For several film enthusiasts in America or perhaps a beginner filmmaker with zeal to explore the creation of creative and artistic content in the media world, knowing the essential media equipment to have or acquire that fit a fairly reasonable budget can be a bit stressful, yet interesting. There are several variables to consider. So, below are some basic gears for filmmaking enthusiasts.
The first thing to get is a Video Camera, which is perhaps the most essential of them all. It is the centerpiece of any filmmaking gear package, and the camera to acquire depends mainly not just on your budget, but also on the shooting to be done.
A tripod is another great equipment, which will significantly help to keep your footage professional and steady. For smoother-looking pans, a tripod with a fluid head is very crucial.
The next thing you’d want to have is a Camera Light. It extensively helps in filling up ugly shadows, and it’s an excellent accessory to have, especially in a news style shoot or a documentary shoot. Added to this should be a Three-Point Lighting Kit in case you plan to shoot indoors.
Another great equipment to have is a Shotgun Microphone because it prepares you for literally almost every filmmaking situation that needs great audio. Audio quality tells the difference on several ends, and a shotgun microphone is a great option. You can also opt for a Wireless Microphone for more flexibility with your creative endeavors.
Getting a Headphone is also vital, as it helps you monitor the sounds at all times even while shooting. Getting a good one is advisable to avoid unpleasant audio surprises after a shoot.
In addition to all the above, a Light Reflector is a must-have item, especially for your documentary filmmaking kit, as it can turn an amateurish looking shot to an amazingly lit scene.
Acquiring lenses that feature wide-angle, zoom lens, macros, clear ‘protective’ lens, etc. is to be greatly considered as they largely determine the awesomeness of specific shots and images related to distances and angles.
It’s also always nice to make sure you get Extra Batteries, to avoid painful surprises. Three to four batteries are usually enough for most basic shooting scenarios.
Depending on your camera, it’s essentialessential to have your Flash Memory Cards, Video Tapes, or DVDs. You’d need devices to record the footage you’d be shooting.
Lastly, an External Hard drive is one of your basic friends as a filmmaking enthusiast. It’s great both on shooting scenes where you might need to offload your footage from the memory card of your camera and off-shooting scenes for easy storage.
In sum, you don’t need to acquire all heavy gadgets for starters, as these basic media gears are a great start that’s sufficient to get you effectively creative.