How to Make a Short Film on a Ricoh GR Camera in 1 Day

Romanticize your everyday life!

Want to make a “day in the life” short film in one day?

I did just that earlier this year with my Ricoh GRIII camera. This tiny and mighty camera is famously a street photography icon and essential “everyday carry,” but less known for its video capabilities. I love its filmic and cinematic qualities, and challenged myself to make a short movie with it of my day out and about in Tokyo.

Here is how I did it and how you can, too.

1. Choose your video setting.

Choose a color setting in Image Control or make other adjustments as desired. I used high-contrast monochrome (HiBW) for mine and made no other changes. (Or skip this step and just use the default settings — it’s good to go.)

2. Shoot short scenes during your day.

Record 10-second scenes or clips. Limit yourself to 20–30 scenes in total to avoid getting overwhelmed with too much material later.

To set up: Press the video button on the side of the camera to put your camera in video mode, then just use the shutter button to start/stop recording your clips.

I shot my clips handheld, but feel free to use a small tripod if you like.

3. Choose your favorite scenes.

Transfer photos to your device, then select 10-12 of your favorite scenes — ideally spread over morning, afternoon, and evening.

4. Combine the scenes into a short film.

Use a simple video or social media app like CapCut, TikTok, Instagram, or iMovie (Mac). Add some text, transitions, or music for extra atmosphere.

I just dropped my favorite clips into CapCut and added text, simple transitions, and music.

5. Enjoy and share your short film!

The film I made that day has been one of my most gratifying projects of recent years, and I hope you enjoy trying out this technique to tell your own stories.

Bonus: Making stills from your film

As I always have my GR with me, I continue to use the video function to capture short and atmospheric scenes day-to-day. I find that grabbing stills (e.g. screenshots) from them makes for beautiful photos as well — opening up many creative possibilities for dynamic real-world photography.

Here are some stills and scenes from my 3-minute film Komorebi:

And here is the film and a scene-by-scene overview of the types of visuals and scenes that I recorded to make it.

What beauty can you find in your day?

How to Make a Short Film on a Ricoh GR Camera in 1 Day was originally published in FOTODESIGN on Medium.

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