Ep. 51 Getting to know your film production equipment

If you're planning on whipping up a documentary soon, hopefully, the next bit you read won’t rock your world too much: you need to know how to use your equipment!

Your camera is your best friend. If it wasn’t for your camera - the likelihood of your film coming to fruition, is pretty slim. But like any friendship, you’ve got to nurture it. That means, getting to know it as deeply as you can. 

Knowing your tech simply means less obstacles and more creative possibilities. Which is exactly why pre-production is the perfect phase to try and learn what every button on that camera does. 

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome back, filmmakers. I can't believe we're up to episode 51 already and deep diving still into pre-production of your documentary. So are you ready to pull out the camera? Well, if you're planning on whooping up a documentary soon, hopefully what I'm about to say will not rock your world too much. You need to know how to use your equipment. I know, right? Palm slap to the head. It sounds so obvious because your camera is going to become your best friend. If it wasn't for your camera, the likelihood of your film coming to fruition is, well, let's get real. How can you make a film without a camera of some sort? It's pretty slim, I would say. So your camera will likely be like any friendship. You've got to nurture it. And that means you've got to get to know it as deeply as you can. I once hired a cinematographer for an overseas shoot, and we were off to America, and as soon as we landed, he built the camera and proceeded to hold it in his arms for the duration of the trip. It became his baby. He would not put it down, he would not let it leave his sight. Now, this is very dedicated and possibly a little bit extreme, but I did understand why he did it. It was just so critical to the success of the production that the camera was in good condition and he knew where it was, and because we were traveling, he did not want it to disappear. So I've learned over the years that even if you're not the one holding the camera and taking the shots, it really does help to know how to do it yourself. It's easier to explain to someone that what you want, and also it kind of means that your eyes don't just close over every time your DOP starts to boffin out on how he wants to set the shot. You can actually communicate much more effectively if you have a good grounding in how the gear works for yourself. And I also highly recommend you just pick up the camera and be your own cinematographer whenever possible because it just gives you so much more creative input into everything that's going on on the shoot. So knowing how your tech works, it simply means less obstacles and more creative possibilities, which is exactly why pre-production is the perfect time to try and learn what every single button on your camera does. Now, pre-production is where we're still very focused here on the Moonshine Moonshot podcast. So if this is your first time visiting, we're up to episode 51 at the moment, but you can easily jump back to previous episodes as they are going to be really important. That information is going to be really important as we move into the production phase, which is coming up in a few episodes time. So why am I the one telling you all about pre-production on the Moonshine Moonshot podcast? Well, I'm Sue Collins and I am part of the team behind Moonshine Agency, an impact film production house producing films that have positive social impact. Now, an impact film is a film that is designed to take an audience from passive viewing to being an active participant, and meaning it gets them doing something, it gets them involved and being part of a solution rather than just sitting on the couch and then flicking over to the next thing. So I have recognized that learning how to craft films is a pretty challenging process. And when I was just starting out, it was really hard to find information and learn about filmmaking without formal study or without being under the wing of a mentor and avoiding the pitfalls, you know, things like being pitch in the hold, running out of funding, or simply not understanding the business side of the industry. Now that's when I have seen a lot of people with a lot of talent give up or simply move on to more stable work. So my hope is to see the industry thrive here in Australia and beyond. And I recognize that to do that, I'm gonna have to be more open with skill sharing and helping people learn the craft of documentary for themselves. So that's why I am sharing more of what I've learned through many years of filmmaking through this podcast, The Moonshine Moonshot, and also with online courses and resources over at the Moonshine Communications Academy. So make sure you check out the Academy, particularly the resource section, where you can access free downloads and check sheets and ebooks and all kinds of other things. And if you haven't come across them already, there's some great online digital courses available through the Academy, such as Define Your Ideal Audience, which helps you figure out who your project is best suited to well before you even roll a camera, and that is gold for any marketer. So back to today, I am talking about how to boffin out with your gear because it's another really big step in the process. And if you want to do this filmmaking gig as a career, it is on you to develop the skill sets required to sustain filmmaking as a career. You've got to master the craft. And I'm guessing that's why you're here, because this is one more step in that big filmmaking journey. So be the ultimate documentary boffin. Of course, we're not just talking about cameras here, we're talking about the whole shebang, all the equipment, microphones, lights, and any other piece of equipment that you're likely to need. Now, if this is all starting to seem overwhelming, there is an easy way to resolve this. Get into a nice quiet space and play with your gear. It's worth having time to just fiddle with all the buttons and all the different things and with no expectations and no time constraints. You can just, you know, mock up a shoot. Just play