Best Equipment for a First Timer?

Rawky

Rawky

Hello everyone, I'm new here and was wondering if I can get some advice.

I've always been interested with working in the Film Industry and whilst I've had a couple of opportunities to work on same major films they are far too sporadic for me to even consider it a career. So rather than just waiting for the phone to ring I've decided to dive in and 'hopefully' make my own film.

My friend and I have come up with an idea and have been working on the script ever since. I also recently discovered same 'distant family' members, who are in the acting field and have offered to work for free (which is always a nice bonus).

So my only real need now is the equipment. Mainly the camera and sound recording. The type of film I'm making is what you would probably call 'guerilla filmmaking', I only need one camera as it will all be told from that one point of view. I realise in this day and age that its not the most original way of filming but it is the most cost effective...for me anyway.

So my desires for the camera are:

HD
Easily carried (nothing too cumbersome)
Digital Harddrive is preferable but DV will always be my 2nd option
Attachable lenses
A built in light would be great, if not a way to easily attach a light

Now sound recording is where I'm not too knowledgable on, I'm thinking a boom is a must, however can a boom mic attach itself to the camera or will it have to be a separate sound recorder unit? I'm also thinking about radio mics too.

Any advice you have will be welcome. I know I may sound a bit clueless but I'm not.....well not completely. I'm hoping to send this film of to festivals next year.

Oh I'm also in the UK.

Thanks in advance :)
 
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Well I don't want to be 'that guy' and yell SLR. But if you want attachable lenses and a camera that is the most cost efficient, look into the T2i, 60D, 7D, 5Dmk2, or Lumix GH2. The sound part, you'd most likely have to get a minijack - XLR adapter to get some decent boom mics running through them.


It's actually all depending on how much you want to spend... you can go all out get an HD Video camera with interchangeable lenses like the Z7U (which includes XLR adapters for most [if not all] professional mics)
 
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Welcome to indietalk.

The DSLR is the current camera of choice. They are great cameras
designed primarily for shooting stills and can be difficult to
shoot with when making movies - especially the POV style you are
going for. Fully equipped with the necessary accessories a DSLR
can be quire expensive.

A few things to think about:

Do you really need and can you afford a series of lenses?
Is an on camera light really something important to you?

Just to clarify: Some people are confused about a "boom mic". The
"boom" is a piece of equipment - most often a pole of some kind -
that the microphone is attached to. What you're looking for is a
good shotgun mic. Radio (or wireless) mics can be difficult to
use. Perhaps for someone just starting out a nice shotgun mic is
best. You can always add more mics as you move forward.

What you are looking for in a camera is a mic input, manual focus
and manual controls over iris, shutter and white balance. Any
camera from the major manufacturers that have all of those will be
perfect for you.

I don’t know the model numbers for the UK, but the US numbered
cameras I recommend are:
JVC GZ-HM1
Panasonic HDC-TM300
Sony HDR-CX550V
Canon HF S21
Canon HF S11
JVC GZ-HM400

If you decide on a DSLR, tombah has given you some excellent
options to look at.
 
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I hate to disagree with tombah, but the sound implementation in DSLR cameras is CRAP!!!

A separate audio recording system is fairly standard when shooting with a DSLR. It's like going back to real film; even today a separate audio recording system is your only option when using real film, so it's not uncharted territory.

I can understand wanting to own your own gear, but you are admittedly ignorant of sound, so your best option would be to hire someone, or at the least find an up-and-comer who is willing to work for a small stipend. If you still want to DIY you should rent; you'll get much better quality gear than you could buy on your own. If you absolutely must buy then be prepared to pony up between US$1,000 and US$1,500 so you can get enough quality and ease of use to make your purchase worthwhile.

You may want to check out my blog, which I will be updating soon to accommodate the recent upsurge of separate audio recording system needs when using DSLR.

http://www.myspace.com/alcoveaudio/blog
 
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Thanks guys. Duly noted.

I do really need a light as there are going to be a fair few 'night shots', but it has to be a light that can attach to the camera to give it the style I am looking for.
 
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Well the cheapest I can think of would have to be a clamp light from home depot. I get them for like 10 bucks a piece (give or take) and yea, it can clamp to most objects. I use a canon 7D so I mount a old non-working flash on my camera, clamp the light to there'. But yea, there's plenty of uses for work lights if you wanna stay cheap.
 
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Rawky said:
Thanks guys. Duly noted.

I do really need a light as there are going to be a fair few 'night shots', but it has to be a light that can attach to the camera to give it the style I am looking for.
Click to expand...

A single light on the camera local news footage style will (IMO) give a.. there is a fancy pants french or italian phrase for this I am sure... In theatre terms you'd call it breaking the 4th wall. Drawing attention to the fact what you're watching is a movie, because the camera light will be pretty obvious.

If that's what you're going for fine, and there are situations where that makes sense, just pointing it out.
 
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Gonzo_Entertainment said:
A single light on the camera local news footage style will (IMO) give a.. there is a fancy pants french or italian phrase for this I am sure... In theatre terms you'd call it breaking the 4th wall. Drawing attention to the fact what you're watching is a movie, because the camera light will be pretty obvious.

If that's what you're going for fine, and there are situations where that makes sense, just pointing it out.
Click to expand...

That's kinda exactly the style I'm going for as its about a bunch of people trying to make a film themselves, so that would be perfect for me.

Forgot to mention that I'm wanting to go for a camera that lets me pull of 'Focus Pulls, depth of field' with ease, if that changes anything?

