Entering the realm of Filmmaking - Requesting assistance!

I

Inu

Greetings fellow filmmakers, i hope you are all doing well.
I am posting on this forum for your help as i am starting my magical adventure in video production. So currently, i am pretty much a newbie.

First of all, let me just explain my situation. I am a 21 year old male with a huge undying passion for filmmaking. I dream to make adrenaline pumping short action films. I do not and have not attended any film school so everything i know on this subject is self taught through sites such as youtube, Vimeo and forums such as this.

Me and my film partner have been blessed with some pretty decent gear but i lack the knowledge to utilize them to it's maximum potential.

List of the items at my disposal:

- Canon 600D/T3i with the 18-55MM Kit Lens.
- Rode Video mic condenser microphone
- Zoom H4n (with a dead cat)
- Flimsy $20 tripod

I understand i pretty much have a decent set up to shoot some good short films but due to my lack of knowledge and beginner status, i am having trouble to start of and i am in need of your help.

As i mentioned, i want to be shooting actions films. So my actors are going to be running around a fair amount. Where and how do i position the Zoom H4n recorder? How can i utilize my Shotgun mic effectively? In my experience with the shotgun mic, it pretty much sucks. I have to be close to the mic and it picks up so much unwanted hissing like sound. This makes it bad for shooting action films. I am extremely uneducated when it comes to the audio part so any help and advice whatsoever will be golden.

Am i lacking any items in my set up which could be useful? I understand i will need a better Lens so if possible could you recommend a good video lens? I don't have an extremely high budget but a fair price would be possible.

Also any links to any sites and resources to help me learn the tricks of the trade will be very much appreciated.

I hope this post made sense and i hope you will find the patience to help a newbie filmmaker out :) Thank you in advance for reading and i look forward to hearing from you soon.
 
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Inu said:
First of all, let me just explain my situation. I am a 21 year old male with a huge undying passion for filmmaking. I dream to make adrenaline pumping short action films. I do not and have not attended any film school so everything i know on this subject is self taught through sites such as youtube, Vimeo and forums such as this.
Click to expand...
Welcome.

Time to stop looking at YouTube, Vimo and reading websites and
messageboards and start making movies. Go out and shoot every
weekend. You have the equipment - use it. The ONLY way to start
is to do it.

The best way to learn where to place the recorder is to shoot your
action five or six (or ten) times placing the recorder in different
places for each take. In many cases the audio for action scenes isn't
captured during the shooting - the audio is done separately and
added in during the audio editing/mixing part of post production. They
a little of that - do it many different way until you find the way that
works best for you.

Inu said:
Am i lacking any items in my set up which could be useful? I understand i will need a better Lens so if possible could you recommend a good video lens? I don't have an extremely high budget but a fair price would be possible.
Click to expand...
Of course you will need better and more equipment. But not now.
Use what you have. Practice and shoot and edit and work on audio
with what you have. Spend the next three months doing that until
you gain the experience you need. THEN start thinking of buying
another lens and other equipment.

Inu said:
Also any links to any sites and resources to help me learn the tricks of the trade will be very much appreciated.
Click to expand...
This one is pretty good. Perhaps you can find what you're looking
for here. Look around a bit.
 
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Inu said:
As i mentioned, i want to be shooting actions films. So my actors are going to be running around a fair amount. Where and how do i position the Zoom H4n recorder? How can i utilize my Shotgun mic effectively? In my experience with the shotgun mic, it pretty much sucks. I have to be close to the mic and it picks up so much unwanted hissing like sound.
Click to expand...

You're gonna want something along the lines of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhpMd_Ge_f0 best way you're gonna be able to capture good audio, get a boom op and move along with your actors, it will be very beneficial for capturing all your audio in general. I see you live in the UK, if you go on screwfix.com they sell some sturdy paint extension poles for less than £10, you can get 2m/3m ones, hope this helps :)
 
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i want to be shooting actions films. So my actors are going to be running around a fair amount
Click to expand...

If you can, work an actual story into your action shorts. There are tens of thousands of "action vids" that are nothing more than excuses to go hog-wild in post with muzzle flashes. Yawn. It gets old fast, when there's nothing for the audience/viewer to care about.

That's all I got. :)

:director: Now go make your movie!
 
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Welcome :)

As directorik said, film every chance you get. You have the stuff, utilize it. Also, listen to gurus on here. They know what's what.

Then, get a heavy duty tripod. Flimsy ones are not good for action shorts, since you'll be outside mostly, and you want a heavy anchored camera.

Josh :cheers:
 
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directorik said:
Welcome.

Time to stop looking at YouTube, Vimo and reading websites and
messageboards and start making movies. Go out and shoot every
weekend. You have the equipment - use it. The ONLY way to start
is to do it.

The best way to learn where to place the recorder is to shoot your
action five or six (or ten) times placing the recorder in different
places for each take. In many cases the audio for action scenes isn't
captured during the shooting - the audio is done separately and
added in during the audio editing/mixing part of post production. They
a little of that - do it many different way until you find the way that
works best for you.


Of course you will need better and more equipment. But not now.
Use what you have. Practice and shoot and edit and work on audio
with what you have. Spend the next three months doing that until
you gain the experience you need. THEN start thinking of buying
another lens and other equipment.


This one is pretty good. Perhaps you can find what you're looking
for here. Look around a bit.
Click to expand...


+1
 
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