Newbie videographer looking for pointers

As title states, I'm a newb when it comes to video. The only time that the video was fired up on my 7D is when my friend played with it coz she's a film major.

Anyways, long story short, me and my friends are thinking about collaborating to make a short film intended to garner interest. Im pulling all my resources and friends to make this work. I've only had 5 hours off sleep for the last month reading books, online tutorials, basically doing research. But if you guys have any tips to make this even a tad bit easier, it would help out a ton! One of my friends will do the musical score. I'm helping out with the script.

Now, I have CS5 MC. Is there any other editing software that I need? Would having Vegas platinum be any different?

I just bought a 60D as a back up body for my photography, but since it also does video, it will be used as a second cam for this project for a different pov of the same scene. I know the AGC is bad on the 7D, so I will have to do the trick to disable the AGC via sine tone from an mp3. Magic lantern is still not fully operational on the 60D so most likely going to do the same trick for it. I will be the camera guy as well as director of this short film. The 60D will be handled by my friend which is the film major.

So, another question. Which external mic is going to be better, keeping in mind that I have limited budget, rode videomic ($150) or azden smx10 ($70). I've thought about the zoom h4n and just sync in post production, but that will add more steps into the work flow. But if you can justify that I would be a better solution, I'm all ears as to why the zoom h4n would be better. Also keep in mind that if I do go the h4n route, I'm gotta need an extra body to navigate the mic, either just pointing at the actors or on a boom pole.

If I remember anything else, I will ask. But if anyone has any tips for a newb undertakingthis big, at least it's big for me, project. Any tips on equipment, software, handling, etc. Would be greatly appreciated!

When I say limited budget, means what I have now is a pool of all the budget for the film. I don't have a different budget for equipment, props, costumes and such. Everything is the same. So as much I don't want to cut cost I have to to make this work.

When you think you've shot enough footage, shoot more. And then shoot even more. Nothing is harder in post than trying to cut something together that was shot at a 1:1 ratio of needed footage to shot footage.

Always, always, always record a minute or more of room tone or wild sound at every location. This background "noise" can work wonders at filling in dialog gaps and help overcome issues related to spikes caused by AGC.

Be sure to have your second camera try to stay wide as often as possible in order to cover your behind in case the A Unit goes t*ts up on you. Honestly, since your friend has production experience, I'd put him/her on your A Camera and you babysit the B Camera where moves, focus pulling, etc isn't nearly as critical. That way you can watch your actors more closely.

Whenever possible, get the actual opposing actor to feed lines to your on camera actor instead of just having a non-actor do it. Everything I've ever read says you'll get a more genuine performance when working actor to actor.

In the BTS piece on the making of Avatar, James Cameron does a little bit where he says that "Movies are made here..." and he gestures between his chin and his forehead. IOW, closeups, closeups, closeups. The performance is as much in the eyes as it is in the script.

Log and Document every piece of footage as best you can when it is shot. You'll thank yourself later... Treat each CF or SD card as if it were a magazine of film.

I'm sure others will weigh in but that's some of my wisdom from 25 years in the broadcast industry.

Best of luck with your project.

Thanks jay! I'll remember that well. And thanks for the great analogy of memory cards are the mags of cameras. That will work well with me. Not that I neglect my cards, but now, I'll keep more of keen set of eyes on them.

Panda_stunter wrote in post #12257899
Now, I have CS5 MC. Is there any other editing software that I need? Would having Vegas platinum be any different?

as long as that came with Premiere, you're good. If that also came with After Effects, then even better.

First, syncing audio takes all of 5 seconds. Second, the quality of the audio using an external recorder, combined with the reduced hassle of fussing with sync cables and things like that, means using an external recorder will reduce some stress at the time of shooting. What you'll want to do is let the on-cam mics record audio to the video. This audio track will be a "scratch" or deleted track. In your editor, you'll use that scratch track for aligning your good track(s). In Premiere, you can look visually at the waveform of the track for lining them up. (watch this.)
As for a recommended setup, see if there are A/V rental companies around you that will rent you a recorder, mic, windscreen, headphones and boom for a day. Find a friend interested in audio. It'll cost about what buying just the recorder costs.

Start by deciding exactly what you want your movie to look like. You don't have to go full on storyboarding, but your thoughts beforehand need to be as in-depth as if you were. When you know what you want your final product to look like exactly, then you can generate a list of the shots that need to take place. For example, Scene 1, Shot 1: wide shot panning around the room. Scene 1, Shot 2: medium close on actor A saying first lines. Etc. This will help you in three ways: it gives you a checklist for while filming to make sure you got everything, it allows you to label your files based on their scene/shot/take making post easier, and if you're using a clap board it keeps your info consistent.

Thanks David! I'm gonna look if there's a place where I can rent the audio gear.

As for storyboard, I actually started on it already! Haha!

Now, pardon me as to I'm still not well-versed, what exactly is a clapboard? That's the thingamajig that the guy/girl do before every scene right? I'm talking about the guy that says, "Scene one, shot one, take one." then the thing "claps", right?

Actually, now that I think about it, that thing helps in syncing audio if I'm going to do external recorder.

That makes better sense than 2 shotgun mics. Now, I just have to find a friend that's interested in audio! Haha!

Here's a little tip with using a Clapboard...

