Shake, focusing and speed of this Music Video

[Michael Frymus]

The whole shake, rack focusing in/out, and the speed... how is this achieved?

Mainly seen in the shots where they are standing in front of the backdrop with random letters and pictures on it.

Is this all in camera or some of it done in post too?
Is the video playing at normal speed or do they speed it up or down while recording?

There are many of these clips on the shot. Here are the two examples:
1:50-1:53
2:00-2:05

 

[Ben Scott]

Can't help at all, but I'm just posting to say after listening to that and hearing her lyrics, I'm not 100% convinced that anyone does in fact believe Nicki Minaj to be a member of the Illuminati.



Seems like the shoot was undercranked, possibly with a double exposure done in post on occasion from a second take to get the odd focus thingy?

 

[Jason Comparetto]

Ben might be onto something. My first instinct was use of After Effects/Twitch, but now I'm not so sure. I'm also not sure about the Illuminati thing either, it could go either way at this point.

 

[BrendanLeahy]

My fiancee and I are debating right now - I think the background that you're talking about was dropped in post (sometimes it seems like the push-ins on B.o.B. don't scale exactly right with the backdrop, but it could be a dolly zoom of sorts?). She believes that it was all just achieved in post with twitch, blurs, and even possibly done on-set with quick rack-focusing...

Now I'm extremely curious!

 

[Justin McAleece]

If I were to try and recreate it I would start with detaching the lens from the body and flicking it. Taking the mount off and attaching a Lens Baby sort of apparatus would be the most controlled way to do it without messing up the lens or mount. (Which I've unfortunately done before).

 

[Josh Park]

Just my thought, I once worked on a music video shoot and met this jimmy jib operator from Korea and he had the jimmy jib set up on a dolly and did all 3 camera moves himself - dollying front to back, jibbing up , down, left, and right, and using the rocker controller to 'shake' the camera by rapidly flicking the controller up and down. His move was quite legendary so to speak. Perhaps it was achieved by something similar to this?

 

[Matt Ryan]

Benny Boom isn't a big user of VFX. It appears to be done on set practically with a loose head. But I guarantee you shake was definitely manipulated in post as well as some of the focus effects.

P.S. Anyone who talks about being Illuminati is NOT one.

 

[David W. Jones]

Bungie cords on slider for bumps/loose head for roll.

 

[francisco santos]

Thats a camera shake effect its done in post mr.boomtown does it alot theres also rack focusing fx that can be used I think they did some rack focusing and in post added the camera shake. I use camera shake in premiere it comes with fx factory works perfect. Theres also some speed ramps and so on.