Comments on: The FIRST piece of gear you must get after the basics.

By: nelsonsmith

nelsonsmith — Fri, 23 Jan 2015 15:36:00 +0000

No one ever says start investing in a good assortment of flags, scrims and screens, but I find myself constantly having to control light and not having enough items to effectively get the job done. Plain and simply if you’re working with a minimum crew (or no crew) you need C-stands and flags.

By: IndieP

IndieP — Wed, 14 Jan 2015 16:52:00 +0000

As a “do-it-your-selfer”
on a tight budget, I considered for some time and pondered over this very
question, and came to the same conclusion, that a slider would be the most important
piece of equipment to purchase after the basics. However, I do not group audio
in the same category as “basics”, as it is such an important group of equipment,
that it must be placed in a separate category as being of such importantance as
the camera itself i.e. (If you don’t have a camera, you can’t shoot, and if you
don’t have good audio, it’s not worth shooting).

I just recently viewed the yearly address by
the Queen of England and as you may imagine it was just a frontal shot with no
other angles of view and no tuning of her head to the side etc. The only piece
of equipment they used to make an otherwise static piece of footage interesting
were some slider shots.

Oh, and for those of you who fly, try
stuffing a jib, dolly or crane into your carry-on, LOL. Hope this helps
someone. And for those that may be interested, after a lot of research I
purchased the Shark Slider Bundle by iFootage.

By: Vico Ughetto

Vico Ughetto — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 21:21:00 +0000

Totally agree. It was my first extra. I’ve already had made a DIY dolly track, to use with a 10Kg ENG cam. But when light pro cams arrived (and after DSLRs too) I converted to use a slider. First I bought a big – 1,5 m – then I changed to a smaller 70cm and it’s always on my tripod. I almost don’t use a standard pan and tilt anymore. Even when panning I normally track also. Probably I use it too much? I think that’s the problem with sliders you get addicted. Right now I always add movement, still shots look like stills as in photos. Unless there’s scene movement and add movement myself. Yes it’s artificial, yes maybe unnecessary, but I liked the result and in most motion pictures you get always a slight movement in all shots (even establishing ones). And I personally think the steady is dead. First I make a clear division that I don’t see anybody doing. Steady cam for me is the all package. Articulated arm, vest, monitor, and steady, The glidecams and company I call them handheld steadies, more cheap, only one piece, more easy to learn the basis and fast to use by the same operator/videographer specially if you use 2 cams. You only need to balance it (the most difficult part) and grab and go as you want. I personally say the handheld steadies are dead because right now I would buy a 3 axis gimbal instead. For me that’s the second piece I’ll buy. There are pro options with low prices right now (1500 Euros) and you get a freedom of movements that you can get with a steady (handheld or not). So for me good by steady… Like it was good by dolly… and hello slider and 3 axis gimbal (guys we need a sexy name for this…).

By: Aviv Vana

Aviv Vana — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 17:02:00 +0000

I haven’t tried one of those, as it needs a smooth surface to work. But they seem like a great tool to get some quick awesome movement in the right situation. And they are so small that having one along for the ride seems like a smart idea. No to mention cheap!

By: Aviv Vana

Aviv Vana — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 17:01:00 +0000

Love it Caine. That’s the way to roll. You can knock off so much quality stuff in a short time. A one day shoot can yeild all your interviews and b-roll quickly.

By: Aviv Vana

Aviv Vana — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:59:00 +0000

Exactly Antony! Good tripod and monopod should definitely be first IMO. I consider those in the “after the basics” category. Assuming you have that … slider 🙂

By: Aviv Vana

Aviv Vana — Sat, 18 Oct 2014 16:54:00 +0000

“to improve VISUAL production value” 😉 Otherwise I agree. Quality sound is key. And not just mics, but sound design(!)… i.e. foley, sound effects, soundtrack etc.

By: stayhigh_247

stayhigh_247 — Fri, 17 Oct 2014 23:03:00 +0000

I do agree that having a slider is a must but I think the most important piece of gear to buy after camera, lens, tripod is quality audio gear. You need good mic’s shotgun(s) and lav. A good recorder if you are going the dslr/mft route. After that it then depends on what you shoot, what kind of work are you doing, that determines the next piece to buy. I have bought many pieces of gear over the years that I thought I really needed and they end up collecting dust. But good glass, a solid tripod and quality sound gear are a must for every shoot. I didn’t mention the camera because they come and go and I choose cameras based on what the job is. Which doesn’t have to mean expensive cameras either.