Am I just asking for the moon to be handed to me on a stick? :yes:
 
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Rawky said:
That's kinda exactly the style I'm going for as its about a bunch of people trying to make a film themselves, so that would be perfect for me.

Forgot to mention that I'm wanting to go for a camera that lets me pull of 'Focus Pulls, depth of field' with ease, if that changes anything?

Am I just asking for the moon to be handed to me on a stick? :yes:
Click to expand...

Pulling focus comes with practice and experience in any case.

But it's hard with DSLR's if you're going to try and do it on the fly. There are DIY options for various follow focus units that you can use and if you plan your shots and have ur actors hit their marks while you hit yours, it will go much smoother. You may also need a monitoring device or use the zoom function to ascertain whether your in the acceptable range of sharp focus.

So yes, it does change things if you're going to be running and gunning. But if you're planning and staging, it can be done with a little preparation.

And moon on a stick sounds delicious.
 
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Rawky said:
Forgot to mention that I'm wanting to go for a camera that lets me pull of 'Focus Pulls, depth of field' with ease, if that changes anything?
Click to expand...

The "with ease" part is going to be the issue.

Using a DSLR with it's standard lens will give you the shallow
DOF you want. However, pulling focus without an adaptor is
difficult - not in any way impossible - difficult. And not at all
easy with the "guerilla" or run and gun style you seem to be
going for. The more shallow your DOF, the less you have in
focus. When the camera is moving and the subject is moving,
keeping things in focus is one hell of a challenge. And with one
person (the operator) doing it, that creates even more challenges.
Typically one would have an experienced operator and an
experienced focus puller to get it right.

Anyway, no DSLR has a built in camera light - at least none that
I am aware of. You will have to attach a light - an added expense.
A fully tricked out DSLR with mattebox, follow focus unit, shoulder
mount, light and LCD screen will get you the look you're after - WITH
experienced people. That's getting pretty expensive.

Frankly for what it seems you want to do (minus the shallow DOF)
a standard DV camcorder with auto focus and a pop up lights might
be the better option for you.

What's your total budget for all the equipment?
 
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Boy times have changed! (and for the best)

Back in 1986 (high school) I was thrilled to borrow my friend's sister's Hi-8 camera and do on-the-fly edits from camera to VHS deck. And I shot several films with an old Sony Video 8 rig.
http://www.fourems.com/sale/camera/camera03.jpg

I'm wondering when the dust will settle with all the new HD/DSLR cameras coming out. Five years from now will the HD craze / tech wars simmer down or will there always be a "latest-greatest" gotta-have hot-ticket camera that whips everyone into a frenzy?

Boy, if I only had THAT camera I could make a great movie...
 
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If you have a grand to spend on a camera, I would get the GH2. It even has clean HDMI out at last report (Bloom), and thus can give even higher quality output if you get an external recorder later on. Best low noise for the money right now, decent look.

Second choice would be the 60D, or the Nikon D7000 if they fix their quality control issues.
 
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@polfilmblog,
I really do like the GH2 and it actually made me regret the 7D (just a tad).
The only reason GH2 is better is the c-mount lens adapters! So gorgeous.
 
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"will there always be a "latest-greatest" gotta-have hot-ticket camera that whips everyone into a frenzy?"

Probably, though I expect some lulls. Cameras are like computers. The manufacturers need to make you want the new model, so they work hard to find new features to add, and continue to drive performance.

A CMOS based camera, with no rolling shutter, a full frame sensor, and a standard SLR lens mount, in a larger box to solve some of the overheating issues, for under $3K. That's what I wish they'd come out with. We're close with the one Panasonic people have been talking about except it's a 4/3 sensor and it's $5K.
 
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Thanks for all your replies guys.

The last camera that I used (it was my brothers, but he never used it) was a Canon XM2, I got on with it really well so I'm thinking of along the lines of that. My budget will probably be around the £2000 mark, unfortunately but fortunately I've come into some inheritance money and have put some aside to help buy my equipment.

Do you recommend the next Canon XM2, is there a HD version? I've also come across the SONY HDR-FX7, the reviews seems pretty stellar on it but any thoughts you lot have on it would be great.

Script is coming along, I'm no professional, but its getting there :D
 
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If you're shooting this thing POV, do you really want someone pulling focus? Would that make any sense? Is this a found-footage thing? Or a mockumentary? Those are the only two scenarios I can imagine, in which POV makes any sense, whatsoever. And in neither of those cases does pulling focus make a lick of sense. Nor does shallow depth of field. You should have auto-focus.

If I understand this project correctly, you want a cheap HD camcorder.
 
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Hi Cracker

I guess I should try and give an idea as to what my films about. Its essentially about a group of amateur filmmakers trying to make a film. That's where the POV comes in as the 'director' of this film wants everything recorded so he can 'capture the relationships of the film crew'. Ultimately he is a bit of an idiot, but when it comes to filming the scenes of 'their' film the 'director' wants to do some focus pulls as his aim is to make it look as 'arty' as possible but really it just comes across as being quite naff.

Its kinda hard to explain as I don't want to go into too much detail about the storyline, but whilst 'focus pulls' isn't completely necessary I do think it would work quite well in some scenes.
 
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Apologies for the double post, but what are your thoughts on the 2 cameras I suggested?

Canon XM2
SONY HDR-FX7

I want to, hopefully, buy by the end of the month.

Thanks in advance and Merry Christmas to you all.
 
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