At a glance
- At 120fps, I use 1/240 second as a guide and consider brightness and motion blur first.
- I record slow-motion and normal-speed takes separately to reduce cutting later.
- My choice of 4K and internal compressed formats is not a universal requirement for cameras or agencies.
The preceding four articles explained the basic mechanisms. From here, I describe the choices I make when shooting video for stock. Read this as my experience of reducing the work involved in shooting and editing, rather than applying identical settings to every camera.
Decide brightness and shutter speed first
My priorities are avoiding too slow a shutter speed and getting the brightness of the picture right. I want to keep the work needed during editing as small as possible.
When shooting at 120fps, I use 1/240 second as a guide. Here, “avoiding too slow” means not extending the exposure time so far that motion blur increases. I generally use a gimbal, equipment that reduces camera shake, so shake is not a major issue either. However, I always stop recording when there is a large jolt or when moving a long way to another view.
Reading the diagram in English
- Record two separate takes
- The blue and rust rows represent different recordings.
- Blue row — slow motion
- Record 5 seconds at 120 fps, then play all frames at 30 fps to produce 20 seconds. 120 ÷ 30 = four times the recorded duration.
- Rust row — normal speed
- Record a separate 15–20-second take and use it at normal speed.
- Editing step
- The slow-motion result requires the appropriate footage interpretation or speed setting.
Record slow-motion and normal-speed footage separately
Playing all the frames recorded at 120fps at 30fps makes the duration 4 times as long. A 5-second recording becomes a 20-second slow-motion video.
I record around 5 seconds for slow motion and around 15 seconds for normal speed. Sometimes I record for around 20–25 seconds when I want both together, but that adds work separating them later. I am considering separating the recordings: 5 seconds for slow motion first, then 15–20 seconds for normal speed.
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| Use | Recording guideline | Approach to finishing |
|---|---|---|
| For slow motion | Approx. 5 seconds | Approx. 20 seconds from 120fps to 30fps |
| For normal speed | Approx. 15–20 seconds | Use approx. 15–20 seconds at normal speed |
I generally record videos shorter than 1 minute, but keep the submitted clips to 30 seconds or less. This is based on my understanding that having the same scene last 30 seconds or more can be a reason for rejection at iStock. I keep within that duration both for unchanged content and for videos in which the movement changes.
This is my submission policy based on iStock rejection reasons. It is not a universal limit for all submission destinations, nor does it mean a clip of 30 seconds or less will always pass review.
Remaining flicker adds editing work
I remove flicker that remains after shooting with DaVinci Resolve's deflicker function. However, I feel that adding this processing puts a heavy load on the computer during export. Reducing the work later is also why I pay attention to brightness and shutter speed while shooting.
This is my experience. It does not mean every kind of flicker can always be fixed. In your own setup, check the conditions for using the function and whether the processed footage has any unnatural movement.
Do not pursue settings beyond what you need just because they are available
I choose 4:2:2 largely because it is available. I do not worry excessively about 4:2:0 either. On my α1, I shoot in an internally recorded compressed video format rather than RAW video. Compression is processing that reduces the amount of stored data. I do not find it inconvenient, and I feel it also has a storage advantage. Even in an environment that supports RAW, I would choose non-RAW if I did not need RAW.
Internal RAW video recording and HDMI RAW output on the α1 are separate matters. I am describing the way I shoot, not saying that the camera as a whole lacks RAW video support.
I used to shoot for a destination that accepted 8K, then convert to 4K for another destination. Even with 5 HDDs (hard disk drives) and 3 SSDs for storage, I did not have much spare capacity, and the sales I could confirm did not justify continuing with 8K as my standard. I now consider 4K sufficient, and I do not rule out starting in HD.
I submit rather than deciding whether something will sell
I do not focus on whether a clip will be rejected; I basically keep submitting. As a result, I have no specific experience I can cite here of being rejected for image quality or format. That does not mean I have never been rejected.
I do not decide whether something will sell for every shoot either. My approach is to submit almost everything that can be offered as stock. I want to keep building a collection of usable material rather than stopping shooting based solely on individual results.
References
Adobe Stock / Video submission requirements (opens in a new tab)
Adobe Premiere / Interpreting fps and duration (opens in a new tab)
Sony / α1 HDMI RAW output and card-recording limitations (opens in a new tab)
Blackmagic Design / Resolve FX in DaVinci Resolve Studio (opens in a new tab)
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