Question Artist making mini documentaries.

lizzbrady

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Hello all! I am an artist from the UK and have received some funding to buy some equipment to create mini documentaries.

I do want them to have a DIY look but also be professional...

My question is, what camcorder should i look at? Is it important to mic the people up ? anything else i need to know?

Thanks in advance!
 
What is your budget range? It would help to give us an idea for the choice of equipment.

It may also help if you give an idea of your subject matter. Example:- Would it be a local setup or would you be travelling distances? Would you have support to help carry and set up equipment? Would you be indoors or outside?

Do you have a video club near you? You could get hands on help and, possibly, assistance with your filming.
 
What is your budget range? It would help to give us an idea for the choice of equipment.

It may also help if you give an idea of your subject matter. Example:- Would it be a local setup or would you be travelling distances? Would you have support to help carry and set up equipment? Would you be indoors or outside?

Do you have a video club near you? You could get hands on help and, possibly, assistance with your filming.

Thanks for your reply!

Budget is about £1000.

It will be local and travelling to other cities. Yes i will have one or two other people to help.

Indoors mainly, in artist studios / houses / cafes.

Not sure about a video club, will certainly research that. I am in Manchester.
 
Not sure about a video club, will certainly research that. I am in Manchester
Well you could try my old club - Altrincham Movie Makers. They have a web site and are based on Park Road, Timperley. See if they "fit the bill"!
When I moved to North Wales, I lost any contact with a video club and I do miss the meetings.

£1000 is not a lot for a pro set-up. Have you any kit yourself? For a start from scratch:-
Camera. 4K consumer cam ~ £600. Professional camcorders cost around £1000-£2000 or more!
Mics. Example: BOYA 2 channel wireless mics £190 or wired tie clip mics
Tripod? £70
Extra SD cards, Batteries or power supplies for camera, mics and lights.
Lighting? Again will you need it? I use LED photofloods with batteries or a power pack. For a "pro" set-up, lighting is an advantage.
Possibly last (but definitely not least) a video editor for your PC.
This list is not comprehensive. For example mics could be wired into the camera or a table mic could be used.


Still on the technical side, you will need to consider how your final output will be presented. DVD, Blu-Ray, SD card, Cloud? Your own presentations to your customer audience?

Consider your (technical) process in three stages:-
1) Filming the subject. Do include cutaways to use as a transfer from one scene to another.
2) Editing the video into a coherent film with transitions, voice overs, music and effects.
3) Rendering the final edit into a form suitable for your presentation media.

Hope this helps.
 
Thank you so much Terfyn. Lots of research to do i think! I will check out the video club too!
 
Hello all! I am an artist from the UK and have received some funding to buy some equipment to create mini documentaries.

I do want them to have a DIY look but also be professional...

My question is, what camcorder should i look at? Is it important to mic the people up ? anything else i need to know?

Thanks in advance!
Hi Lizzbrady

I am Manchester UK too.

It would help if you gave better detail of the type of documentary you want to produce.

Indoors mainly, in artist studios / houses / cafes , you mentioned.

Are you just interviewing people speaking, singing ?

Artist in what subject and medium? Poets, painters, dancers, music, photography, ryhme, theatre, pottery etc

What requriments do you need to meet to fulfill the funding given?

SD, HD or UHD definition recording, stereo or 5.1 etc sound.

Many things affect the equipment to choose or needed.
 
Hi Lizzbrady

I am Manchester UK too.

It would help if you gave better detail of the type of documentary you want to produce.

Indoors mainly, in artist studios / houses / cafes , you mentioned.

Are you just interviewing people speaking, singing ?

Artist in what subject and medium? Poets, painters, dancers, music, photography, ryhme, theatre, pottery etc

What requriments do you need to meet to fulfill the funding given?

SD, HD or UHD definition recording, stereo or 5.1 etc sound.

Many things affect the equipment to choose or needed.

Hello thanks a lot for your response!

Hmmmm type of documentary...I kind of want a DIY vibe, have you seen Tarnation? Not exactly like that but also, taking inspiration from his filming style.

Would be interviewing people talking, not singing...

Artists - Painting, installations, video art, sound art.

There are no particular requirements to meet, i have total freedom thank fully!

Not sure about SD, HD....but the finished pieces will be on youtube or a Vimeo page for audiences to watch freely. (and on my website)

There could be scope for them to be in exhibitions, depending on outcome.

