shooting

VOICEOVER

Lastly, select Continuous Shooting mode

–

INT. ROOM - DAY

ECU OF CAMERA'S SHUTTER RELEASE

VOICEOVER

Everything is set up now, and you just need to press the shutter button

But this is if you are lucky and your camera can take all exposures in just one bracketed set

With my camera, I need to take two bracketed sets to capture this scene.

–

INT. ROOM - DAY

MCU OF PHOTOGRAPHER WITH CAMERA ON A TRIPOD

PHOTOGRAPHER's camera on a tripod and how he sets and shoots the two bracketed sets

ECU OF CAMERA'S SHUTTER RELEASE

PHOTOGRAPHER's camera and that he presses the shutter button

VOICEOVER

This means I need to use a tripod to shoot the first bracketed set.

Let's shoot the first set now.

(Click sound from camera)

I now change to the 2nd shutter speed given by the calculator, then press the shutter button again.

(Click sound from camera)

That was it!

–

INT. PHOTOMATIX STUDIO - DAY

CU OF THE SD/CF CARD INSERTED IN THE READER

Show PHOTOGRAPHER's computer (Windows OS) and that he is inserting the CF/SD into computer's drive

Then show PHOTOGRAPHER's computer screen and that he opens Photomatix Pro

VOICEOVER

You have now taken the exposures necessary to capture both the interior and the view

The rest is easy. Transfer the photos to your computer, and let Photomatix do its magic

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INT. PHOTOMATIX PRO INTERFACE

PHOTOMATIX PRO LOADING IMAGES

Show Photomatix Pro, zoom in on the Workflow Shortcuts, show that PHOTOGRAPHER clicks on 'Load Bracketed Photos', browses to the photos and clicks 'OK'

VOICEOVER

If you shot in both JPEG and RAWs, then load the JPEG photos. They will produce more pleasant images when we fuse the photos.

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INT. PHOTOMATIX PRO INTERFACE

SETTING THE MERGE OPTIONS

Show the Merge to HDR Options dialog, that PHOTOGRAPHER clicks on the Merge button and briefly show the progress bar (less than 1 sec)

VOICEOVER

Check the alignment option, even if you used a tripod

Don't check the deghosting option

If you loaded RAW files, then check the noise reduction option

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INT. PHOTOMATIX PRO INTERFACE

ADJUST AND PREVIEW > CHOOSING A PRESET

Show the tonemapping/fusion windows with the Default preset selected and with the thumbnails listed on two columns

Zoom in on the preset panel and show that PHOTOGRAPHER selects the Architecture category

Choose the Interior 2 preset and zoom out so that the preview shows

VOICEOVER

Here is the merged HDR image. To find presets for real estate photos, click the combo-box on top of the thumbnails list and select Architecture.

The Interior preset is particularly good at rendering the view out of the window while keeping a natural look.

However, if you use Photomatix with photos taken outside, then use the preset named Natural instead. The Interior preset doesn't work well for exterior shots.

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INT. PHOTOMATIX PRO INTERFACE

ADJUST & PREVIEW > ADJUST BRIGHTNESS

Zoom in on the Settings panel and change the Brightness slider, and/or the Saturation one, then zoom out so that the preview shows again

VOICEOVER

Once you've found a preset you like, you can use the settings on the left to adjust the image

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INT. PHOTOMATIX PRO INTERFACE

ADJUST & PREVIEW > RENDERING RESULT

Zoom in on the Apply button, show that PHOTOGRAPHER clicks on it, then show the progress bar (around 1 sec) and then the final image with Finishing Touch panel.

VOICEOVER

When you are satisfied with your image, click on the Apply button on the bottom left

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INT. PHOTOMATIX PRO INTERFACE

FINISHING TOUCH

Zoom in on the Finishing Touch panel, click on Sharpen and choose "Mild"

VOICEOVER

You can use the Finishing Touch panel to add contrast or sharpening

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INT. PHOTOMATIX PRO INTERFACE

SAVING THE IMAGE

Show that PHOTOGRAPHER clicks on "Save Image" and that he saves the image

VOICEOVER

Click on the "Save Image" button to save your image

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INT. BROWSER

SHOWING HDRSOFT.COM AND DOWNLOAD PHOTOMATIX PRO

Show the HDRsoft.com homepage, then that PHOTOGRAPHER clicks on Download, then on "More Info & Download", then on the download link and that it gets downloaded.

VOICEOVER

If you haven't tried Photomatix Pro yet, you can download it from HDRsoft dot com

The trial is fully functional and doesn't expire. A watermark is added to the final image when Photomatix is in trial mode

–

INT. PHOTOMATIX STUDIO - DAY

MID SHOT OF PHOTOGRAPHER AT DESK

Photographer in his studio like in 1, a desk with a notebook / monitor. He is looking up from his screen.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Thank you for watching!