Hi all!
I'm looking to buy my first camera for the purpose of bringing my short film scripts to life. Looking for any tips on what people like using and what you guys recommend. I understand the majority of the time good films are about how you work with the camera you've got, rather than the camera itself, but I'm sure it can't hurt to start off on the right foot! Money isn't really an issue, however I don't want to be spending thousands on something I could have done with a cheaper camera.
Thank you in advance for any tips!
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Lots of cheap REDs on eBay. Good starter packages. Even cheaper are Blackmagic Design to shoot RAW. Also available are good Sony FS700 with RAW recorders. Sony A7R II and Canon 5D Mark IV are running $3000 new, without lenses. Sure you can shoot 4K but you need audio package. DSLRs also heat up shooting 4K. The REDs, Blackmagics, and FS700s have heat sinks designed to shoot long hours, have decent audio inputs, minimal color shift and less digital noise from hot sensors. More bang for your buck on a shoe string budget when they are fully kitted out with rigs and 15mm/19mm rods, even high capacity SSDs thrown in for free. Finished with your shorts? Sell it and get some cash back. Consider the purchase a tiny investment into your career and not a waste of money. Many will tell you otherwise. Just be business saavy with what you got.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Red-One-MX-Mysterium-X-PL-Mount-Camera-Package-F...
Sony fs7 is a good camera to own for personal projects. Most shoots use an Arri or Red package but unless you have a solid reel already and or a good connection to keep a camera like that renting all the time, it may not be worth the investment right now. Stick with something under $10k. Imo the FS7 is alone in that market. The new Canon C200 may be a worthy competitor.
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Waste of money to buy a camera. Rent or hire a cinematographer with a package of camera, lenses, grip & lights.
If money is not an issue, rent an Arri Alexa and your talent pool of cinematographers jumps as well.
Good luck!
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In "Elevator Pitch" we rented an ARRI Alexa, in "Squeeze" we will rent/use a Sony FS700. It all depends on your budget.
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And if you decide to hire a cinematographer with camera-lens-lighting package, be sure to hire a competent sound recordist. Why go halfsies when you can go "all in?" Be sure to buy GL insurance for your student shorts when hiring contractors. Whether or not it is your fault or the cinematographer's fault if he drops a light stand into actors, you have all these techies to consider when you may not be able to afford competent operators on a student's budget. I can recommend an insurance broker for under $4K to cover all your needs.
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Great tips from @Larry. Also if you get your own camera ....over a period of time and learning you will eventually master the craft. Mistakes on the journey yes, but they are your mistakes to own. In the meantime hire operating crew for anything you haven't learned yet.
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Thank you @Debbie. Twice in my life, I was almost killed by grip equipment. And the techs were friends I trust my life with. No amount of GL insurance would have brought me back. The first was at the beach at Coney Island when a freak gust sent a C-stand straight for my forehead while I was setting up an ARRi 16mm camera. The second time was when we were interviewing a billionaire in Downtown Vegas and an 8x8 scrim flattened me in the parking lot. I sustained no serious injuries. Make friends with the nerdiest camera geek in your Film Studies class. Allow him/her to operate your camera. You will learn together and make a lifelong friend. Life is much too short to make enemies.
Thank you all for your tips! Very much appreciated!
hi, my keen advise is get a Dslr, even a T4I(Canon 650D) old gear can serve. Depending on your area of interest, if directing collaborate with a classmate cinematography good head, two good heads with a came in hand can begin projects unthinkable. so learn the basics by start on the level ground to build a working spirit and understand how to grow with fundamentals. once you get your cam, just shoot it- invite friends, cousins, neighbours - it gives you a sense of starting great as your first critics are right beside you. bless up. cheers
Taylor - from your photo and profile, I assume you are a fairly recent graduate (i.e. no practical experience yet). Your BS in Paramedics will certainly aid you economically in your filmmaking desire - to your benefit for sure. The operative phrase is "no practical experience yet". I advise you to start with your short using a full frame DSLR (CANNON T2 in the US - I don't know what it's called in Australia) just to get the feel of putting your script up on a screen. It's a tremendous learning curve. If filmmaking is really what you want to do, then you can move up to more advanced cameras and equipment - if it turns out to be not what you really want to do - it's no major expense.
Take a look at my short - Fox Spirit - on my profile. It was made with an absolute $0 budget by a student using a CANNON T2. It's just a simple example of a $0 cost film. All the best wishes.