Short Film Making Kit

[Dr. T]

Greetings,

I am new to the forum and although I have been scouring it for weeks I am still a little confused about what I should purchase. Here's my situation:

I am a Junior on High School planning to attend film school after I graduate. When I found out I would need to submit samples of my work with my college application I figured I better start building a portfolio. From what I've researched the HV series is a good place for a beginner film maker to start.

I plan to make as many 5-10 min short films as I can. Hopefully you can advise me on what to buy.

I know I want to buy the camera new and from what I can tell the currently priced at $700 HV40 on Amazon is the way to go. What I'm less clear on is the mic, tripod, and other accessories I should get. My budget is ~$1000, although that can be adjusted if deemed absolutely necessary. If you would please just compile a list of what I should purchase to start shooting with I would appreciate that greatly. I also would love to have a greater control over Depth of Field so if you think a 35mm adapter will fit into my budget please advise.

[TiE_Shepherd]

I also would love to have a greater control over Depth of Field so if you think a 35mm adapter will fit into my budget please advise.

Well if you've basically got 300 to spend after camera and no other accessories, I wouldn't think about an adapter. Not saying you can't get a cheap adapter and a lens or two for that price, but you won't have anything left for other stuff. I would worry more about getting a decent tripod, extra batteries, mic, etc.

[Dr. T]

Well if you've basically got 300 to spend after camera and no other accessories, I wouldn't think about an adapter. Not saying you can't get a cheap adapter and a lens or two for that price, but you won't have anything left for other stuff. I would worry more about getting a decent tripod, extra batteries, mic, etc.

Thanks for the advice, does anybody think the extra control over DOF would be worth stepping up my budget for my purposes?

[Shigeta]

Depends on what you want to shoot. Can you give us a bit more info on what your looking to film?

[Dr. T]

Well the first mini screenplay I wrote would take place entirely indoors and would just be actors sitting, talking, and interacting with their environment. For future projects I would like to shoot exterior scenes as well.

[Shigeta]

Take a look at These. Good info, and gives you an idea if you need one or not.

[TiE_Shepherd]

Thanks for the advice, does anybody think the extra control over DOF would be worth stepping up my budget for my purposes?

Well, you're talking about a decent step up in budget to do an adapter right. Again you can get a static adapter for 100-200 bucks, but you're going to want at least a couple of lenses, then ideally a higher res monitor for focusing, a set of rails to support the camera/adapter/lens. Shooting indoors with an adapter, you'll be wanting some lighting as well.

[Dr. T]

Well, you're talking about a decent step up in budget to do an adapter right. Again you can get a static adapter for 100-200 bucks, but you're going to want at least a couple of lenses, then ideally a higher res monitor for focusing, a set of rails to support the camera/adapter/lens. Shooting indoors with an adapter, you'll be wanting some lighting as well.

I definitely cannot afford that kind of set up. I wasn't planning on getting any type of professional lighting equipment, maybe some high wattage bulbs to put in my regular light sockets but nothing special. Will this be a significant problem for what I'm trying to produce?

And now that we've ruled out the 35mm adapter, what suggestions would you make on the tripod, mic, recording media, and other must have accessories?

[Thousanium]

Hv40 + panny DV tapes
Velbon DV7000 tripod
RODE NTG-2 mic w/xlr-minijack cable +DIY boompole
DV Rebels' Guide by Stu Maschwitz

I think this might push you slightly over your budget. Don't worry about stabilizers, DOF adapters, pre-amps, field recorders, filters, lens adapters etc...

You're just starting out, after a few shorts you might find that you prefer writing or post to actual shooting. You can always get that other stuff later, but I think it'll be more valuable to learn to get what you want with the basic tools.

My feeling is that film schools would prefer to see strong storytelling over technical skills which they'll probably teach there.

BTW, if you want shallow focus, you can open up the aperture and zoom in.

[Dr. T]

Hv40 + panny DV tapes
Velbon DV7000 tripod
RODE NTG-2 mic w/xlr-minijack cable +DIY boompole
DV Rebels' Guide by Stu Maschwitz

I think this might push you slightly over your budget. Don't worry about stabilizers, DOF adapters, pre-amps, field recorders, filters, lens adapters etc...

You're just starting out, after a few shorts you might find that you prefer writing or post to actual shooting. You can always get that other stuff later, but I think it'll be more valuable to learn to get what you want with the basic tools.

My feeling is that film schools would prefer to see strong storytelling over technical skills which they'll probably teach there.

BTW, if you want shallow focus, you can open up the aperture and zoom in.

This is extremely helpful. I just have two questions.

1. Is the Rode NTG-2 really worth the extra $100 over the VideoMic? If so why?

2. Do you have any idea the distance I can shoot from without a boom pole and still get acceptable audio?

[debuys]

May I suggest a used or refurb camcorder? I'm a "grown up" who had a $600 budget and passed it in spite of only blowing $300 on an HV20. It's pretty easy to run over budget even when you are waiting on needs to manifest before spending money.

