Media Checklist for Filming one a higher budget

[Happysucks]

Not sure if anyone could/would use this or even films on a higher level than "hotel room J/O" but here goes...

Editing:

• Premiere
• Final Cut Pro
• Ulead MediaStudio Pro
• MainVision (formerly Axogon. The original Axogon is freeware, but hard to find anymore)

Compositing:

• After Effects
• Commotion
• (other programs like Premiere, MediaStudio Pro, or MainVision can do some compositing, like bluescreening, but are not as powerful or capable as After Effects or Commotion)

Special Effects:

• After Effects
• Commotion
• Photoshop (NOTE: in order to use Photoshop for effects, you need to have either Premiere or After Effects so you can use them to convert your clips into an Adobe filmstrip file)
• Paint Shop Pro
• Ulead MediaStudio Pro
• MainVision
• ALAM DV

CG/3D:

• Lightwave
• 3DStudio Max
• Maya
• Softimage
• Electric Image
• Blender (freeware)
• Animation:Master
• Strata 3D (freeware)

Feel free to add to the list

[Lee]

You know what could be a good list..

A list of the 'basic' equipment needed to shoot both movie and stills content.

Im sure a lot of us would be interested in finding out what the absolute basics for producing our own content would b, myself included.

Perhaps one of the content producers of both images and movies could put a list together for the GWW Community members to reference

Regards,

Lee

[Happysucks]

If you want I'll expand on the list some with basic and pro hardware/software or at least try.

[Slade]

Have you ever looked into Vegas?

That program can do so many things so well, that you could eliminate 2 or 3 different programs you are using now with this just one.

Been using it for 4+ years now..and I swear by it!

[Happysucks]

8mm

Pros

* Reasonable picture quality
* Good sound quality (mono or stereo depending on model)
* Compact tapes (about the size of an audio cassette) giving 60 - 90 minutes recording
* Cheapest camcorders available
* Popular format so lots of choice
* Lightweight cameras

Cons

* Can't be played on normal VCR - Although you can transfer to other formats for editing
* Very few 8mm editing VCRs

Hi8


Pros

* Good picture quality (near broadcast standard - 400 horizontal lines, your TV does 525)
* Top notch stereo sound
* Tape a bit more expensive than 8mm but still compact and you can record up to 90 minutes on standard play.
* Can use 8mm tape as well (although the picture won't be as good as with proper Hi8 tape).
* Lightweight cameras

Cons

* Like 8mm it can't be played on normal VCR - Although you can transfer to other formats for editing
* To retain picture quality you will really need a Hi8 editing deck
* Costs more than 8mm - boo!

VHS



Pros


* Same tape as you put in your normal VCR, so its cheap, easily available and you can edit easier.
* Because the tape is bigger than 8mm, the cameras are also bigger. This means you look like a proper film-maker and you can shove it on your shoulder which means more stable shots.
* Picture quality about 8mm standard - which means its not that bad.
* Long recording time (3 to 4 hours)
* Extra Punk Points! Robert Rodriguez (Director of Desperado and From Dusk Till Dawn) cut his teeth on a VHS camcorder. Using his camera and the family VCR he edited his first short films.

Cons

* Only has a mono soundtrack
* Bulkier cameras also mean lugging around something which is heavier - nurg!
* Very few cameras available.

VHS - C (like VHS only smaller, so I guess the C is for compact)


Pros


* Essentially VHS-C is smaller VHS tapes, meaning the tapes are more compact.
* Like VHS picture quality about 8mm standard - which means its not that bad.
* Compact, lighweight cameras.
* All the advantages of VHS as far as editing goes as you use an adaptor (which looks like a VHS tape) that allows your VCR to play VHS-C tapes like normal videotapes.
* Cheap cameras!!

Cons

* Only has a mono soundtrack
* Because of the decrease in size the tapes are shorter (30 - 45 mins).

