$10,000 budget for complete set of shooting equipment

Hello everyone!

Ok so i just got the awesome privilege of making a list of things that a company will need to get great quality video content for the web.
The budget isn't really defined... so this is basically a dream. (round $10,000 is the vibe i got)

Anyways, here is a list of things that i currently have. Lighting is something i'm gonna pick out myself, but please critiuqe what iv'e got so far.

About 90% of the content we will make is interview style. Kinda like a Vsauce video but a lot more attractive :cool:

So here's the list I've got so far:

Blackmagic cinema camera: $2,000
2 Camera ssd's (500gb): $760
Konova slider: $350
Manfrotto pro fluid mini head: $160
Manfrotto pro tripod legs: $200

Canon 50mm f/1.2 $1,200
Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 ii $2,000

Now remember were going high quality as eff.
So go crazy. Also, what do you guys think of the black magic cinema camera?
 
About #8) Well were shooting with a white background, so led's would work perfectly, I'm not sure that they would light the interviewee very pleasantly though. They'd probably make him look pale, right? Leds are definitely something im looking into, ill check out the ones you recommended. Also, is it bad to mix tungsten with LED? I was thinking about getting a Leds to light up the backround and also the interviewee's hair, while using tungsten to light up the interviewee, making him look a little bit more natural colored.

Just use all tungsten lights. LEDs are often too small, with not a great output or spread, and their colour is generally pretty awful.

Where will you be shooting these things? On a white cyc? I'd simply use tungsten lights - Fresnels are better but open face are cheaper. Get some diffusion. Put some makeup on your subjects.
 
I have 0 experience with audio.

This is becoming obvious.


Someone on this thread recommended a Sanken Cs-3, which sounds pretty fantastic. I would be using a C stand. That sounds really high quality and really thats all we need... Why would my superiors think that sounds like crap?

So, you've been told the CS-3 sounds "pretty fantastic," but you've been convinced by one recommendation and the high price; you don't know from personal experience.

The CS-3 does sound great. It is also a very unforgiving mic. The CS-3 is usually on the end of a boom wielded by a VERY experienced boom-op. If it is not aimed precisely it can sound terrible. And it is not a good choice for indoors unless you have a great deal of experience and skill swinging a boom. And you'll just be placing it on a C-stand, so most of the quality of the CS-3 will be lost due to the poor placement; you'll get a very roomy, off-axis, comb-filtered sound.

One more point... You can get a single Sennheiser G3 system and put a much better lav (Sanken, Tram, CountryMan) on it for less than the cost of the CS-3. Then put an Audio Technica AT4053b on a dedicated mic stand (not a C-stand) as a back-up. And get the PMD-661; it blows the H4n out of the water.


Audio is not a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. What I do is try to put together set-ups for audio newbs and indie types to make it as painless as I can.
 
This is becoming obvious.




So, you've been told the CS-3 sounds "pretty fantastic," but you've been convinced by one recommendation and the high price; you don't know from personal experience.

The CS-3 does sound great. It is also a very unforgiving mic. The CS-3 is usually on the end of a boom wielded by a VERY experienced boom-op. If it is not aimed precisely it can sound terrible. And it is not a good choice for indoors unless you have a great deal of experience and skill swinging a boom. And you'll just be placing it on a C-stand, so most of the quality of the CS-3 will be lost due to the poor placement; you'll get a very roomy, off-axis, comb-filtered sound.

One more point... You can get a single Sennheiser G3 system and put a much better lav (Sanken, Tram, CountryMan) on it for less than the cost of the CS-3. Then put an Audio Technica AT4053b on a dedicated mic stand (not a C-stand) as a back-up. And get the PMD-661; it blows the H4n out of the water.


Audio is not a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. What I do is try to put together set-ups for audio newbs and indie types to make it as painless as I can.

Dude calm down.

So what you're telling me is it will sound like crap because there is nooo way that i can find the sweet spot in pointing the boom? Whoever is being interviewed will be standing still. I think you're really up playing how hard it is to point a mic at their mouth.
I don't like the quality of lav mics. They don't have the kind of sound that i'm looking for.

I watched Dave Dugdale's video on the Sennheiser g3. I am not going for that kind of sound.
 
