Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 1080p Cinematic Cheat Sheet

Steve Addington shares a cheat sheet for shooting with the BMPCC 1080p, detailing optimal settings for various conditions, including ISO, white balance, shutter angle, and more. The guide emphasizes the importance of emotional impact in camera movement and practical tips for achieving desired aesthetics while filming. Updates will follow as he refines his methods.

Steve Addington

July 28, 2025

1–2 minutes

camera, nature, nature-photography, photography, Travel

Hi everyone — Steve again. Wanted to create this cheat sheet for everyone else out there filming with the BMPCC 1080p. I’m still messing with the settings so will update this as I go along. This was made with OpenAI ChatGPT4o.
Regards,
Steve Addington

Whether you’re run-and-gun shooting or setting up carefully composed scenes, this cheat sheet for the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera OG (1080p) gives you fast, field-tested guidance on settings, looks, and emotional impact.

Conditions & Recommended Settings

Scene Type	ISO	White Balance	Shutter Angle	ND Filter	Aperture (f/Stop)	Emotional Feel
Bright Daylight	800	5600K	180°	ND 1.2 – 2.1	f/4 – f/8	Crisp, neutral
Golden Hour	800–1250	4500K	180°	ND 0.6 – 1.2	f/2.8 – f/5.6	Soft, romantic
Indoor Tungsten	800	3200K	180°	None	f/2.8 – f/4	Warm, classic
Low Light / Night	1600	3200–4000K	360°	None	f/1.4 – f/2.8	Moody, cinematic
Action / Motion	800	Match scene	90°	ND 1.2+	f/4	Fast, intense
Solo Emotional Shot	800	5000K	180°	ND 0.6+	f/2.8	Intimate, focused
Run & Gun	800	Manual or 5200K	180°	Optional	f/4	Natural, raw
Indoor Natural Light	800–1250	5000–5500K	180°	Optional ND 0.6	f/2.8 – f/4	Soft, natural

Camera Movement & Emotional Impact

Movement Type	Best For	Emotional Tone
Tripod	Interviews, locked shots	Stable, objective
Slider	Reveals, smooth motion	Cinematic, immersive
Dolly In	Emotional focus	Pulls viewer inward
Dolly Out	Endings, exits	Distance, detachment
Handheld	Urgency, realism	Raw, intense

BMPCC 1080p Notes

Native ISO is 800. Use 1600 in low light; 400 reduces brightness and noise but lowers dynamic range.
Always set white balance manually using Kelvin for consistency.
180° shutter = natural motion blur at 24fps (1/48s).
90° shutter for sharp, chaotic energy (action scenes).
360° shutter allows more light but results in smeary motion—only use stylistically or in very low light.
f/4–f/5.6 is clean for interviews. Use f/2.8 or wider for shallow cinematic depth.
Use ND filters outdoors to maintain correct shutter and aperture.

Practical Tips

Expose to preserve skin tones and highlights, especially in high contrast scenes.
Use bounce or diffusion for indoor natural light setups.
Don’t rely on auto settings—this is a cinema camera, not a DSLR.
Movement should match the emotional tone—don’t add motion just to show off gear.