[debuys]

1. Is the Rode NTG-2 really worth the extra $100 over the VideoMic? If so why?

Yes if you have the other items you need to use it (camera mount or stand/boom, cable, and impedance matching adapter or preamp)

2. Do you have any idea the distance I can shoot from without a boom pole and still get acceptable audio?

Acceptable is subjective meaning it's a personal opinion. My opinion is RVM is good for 10feet. I cant say for other shotguns.

BTW: I'm a newb too, just more experienced by a month and mostly irrelevant knowledge gained over the last 40 years

[Carter Smith]

HV40 and HFs10/11 won't date for a while and are absolutely fantastic, just tapes vs solid state. less money - more money.

When properly lit, I would be hardpressed to tell the difference between these and a camera for 4k more. Learn about the camera and learn techniques and enjoy the camera while it's small and light. It'll look great, it just won't look too impressive to others while you're shooting.

I recommend the Handy35 which I just received. After using a Jag35Pro, this thing is built, man, it's the best 35mm adapter for your money for sure, I recommend saving for this and learning camera operations and setting up shots and such before.

[Seo]

1. Well, the NTG-2 is worth the extra mula in my opinion cause it has a balanced output and can be powered by battery. But you'll need something to keep it a balanced output, like a Juicedlink or Beachtek. It's audio quality is slightly better than the RVM, but it can be mounted on all the best shock mounts because it's not limited to just a built in shock mount. The price of one of these mics is more than 100 bucks because of the extra things you have to buy for it, keep that in mind.

2. Short shotguns (the NTG-1, NTG-2, and RVM) have a range of approximately 2-4 feet for optimal audio. Definitely not 10 feet. So keep in mind not to boom too close to the head, otherwise you'll be picking up from their butt and canceling out the dialogue, not cool.

Here's a suggestion for gear:

Tripod: Velbon DV-7000 or the Matthews M25, both good for small sized camcorders and affordable
Camera: Any of the HV series, but if time is worth less than money, the HV20
Editing Software: Sony Vegas if you're on a PC, iMovie if you're on a Mac (and upgrade to FCP if you need it)
Lights: Work lights are the cheapest things you can get, so get some of those
Microphone: If you have the cash, get a Rode Boom (or Gitzo) and an Audio Technicia mic or one of the Rode NTG series with a JuicedLink and if you have money left over, get an Oktova MK012. If you want to keep it cheap and upgrade later, just get a RVM.

Tell me if I missed anything.

[Snazzy Flapper]

I'd recommend you shoot a few shorts without a 35mm adapter and let need dictate if you get one. If you find you can't tell the story without controlling the depth of field, then take measures to control it that work with your budget.

When it comes down to it, your first handful of shorts will flow smoother and be better told if you DON'T try to throw in DOF control.

[The Crowing]

You can not make anything that looks good indoors without ether alot of sunlight or good lighting. and it cant be just turning on every light in the house. It has to match the style of your film. I know this from experience. Unless it is well lit you will have nothing to work with while editing. You will ether have alot of gain or a very dark scene. So lighting is alot more important than a 35mm at this point.
Besides that a Tripod is equally as important. You cant go wrong with the Velbon DV-7000.

[Dr. T]

You can not make anything that looks good indoors without ether alot of sunlight or good lighting. and it cant be just turning on every light in the house. It has to match the style of your film. I know this from experience. Unless it is well lit you will have nothing to work with while editing. You will ether have alot of gain or a very dark scene. So lighting is alot more important than a 35mm at this point.
Besides that a Tripod is equally as important. You cant go wrong with the Velbon DV-7000.

Do you think the work lights the Seo mentioned would be sufficent?

Also don't worry about including editing software. I was provided Adobe Premier Pro by my high school and have been playing around with it for a few months now.

[The Crowing]

Work lights are great because they do what a light should do. They are bright, however they cant be controlled at all and they are very hot. So if you just need something lit up real well then sure, get a couple of those. There are some tutorials that show how to make barndoors for worklights, but its alot of DIY hassle. But for the cheapest method. get a worklight, then get a clamplight and look up how to make a softbox for it. then get a reflector or make one out of posterboard and tin foil. that way you will have a Key light (your worklight) a backlight (the clamplight with softbox) and your fill light will be your posterboard. you should have a pretty good 3 point light kit when you have all that.

[Erik Bien]

Hardware store worklights give a lot of bang for your buck: the ones with double-ended quartz halogen bulbs in the 500W-750W range are essentially equivalent to a redhead or Lowel Tota. Used 'direct,' they're pretty harsh: in most instances, I prefer to bounce them (off a white ceiling, a white bedsheet thrown on the floor, a sheet of white foamcore, etc.) rather than aim them directly at the talent. They also sling a lot of light everywhere, so a roll of blackwrap for 'field expedient' snoots/barndoors and more foamcore or duvetyn to flag the spill will be useful. Finally, their stands aren't very suitable for our purposes: tvmp adapters will allow you to use them on standard light stands, boom stands, scissor clamps: anything with a baby pin.