General advice. for 10,000$ you can get a decent kit in one of the areas of either camera,lighting or audio. To get quality eq for this money for all of the areas of production, seems highly unrealistic. The same way business doesn't go into all industries, but occupies a niche and once it has expanded it gets into most of them, simply because it can. (Take a look at Redbull)

Decent eq last ages,shit one breaks down,eventually has to be sold etc. etc.

Can you invest 10K in one area and rent the rest project to project? Slowly acquiring everything else?
 
Dude calm down.

So what you're telling me is it will sound like crap because there is nooo way that i can find the sweet spot in pointing the boom? Whoever is being interviewed will be standing still. I think you're really up playing how hard it is to point a mic at their mouth.
I don't like the quality of lav mics. They don't have the kind of sound that i'm looking for.

I watched Dave Dugdale's video on the Sennheiser g3. I am not going for that kind of sound.
I think the issue here is that Alcove is good at what he does and is genuinely giving you good advice but you're unaware of the depth of the issue. You think he's just making stuff up to make it sound more complicated than it is but honestly, he isn't. Furthermore, he's given you an alternative that solves the problems he stated would arise with your current plans.
You can't fault the guy for getting upset that you're brushing him aside as if he's just getting in the way when in fact he's trying to save you time and money (and a massive headache).
You don't like the sound of the microphone? Well lots of that can be tweaked in post with some EQ too.

Maybe the question you need to be asking is "What's an alternative to the mic you suggested with the kind of sound I'm looking for?"

My advice is to take his advice. :)
 
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This is the type of feedback i was looking for! Thanks for your input.

About #6) I know that the web does compress the footage pretty badly, making it seem pointless to shoot in 2k, but in all the comparison footage between this camera in 2k and others in 1080p, the Bmcc looked leaps and bounds better. Even with the web compression. We have a 3930k cpu and a gtx 760 so i dont think it will be a really big problem in post.

About #2) You don't think that at 24mm the bmcc would be very wide? I knew that the Bm had some crop factor but i did'nt know it was gonna be that bad. What would you think about switching out the 50mm 1.2 for the 14mm 1.4 from canon? Wide shots are definitely important for What were doing. What lenses would you personally pick for interviewing?

About #8) Well were shooting with a white background, so led's would work perfectly, I'm not sure that they would light the interviewee very pleasantly though. They'd probably make him look pale, right? Leds are definitely something im looking into, ill check out the ones you recommended. Also, is it bad to mix tungsten with LED? I was thinking about getting a Leds to light up the backround and also the interviewee's hair, while using tungsten to light up the interviewee, making him look a little bit more natural colored.

About #5) Yah i guess i definitely need to look into sound more. I thought a really high end boom would suffice, but i guess not.

Thanks a lot for your help man, especially on those LEDS


I'm going to keep out of the audio discussion. Other people like Alcove are more qualified, but I think I can help you a lot on the visual/camera aspect.

#6) Yes, the Blackmagic looks better when you resize 2K down to 1080 cause you're squeezing all those pixels into a smaller output format. However, I guess most comparisons you have seen are BMC vs DSLR. DSLR's are very soft, but if you compare Blackmagic 1080p against Canon C300 1080p, you will find that they are equal, if not the C300 a bit sharper, because it has a 4K sensor that only delivers 1080p, thus giving you ultimate sharpness. You can shoot with the Blackmagic, i am not trying to tear you away from it. It's a great camera if you are aware of it's limitations! For what you are doing, I would go with a Super 35mm camcorder. Be it FS100, C100, C300, F5, F55. (The last 3 far over budget). It's all up to you, but also consider storing footage. How many drives do you need to buy to store a days worth of footage? CinemaDNG from the Blackmagic camera takes up a lot of space, so buy plenty of drives or build a RAID system. (I built a 16TB Raid-5 System with Thunderbolt for about 1000-1200 bucks).

#2) No, a 24mm will not be sufficient. The Blackmagic has a "Crop Factor" of 2.4 for Canon EF Lenses that are designed for full frame. Your field of view will be a lot narrower. Your 24-70mm will become a 57-168mm. Every focal length you multiply by 2.4. Your 50mm lens will become a 120mm lens which is a very nice focal length, but not really what you're after! Look into buying a MFT Blackmagic and MFT lenses. These lenses are designed for this sensor and will enable you to buy lenses that actually are the advertised focal length on your camera. This is another reason I am thinking Super 35mm chip like FS100 for example. A 24mm is still a decent wide. Buy a metabones EF- E Mount adapter and you got a nice all round lens with the Canon 24-70mm.

