USING Videography TO DOCUMENT REV. AL SHAPRTON IN WASHINGTON DC
When I shared the Al Sharpton clip on LinkedIn and saw it rack up over 108,000 impressions, I realized how many viewers assume that video magic happens at the point of capture alone. In reality, each frame you see is the product of a chain of decisions:
Empathy for the subject: How can I let Reverend Sharpton's presence fill the frame?
Technical discipline: How do I choose settings that honor the mood of the space?
Creative interpretation: Which film emulation best complements the scene's lighting and tone?
In fifteen seconds of footage, there are layers—both practical and emotional—that we, as videographers, weave together.
1. Capturing the Moment: Choosing the Right White Balance
Reading the Room
Lighting in a church can be deceptively cool or warm, depending on window positions, fixtures, and even stained-glass hues. On this particular shoot, the ambient light dipped toward the cooler side of the spectrum:
Manual Kelvin Selection I dialed in a custom white balance around 4,800K to match the overhead fluorescents and natural daylight coming through the windows.
Getting that white balance spot-on in camera means I spend less time fighting color shifts in post and can focus my energy on storytelling.
2. Importing and Organizing: Final Cut Pro Workflow
From SD Card to Event Browser
Once home, I load my footage straight into my preferred editor, Apple's Final Cut Pro:
Ingest Settings I copy the footage at full resolution, generating optimized media to keep playback buttery smooth.
Keyword Collections I put this clip in a folder labeled "Black Wall Street Times," "Al Sharpton," and "Event: May 1, 2025," so I can retrieve it in a flash next month—or next year.
This organizational discipline isn't glamorous, but it's the foundation for a stress-free edit.
3. From LOG to Life: Converting to Rec. 709
Why Shoot in LOG?
LOG captures the maximum dynamic range from your sensor, but it looks flat—and gray—straight out of camera. Converting to Rec. 709 is where the image begins to breathe:
Input LUT Application I apply a base transform that maps the Sony S-LOG3.cine profile into Rec. 709 color space.
Highlight and Shadow Tweaks Using Final Cut's Color Wheels, I lift the shadows just enough to reveal texture in the wood pews, then gently pull down the highlights to retain detail in Sharpton's crisp white shirt.
By the end of this step, the video feels balanced, neither muddy nor blown out.
4. The Art of Color Grading: Eastman Kodak 500T Emulation
Matching Mood to Medium
For interior, cooler-lit scenes—especially ones that carry the gravity of a church service—I prefer to use a Kodak 500T film emulation:
Why 500T? Originally designed for tungsten-balanced light, it offers pleasing skin tones under artificial lighting.
Custom LUT vs. Off-the-Shelf I start with a preset lookup table modeled on Eastman's curve, then nudge the midtones and greenshift sliders to harmonize with the warm wooden accents of the sanctuary.
This final grade isn't just about "looking pretty." It's about inviting the viewer into that space, feeling the solemnity of the moment. Shooting with Kodak since I was a kid and then doing a deep dive of film stocks as a working professional has given me both a greater appreciation and understanding of different Kodak film stocks and how to use them to their strengths.
5. Refinement: Sound, Speed, and Delivery
Brief But Impactful
Even a 15-second edit benefits from polish:
Audio Sweetening I balance Reverend Sharpton's voice with subtle room tone to avoid dead silence around his words.
Timing the Cut I trim just enough to sync his most compelling inflection with the frame's visual peak—often a subtle nod or pause.
Export Settings H.264 at 10-bit 4:2:2 ensures the grade holds up across YouTube, LinkedIn, and broadcast platforms.
The result: a short clip that feels intentional, authoritative, and authentic.
Final Thoughts: The Hidden Craft Behind Every Frame
Putting together a 15-second clip may seem trivial at first glance. But each of these stages—from setting white balance to dialing in a filmic LUT—is a moment of decision, a test of skill, and an opportunity for creativity. It's this depth of craft that elevates a video from "just another clip" to something that resonates, informs, and endures.
So next time you see a smooth, well-lit video online, remember: someone spent hours—sometimes days—making those 15 seconds look effortless. And that's exactly what keeps clients coming back for more. Videography isn't just pushing a button. It's an entire skill set, one I'm proud to practice, refine, and share with you.
