Motion blur during quick panning on slow-mo steadicam shot

[anneso_M]

Hey guys, here is the video I am interested in getting answer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNZJXmcaG4I

It is a mastercard ad (30 sec). Take a couple of seconds to watch the beginning and let me know if you fee the discomfort as much as I do.

What concerns me is the motion blur. I don't know the camera setting. But let say it would have been shot slow-mo, 100fps, 1/200th, 180 shutter angle.

*I wasn't on set, but I have a feeling, that first of all, the camera movement were too fast. So even thou you shoot it slow-mo, I think you still need to slow down your movement, specifically when a steadicam is panning all the way around.

*Also, setting wise, your shutter speed must be set on twice your frame rate is, I got that. But, then, if you want to avoid the motion blur, shooting at 100fps, if you set your camera on 1/400th, how much will this impact on your look? (and I am not talking about the affect on the light).

*You don't want a soldier ryan, but instead, all the frames to be as sharp as it can get, so could changing your shutter angle help ? By going to let say 240 deg instead of 180 ?

A little bit confused I am !

Would love to hear your thoughts!

Thank you

[Dane Henry]

I think its more the camera movement that feels uncomfortable, it takes a long time on the initial move into the store for the camera to find the intended subject. The viewer is hanging out in motion blur land for far too long. I think a less ambitious camera move or a more thoughtfully choreographed scene would of helped.

A 90 degree shutter angle would make the motion feel a bit more stuttery probably exacerbating the issue for the viewer.

my 2¢

-Dane

[Matt Ryan]

It looks like 24fps with that motion blur.

[anneso_M]

I think its more the camera movement that feels uncomfortable, it takes a long time on the initial move into the store for the camera to find the intended subject. The viewer is hanging out in motion blur land for far too long. I think a less ambitious camera move or a more thoughtfully choreographed scene would of helped.

A 90 degree shutter angle would make the motion feel a bit more stuttery probably exacerbating the issue for the viewer.

my 2¢

-Dane

Yeah I thought so, the camera mouvement is too quick. The choregraphy could have work if it was slowler.
So you don't think any camera settings would have help in this case?
What do you mean by "stuttery" ??

Thanks man

[Russ Fill]

For what its worth.
I have to agree with Dane, the length of time from panning off the subject on the street to finding her in the store is too long or to far seems over 180 degrees and if you went faster you might have even more stuttering on the pan. But that would have not left us wondering when we are going to land on a shot, I have seen this type of move before and it works great when you have the timing down and the you just loose the subject and then find them again almost right after but you also have something to look at during that time in the pan..
Seems like if it was even ramped up a bit during the pan you might get it to feel a little more like hey there she is again. Not where are they going.... oh thats the same girl after a little too long.

[Nick Pasquariello]

It's hard to tell since the spot on Youtube is low res (best version it's offering me is 360). What's distrcting to me is that it does almost a full 360 degree pan, and halfway through there's the daughter, who is called out by composition and lighting. So your brain goes "OK, I'm going to focus on her. That's what the pan was leading me to." And then the pan continues. And my eyes were chasing after the girl, still not having had a clear sight of her. Then we come to the Dad and see him pay.

It's also counter to the story of the spot. MasterCard is about helping you make the little purchases faster so that you can get to the good parts of life, i.e. family time. That's the point of the spot. What I think they should have done, is halve the speed of the pan, and instead of turning 360 degrees, turn 180, in which you can see a moment of the father and daughter interacting (instead of her being way off in another part of the store) and then have the father pay.

To me, that would feel much more cohesive, both in terms of story and camera movement, and wouldn't feel like it's trying to trick my brain.