/vid/ sticky – 2017 edition

Cheap beginner cameras:

http://learnaboutfilm.com/making-a-film/equipment-for-low-budget-
filmmaking/filmmakingcamera/

The best DSLRs available at the moment:

http://www.techradar.com/news/photography-video-capture/cameras/best-dslr-top-
cameras-by-price-and-brand-944543

In general, we tend to advocate DSLRs and mirrorless cameras due to their large
sensor sizes, interchangeable lenses and relatively cheap prices.
DSLRs have historically been used on the set of several feature films, often as B-
cameras, including the Avengers and Black Swan.

What gear do I need?:

http://learnaboutfilm.com/making-a-film/equipment-for-low-budget-filmmaking/
Start with a tripod and a microphone.
After that, there’s all kinds of fun things to invest in, from external sound-
recorders(the pre-amp in most cameras is kind of shit) to glidecams for
stabilisation. And don’t forget lenses, they aren’t cheap. You won’t know what you
need until you start filming shit and seeing what you can’t do that you want to do.
(Also, I seriously recommend ND filters for your lenses if you plan on shooting
outdoors during the day. They’re relatively cheap.)
In general, better sound quality goes a very long way.

What editing software should I use?

This is up to you, based on what you can find/afford.
Industry standard is Avid Media Pro, but it’s on its way out.
Adobe Premiere Pro is extremely powerful and relatively easy to use. But a license
is very pricey.
Final Cut Pro is the preferred program for MAC users and renders videos stupidly
fast.
Sony Vegas gets good results.
DaVinci Resolve 12 is free (as of last time I checked) and is also the best colour-
correcting program available.

What is colour-correction/colour-grading?
http://www.redsharknews.com/post/item/3294-beginner-s-intro-to-colour-correction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzQmpHAln6g

When you shoot footage, it often won’t look how you want it to for a number of
reasons. If you’re shooting on a bad consumer camera without paying attention to
the picture profile, you’ll want to correct things like contrast and saturation.
If you’re shooting on a flat picture profile (which is advised to maximise the
amount of available dynamic range), or shooting RAW (unlikely unless you’re a
professional cinematographer or bought a Blackmagic pocket cinema camera) then
colour-correction is needed to properly align the colours with what you saw when
you were shooting. Colour-grading, on the other hand, is there to make the picture
pop in a way that you specifically want.
One way to look at it might be to see correction as a science whereas grading is an
art.

Anything else I need to know?

Loads. But that’s why film-school exists and why cinematographers/directors/grips
aren’t born overnight.
Standard is to shoot at 24 frames-per-second in the US and 25 fps in the UK. For
both, you want your shutter speed to be 1/50 of a second. This is called having a
180 degree shutter-angle. There’s an equation for figuring out what the shutter
angle, it’s pretty simple though. Google it.
Using ridiculously shallow-depth-of-field for every shot is the calling sign of an
amateur filmmaker using a DSLR.

Here’s some helpful vids/articles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njeCxUspmHk
http://nofilmschool.com/2015/03/15-common-mistakes-amateur-filmmakers-make-fix
http://nofilmschool.com/2016/12/8-things-new-filmmakers-should-learn-making-their-
first-film
http://nofilmschool.com/2012/05/dslr-beginners-guide-exposure-diffraction
http://www.redsharknews.com/post/item/2966-the-beginners-guide-to-luts
(LUTs are for colour-correction of RAW footage)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. I only have x amount of money, what camera should I buy?
A. Buy a used canon t3i/600d. If you can't afford that, use your phone.

Q. I have no budget, what camera should I buy for this professional job I'm doing?
A. A Red Helium 8k

Q. Okay, what's the best camera that is affordable?

A. Define "affordable"

Q. Do I really need a larger sensor? My mate uses a camcorder and he says it's good
and I trust him
A. Then why are you coming here? Get him to buy all your shit if he's so smart

Q. My friend says 4k is more important than good audio. Is he right?

A. See above

Q. Is 4k a meme?
A. No, it's a resolution. It has a much larger file-size and requires more powerful
processing. Clients like it cause it sounds nice. It gives you more breating-room
in post. But consider that most theatrical masters are only just becoming 4k
standard. For the last decade, most digital films were mastered in 2k. Whatever you
make isn't a hollywood blockbuster being shown in a movie theatre.

Q. Should I buy a Sony?

A. Maybe

Q. What's the best lens?

A. No such thing. Buy the lens that does what you need it to.