#8) I am not sure why you think LED's can't light an interviewee pleasantly. I think LED's can do a great job in lighting interviews beautifully. All you need to know is how to diffuse and control them. Oh, and buy the right LED lights. Jax_Rox is saying LED's have nasty colour spikes, low output and spread which I tend to agree and also disagree with. Solution: Buy the right LED lights. F&V K4000 panels are very cheap, have strong output, great colour accuracy and good spread. There's a reason that I use them on all my TV shoots for BBC and similar TV Channels. I just came off a 3 day BBC documentary shoot and all I used for Interviews was 1 F&V K4000 LED panel and a small compact Z180 for a hair light. I do recommend using a "milk"/diffusion filter though, to take harsh, multiple and spotty shadows away, that LED's produce. If you buy high CRI LED's, there is no reason that your interviews will look ugly. I do prefer lighting interviews with LED's, simply because my interviewees are a lot more comfortable as LED's don't emit heat. Yes, Tungsten lights deliver perfect colour accuracy, at CRI=100, but great LED's go anywhere from CRI 85 - CRI 95, which is good enough! Think about the benefits. No heat, low power draw (You can even use batteries) and quick setup. You can buy daylight and bi-color versions that vary between tungsten and daylight (3200 - 5600K).

One last thing: LED technology has advanced a lot. Colour accuracy is getting much better and output higher. Reconsider your judgement of LED's and do some research. They won't replace tungstens or HMI units, they are a mere addition to a light kit. I do love em and embrace them on most shoots, just because of their benefits they offer. Can't go wrong with high output, good colour accuracy and battery powered in my opinion! A friend of mine, who is the Director of Photography of "24", "Dallas", "Nashville" and "Shameless" as well as other TV series swears by LED's. He uses them a lot!
 
#6) Yes, the Blackmagic looks better ...
It's all up to you, but also consider storing footage...
I agree that a S35 sensor is better, but all the cameras you mention here are significantly more expensive than the BMCC.
I'd go with a Blackmagic Pocket and a second hand S16mm zoom, to be completely honest. ProRes 422HQ is super fine, especially for web.
In fact, even with a BMCC, shooting ProRes is perfectly fine and great. I'd recommend it over raw for anybody shooting anything other than television and features that require projection or broadcast. It's much lower file size and almost as good quality.

#2) No, a 24mm will not be sufficient...
This is all relative. The OP has not mentioned anything about the space he's filming in. It could be a tiny room, in which case he'd need some super wide lenses (think 18-20mm on S35). It might also be quite a large studio type setting with a white cyc, in which case a 50-160mm might be okay. Perhaps not perfectly ideal, but in certain situations not as detrimental as you might suggest.

I am not sure why you think LED's can't light an interviewee pleasantly..
Yes, but most decent LEDs are very costly, at least compared to similar tungsten lighting. Ain't nothing wrong with tungsten lights, especially in a studio situation. Good LEDs are expensive, and I'd honestly rather have a bunch of Kinos than a bunch of LEDs.
I actually really like the new Hive Plasma lights, but they're as expensive as HMIs.
 
I agree that a S35 sensor is better, but all the cameras you mention here are significantly more expensive than the BMCC.
I'd go with a Blackmagic Pocket and a second hand S16mm zoom, to be completely honest. ProRes 422HQ is super fine, especially for web.
In fact, even with a BMCC, shooting ProRes is perfectly fine and great. I'd recommend it over raw for anybody shooting anything other than television and features that require projection or broadcast. It's much lower file size and almost as good quality.


This is all relative. The OP has not mentioned anything about the space he's filming in. It could be a tiny room, in which case he'd need some super wide lenses (think 18-20mm on S35). It might also be quite a large studio type setting with a white cyc, in which case a 50-160mm might be okay. Perhaps not perfectly ideal, but in certain situations not as detrimental as you might suggest.


Yes, but most decent LEDs are very costly, at least compared to similar tungsten lighting. Ain't nothing wrong with tungsten lights, especially in a studio situation. Good LEDs are expensive, and I'd honestly rather have a bunch of Kinos than a bunch of LEDs.
I actually really like the new Hive Plasma lights, but they're as expensive as HMIs.

I agree with most of your points. A Sony FS100 can be had used for the same price. But yes, a Blackmagic Camera and 16mm lenses, or a MFT Blackmagic with MFT lenses could work too!