Use it right side up before the start of a take and then use it upside down after you reach "Cut"

End-slating your scenes can be handy in post so you know when you're at the end of a take.

Panda_stunter wrote in post #12259909
Now, pardon me as to I'm still not well-versed, what exactly is a clapboard? That's the thingamajig that the guy/girl do before every scene right? I'm talking about the guy that says, "Scene one, shot one, take one." then the thing "claps", right?

yeah.

Good luck If nothing else, you can try craigslist in your area. There's a job posting for "film/tv" where audio people often look.

Best advice I can give is look for a local PVA (Professional Videographers Association) in your area. I have gained so much from joining ours.

Sounds like you are on the right track for audio. Are you set for stabilizers and lenses too? If you are, that means it's time to start shooting! Practice, practice, practice.

Videochicke, thanks for the tip! Just curiosity, on top of your head, do u remember how much to become a member of PVA? That would be a great connection to have, I might need more hands to help out in the production area. As of right now, I need a boom person! also, being a member of such group would be a great asset to have to network.

Christina, by stabilizers you mean glide cam?

Unfortunately, as much as I want to get a glide cam, I do and I don't have the budget for it. I do coz my budget covers a new glide cam, and i dont coz if I do get one, it will cut my budget significantly for other things.

As for lenses, I have canon 28 1.8, canon 85 1.4, sigma 50 1.4, 24-70L, and 70-200 2.8 m2. Any other lenses that I should consider?

As for light, I have continuous lights. But they are hot lights like work lights and floodlights. Should I invest into cool lighting? Such as LED boards? Making LED light board is easy enough, but it's time consuming coz I'm most likely going to make a board that at least have 100 LEDs to brighten up one side of the scene. I have Christmas tree grid lights to lighten up the indside of a car to illuminate the actor(s) inside the car. What would you guys/girls suggest for more lighting?

Another thing David, I do have premiere pro and after effects.

Question about premiere pro, I was playing around it for a sec to familiarize what I learned from online tutorials but haven't seen one for this, well, at least what they do is lower the on-cam audio and gain on the external. External recorder audio overlaying the on-camera audio, is there a way to delete the on-cam audio and just use the external audio? Or I just have to "hide" that after syncing the external audio to the on-cam audio?

As for stick, I have a tripod and I'm thinking of getting a shoulder rig for flexibiliy of angles. On tripod, I could put wheels on it so it can at least move rather than just being static. Is this recommended? Or just get a monopod stick with three point leg and then put that on wheels? Which is a better option?

As far as a stabilizer, I just mean something to hold your camera steady. I would definitely get a monopod if you don't have one.

So much depends on what you're shooting and your individual needs.

As far as the lights, I'd think hot lights are fine unless you will need to set up and break down really quickly. It's hard to break your lights down fast if they're burning you!

Panda_stunter wrote in post #12261288
Another thing David, I do have premiere pro and after effects.

Question about premiere pro, I was playing around it for a sec to familiarize what I learned from online tutorials but haven't seen one for this, well, at least what they do is lower the on-cam audio and gain on the external. External recorder audio overlaying the on-camera audio, is there a way to delete the on-cam audio and just use the external audio? Or I just have to "hide" that after syncing the external audio to the on-cam audio?

As for stick, I have a tripod and I'm thinking of getting a shoulder rig for flexibiliy of angles. On tripod, I could put wheels on it so it can at least move rather than just being static. Is this recommended? Or just get a monopod stick with three point leg and then put that on wheels? Which is a better option?

By default the camera's video track and audio track are "linked." Right click, hit Unlink or whatever, then deselect the tracks. Then, you can select just the on-cam audio track, and hit delete. It will remove the audio track but not the video. (Do this after syncing, obviously.) See: http://www.youtube.com​/watch?v=bPo_fMQsfLI


As far as putting your tripod on something rolling, it depends mostly on the wheels and the surface they'll be rolling on (and if it makes any noise). Using a push cart with good quality, quiet wheels on an indoor surface (hard or soft) will probably suffice; going outside, probably not so much. That said, there was a video posted here a couple weeks ago where the kid put his camera on an office chair to roll around his school -- that came out ok.

Personally, I hate monopods for video because they don't help prevent forward/back, nor left/right tilt, nor left/right pivot motions. Your camera can move in 6 different ways; pivoting around an axis, or sliding along an axis. All monopods do is keep the camera from moving exactly up and exactly down, IE sliding along the vertical axis. Hand shaking is a combination of all of the above so the monopod really only reduces 1 of 6 possible motions, which isn't very good and IMO certainly not a replacement for a 6 of 6 tripod.

Thanks for the clarification Christina!

David, I asked about deleting the on-cam audio for the final production. As far as working production, it will just generally be hidden just in case syncing is screwed up.

As for stabilization, I'm thinking of monopod coz I can just put a counterweight on the bottom and make a gimbal heading 2/3 of the monopod for a make shift glidecam and put 3 rollerball (one that spins on its axis like a ball bearing design) on the bottom of the weight.

As for tripod, I could do the same thing rollerballs on the legs so it could also be a slider.

[QUOTE=Panda_stunter;1​2261230]Videochicke, thanks for the tip! Just curiosity, on top of your head, do u remember how much to become a member of PVA? That would be a great connection to have, I might need more hands to help out in the production area. As of right now, I need a boom person! also, being a member of such group would be a great asset to have to network.

What state are you in?