Looking for help, total newb

[daves_company]

Hi everyone, thanks for taking the time to read my post.

I'll try to keep this short-n-sweet. I'm in the early stages of researching/preparing a business plan to start my own production company. At this point, I have a "rough estimate" to allocate around $10k-$12k, at startup, for buying video/sound/editing equipment. This is a rough guess. But, of course, I have some questions.


First, I am hoping someone would give me a list of the TYPES of equipment I will need. I'm not asking for brands/models, I can research those, with a specific budget in mind, when I'm ready to buy.

Examples: camera, batteries, lens, tripod, steady cam, mic etc


Second, I want the capabilities to put my films both on DVD and the web. What format of camera would I want? And, will a Mac suffice for editing/effects for both DVD and the web?


thank you very much for any help given
David

 

[oakstreetphotovideo]

If your formats are open ended then you'll need a Mac Pro with about 4GB of RAM for starters (any current model would be sufficient). Don't forget to budget for software. You'll probably want Final Cut Suite and Adobe After Effects or Shake.

You don't have to buy everything. You can rent big ticket items that you'll only need occasionally.

The actual list of equipment will vary with what types of things you plan on shooting. For example, if you're shooting underwater, you need an underwater housing for your camera and underwater lights. If you're recording a lot of voice overs, you may want a large diaphragm condensor microphone, otherwise shotguns are all you'll need.

When I started to get into shooting commercially, I purchased equipment as it was needed/justified. With computer, camera, audio gear, lights, stands, etc., you could easily spend $10k. Have you considered what you'll need to live on (your salary) for at least the first 6 months?

Doug

 

[daves_company]

Hey Doug, thanks for the response, and your tips.

I did almost forget to budget for software! And renting rarely used and specialty equipment sounds good too. I do have a plan for my salary that works for what I'm gonna be doing.

thanks again
David