I think he will shoot a lot in front of a white background, but also a few cutaways of the products (Nutritional products I think it was?) so having a wider lens than ~60mm is super handy. I would never leave the house without at least a 24mm lens as a wide!

Of course, everyone would rather have a bunch of Kinos instead of LED's, but we're talking about Tungsten vs LED's here. They are totally different and used in different scenarios. I own Arri Fresnels, Open Face Arri's, 8 LED's, 2 HMI's and soon a KinoFlo.

I am just thinking practicality wise, what would make most sense. If it was me, I'd rock up with everything and then light to my liking with whatever I might need. If you need to buy a specific kit for a job it's much harder to decide. I myself would buy an LED kit.

P
 
I think he will shoot a lot in front of a white background, but also a few cutaways of the products (Nutritional products I think it was?) so having a wider lens than ~60mm is super handy. I would never leave the house without at least a 24mm lens as a wide!
Of course - if it was me, then I'd want at least a 24mm wide lens. But, with no information to go on then it's hard to know - cutaways might be better served on a longer lens (i.e. close detail shots) - who knows what is wanted.
I guess there are cheaper, wider option for MFT glass as well.

Of course, everyone would rather have a bunch of Kinos instead of LED's, but we're talking about Tungsten vs LED's here. They are totally different and used in different scenarios. I own Arri Fresnels, Open Face Arri's, 8 LED's, 2 HMI's and soon a KinoFlo.

I am just thinking practicality wise, what would make most sense. If it was me, I'd rock up with everything and then light to my liking with whatever I might need. If you need to buy a specific kit for a job it's much harder to decide. I myself would buy an LED kit.
Again - it depends on the space. I don't mind LEDs as a small roving kicker, or a quick small light that can be set up easily and positioned in places other lights would normally struggle.
For a semi-permanent setup on a white cyc for talking heads and product shots, I'd go tungsten over LED every day.
If I were on the road, it might be nice to have some LEDs, especially if looking for small footprint lights - but as a permanent or semi-permanent setup, LEDs personally wouldn't be my first choice.
Especially considering the cyc itself (assuming we are indeed talking about a white cyc) will have to be lit, as well as the talent.
 
He might want to do a search on proper boom technique. Alcove is just trying to save a lot of future frustration. Try and do some test runs or try and use some of equipment before you buy, especially if expensive.
 
He might want to do a search on proper boom technique. Alcove is just trying to save a lot of future frustration. Try and do some test runs or try and use some of equipment before you buy, especially if expensive.

I understand that, and i appreciate that he even took the time to give me advice.

But he sounded like a jerk. I was getting tired of all the witty remarks.
 
Hmm I see.
I think that he's a little jaded because lots of people come in and say "I need high quality" then neglect the audio side of things completely while affirming they are not. I don't think it's personal, I see it all the time myself too and it's a little disheartening.
I hope you guys can make up and that this won't degenerate. :)
 
The fact that he ignores my 11+ years doing audio post, 2+ years of production sound, 6+ years as a music recording engineer, and 25+ years as a touring musician & session player plus other experience in sound reinforcement and reverts to name calling tells me all I need to know.
 
The fact that he ignores my 11+ years doing audio post, 2+ years of production sound, 6+ years as a music recording engineer, and 25+ years as a touring musician & session player plus other experience in sound reinforcement and reverts to name calling tells me all I need to know.

You never said that you had that experience.

Do you not agree that different mikes have a different sound?
You suggested a lav mic, or a headset mic, and that is definitely a good option.
But the sound of those mic's are very flat. Not much of any lows, not much of any highs, it sounds like, to me at least, that they're mainly capturing mid frequencies.

I'm not ignoring your advice, I looked in to what you advised, and didn't think it would be the kind of solution i am looking for.

Sorry if you're butt hurt about someone not taking a recommendation.
 
and didn't think it would be the kind of solution i am looking for.

Simply put, you don't know what you're looking for.

All you know is that you want good sound but you don't know what that is and how to get it and that's why you need people like Alcove.

The very simple fact that you're considering using the Zoom H4n when you have a 10k budget is testimony of how far you are from "good sound".

And don't think you're in a special situation. Once every two weeks, someone like you comes on the forum "hey I have this much of a budget and I need equipment" while completely neglecting sound. Heck, I might have been one of those.

