Top 10 Filmmaking Investments
The following is a list of the top 10 essential tools that any filmmaker, big or small, should invest in. I’m going to try my best to keep this low-budget friendly, but please keep in mind that none of this stuff makes the movie. You do, and your story does. Start with a great script and work from there. The equipment only assists in the telling of the story, so without further ado…
Canon HV40
1. Camera – Ah, yes. A camera. That pointy-shooty thing that you make movies with. Where do I begin?… Cameras vary hugely in price, quality, and features. We’re going to stick with digital cameras for now, because film is hugely expensive and requires a lot of skill and know-how to operate. Digital cameras can range from the 300 dollar range all the way up to hugely expensive concept cameras. What you end up choosing to shoot on is entirely up to you, but for anyone with a tight budget looking to get great bang for their buck — I highly recommend the Canon HV40, which runs for $649. It’s a very simple camera that doesn’t require a lot of technical knowledge, but can produce a fantastic-looking HD image with very little work. For those looking to buy in a slightly higher price range, consider investing in the Canon DSLR line (the least expensive of which is the Canon T2i). The DSLRs, which work with interchangeable lenses, can capture stunning image quality for relatively little money. More information here.
Rode NTG-3
2. Microphone – This is not a maybe. This isn’t a “if I have any money left over” sort of option. Get a mic. If you can’t afford both a mic and a camera, get a less expensive camera so you can afford a mic as well. Sound is at least half the experience, and unless you’re doing music-only type montage videos, you need a good production microphone to record with. We highly recommend Rode’s NTG-3, which runs at $699. It’s a fantastic shotgun mic that picks up unbelievable sound, but if you’re just not into spending more cash than you might be spending for your camera, consider the NTG-2, which runs at $269. Unfortunately, these microphones have XLR outputs, so if your camera doesn’t have XLR ports then you need to get something like a Beachtek audio adapter, which runs at $189. The DSLR Beachtek line comes about $200 more, but is designed specifically for DSLRs and includes a preamplifier for super-clear audio quality. Getting too pricey? There’s other, lower-priced options that don’t require XLR inputs, but we highly recommend the NTG + Beachtek for anyone looking to create great quality stuff. There’s nothing worse than a lousy on-board microphone destroying the film experience.
3. Editing Software – Final Cut Studio for the Mac, and Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere for the PC. Done. If you can’t afford Final Cut Pro, then look into Final Cut Express. Here’s a little secret: it’s almost the exact same program as the one included in Final Cut Studio. The only reason Studio’s more expensive is because it includes additional software like Soundtrack, Color, Motion, etc. These apps are cool, but by no means a necessity. If you can’t afford Final Cut or the alternatives, there’s always iMovie or Windows Movie Maker! Even though these programs can be clunky, they still get the job done, and they’re a good solution for anyone who doesn’t have the money to spend on a more expensive editing system.
Final Cut Express
Pearstone VT-2000 Tripod
4. Camera Support – No excuses on this one! Tripods range from $10 from Radio Shack to well over $100. Buy what you can afford, but if you can, try it out before you buy it and try and get one that’s got a smooth pan and tilt, and easily adjustable legs. If you have a little extra cash, we’re huge fans of the Pearstone VT-2000 tripod. It’s super light-weight and easy to use. For those looking to move the camera, there’s options in the dolly and stabilization market that can suit your needs. Do some searching on your own, and check out some of our product reviews.
Western Digital MyPassport Hard Drive
5. External Hard Drive – External drives are almost a necessity for anyone working with large amounts of footage, and they range in brand and size. We’re big fans of G-Tech storage, which is a little more pricey but provides pretty safe and compact storage solutions. We also like the Western Digital “My Passport” drives for individual projects that don’t require huge amounts of storage. Western Digitals tend not to last an incredibly long amount of time, however, so we don’t recommend buying anything much larger from them because it’ll probably fail before you can fill it up.
Standard Work Lights
6. Lights – Lights vary hugely in price, type, color, power, etc. Expect a new episode of FTT. Forthose with a really low budget, clamp lights from the local hard ware store with some gels and diffusion will do just fine. If youhave a higher budget, consider investing in some soft boxes, and if you’ve got a super-high budget, check out those kinos! Kino-flo lights have built-in diffusion and can be hand-held to get some super-nice shots. If you can’t afford any of this, then buy a 5 – in – 1 reflector. These vary in size and are designed to bounce available light onto your subject, and they work pretty well. If you can’t afford that, then get some foam core from staples and use that as a bounce board.
7. Compositing Software – Even though we try not to condone “fix it in post,” compositing software is hugely beneficial to a low-budget filmmaker who can’t do certain things practically (explosions, climbing up the Eifel Tower, etc). We suggest Adobe After Effects for pretty much anyone who’s not doing industry work. After Effects runs for $1,000, but if you can’t afford it Final Cut Studio comes with Apple Motion – which is a pretty good compositor, even though we’re not very proficient with it. Compositing software can get you out of tight spots and help you to make your visions come to life. After Effects has great online resources and tutorials to help you get on your feet. PLEASE NOTE. PLEASE. A lot of people are familiar with the FX Home line of compositing products. In our opinion, they’re utter garbage. If you can’t afford After Effects but you can afford an FX Home product, don’t bother. They’re slow, and lack the tools to complete a basic shot. I’ve had experience, and it’s not worth it.
Adobe After Effects
8. Green/Blue Screen – This is for your compositing software. The reason is comes after the compositing software is you can technically rotoscope anything you shoot, but this is arduous and horrible and really tiresome. There are reversible blue/green screens that can be bought for well under $100. If you don’t have compositing software, you can always chroma key in Final Cut.
Green Screen Music Video
9. Boom Pole – For holding your mic, of course! With a shotgun mic it’s important to get a good angle on your actors to pick up that sweet dialogue, so a boom pole with a shock mount is a great investment for those with a little leftover cash.
Boom Pole
10. Duct Tape – Duct tape makes the world go round. It’s a #1 essential to have on a film set, and is the simplest solution to most technical problems that occur on set. This is the easiest on the list to invest in, and will come in handy in the tightest of situations.
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