around, watch, you know, watch YouTube videos and just get yourself really super familiar, and it will save you so much time and money down the line. And you might discover something about your equipment that opens up a whole new abundance of ideas. Now, here's one that you probably weren't really expecting me to talk about planes, trains, and bags with no wheels. Now, another super simple but very effective tip that I've got for you is to have really good bags and cases for your equipment. Bags with lots of pockets, zips, compartments, but most importantly, wheels. In this modern invention of wheels has saved my life more times than I can count. When you are zipping around from location to location, or even just lugging your gear from the taxi to the airport, check-in counter, being able to move your gear around quickly and safely is absolutely critical. And gear bags can get incredibly heavy. So anytime that they're on wheels, it is so unbelievably helpful. Even just things like getting those collapsible trolleys and having one in the back of your car that you can stack your tripod bag and your camera bag onto when you've just got to, you know, walk from one end of a really large car park to the building where you're doing the shoot. Little things like that can make such a big difference to the experience that you have on a shoot day. So, what do you need to put in all these bags that I'm talking about? And it's a fair question. So let's start with sound equipment. I would suggest always having at least two lapel microphones. Even if you're only interviewing one subject, you want two microphones because they are notoriously finicky and one just might not work on the day for whatever reason. So having a backup one will really help. So always try and have enough microphones for each participant on camera and a spare for issues that might come up, and of course, plenty of spare batteries. A shotgun microphone and a boom microphone. So if you've got those three types of microphones in your kit, you are doing very well. Knowing what each of those pieces of sound gear do is also really important because each microphone captures sound in a different way. And which one will work best for you on set on any given location is really helpful information for you to understand. So if you're spending your shoot day Googling what each device does, you're gonna end up with some pretty grumpy and tired talent and probably some pretty ordinary sound. So having a good grasp on what types of microphones you have in your kit and the best microphone for each shoot that you set up is going to be really good knowledge. At a minimum, I would say you should know how to set up your lapel mic and position it on your talent to avoid, you know, that awful rustling sound you can get. That's often because clothes are rubbing on the location where you've placed the microphone. So there's all kinds of tips and tricks, and just Googling how to position a lapel microphone is going to give you loads of tips. And then have at least one other microphone recording your talent as well, and that could be your boom mic or your shotgun microphone, depending on the location that you are in. So relying on the camera's inbuilt microphone is not going to give you a good result. I absolutely recommend you, you know, try and get a couple of decent microphones for any shoot that you're doing, not just the inbuilt camera microphone. Now, unsurprisingly, you are going to need a camera. And how many cameras you have at any one time is going to be pretty much case by case, also budget dependent. But the way I see it, the more cameras you have, the merrier. But also, you know, you don't want to be too ridiculous because it can be incredibly intimidating for your talent to have, you know, more than two or three cameras pointing at them for a standard interview, and possibly more than that, might be getting a bit excessive. So it does give you a lot of flexibility though in the edit suite when you have a few different camera angles to work from. So I generally would have for any one interview, if it's just one interviewee, I would try to always have two cameras, possibly three, but always two if I have got access to two, because one's going to be a mid-shot, one's going to be a close-up as example, and then you can cut between the two shots. And then if you've got two people that are being interviewed in the same shot, ideally I would try to have three cameras. One for each of the two interviewees and a wide shot that captures both of them in the same shot. This is just so helpful for post-production to have that option to cut between. So if you have the budget for more than one camera on shoot, I would definitely recommend two and three if you can swing it. The other thing, too, is you're probably thinking, oh, yeah, but what brand do I want a Sony? Do I want a Canon? Look, we use Canons, but I'm not going to make recommendations around models and all of that because the technology changes relatively quickly and it really comes down to your budget and what you've got access to. So I just recommend whatever camera you're working with, just make sure it works for your workflow. You know, I've I've heard a lot of people sort of complain that they've got a Sony and then they've got a Canon, and then it's not that easy in the edit to make the footage compatible, all of that kind of stuff. That's a little bit beyond my personal expertise. But you can definitely find a lot more information about what cameras could be right for you just by just googling it really and trying out a few cameras, seeing which ones you like, what works for you, uh, which ones are too heavy, which ones are not going to capture 4K, all of these different considerations. But I'm not going to go too deep into that here. Just know that you need to do some research before you invest in any given camera. So, can I put it in the overhead luggage? Now, unless you are planning on filming your whole documentary handheld, the other weapon you'll need up your sleeve is a tripod because being nimble is key. And so I would absolutely recommend having tripods that aren't too big and aren't too heavy. And additionally, if you're traveling