My own favorite low-budget alternative to a tungsten softbox is a china ball.

[Bill Strehl]

Greetings,
I plan to make as many 5-10 min short films as I can. Hopefully you can advise me on what to buy.

Do you own editing software? If not you may to need to add that to the budget.

I also suggest you look at used equipment if you can determine how well it has been cared for. You will make your money go further.

And books.... Since you haven't been to school yet, I am assuming you don't have a lot of knowledge based upon the wide open question you asked.

There are so many books out there but in addition to the DV Rebel Guide, check out some of the following:

Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know by Jennifer Van Sijll

Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter's Guide to Every Story Ever Told by Blake Snyder

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

Your Screenplay Sucks!: 100 Ways to Make It Great by William Akers

Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film & Television by Judith Weston

Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen by Steven Katz

Film School: How to Watch DVDs and Learn Everything About Filmmaking by Richard D. Pepperman

In the Blink of an Eye Revised 2nd Edition By Walter Murch

Making Movies by Sidney Lumet

Matters of Light and Depth from Lowell Lighting by Ross Lowell

On Directing Film by David Mamet

Producing Great Sound for Film and Video, Third Edition by Jay Rose

Set Lighting Technician's Handbook, Third Edition: Film Lighting Equipment, Practice, and Electrical Distribution by Harry Box

Setting Up Your Shots: Great Camera Moves Every Filmmaker Should Know by Jeremy Vineyard

Sound for Digital Video by Tomlinson Holman

The Five C's of Cinematography: Motion Picture Filming Techniques by Joseph V. Mascelli

The Grip Book, Third Edition by Michael Uva

The Power Filmmaking Kit: Make Your Professional Movie on a Next-to-Nothing Budget by Jason Tomaric

The Shut Up and Shoot Documentary Guide: A Down & Dirty DV Production by Anthony Q. Artis

Good luck!

[KingDucky]

Bill Strehl

Thanks for all those books.Is DV Rebel Guidel worth it if you don't have after affects?

Thanks

[elscottomagnifico]

As you said your first script is set almost entirely indoors, you will probably run into times where you'll want a wide angle lens.

Shallow DOF can be mimicked by backing the cam up and zooming in when you need it - and it's still a personal preference/aesthetic choice as to when to/how much to use shallow DOF. I'd suggest that you learn to work with the basic cam and gear first, before jumping into the 35mm adapter world.

However, when you run into cases where you can't back up enough to frame everything properly at the cams widest (which can happen quite often indoors), you might regret not having some sort of wide angle lens.

For the tripod, Velbon is very nice for the price.

The Rode Videomic will do just fine if you use it properly (shortest cable length extenders you can get away with, keeping it within a few feet of your actors and pointed at them, etc.)

For lights, the halogen worklights you can get at the hardware store are great for the price. You'll just want to either bounce them off a wall/diffuse them and if you feel like it, make some barn doors for them.

[Thousanium]

The DV Rebel's Guide focuses a lot on After Effects, so if you're not gonna use it, you probably shouldn't get it. The book is about getting high quality results with a low budget so it focuses on post production.

Look in your local libraries for film books, when I was an Art Student I read almost every film book in the Auckland central library and scoured all the 2nd hand book shops. A photocopier/scanner is your friend, I used to photocopy pages that I wanted to keep and I reread them so much I memorized them.

I don't know about you, but when I was a student I was dirt poor and had to find a way of getting my "film education" and I learned HOW to spend the little cash I had to get the most out of it as opposed to buying my way through.

That reminds me; add Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodriguez to your book list.

[Dr. T]

I'm finding this lighting part of the equation to be hardest thing to completely comprehend. I understand how the 3 point system works, I'm just having trouble picking out cheap lights. I'd like to get most everything from amazon and have been looking around the website.

1. Is this the type of worklight you guys are talking about?: http://tinyurl.com/yjt2xo7

2. Can someone please link everything I would need to buy to utilize one of the China balls as my soft light.

3. Can someone link to a "Small sealed beam halogen lamps"

4. Is this what is being referred to as a "scoop light": http://tinyurl.com/ylknhgg

5. Where online can I get some Tyvek foam board?

[TiE_Shepherd]

1. Yes. There are 2 fixture/1 versions as well. Personally I think the 1 light on a stand version, like you posted is a better choice.

2. Basically all you need is a china ball, a lamp cord kit, and a suitable bulb. In Erik's post above he links to another thread with info on them.

3. Are you just taking about the halogen bulbs from work lights?

4. Some people call them scoop lights, although I see them called clamp lights most of the time.

5. No clue where you could buy it online.