filmmaker toolkit

Lake Films

Lake Films

Veteran
Hey guys. I'm going to be shooting a short film within a few weeks with the GH1. Coming from the DVX100b, it will be all new territory for me. I have done some experimenting with it to get an idea of how it works etc... I have an extra battery, lighting, a sennheiser me66 & a Rode 2 along with a zoom H4n, all cables, bogen tripod/head... basically everything I think I need, that's the word, 'think.' Any suggestions on what I should have in my 'filmmakers toolkit' when shooting with the GH1? Thanks..
 
DSLRs are much harder than a DVX100 to hold steady without a tripod, so I suggest either a stabilization rig, a shoulder brace, a monopod, or anything that lets you have some mobility.
 
Some white foamcore to use as bounce material. If you have a Flexfill or even a reflective windshield sun visor to reflect light for fill, that would be helpful.

If your shooting schedule permits it, I'd recommend having a TV monitor to connect the camera to. You can't view your image while recording, unfortunately, but if you have any shots where focus is questionable, the ability to check it by playing it back on a monitor is helpful. I know from experience that you can't always tell critical focus on the camera's LCD. Shots that I thought were perfectly fine ended up being soft and unusable. I HAD a monitor on set but I didn't use it often enough. Doh.

Oh, a lens brush, lens tissue and cleaning solution. Keep that lens clean! :-)

Headphones to monitor the audio.

Don't forget to bring the battery charger.

Some kind of a slate or clapper so you can sync audio to video. If you get the dry erase kind, write down your ISO, f-stop and shutter speed on the slate. I only suggest this because, on my GH1 short film, I DIDN'T and wish I had. Why? Because in editing, I found some shots looked GREAT while others looked just OK. My memory isn't good enough to remember my settings for every shot. If I'd written ISO, f-stop and shutter speed info on the slate, I'd have learned more about what settings "work" vs. what settings don't work. All us GH-1 users are still figuring out the ideal way to expose the image to avoid noise, etc.

That's about it. Bring some aspirin. Vitamins. Bottled water! Stay hydrated! :-)
 
Also,

Do you have a laptop with an SD card reader? The ability to copy your footage to a hard drive on the set is nice. I would recommend this only if you have a crew member dedicated to this job, otherwise it'll slow you down if you have to do it yourself. And only give the job to somebody you trust...don't give that SD card to somebody who may accidentally erase your footage!
 
pluraleyes for syncing sound in post! (make sure to still record audio with the camera. pluraleyes depends on this)
 
A follow focus... a real one with marks... I know it's become popular of late to pop in and out of focus, but when it's done on accident, and not with purpose, it's noticeable and can make a production seem amateur super quick. A good follow focus with someone who knows how to use it will serve you well. There's no point in having all these DOF capabilities if you can't handle it properly you know? Best of luck man!
 
I use one from Cavision, but Redrock makes a nice one too. But if you're looking for something to pick up for your own package to use before you start renting bigger camera setups for bigger shoots I would imagine you could get away with the $150 one from indiFocus. Looks like it would do the trick, although I haven't used it personally.
 
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