matt_clift
New member
By Matthew Clift
(Contact Matthew Clift through his website – www.mattclift.com )
Although for many years I have made my living from video production however when I was approached to volunteer to make a doco in war-torn Northern Uganda I knew I was getting out of my depth. In preparation for the shoot, a huge benefit to me was simply reading articles in forums and filmmaking sites. Now with the documentary complete and receiving a great response, I want to be able to offer advise from what I learnt for other doco makers.
The teaser of Cinderella Children (the finished doco) can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj6ZHnF1T1Y
My Disclaimer... Although I work professionally in filmmaking, I am not stating that I am an expert in the field and that my methodology is the best for every circumstance. What I did worked for me and I know in some cases is not even be the ‘technically right’ way to do things. Ensure you do your own research as to what is best for you.
A One Man Crew...
First things first... The title is true and not true in some respects. Although I was the only video professional on the trip I did have one other person with me whose role was to oversee the project and to conduct most of the interviews. However I did not have the luxury of a sound person or a director in the traditional sense, it was simply just myself for all of these crew roles. The in postproduction it was my task to do the editing and colourgrade. I have read in some articles that if you try to do more than one job, something will suffer. And to some degree this is true but I think this doco is a testimony that although having one person is not the most ideal way to do things, it can be done. Although there would be an ideal of a large crew, in reality (and especially in the world of indie), there is a lot of compromise and I firmly believe that you do not have to be held by old rules of how things need to be done.
Before you embark to complete a one man crew production I should stress that most of my employment in film prior to this trip was where I was a one man crew for corporate videos. Practice is essential as there is a bit of an art to be learnt in simultaneously monitoring audio, checking luminance and ensuring the shot looks aesthetically good at the same time. I have made many mistakes in the past (primarily with the audio as it seems to be often with most filmmakers), so you need to know how to get things right first time as often with docos there are no ‘take twos’. But don’t let budget deter you. Some of the most creative projects made are done on a small budget and the improvisation required to get the shots can be the thing which makes such projects great.
Equipment List and Technique
Below is a copy and paste of what I took on the trip along with my reasons for this. I tried to find a list like this all over the internet before I went on the shot so I thought there would be a lot of benefit in putting my list online. I make no disclaimer that this is what you should take, but it is what worked for us and I’ll give a bit of reasoning as to the reasons why.
Camera Gear
2 x DVX100AE cameras
Really there is no reason for this camera choice except for as the project was being funded by the church I go to, this was the two cameras they already owned and there was no budget for any alternatives. However, I love the DVX100AE (and the HVX202 if you want widescreen) for its features and picture. 16:9 would have been better but no viewer so far (who isn’t a filmmaker) has ever mentioned (or probably noticed) that the finished product is in 4:3. Never forget that a good story which has been well shot and put together is more important than whether something is in 16:9 in the end in my opinion.
Why two cameras? As we were in the middle of nowhere I couldn’t just go hire another camera if one died. However the second camera was also used simultaneously to the first camera for an alternate shot for the main protagonist's interview. An example of this technique can be seen at 0:14 in this excerpt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZUG0QsHknA
4 batteries
2 chargers
The second charger was a backup charger as last year I had a Panasonic charger all of a sudden stop charging. If shooting overseas make sure you have the right adapter for their power outlets along with making sure your charger can take their electricity (and whether they even have electricity!).
Polarizer
This is simply up to personal preference. It can make blues and greens look richer, but it makes the picture darker so you need more light and you can’t really do panning shots without some colour issues. I probably used the polarizer 10% of the time to get some nice steady scenery shots.
Rain jacket for DVX100AE
I hired this just in case but didn’t need it in the end.
Lens tissue and Lens cleaner
Absolutely essential, I went through probably a full pack of lens tissues. The amount of dust in Uganda was unbelievable.
Tape Heads Cleaner
Very important for dusty environments and for general maintenance.
50 x Mini DV tapes
I know it sounds obvious but the point is that I took more than what I needed. I also wanted to ensure that I only used the same brand and type of tape to minimise drop outs, etc. The tapes were kept in sealed glad bags in a backpack and I guarded them wherever I went (including from excessive exposure to sunny environments).
Camera Support
Miller DS5 tripod
I am a fan of using a tripod as opposed to trying to hold a small camera steady. The DS5 is not the smoothest tripod but it was light and quick for setting up.
Spiderbrace
I got a Spiderbrace especially for this documentary thinking that it would get better shots. I still found myself reverting back to the tripod or even hand held as I like to be able to constantly adjust the zoom and focus controls which is very difficult to do when using the Spiderbrace.
Audio
I did not use any external mixing devise throughout the shoot. In my opinion it is just another thing to setup and another link in the chain which can go wrong. There are benefits to using an external mixer, but these were minimal in comparison to the benefits of not using it in my situation. I fed all audio directly into the 2 x XLR jacks on the camera.
