In the first part of this series, I covered some places that you could learn some of the fundamentals that you’ll need to shoot video. Now, we’re on to the equipment. The assumption I’m using is that you have a camera body that shoots video and a lens – that’s it. Now, what do you REALLY have to have to improve that basic platform, and what is the BASIC equipment you need to buy. Not the fanciest, most expensive equipment, but what do you REALLY need? The next thing I’m going to consider is – what can you buy that will have a dual purpose – another words, can you use it for stills AND video?
First, everyone ALWAYS starts with a tripod. Let’s face it, you can spend every bit of money you have on one and not get anything else. One clear thing you don’t want to do, is buy a $79 one at Best Buy. It will not cut it for stills OR video. There seems to be two main differences between a stills and video tripod. First, is the weight. If you look on B&H and just search for tripods, you can spend the better part of a day reading about all of them. I was lucky…I had invested in a nice Manfrotto tripod with a ball head many years ago. One of the great things about investing in a GOOD tripod and head up front is that you’ll really never have to replace it. However, in my case, I was very fortunate because that ball head could be replaced with a fluid head for shooting video. [click to continue…]
Yup - that's me, helping to plant grapes at Arrington Vineyards in Nashville.
Last Christmas, I wrote a piece about some of the gear I wanted or thought I needed for Christmas when it came to shooting video with an HD DSLR camera. I had the folks at Zacuto tell me that they STILL get referral traffic from this post, so I thought I’d update it for you last minute Christmas shoppers and at the same time, tell you how well I did on each item during the last year. Of course, I’m in the middle of writing my series of posts on how I’m FINALLY making my first video, so you’ll get more detail about some of these items in those posts. So, here’s the (updated) 2010 list:
The Gear
OK, so I wasn’t able to find ONE place that told me just what I’d have to have in order to shoot video with these new DSLR’s. How about just a simple list, with the gear, where to get it and the price! How about some kind of order to what you should get first (my opinion, so you MAY not agree) and what about software? What the heck do you need? I figured this would be a good thing to do in case anyone (or my wife) was looking to buy something for me for Christmas. Well, here’s my list: [click to continue…]
One of the things you have to consider when attempting to create your first HD DSLR video is knowledge. What do you need to know and where can I find that knowledge? Well, to summarize why I’m even asking, let me give you the premise for this series.
It’s been more than two years now since the release of the Canon 5D Mark II and Vincent Laforet’s film Reverie, which really blew everyone’s doors off. For some, the camera was the greatest thing to hit their lives and they ran with it. This series is for the rest of us who bought these cameras and did little if anything with their film-making capabilities.
I know that I had all these grand ideas about what I would shoot when I just figured out how to use it. The more people I interviewed about it for the LensFlare 35 podcasts, the more daunting it became for me personally. I quickly found out that all the settings I had used to capture those first video segments were ‘wrong’. Then, I started hearing about all this extra gear I needed just to shoot video, THEN it was the fact that I needed assistants, had to change out the type of lighting I owned, had to ‘think’ like a film-maker and storyboard everything out first; I needed a more powerful computer AND expensive software to edit it and…did I mention audio? How important it is to have the correct gear, how to record it, how to sync, it, and on and on. [click to continue…]
It’s been more than two years now since the release of the Canon 5D Mark II and Vincent Laforet’s film Reverie, which really blew everyone’s doors off. Can you believe it’s been that long already? For some, the camera was the greatest thing to hit their lives and they ran with it. To say that it has revolutionized the film industry, is probably not much of a stretch. The 5D Mark II is not the only HD DSLR out there shooting great video these days, there are several. They are responsible for creating everything from music videos, to commercials; TV shows like House and 24, Indie films, documentaries and even full length movies.
But what about the rest of us who bought these cameras? Have we realized our dreams of incorporating video into our workflow? Have YOU done anything with it at all other than to post video of your cat running around on Vimeo? I know that I had all these grand ideas about what I would shoot when I just figured out how to use it. The more people I interviewed about it for the LensFlare 35 podcasts, the more daunting it became for me personally. I quickly found out that all the settings I had used to capture those first video segments were ‘wrong’. Then, I started hearing about all this extra gear I needed just to shoot video, THEN it was the fact that I needed assistants, had to change out the type of lighting I owned, had to ‘think’ like a film-maker and storyboard everything out first; I needed a more powerful computer AND expensive software to edit it and…did I mention audio? How important it is to have the correct gear, how to record it, how to sync, it, and on and on.
By now you are either shaking your head in agreement with me or trying to figure out why I haven’t jumped in and done a grand film as of yet. Well, part of it is the false belief that I have to have all of this ‘stuff’ first before I go out and do anything. Really? So, I’ve decided that my 2011 New Year’s Resolution – that’s right folks, I’m getting ahead of the curve – is that I’m going to tackle this darn video stuff and I’m going to figure it out. AND I’m NOT going to go to a VC (Venture Capitalist) to raise the money I need to do it!
Here’s the path I’m going to take, and I plan on bringing you with me. First, I’m going to find a way to REALLY educate myself about the basics. Then, I’m going to figure out a FEW of the must-have items and purchase those – I’m going to figure out a way to use what I have and spend as LITTLE as possible. I’m also going to try and get items that have dual-use. If I get them, I can use them for stills AND video. I’m also going to go DIY on some of the gear. I’m going to figure out some of the items I need and build them myself and then tell you what I did. I’ll also convince some vendors to ‘lend’ some gear to me for testing, and then finally I’ll put it all together and share the final product with you. Along the way, I’m hoping that you learn from my mistakes and that you take WHATEVER camera you have and start shooting some video with it. I know that I’ve waited way too long to start doing this and I’m ready to start the new year – a bit early, but I’m ready.
So stay tuned… In the meantime, enjoy the film that got this thing going.
Vision In Motion is an introduction to digital video for stills photographers. Written by Trevor Meier, both a professional stills photographer and film-maker, this eBook discusses the core issues of motion storytelling. No doubt about it, video is an entirely different medium than stills photography. It’s a different language spoken with different technology and created [...]
LensFlareLive is a show created and brought to you by Dave Warner. In this week’s episode, panelists Kevin Shahinian, Steve Weiss and David Ziser discuss HD DSLR’s, convergence, fusion, video and film. In addition, they answer questions that came in via email, Twitter and from the live listening audience. Kevin Shahinian is an award-winning filmmaker, [...]
First, everyone ALWAYS starts with a tripod. Let’s face it, you can spend every bit of money you have on one and not get anything else. One clear thing you don’t want to do, is buy a $79 one at Best Buy. It will not cut it for stills OR video. There seems to be two main differences between a stills and video tripod. First, is the weight. If you look on B&H and just search for tripods, you can spend the better part of a day reading about all of them. I was lucky…I had invested in a nice Manfrotto tripod with a ball head many years ago. One of the great things about investing in a GOOD tripod and head up front is that you’ll really never have to replace it. However, in my case, I was very fortunate because that ball head could be replaced with a fluid head for shooting video. [click to continue…]