If he says that lavs is your best option for interviews considering you don't have a skilled boom op, then you should listen, ask why, and understand. He gave you very good option, well within your budget. You'll be updating and replacing your camera/lenses in a few years but you'll keep the good sound stuff for a decade or two.
 
Simply put, you don't know what you're looking for.

All you know is that you want good sound but you don't know what that is and how to get it and that's why you need people like Alcove.

The very simple fact that you're considering using the Zoom H4n when you have a 10k budget is testimony of how far you are from "good sound".

And don't think you're in a special situation. Once every two weeks, someone like you comes on the forum "hey I have this much of a budget and I need equipment" while completely neglecting sound. Heck, I might have been one of those.

If he says that lavs is your best option for interviews considering you don't have a skilled boom op, then you should listen, ask why, and understand. He gave you very good option, well within your budget. You'll be updating and replacing your camera/lenses in a few years but you'll keep the good sound stuff for a decade or two.

I know i'm not in a special situation, and i know that this can be annoying.
I'm using a zoom h4n because they already have one.
And why is it so hard to understand that the lav mic is not the sound that i'm looking for? I'm looking at an ntg-3 right now, and there will be a boom operator for it.
What's the big deal? I don't see why there is all this hate toward doing something differently.
 
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The fact that he ignores my 11+ years doing audio post, 2+ years of production sound, 6+ years as a music recording engineer, and 25+ years as a touring musician & session player plus other experience in sound reinforcement and reverts to name calling tells me all I need to know.

Maybe it's your condescending attitude that he objects to. Nobody questions your experience, and you're sure to point out your abundant qualifications to anyone who doesn't completely embrace your offerings. But your attitude is 'Do it MY way or you're a stupid shit' whenever anyone has a question or a differing view of the importance of sound. By your own admission you know nothing about cameras (you've said you don't know an F-stop from a bus stop), but I've never seen a DP treat you with the same disdain that you seem to treat new people regarding sound. WE DON'T KNOW SOUND, that's why we ask! And people LISTEN to your suggestions, you're incredibly insightful and always ready to offer views and tips. But the personal caveats you add tend to make people take a step back, especially newer people who don't really know you yet... and who YOU don't know. You don't HAVE to 'lighten up'... but people will listen more if you did.

Now that I've kicked a sacred cow, let the flaming begin.
 
I work for a big a#$ corporation. I was recently "filmed" on location by the in-house media department.

maybe this will help..

RED EPIC.
Canon L Glass
Kino flow lighting
A cute little tripod dolly rail system

No audio capture, so I cant comment on that.
 
I know i'm not in a special situation, and i know that this can be annoying.
I'm using a zoom h4n because they already have one.
And why is it so hard to understand that the lav mic is not the sound that i'm looking for? I'm looking at an ntg-3 right now, and there will be a boom operator for it.
What's the big deal? I don't see why there is all this hate toward doing something differently.

That's not what you said earlier, you said the mic would be on a C-stand. That's why he said you should go for lavs. Now that there is a boom op in the equation, the advice would be completely different.

And it's not about hate. It's about unknowledgeable (not to say ignorant) people being pretentious and neglecting sound while investing heavily in cameras and lenses. With your budget, settling for the H4n is a mistake. Using it just because it's there is not an excuse. Would you use a consumer type camcorder instead of some good prosumer camera ? I didn't think you would. Same applies with sound.

You're allowed and even encouraged to do stuff differently. Disregarding sound is not doing things differently, it's just lacking experience.
 
That's not what you said earlier, you said the mic would be on a C-stand. That's why he said you should go for lavs. Now that there is a boom op in the equation, the advice would be completely different.

And it's not about hate. It's about unknowledgeable (not to say ignorant) people being pretentious and neglecting sound while investing heavily in cameras and lenses. With your budget, settling for the H4n is a mistake. Using it just because it's there is not an excuse. Would you use a consumer type camcorder instead of some good prosumer camera ? I didn't think you would. Same applies with sound.

You're allowed and even encouraged to do stuff differently. Disregarding sound is not doing things differently, it's just lacking experience.

Yes i didn't think we would have a boom op, glad we got one.
So what do you recommend i plug the ntg-3 into? What do you think about the zoom h6? Is that crap too?
Whats wrong with the zoom H4n xlr inputs? Do they worsen the quality?

You have a good point about how i should'nt use it just because they have it. So what do you recommend?
It's hard to believe that i will get a major boost in quality by switching where the ntg-3 inputs its audio.
 
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