In the $1,000 and under range all cameras are pretty much the
same. A Sony is like a Sharp is like a Canon is like a Panasonic
is like Samsung. You can go to any Best Buy and pick up a camera
in that price range and you wont be able to tell the difference.
The current price range for a good starter camera with the
necessary features is closer to $1,500 with several a few hundred
under that.

There are two things that are VERY important when getting a
camera:

Manual controls for the iris, shutter, focus and white balance.
A microphone input.

There are the cameras Ive taken out for a test drive that come in
under $1,500.

JVC HM400
This is my favorite of the sub $1,200 cameras. The 1/2.3-inch CMOS
is really nice and it has a 1/8-inch mic jack. Unfortunately that
jack is in an awkward place. Like many recent cameras there is no
viewfinder but I also understand that most people just entering
the field dont really need one. It doesnt shoot in 24p which to
many is a deal breaker. Like most HDD cameras this records AVCDH
files which can be unwieldy to edit.

Canon HFS11 and HFS10
While this camera has nice manual controls for some reason there
is no independent control of aperture and shutter speed. It has a
1/8-inch mic jack and a nice lens. The single CMOS is quite large
at 1/2.6-inches. It shoots 60i, 24p and 30p.

Canon HG21
I like that this camera can capture to SDHC cards as well as the
HDD. It shoots in Canons 24p Cinema Mode as well as 30p. The
1/3.2 inch CMOS seemed to be very nice in the tests I did. The
joystick controls worked well and I adjusted to it quickly.

Panasonic HS300 and TM300
Excellent manual controls, but the touch screen system is awkward
- maybe really cool for beginners, but for more advanced users
this is a strange way to adjust controls. Both the mic input and
headphone jack are poorly placed. But over all an excellent
camera.

Sony XR520
I guess the touch screen is the new thing. I dont like it. On
this camera there are no direct control of aperture, shutter speed
or gain. I liked where the mic and headphone jack were placed.

=============================================
The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

quote:

---

Originally posted by d_paro

I'm looking to get started in film-making. I'm beginning from scratch, and was wondering if anyone had some tips for me. My first projects, I don't plan on being special. No film festivals or anything like that.

My first question is related to cameras. As a newbie filmmaker, what kind of camera should I be looking for in terms of trying to learn the fundamentals of camerawork? My budget is rather low, so I'm aware my options for quality, etc. are limited. Regardless, I'm open to any ideas.

---

Apart from swimming through the alphabet soup that currently describes video cameras these days, 🙂 you need to learn everything you can about the fundamentals of photography, lighting, and editing.

I highly recommend that you spend time learning the basics of photography with a STILL camera that enables you to manually adjust everything (shutter, aperture, film speed/ASA/ISO, focus, focal length). You need to fully understand how changing one thing affects others and your picture. You'll go from just pointing the camera to fully controlling the images that you shoot.

You'll also need to understand LIGHTING. All too often, the question that most aspiring Cameramen and Directors ask is "what camera should I buy?" Almost never do they also ask "what lighting equipment should I buy?" and that's a big mistake. Arguably, lighting is a larger part of the job than the camera is. Learning what lighting equipment to use and how to control the lights you turn on is vital to becoming a Cameraman and building a viable career.

There are many many photography and lighting books out there to help you with the basics. I also urge you to get out there and volunteer and/or get an internship with a working professional Cameraman. You can find them at or through local production companies and equipment rental houses. You'll be helping to carry cases and clean cases and just be around to help out with manual labor, but most established Cameramen will be more than happy and willing to bring you on and teach you throughout the days. You should do all the book learning on your own that you can so that you'll understand more of what you're watching your mentors do in real life situations. Since you're so young, you have time to find multiple people to shadow. Getting as much experience with as many people as possible will give you a better breadth of experience so that when you're out there on your own, you'll be able to draw on what you've experienced.

I also highly recommend that you invest time in EDITING. Shoot your own material and then edit it. Take the camera and gather a few people and just shoot without concern for lighting or anything else beyond putting shots together to tell a quick story. Then take those shots and cut them together. This is an exercise for you to concentrate on what types of shots you need and don't need and how better to shoot on set. Only when you sit down to edit will you see what works and what causes problems that you'd have to "cut around."

