New Fillmmaker: Equipment to get

jackmarsh

jackmarsh

Hey guys. I recently just purchased my BMPCC. It came with a Canon 50mm 1.8 II Lens and a Fotodiox EOS-m4/3 adapter.

My question is, what are some other lenses I should invest in to get me started? I am still learning about what lenses are good to use for certain shots, but is there like 3 lenses that every filmmaker should posses (wide, medium, telephoto, exc.)? Please provide a link and model name to the lense, and take into consideration I am on a tight budget haha.

Also what other equipment will I need to get me filming with the best results? (mic, tripod, cage, viewfinder, I dont know please enlighten me...)

Thanks!
 
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Well you already have a much better camera than I do. (t2i)

I have an audix SCX1 microphone for indoor and use an NTG3 for outdoor. I have a sound devices mm-1 preamp and a DR-70D recorder for my audio. I've also got a boom pole that I mount to a C-Stand sometimes, very convenient for certain shots. You'll notice I've invested waaay more into sound than audio.

My 50mm is great, I also have a 24mm. I wish I could go wider like 16 or 12 but really wide lenses are super super expensive. Even my 24mm.. it's not great. I went cheaper and so it makes noise when I rack focus.

Those are the only 2 lenses I have. Wouldn't mind something like 200mm fixed aperture with some zoom capability.

Tripod is essential. I think also you're going to want a stabilizer to do handheld stuff. 2-axis are okay and cheaper. 3-axis are great and expensive.

don't forget lights and stands.. I did DIY LED lights.

stands you'll want so you can throw up black blankets for negative fill to help with dramatic lighting, or for stands to hold thick blankets up and absorb sound to give you better acoustics. Basically stands are multi-use and have a lot of utility.. and they're more expensive than you'd think for something so basic.
 
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From our experience, an audience will forgive substandard pictures but will never forgive bad audio. If you are going to shoot actor dialogue, I would strongly suggest that you buy two (or at least one) wireless microphone.
 
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However, you may want to consider hiring someone who knows what they are doing. That resolves the "what do I buy?" question and also relieves you of 95% of the audio responsibilities on the set. (You're going to relinquish the production sound to someone else, anyway, so you may as well have someone competent.) You will also have much better production sound, which leads to a better audio post (having creative options rather than having to solve problems), and a much better final product.

Or, of course, you can rent each time you shoot.

If you do decide to buy your own production sound kit consider what and where you will primarily be shooting - documentary or narrative, indoors or outdoors, etc. That will have an influence on your choices. BTW, even at the low-budget, prosumer level the cost of an even passable production sound kit mounts rapidly, and there is a new "language" (audio-speak) to learn.

Just some food for thought.
 
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jackmarsh said:
I've got a buddy who deals a lot with audio. I'll probably go see him about doing the audio for my next film.
Click to expand...

Sound For Picture requires a somewhat different skill set and different gear than the other audio disciplines. I was a working musician for many years, did a fair amount of sound support (PA systems) and was a music recording engineer before migrating to production sound and audio post. The thinking is very different, and it took me awhile to acclimate. So just because your friend knows audio does not mean that he knows film sound.

However, if he's all you can "afford," he's a hell of a lot better than someone who knows nothing about audio.
 
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jackmarsh said:
I'd like to eventually get my own equipment. What are some affordable boom mic's, or wireless mic's you reccomend?
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Define "affordable."




Here's my $1,200 buying guide. It will cover the basics.


Shotgun mic kits will have the shotgun mic, boom-pole, shock-mount and simple wind protection (softie).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/551607-REG/Audio_Technica_AT_875_Shotgun_Microphone.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/461493-REG/Rode_NTG_1_Shotgun_Condenser.html


Hypercardioid mic:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/867157-REG/Avantone_Pro_CK1_CK_1_Small_Capsule_FET_Pencil.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/359043-REG/sE_Electronics_SE1A_SE1A_Small_Diaphragm.html



Audio recorders:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/832911-REG/Tascam_DR100MKII_DR_100mkII_Portable_Linear.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821259-REG/Tascam_DR_40_DR_40_4_Track_Handheld_Digital.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821260-REG/Roland_R_26_R_26_6_Channel_Digital_Field.html



Headphones:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/49510-REG/Sony_MDR_7506_MDR_7506_Headphone.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/507447-REG/Sennheiser_HD_25_1_II_HD_25_1_II.html



You'll also need cables, cases, battery packs and other miscellaneous items - about $200+.
 
