LaFinDuMonde
Active member
Hi, I am about to buy a good deal of equipment(starting with the DVX100A) so that I can finally put my passion for moviemaking into a technically and visually suitable vehicle. However, I have a few questions left unanswered, and am trying to keep a reasonably low budget(definitely not more than 10,000, i already have all the NLEs and such programs):
1. First question, can i capture through a camera(thru firewire) and directly into a USB 2 harddrive? My main question is whether USB 2 is capable of video capture, or do I need a firewire card with multiple ports and a firewire(maybe firewire-800) hardrive?
2. Sound- I am hearing good things about the ME66, and it seems to fit my needs. My movie is in NYC, most of it occuring on the streets and alleys, so off-axis nois rejection is a must. Also, is the pro foam windscreen fine(on a normal day) or is a softie a must(which is very expensive) However, I also hear that for close-up dialogue, an ME64 might be useful, because it is better suited for clean dialogue and it is not necessary to have the mic pointed at whoever is speaking, making off camera speech possible. Also, my film has a good deal of narration: is the ME64 significantly better for this purpose?(recording voice-overs) Another question is if the built-in mic is decent enough purely for room ambience/street ambience, or do I really need a ME62 or similar mic? Although I know that booming is the best way to get sound, I will have a limited crew, so booming may not be an option always. Can most of these mics be used on camera and give decent results?(If it is a close up I can always have someone hold the mic in the shock mount taped onto a pole, so there it may not be an issue). Basically I need decent quality sound mostly on camera outside on city streets and for narration.
3. 16:9: I know this one's been milked to death so I'll try to keep it short. I want to shoot in widescreenn to make a dvd and submit it to festivals. Is "squeeze" mode really good enough, because the answers I have recieved are very mixed. It seems that the anamorphic adapter(and the 16:9 viewfinder attachment) is undoubtably better quality, but it seems to have its own issues. Is it really that flimsy? Is focusing that difficult in the average zoom ranges? Are there any other difficulties? Also, although I may get a flowpod or similar stabilizer, i noticed that the adapted warns against use with the image stabilizer. What does this refer to and is this a big deal and fixable?
4. This is short: is there any way, short of standing on a box/in a high window, to get a high angle shot above people's heads without a large crane?
5. Flowpod? Good idea? I have MANY moving shots in my movie. Track dollies are not very practical on NY streets and are expensive. There are reasonable tripod dollies(Bogen/Manfrotto), but do these perform well off studio floors?
6. tripods: I want a reasonable tripod that has a fluid head, preferably ball leveling, a center column, sturdy legs and reasonably tall. There is a Bogen Manfrotto one for around 220 with 3001 legs and a 501 head? Is this an ok choice? Also, a weird idea that I've seen is using the cheap(80) Bogen Manfrotto monopods(with fold-out legs which support a surprising 23 lbs) and putting a fluid ball head on it. This is a good deal cheaper than the tripods, but does it really provide enough stability?
7. Lastly, a lot of my film will be at night. Although much of NY is lit at night and I sorta like the natural lighting, i know that often a little fill can help and that in the alleys there will not be enough light. I do not want to carry around a lighting kit, period. Is it worth buying an on-camera light? If so, what kind and with what accessories? I've seen the Frezzi Micro-Fill and Paglight M as possibilities. What do you suggest?
Well that's all for now. I know its long, but I hope you guys can help me out. Thanks.
1. First question, can i capture through a camera(thru firewire) and directly into a USB 2 harddrive? My main question is whether USB 2 is capable of video capture, or do I need a firewire card with multiple ports and a firewire(maybe firewire-800) hardrive?
2. Sound- I am hearing good things about the ME66, and it seems to fit my needs. My movie is in NYC, most of it occuring on the streets and alleys, so off-axis nois rejection is a must. Also, is the pro foam windscreen fine(on a normal day) or is a softie a must(which is very expensive) However, I also hear that for close-up dialogue, an ME64 might be useful, because it is better suited for clean dialogue and it is not necessary to have the mic pointed at whoever is speaking, making off camera speech possible. Also, my film has a good deal of narration: is the ME64 significantly better for this purpose?(recording voice-overs) Another question is if the built-in mic is decent enough purely for room ambience/street ambience, or do I really need a ME62 or similar mic? Although I know that booming is the best way to get sound, I will have a limited crew, so booming may not be an option always. Can most of these mics be used on camera and give decent results?(If it is a close up I can always have someone hold the mic in the shock mount taped onto a pole, so there it may not be an issue). Basically I need decent quality sound mostly on camera outside on city streets and for narration.
3. 16:9: I know this one's been milked to death so I'll try to keep it short. I want to shoot in widescreenn to make a dvd and submit it to festivals. Is "squeeze" mode really good enough, because the answers I have recieved are very mixed. It seems that the anamorphic adapter(and the 16:9 viewfinder attachment) is undoubtably better quality, but it seems to have its own issues. Is it really that flimsy? Is focusing that difficult in the average zoom ranges? Are there any other difficulties? Also, although I may get a flowpod or similar stabilizer, i noticed that the adapted warns against use with the image stabilizer. What does this refer to and is this a big deal and fixable?
4. This is short: is there any way, short of standing on a box/in a high window, to get a high angle shot above people's heads without a large crane?
5. Flowpod? Good idea? I have MANY moving shots in my movie. Track dollies are not very practical on NY streets and are expensive. There are reasonable tripod dollies(Bogen/Manfrotto), but do these perform well off studio floors?
6. tripods: I want a reasonable tripod that has a fluid head, preferably ball leveling, a center column, sturdy legs and reasonably tall. There is a Bogen Manfrotto one for around 220 with 3001 legs and a 501 head? Is this an ok choice? Also, a weird idea that I've seen is using the cheap(80) Bogen Manfrotto monopods(with fold-out legs which support a surprising 23 lbs) and putting a fluid ball head on it. This is a good deal cheaper than the tripods, but does it really provide enough stability?
7. Lastly, a lot of my film will be at night. Although much of NY is lit at night and I sorta like the natural lighting, i know that often a little fill can help and that in the alleys there will not be enough light. I do not want to carry around a lighting kit, period. Is it worth buying an on-camera light? If so, what kind and with what accessories? I've seen the Frezzi Micro-Fill and Paglight M as possibilities. What do you suggest?
Well that's all for now. I know its long, but I hope you guys can help me out. Thanks.
. In dramatic films the light should be motivated--which means it looks like it's coming from a probable source like a streetlight or the moon or a store window. Renting a couple fresnels and a Honda quiet generator would work if you can't steal power.