FILMMAKING MEETS PHOTOGRAPHY:
HOW AND WHY TO EXTRACT STILLS
FROM 4K+ FOOTAGE
MAJOR INDUSTRY TREND BLURS THE LINE BETWEEN
STILL IMAGES AND VIDEO.
By GEORGIA DAWSON
Extracting still frames from 8K video may soon
become the ultimate in still photography, as
explored by Vincent Laforet. Indeed, the emer-
gence of 4k+ resolutions has enabled greater
flexibility for filmmakers and photographers alike.
Working from a single camera is now a suitable
setup for almost every occasion.
It’s hard to believe that photography and video
were once kept as separate as chalk and cheese.
Instead of struggling to take the perfect photo,
camera crews can now direct a model and cap-
ture short video clips filled with potential images.
After all, from every second of footage in 8K,
you can choose from 60 still frames. But how to
extract them?
Unfortunately, it can be a tedious, manual process
to extract stills via editing suites like Final Cut Pro
or Adobe Premiere Pro. In the move towards a
video-based workflow, photographers have found
themselves in need of applications and plugins
that can happily process both mediums.
Andres Lesauvage is one such professional.
Throughout his 30-year career in film and pho-
tography, Andy has dabbled a bit of every-
thing, working across a broad range of cam-
eras and codecs. Now, he’s finding that more and
more work can be completed with your average
Panasonic 4k+ camera, if combined with the right
software.
“We jumped onto 6k as soon as it was available.
We could see the future moving quickly away from
print and onto screen. Once you have learned to
harness both photo and video, it becomes second
nature. The quality of both video and still images
34 • Broadcast Beat Magazine • www.broadcastbeat.com