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jackmarsh said:
Also what other equipment will I need to get me filming with the best results?
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Okay, you've got excellent advice on audio. Now let's look at
general production:
The minimum equipment I would suggest having on hand is:
a tripod
6 lights with stands
2 china balls
8 extension cords
6 power strips
black wrap and gels
2 bounce boards
4 apple boxes
a coffee maker
a slate with marker
gaffers tape
camera tape
a bunch of C-47’s
batteries

a simple grip kit with:
c-stands (at least 6)
flags (assorted sizes - at least 8)
scrims (at least 6)
silks (at least 2)
cookies (at least 1)
sandbags (one for every light/c-stand and then 6 more)
 
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Any tripods, china balls, lights / light stands you recommend in particular? (links to online)

Also, what is the grip kit used for, and any good package deal (or seperate deals) you recommend?

Thanks!
 
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Alcove Audio said:
Define "affordable."




Here's my $1,200 buying guide. It will cover the basics.


Shotgun mic kits will have the shotgun mic, boom-pole, shock-mount and simple wind protection (softie).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/551607-REG/Audio_Technica_AT_875_Shotgun_Microphone.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/461493-REG/Rode_NTG_1_Shotgun_Condenser.html


Hypercardioid mic:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/867157-REG/Avantone_Pro_CK1_CK_1_Small_Capsule_FET_Pencil.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/359043-REG/sE_Electronics_SE1A_SE1A_Small_Diaphragm.html



Audio recorders:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/832911-REG/Tascam_DR100MKII_DR_100mkII_Portable_Linear.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821259-REG/Tascam_DR_40_DR_40_4_Track_Handheld_Digital.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821260-REG/Roland_R_26_R_26_6_Channel_Digital_Field.html



Headphones:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/49510-REG/Sony_MDR_7506_MDR_7506_Headphone.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/507447-REG/Sennheiser_HD_25_1_II_HD_25_1_II.html



You'll also need cables, cases, battery packs and other miscellaneous items - about $200+.
Click to expand...

What's your opinoun on using one of these http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1180782-REG/zoom_zh1s_h1_handy_recorder_silver.html with my bmpcc for my audio?
 
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jackmarsh said:
What's your opinoun on using one of these http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1180782-REG/zoom_zh1s_h1_handy_recorder_silver.html with my bmpcc for my audio?
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That's garbage and the result will be garbage :D

----------

Seriously, you live in ATLANTA?

You know you live in the best place to be into this industry, right? There are TONS of productions going on right now in your city.

Don't buy gear (especially cheap gear), go look to get on some jobs. I'd say grip but looking at the lighting kit you asked about in your other thread... I think you'd get fired... Ummmm get some PA jobs. Do a bunch of PA jobs, there are ton in Atlanta.

When you're not working, practice with your camera, don't worry about making anything presentable.

Eventually the PA jobs will build up your network, perhaps you'll pick up enough to get onto the lowest rungs of G&E or even Camera Department of some jobs. In those two departments you'll make the most important connections.

You'll want to make friends on all these jobs in all of the departments. Specifically you'll want to make friends of Gaffers, Key Grips, Sound Mixers, Boom Ops, ACs, and if you could, damn an AD would be nice to be friends with.

(There are many other jobs you could use as friends, such as a Production Designer, but unless you do PA into Art Department, you won't spend much time with them.)

THEN once you have a network, you can call upon your network to work on your production.

You have a camera, you can bring the camera gear (yes, use the money from these jobs to get more camera gear).

The key grip and gaffer will bring lighting equipment (or they'll charge you a rental fee to get some from a rental house, which is what I'd do).

The Sound Mixer will most definitely have his own gear. (He may still charge a fee to have him use his own gear, it's a respect thing, he's worth the money)

---------

Do this and you're filmmaking. In the long run your final product will most likely be better than you having bought the indie level gear kits and trying to learn it all yourself.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
Define "affordable."




Here's my $1,200 buying guide. It will cover the basics.


Shotgun mic kits will have the shotgun mic, boom-pole, shock-mount and simple wind protection (softie).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/551607-REG/Audio_Technica_AT_875_Shotgun_Microphone.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/461493-REG/Rode_NTG_1_Shotgun_Condenser.html


Hypercardioid mic:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/867157-REG/Avantone_Pro_CK1_CK_1_Small_Capsule_FET_Pencil.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/359043-REG/sE_Electronics_SE1A_SE1A_Small_Diaphragm.html



Audio recorders:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/832911-REG/Tascam_DR100MKII_DR_100mkII_Portable_Linear.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821259-REG/Tascam_DR_40_DR_40_4_Track_Handheld_Digital.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/821260-REG/Roland_R_26_R_26_6_Channel_Digital_Field.html



Headphones:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/49510-REG/Sony_MDR_7506_MDR_7506_Headphone.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/507447-REG/Sennheiser_HD_25_1_II_HD_25_1_II.html



You'll also need cables, cases, battery packs and other miscellaneous items - about $200+.
Click to expand...

sfoster said:
IMHO it's gonna suck.

What is your goal - festivals, youtube, documentary?
Click to expand...

Goal is festivals
 
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