S-VHS


Pros


* Excellent picture quality
* Stereo soundtrack
* Can also record onto VHS tapes (although the quality isn't as good as using proper VHS tapes) or S-VHS-C tapes with an adaptor.
* S-VHS VCRs are top notch - a wide choice with excellent control over editing of sound and pictures.

Cons

* Despite being the same size as VHS tape, tapes can only be played back on S-VHS VCRs.
* Expensive.
* Bulky machines - although this isn't necessarily that bad it makes for steadier shots
* Few cameras to choose from.

S-VHS-C (another compact format - like S-VHS only smaller)


Pros


* Like S-VHS excellent picture quality (near broadcast standard)
* Stereo soundtrack
* S-VHS VCRs are top notch - a wide choice with excellent control over editing of sound and pictures.
* Compact little cameras

Cons

* Because of the decrease in size the tapes are shorter (30 - 45 mins).
* Needs a S-VHS VCR to playback tapes.
* Not cheap.

Mini DV


Pros

* Offers bloody good pictures - nigh on TV quality (500 line horizontal resolution)
* CD quality sound
* Designers are experimenting with design of cameras so they are some nice machines out there eg. JVC's metal fag packet and Panasonic's Tube Cam (not the official names)
* No loss of picture quality in editing provided it is all edited on DVC VCRs or non-linearly using a Firewire card.
* The price is coming down.

Cons

* Err...buy one of these and have to be nice to your bank manager for a long time.
* Editing VCRs are available, but damn expensive.



Digital8


Pros

* DV quality pictures using compression ie. 500 lines resolution
* CD quality sound
* Uses cheap 8mm and Hi8 tape
* Can play back old 8mm and Hi8 tapes
* No loss of picture quality in editing provided it is edited via Firewire.

Cons

* It's a Sony technology so you have to buy a Sony camera

Super8


Pros


* Its film, so everything looks nicer and more, err...filmy. Y'know like home movies and pop videos.
* On the whole they are well built - ie. metal etc.
* Inexpensive - because everyone's Uncle Bob had one of these you might find someone in the family with one, or as everyone else is getting rid of their you can pick them up cheap in second hand shops - I got 3 for a tenner the other day. Wahey!
* You can also pick up editing equipment cheap as well.
* Full on retro stylee.

Cons

* At the moment it costs about £12 or 14usd for 4 minutes of film (including developing). This makes it pretty expensive to lark around with if you don't know what you're shooting.
* Don't expect to find autofocus or any to other 'latest features' type stuff on them. Almost everything is manual - but this is no bad thing, at least you learn.



Information collected and compiled from verious sources

[Happysucks]

Have you ever looked into Vegas?

That program can do so many things so well, that you could eliminate 2 or 3 different programs you are using now with this just one.

Been using it for 4+ years now..and I swear by it!

Vegas IS a good program...

Not sure why I didn't add it to the list - but the list is not a "You NEED all of these" .. Just a pile of what you can use under each catagory.

Thanks for the reminder though and if you think of anything else ... Post it!

[basschick]

Happysucks - you gotta be kidding about mini dv camcorders. mine cost a whopping $750 plus shipping, and the results i get from it are excellent - as good as camcorders costing a lot more. for that matter, a really good camcorder costs only around $3000 and the best one i've seen is under $6000.

the more expensive camcorders have bigger ccd's, which means you can get better low-light performance, and they also have manual controls. my camcorder has some manual controls, but they are mostly in menus rather than convenient external buttons like on good camcorders.

i think dollar for dollar, mini dv is the most economical and high quality way to go - i've seen some very high quality video done on it. my videos would look spectacular but for my lack of video editing knowledge - 'cause the raw stuff is just beautiful.

[Happysucks]

Mine, too, was around the same amount - the source for camera breakdown was english as well as I think he is speaking of the higher end DV cameras - Canon (XL1s, XL2, GL2/XM2) and Sony (VX1000, VX2000, PD170) or Panasonic's AG-DVC7