some silly, how-to questions.

Nikki Malkavian Z-boy

Nikki Malkavian Z-boy

hi fellas!

i'm working on some short scripts and i'm gonna be shooting them soon but i have no idea about the equipment i will need.

i recently bought a nokia lumia 1020, its cam has 41 megapixels and it records full HD vids. you can also download many lenses and post effects (though i still don't know how most of them work :lol:).

problem is, my hands are not steady when i'm recording and i don't think that there are tripods for that phone. pls, prove me wrong. :lol:

i also have my wife's nikon d3300 which i can use, any suggestions on tripods and lenses?

finally, what do you guys think about the go pros? i want my films to have that smooth, "photoshoped" kinda quality, like "300" or "sin city".


thank you for your time and patience bros! :) (and i'm sorry if i said stupid things)
 
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My suggestion to you, since it seems like you're first starting out, is to use the camera that you are the most comfortable with. That way you can focus on the story and not be on set trying to figure out how to change such and such settings. If your comfortable with the Lumia, use that and vice versa with the Nikon. People these days focus so much on the camera, myself included, but it's so much more than that. It's lights, the cinematography, the acting, and ultimately, the story. Basically if the story is interesting and engaging, the audience won't mind that it's not a perfect image.


For future reference, I'm a Nikon user as well, so I recommend the 35mm f1.8 which runs you at about $200. The image is sharp and it allows you to shoot in darker areas due to the larger aperture. It also makes you move the camera instead of being lazy and relying on zoom.

Best of luck!
 
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Get a basic camera and tell stories, just as BeAmazed said.

I spent many years as a performer playing keyboards. When I was growing up it was a series of upright pianos and old beat-up grand pianos as well owning some relatively inexpensive electric keyboards - Farfisa, Acetone, and the like - and some nicer electronic keyboards like the Wurlitzer and eventually a very nice customized (specifically for me) Rhodes piano.

When my career led me to major venues I eventually got to play at Carnegie Hall. We found our way to a "warm up" room that should have been locked. In that room was a very expensive Bosendorfer Grand Piano; my guess would be a substantial six figures. The absolute control and the wonderful tone made playing it a truly enthralling experience. (The Steinway Grand on stage was also fantastic, if not quite as orgasmic.) But when I was just starting out I didn't have the chops or the experience to appreciate such a profound instrument.

BTW, my keyboard kit was never the latest greatest toys, yet everyone was always impressed with my sound - which was really knowing my keyboards inside/out, backwards and forwards; their capabilities and limitations, and, of course many, many hours of practice and programming and experimentation. And lots of practice and more practice; or did I say that already?;)

It's not the tool, it's the artist! Push your "basic" camera and lighting (AND SOUND!!!) to the limits and beyond. Shoot something every day, if it's just passing cars or pedestrians, an insect on a flower, a stream with ducks - it doesn't matter. Experiment with your settings and speak aloud while changing them so you know what you did when you get it all into your NLE.

The old musicians joke:

How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

Practice, practice, practice!




Get out there and PRACTICE!!!
 
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oh trust me, i DO practice every day. :D i record videos and take photos randomly. i have the passion, i just lack the know-how. :lol:

guess i have to spend some more money on tripods and lenses, but i'm sure it will be worth it! :)

(i really wanna achieve something different when it comes to the video quality. like a crossover between "planet terror" and "300" but more refined and personalized.)


thank you for your advice, fellas! :D
 
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