In a lot of scenic videos, we see highly smooth High Frame Rate slow motion of small beautiful moments. In most digital cameras, even DSLRs, they offer an option to shoot around 50FPS – when you slow it down, you will get a smooth look to your slow motion with. These are common in videos showing off the beauty of a particularly location or city – it allows filmmakers to capture a small moment, stretch it out and make it longer when you slow it down, and use it in your final piece for your own effect.

In the sketch I have shot, I used my Canon 600D to shoot at 50FPS, and captured footage of the fountains at Lincoln Square, showing off the motion of the water in a very smooth way. It allows the viewer to soak in such a fast motion quite clearly. I think these are the subjects that work best within this type of shooting – fast motions that quite can’t be appreciated in simple 24FPS. Water is such a fast moving subject, that when slowed down, one can appreciate the smooth beauty of it.

Of course I think this works best in close up shots – I think using it a wide would have too much going on in it. Having a single subject adds a bit of focus. Thus, you can capture small interment moments and drag them out for longer. That being said, slowing down your footage with HFR adds a bit of stability to your shot.