Sorry I am so clueless when it comes to this!

Thanks again!
 
Not sure about SD, HD....but the finished pieces will be on youtube or a Vimeo page for audiences to watch freely. (and on my website
I don't think you can work in SD now, HD is the current "bottom of the pile" with 4K a level above. Fortunately many Video Editors will connect directly with YouTube and Vimeo to transfer your edited video.
Would be interviewing people talking, not singing...

Artists - Painting, installations, video art, sound art.
Under these circumstances you could possibly use a shotgun mic mounted directly on the camera. I suspect you may want to film handheld so pick a camera with a decent Optical Image Stabiliser.

Like your web pages. You seem pretty handy with a camera.
 
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I don't think you can work in SD now, HD is the current "bottom of the pile" with 4K a level above. Fortunately many Video Editors will connect directly with YouTube and Vimeo to transfer your edited video.

Under these circumstances you could possibly use a shotgun mic mounted directly on the camera. I suspect you may want to film handheld so pick a camera with a decent Optical Image Stabiliser.

Like your web pages. You seem pretty handy with a camera.

Good advice for the shotgun mic and OIS thanks so much!!!
 
FWIW I'm surprised at the generosity of funding providers; as it appears OP has no experience ( he/she's not told us) in either photography, filming, lighting or sound. Then there is the detail of the Editing, but leave that aside.....
Who will be seeing this? - and what level of skill do they possess?
Each of the above technical aspects requires a degree of learning, skill and judgement - there are plenty of ( both Good and Bad ), YouTube Tutorials - is this what you want to make?
Anyone can make an awful documentary - just use your phone and shove/upload that on social media. To make something that maintains viewer attention and shows them something useful.... That means so much more....
For a start, some idea of a shooting plan, (this can be out of sequence compared with the Edited version ). It will save time as it should avoid moving stuff about.
If you are involving others they may disagree and that wastes time ( although sometimes it can "save the day" if your idea was unworkable ) - only experience and practice can help there.
The Gear you need is probably not a huge issue, but from what I'm reading . . . exactly what is being attempted is far from crystal.
Social Media sites are often viewed thro' poor equipment (phones?) so whilst it's nice to start at the highest quality, it is "Content" that matters more. Plan to start simple and avoid spending all the Budget....once you get going any gaps can be filled by buying what's needed.
BTW, The Editing can have a huge influence.

Joining a Film-Making Club should be a first step, IMHO. You can Look, Watch, Learn for a few months before spending any money.

Good luck.
 
FWIW I'm surprised at the generosity of funding providers; as it appears OP has no experience ( he/she's not told us) in either photography, filming, lighting or sound. Then there is the detail of the Editing, but leave that aside.....
Harry DYOR. Look at Lizz Brady's web site. You will see she is competent with still photography.
A video club, especially Altrincham Movie makers, is a good source of information and help. When I was there we had a BBC sound man and a BBC camera man as members. The only downside (sorry Lizz) is that the membership tends to be rather mature.:facepalm: Still loads of experience on tap.:thumbsup:
 
Terfyn.... \12. Reads like an attack\...However, I think it would have been nice for her to provide us with any experience information at the beginning.... It was Post 8 before a Website got a mention and then in passing, which I presumed it was an "intension to post videos on" - i.e. when her videos were done. Her handle says "Novice Member" - what "DYOR" should anyone expect do ?

+I was trying to help with the Basics....

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Nevertheless, being competent at Stills doesn't mean movies will be similar; otherwise these two could be grouped together..... surely not?

Cheers.
 
FWIW I'm surprised at the generosity of funding providers; as it appears OP has no experience ( he/she's not told us) in either photography, filming, lighting or sound
Harry. My comment was against your first sentence where you declare that "OP has no experience" when it is clear that she is pretty good with a stills camera. I did my research.:)

I suggested she contacted Altrincham Movie Makers (who you should have heard of as they form part of the North vs South video competition. I would guess that your club has input to this competition.) When I was there we had a number of members from the profession including staff from the BBC. It was a great place to learn.
 
Hi Lizzbrady

I also live in Manchester and am a keen hobbyist and have a fair bit of experience (mainly weddings, travel) and various semi-pro gear.
Let me know if I can be of any help.
 

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