Many people in your situation also eventually ask "What's the best filmschool?" This assumes that you need a filmschool in the first place. I always recommend a higher education for everyone for all the benefits that education offers. But majoring in film and/or aiming for a film degree won't necessarily help you get a job or build a career. Depending upon the school and when you go, the potential benefits of taking film classes are that you might have access to equipment (camera, lighting, editing) that you can't afford at home...and you might meet other aspiring filmmakers who you will befriend and you'll all become wildly successful together. This business works almost exclusively on networking...who you know, who knows you and what you're capable of creating within time and budget. Getting out and meeting people in school or through internships/volunteering is crucial to you learning how to apply the fundamentals and to getting opportunities to shoot projects.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

Okay, I definitely agree with learning about all the aspects, editing, lighting, etc. I'm taking notes so thanks for the tips. A couple more questions though. I have a short script that's nearing completion, and would like to get shooting very soon. What with tax season coming up, I'll have a little money to throw around to buy some equipment, but nowhere near the $1,000+ range.

First question is: in order to just simply get started, would it be good to just pick up your average digital camcorder for cheap, or would that be doing more harm when it comes to learning camerawork? Like I mentioned initially, my budget is tight. Somewhere in the range between low and nonexistent. I'm not too picky about quality and professionalism at this point, just want to begin everything, and worry about better equipment down the road a ways.

And second, when it comes to editing and post production, what kind of programs should I be looking for, and what king of format should I shoot in to make editing the easiest?

quote:

---

Originally posted by d_paro

Okay, I definitely agree with learning about all the aspects, editing, lighting, etc. I'm taking notes so thanks for the tips. A couple more questions though. I have a short script that's nearing completion, and would like to get shooting very soon. What with tax season coming up, I'll have a little money to throw around to buy some equipment, but nowhere near the $1,000+ range.

First question is: in order to just simply get started, would it be good to just pick up your average digital camcorder for cheap, or would that be doing more harm when it comes to learning camerawork? Like I mentioned initially, my budget is tight. Somewhere in the range between low and nonexistent. I'm not too picky about quality and professionalism at this point, just want to begin everything, and worry about better equipment down the road a ways.

And second, when it comes to editing and post production, what kind of programs should I be looking for, and what king of format should I shoot in to make editing the easiest?

---

You're not likely to be able to learn how to truly do great camerawork on a camera that costs less than $1,000. Cameras in that budget tend to either perform most functions on their own (automatic mode) or they make it very difficult to make manual adjustments. The point of most consumer cameras is to make them "idiot proof" and that strategy keeps most basic functions for "filmmakers" out of our control.

So, at this stage, I would suggest that you think seriously about what your true interest/focus is. Do you want to be a Director or a Cameraman? If you want to be a Cameraman, then you need to be learning about basic photography (as mentioned above) and spending time with experienced Cameramen who will teach you how to light and shoot with professional level equipment that really lets you control the image.

If you want to be a Director, then don't worry about the camera too much at this point in your life/career. ANY camera will do at this stage because your short movies will be exercises for you to learn how to put a story together and will be less about making them look great. This isn't to say that you can't get great looking shots out of a consumer camcorder, but most beginners don't yet have the skills and experience to make it happen to their satisfaction.

So I'd suggest that you BORROW the best camcorder you can find from friends and/or family on those days that you need one. The odds are that they're not using their every day and will be more than willing to let you use theirs, particularly when you tell them that you want to make "a movie." For some reason, people love hearing that and get excited knowing that they can be a part of it somehow. ?8D?

For aspiring Directors, concentrate more of your time on WRITING. Without a great script, it doesn't really matter how wonderful your pictures are. As part of the pre-production process, you'll also have to plan the logistics (that's the "Producing" role) of getting all the elements arranged, from Actors to wardrobe, props, locations, camera and lighting equipment, bathrooms, food, water, etc. Also plan your shots with storyboards or just a shot-list so you're not just making it up as you go when everyone else is there waiting for you to direct.

Then, when you're actually shooting, you'll be concentrating on finding the correct angles to shoot from and keeping screen direction and continuity correct. And of course, you'll want to keep an eye on the acting, though again, on this level, you won't expect to have great Actors, and that's okay. Later on, after you've got a bunch of projects under your belt, you'll naturally want to make everything better, so you'll look for more experienced Actors from the local community theater or universities.

Then once you have all of your shots, you edit it all together. There are a myriad of low-cost home editing programs to choose from, a few better than most. Many people I know use the MAC program, iMovie, or the more professional software, Final Cut Pro. At home I use Sony Vegas software which is inexpensive and more than adequate for cutting together basic "movies."