on a plane and your equipment is really heavy, it could become very expensive when you get hit up for excess baggage. So the tripod you need is going to come down a little bit to the camera that you choose and how they work together because obviously need a tripod that's stable and sturdy enough to support the weight of your camera. And you want one that can pan and tilt and swivel and do as much of that variety as possible. And often the little photography tripods don't have the range you need to be able to have the movement. So you do want to play around with those things, but the lighter generally that your camera tripod is, the easier it's going to be for you when you are traveling. Now, lastly, lights. Now, lights are incredibly valuable to the overall look of your production, but they can also be really big, bulky, and very hard to travel with. So outside the studio for documentary work, we usually avoid carrying big, bulky lights by using some pretty lightweight, smaller lights that are battery powered. This is ideal, especially if you're doing locations where there's lots of people around because you don't want power cords, you know, dragging across a room that people can trip on. So having batteries is really, really helpful. But unfortunately, they are not as powerful as our regular LEDs. So that does mean when we're on a location, we need to be a little bit resourceful and try and use natural lighting to complement the shot as much as possible. So we're relying less on the lighting to create that effect. And it's it's you know, working with what you've got, obviously, but just keep in mind lights can be really heavy, and so the more you can use battery-powered lights, probably the easier it's going to be when you're traveling. So look, one foot in front of the other. I know that phrase can seem almost patronizing, but I always come back to one simple idea, which is practice makes perfect. And I know we've all heard that for years, but you know, it kind of is true. And as much as it can seem an exhausting prospect to have to practice with all your gear to really get to know it, it's just a reality of filmmaking. And look, some of you are probably listening to this going, I love getting on the gear and I love boffening out with the tools. That is so awesome. But if you're a bit more like me and it's just a skill you need to develop, but it's not your passion area to boffer out on the gear. It is worth spending the time to get to know that gear. It really will make you a better filmmaker. So I do recommend, even if it's not your passion area, just get to know your equipment. The more time you can spend with your equipment and play with how to use it in production, the easier it's going to be. And look, here's one last tip. Make sure you're backing up your footage and sound and charging your equipment at the end of every shoot day. Look, it is when you're doing a 12, 14-hour day in scorching heat and you are exhausted, it is so tempting to go, you know what, I'm just gonna grab something to eat and I'll put everything on charge after that, and then I'll back up the footage tomorrow morning. But then, you know, you're running late in the morning, you haven't backed up the footage, you get out onto the chute, and then you're like, oh no, there's not enough room on the card, I don't want to wipe it. And it just creates all these problems. So you've just got to have that is one discipline I would say is extremely important to always back up your footage. And whenever possible, review that footage that night too. Make sure it's captured correctly. It's not happened often, but there has been one or two occasions that come to mind where we've done a shoot and then uploaded the footage to back it up on a hard drive. And for whatever reason, a file corrupted and it was unsolvable, and we had to do a complete reshoot on that interview. And had we not checked that, we would have left that particular location when we were traveling, and we would have had a very, very difficult time trying to create a reshoot and the travel and the costs involved. So, look, that's one example, but you just want to make sure everything's been captured and you know, it could give you some really good ideas for the shoot that you've got coming up if you're reviewing the footage as you go and making sure that you're happy with it. So, and you know, it's pretty obvious. Yeah, you need your gears, batteries charged, because you don't want to get out and shoot and go, oh my gosh, my camera's flat. I mean, what are you gonna do? Get everyone to wait three hours while the battery charges. So just be organized. Gonna help you so much in the long term. And that felt really lexury, so I do apologize, but I can't emphasize how important that kind of organizational stuff really is when you're out on location and especially when you're traveling. So, look, it's been a long journey, and we are nearly at the end of our pre-production section for what we've been talking about when it comes to documentary. So we will be moving on to production in upcoming podcasts. So it's time to check. You've covered off all of the steps because we will soon be launching into the new phase of production. Now, if you're not feeling confident about that transition into production, I can help. Firstly, have a look at our resources page over at Moonshine Communications Academy because there's lots of useful information there. There's also written blogs, and you can click through to the YouTube videos that we create of this podcast, The Moonshine Moonshot, on YouTube. So there's loads of information there that you can easily use to catch up on. But you can also get in touch because sharing tips and tricks is why the Moonshine Moonshot series really began. And I'm only a click away, so send me an email or direct message me via socials just at Moonshine Communications Academy on whatever platform you listen to, and I will find it. So until then, go hang out with your gear. You know, build your camera, carry it around with you, practice, play with it, enjoy, have fun, and don't forget to hit subscribe on whatever podcast platform you are on. All right, I'll speak to you next Tuesday. Take care.