Just keep it all simple and inexpensive right now until you get very comfortable with the basics. When you get that itch to make it all much better, you'll want to concentrate even more ONLY on Directing, so you might find a friend who is a better Writer who can help make your scripts better. You might find a professional Cameraman who has equipment to help you make your movies. You'll look for better Actors at Universities or local communities theaters.

And you'll find that as your scripts and "talent" (on and off screen) get better, you'll actually be able to attract "favors" and financing from people who see YOU as being a worthwhile "financial risk" and you'll gain the budgets it takes to make movies with better resources.

The real key is to not try to be that "filmmaker" who can "do it all." Very few people can, and if they do, they're not very good at it. Figure out what YOUR main interest is and then concentrate on THAT...then find others around you who are interested in doing those other jobs. They ARE out there just looking for someone like you to give them something to do.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the best thing that young filmmakers should do is to get hold of a camera and some film and make a movie of any kind at all.
Kubrick

Im a great believer in just picking up a camera and making
movies. Especially for a director. It will be essential at some
point to collaborate with a dedicated director of photography, but
thats not always the best case scenario when youre just starting
out. You have the same attitude as I did, d_paro; get what you can
afford now, shoot and shoot and build your skills. If this is what
you really want to do, better equipment and more people are down
the path waiting.

In you budget range any camera you pick up will be essentially the
same. There really is no difference between a Sony, a Sharp, a
Canon, a Panasonic, a Samsung of even the Flip. All brands will
give you the same features; fully automatic shutter, exposure and
focus and will not allow you to attach a microphone so you will
have to use the on camera mic.

Brian covered your editing and post production. I second the use
of iMovie (the best free program out there), but if you arent
using a Mac Ive heard great things about Sony Vegas. If you cant
afford that, then you can learn the basics using Windows Movie
Maker. I understand its not the best and has its limits, but
using that program is MUCH better than not making movies while you
wait for better software.

So, the choices are:

1. Get a part-time / full-time / additional job, start saving money and wait until you have enough for a decent camera with manual controls, good editing software, some basic lights, etc; or

2. Spend whatever you can scrape together right now for the best cheap camcorder you can afford (even $400 could get you a used HD used camcorder, such as HV-30) and start filming now.

There are tons of things to learn in film making business. One can go to film school and learn all of it in very short time, practicing in conditions quite similar to real, professional film making. When one cannot afford a real film school, one can buy a camcorder, get some friends, write a script and start shooting something. Ultimately, the process of producing a movie will essentially require same steps, even if it is shot with a camcorder. Therefore, a lot is learned along the way. YouTube (and Vimeo) are full of amateur movies shot on weekends by bunch of friends using consumer camcorders. Many of these aren't worth much, but there is no doubt, they provided very valuable experience to those who created them.

As you shoot your movie(s) with your friends and your camcorder, you'll quickly begin to realise how your images would improve if you had better lights, and how your dialog would be more clear if you had additional microphones, and how the details in your images would have been easier to capture, if you could manually compensate for some backlighting, etc.

The point is, you can either wait, or you can start now. If you already have a script, I'm sure that script is itching to be produced, so go ahead and produce it! Nothing wrong can happen as a consequence. If that script becomes a film you end up hating, all you have to do is figure out what went wrong and avoid same mistakes next time. You could even do the same script again, if you think you could do much better job! Buy whatever you can afford, gather some friends and shoot!

Also, if you really cannot afford ANYTHING beyond that camcorder (no film school, not even a SINGLE book), you can always look online for learning:

http://www.4filmmaking.com/
http://www.myflik.com/FilmSchool.html

The more you know about filmmaking process before you start shooting with your friends, the easier will it be to do that first film.

Another thing, if you can't afford anything beyond the camera you might want to find someone with audio gear (in a band or something) and team up with them.

RJSchwarz

quote:

---

Originally posted by bjdzyak

quote:

---

Originally posted by d_paro

Okay, I definitely agree with learning about all the aspects, editing, lighting, etc. I'm taking notes so thanks for the tips. A couple more questions though. I have a short script that's nearing completion, and would like to get shooting very soon. What with tax season coming up, I'll have a little money to throw around to buy some equipment, but nowhere near the $1,000+ range.

First question is: in order to just simply get started, would it be good to just pick up your average digital camcorder for cheap, or would that be doing more harm when it comes to learning camerawork? Like I mentioned initially, my budget is tight. Somewhere in the range between low and nonexistent. I'm not too picky about quality and professionalism at this point, just want to begin everything, and worry about better equipment down the road a ways.

And second, when it comes to editing and post production, what kind of programs should I be looking for, and what king of format should I shoot in to make editing the easiest?

---

You're not likely to be able to learn how to truly do great camerawork on a camera that costs less than $1,000. Cameras in that budget tend to either perform most functions on their own (automatic mode) or they make it very difficult to make manual adjustments. The point of most consumer cameras is to make them "idiot proof" and that strategy keeps most basic functions for "filmmakers" out of our control.

So, at this stage, I would suggest that you think seriously about what your true interest/focus is. Do you want to be a Director or a Cameraman? If you want to be a Cameraman, then you need to be learning about basic photography (as mentioned above) and spending time with experienced Cameramen who will teach you how to light and shoot with professional level equipment that really lets you control the image.

If you want to be a Director, then don't worry about the camera too much at this point in your life/career. ANY camera will do at this stage because your short movies will be exercises for you to learn how to put a story together and will be less about making them look great. This isn't to say that you can't get great looking shots out of a consumer camcorder, but most beginners don't yet have the skills and experience to make it happen to their satisfaction.

So I'd suggest that you BORROW the best camcorder you can find from friends and/or family on those days that you need one. The odds are that they're not using their every day and will be more than willing to let you use theirs, particularly when you tell them that you want to make "a movie." For some reason, people love hearing that and get excited knowing that they can be a part of it somehow. ?8D?

For aspiring Directors, concentrate more of your time on WRITING. Without a great script, it doesn't really matter how wonderful your pictures are. As part of the pre-production process, you'll also have to plan the logistics (that's the "Producing" role) of getting all the elements arranged, from Actors to wardrobe, props, locations, camera and lighting equipment, bathrooms, food, water, etc. Also plan your shots with storyboards or just a shot-list so you're not just making it up as you go when everyone else is there waiting for you to direct.

Then, when you're actually shooting, you'll be concentrating on finding the correct angles to shoot from and keeping screen direction and continuity correct. And of course, you'll want to keep an eye on the acting, though again, on this level, you won't expect to have great Actors, and that's okay. Later on, after you've got a bunch of projects under your belt, you'll naturally want to make everything better, so you'll look for more experienced Actors from the local community theater or universities.

Then once you have all of your shots, you edit it all together. There are a myriad of low-cost home editing programs to choose from, a few better than most. Many people I know use the MAC program, iMovie, or the more professional software, Final Cut Pro. At home I use Sony Vegas software which is inexpensive and more than adequate for cutting together basic "movies."

Just keep it all simple and inexpensive right now until you get very comfortable with the basics. When you get that itch to make it all much better, you'll want to concentrate even more ONLY on Directing, so you might find a friend who is a better Writer who can help make your scripts better. You might find a professional Cameraman who has equipment to help you make your movies. You'll look for better Actors at Universities or local communities theaters.

And you'll find that as your scripts and "talent" (on and off screen) get better, you'll actually be able to attract "favors" and financing from people who see YOU as being a worthwhile "financial risk" and you'll gain the budgets it takes to make movies with better resources.

The real key is to not try to be that "filmmaker" who can "do it all." Very few people can, and if they do, they're not very good at it. Figure out what YOUR main interest is and then concentrate on THAT...then find others around you who are interested in doing those other jobs. They ARE out there just looking for someone like you to give them something to do.

Brian Dzyak
Cameraman/Author
IATSE Local 600, SOC
http://www.whatireallywanttodo.com
http://www.realfilmcareer.com

---

Wow, I definitely learned a lot from this post. I am kind of in the same boat as d_paro, because I am new to filmmaking too and don't know where to start. I have some story ideas that I have written, but I wasn't sure if I should go ahead and buy all this fancy equipment for it, but I think I will definitely take all your advice and learn as much as I can before spending loads of money on equipment that I do not yet understand how to work. Thank you for the advice, even though it was for d_paro.

?MissChance

Very interesting read all this. My camcorder is pretty basic, a lot of it is automatic (the white balance too I have found...), but I expect my frist film to look pretty rubbish to be honest even though I have plenty of time and will do the best job possible.
It's very true about people getting excited about being part of it, even just loaning you a camera. When I started my project it was just me, now I have a partner in it and an actor. He says he can act anyway! It's taking a long time to get everything right, but it's great fun.
If this little film goes well, then I will start looking at saving for a better camera.