2 x Letrosonics 185 Wireless Transmitter and Receiver (Lapel Mics)
No piece of equipment gave me such frustration. This isn’t so much the fault of the brand of type of mics but just the complexity of working with wireless mics.
If I used two wired XLR lapel mics I would have only two audio level controls to monitor and adjust being the two camera XLR inputs. However with wireless mics in addition to these inputs you have to monitor and adjust the sensitivity on the transmitter and the AF output on the receiver. That means if you have 2 x wireless mics on separate channels you effectively have to adjust 6 different audio settings along with worrying about everything visually related. Getting one setting wrong can result in distortion or unclear sound although your meters on your camera viewfinder might look perfect.
The Letrosonic mics were chosen primarily due to budget and availability reasons. They did not cost much to hire and I knew we wouldn’t be doing much wireless lapel work. VHF meant their range was also not the best. I read a great quote once which said ‘my wired will always sound better than your wireless’ - very true. The post production work needed on these mics was quite substantial and it required a professional sound mixer to sweeten this sound.
You need a good reason to want to use wireless mics if you are on your own. I would not recommend using them unless you have had a lot of practice in various situations with these such as high wind, walking and filming, etc. Also keep in mind radio frequencies of other countries where some of our radio mic frequencies may be illegal to use.
1 x Sony ECM 77 wired lapel mic
My favourite wired lapel mic. It simply gets great results every time.Almost all interviews were used with this mic.
1 x Sony ECM 44 wired lapel mic
The backup wired mic. Much larger and there was a noticeable drop in quality in audio from this mic in comparision the ECM 77.
1 x Sennheiser ME66 with Rycote Softie
The only shotgun mic I have ever used therefore I can’t make much of a comparison to other shotgun mics. However, you need a good shotgun mic for general atmos sounds. It is also ok for getting dialogue from a close proximity and I had it on my camera with a Rycote softie whenever I was getting footage so I captured reasonably good quality audio. We used the mic on a small stand with a long XLR lead to get audio of a group interview and children singing and it the mic performed well at this. It can distort in very high noise environments (including indoor singing with percussion as we found out) and you need to remember that this is not reflected on the camera audio meters.
The Rycote Softie does not work as soon as there is anything more than a mild breeze.
2 x windjammers
These were just in case items for the lapel mics. These are meant to stop a tornado for lapel mics however they have to be worn on the outside of the clothing and look like you are wearing a poodle on your coat due to their size. We didn’t need them but I’m glad we took them just in case.
2 x Sennheiser headphones
The most important part of the audio kit. You would never shoot video by only looking at the luma level and not looking at the picture, therefore you should never record audio by only looking at meters. You must listen to the audio as you record it. The second pair were backup headphones.
Batteries
Stacks of alkaline AA batteries for the mics.
Small mic stand
This was great for many applications. For very important features interviews I used the ME66 on a stand under the interviewee in conjunction with recording them using a lapel mic (ECM77) on the other channel. This provided a very rich sound when mixed together in post. In addition I put the ME66 on this stand for recording audio of singing groups whilst allowing me to move around with the camera (with a very long XLR lead).
Various XLR leads
Multiple short and long XLR leads for all the various situations which arose.
Other goodies
Part of the joy of lapel mics is working out how to mount them. I am a fan of keeping them outside of the sight of camera which is easy on close up shots but normally means beneath clothing for everything else. Therefore I had gaf tape (essential), scissors, kids woolen gloves (you can cut the fingers off the gloves for a small type of windsock under the clothing), tiestraps (for holding the bit of the glove on). I use the method of the two triangles for mounting lapels under clothing as I find it gives the best results. There are a few tutorials on how to do this on the net.
Lighting
Frezzi minifill 12v light with batteries and charger
I think this added 10kg to my baggage but it was worth it. The main reason was there was no electricity where we would be filming. However I used the light for special lighting effects in some reenactments at night time and for filling in shadows in a few interviews. This light has a daylight filter which was used for almost all shots. An example of using this light for a night reanactment can be seen in the teaser ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj6ZHnF1T1Y ) at 0:21 and 0:32.
Diffusion gel and daylight correction gel
I didn’t know if I would use this and in the end I didn’t (primarily as the minifill had a glass daylight correction filter you could slide over it). I had an idea of possibly using it over windows to make light softer, etc but in the end this never eventuated. Ambient daylight was used for almost all interview shots.
White pieces of cardboard
With no electricity where would be filming this was one option I thought of for being creative with getting reflections from the sun. In the end I didn’t end up using these either.
Misc
Small LCD TV with battery and charger
This was a cheap little portable DVD player with RCA in. This was an inexpensive way of being able to look at footage at night. I also used it to monitor important shots whilst I couldn’t be behind the camera (for example when I was using two cameras simultaneously or I was conducting the interview myself). Of course, the brightness and colour on this monitor was not accurate by any means but it was good as a guide and helped with careful focussing.
Shot List, Tape Log and Release Forms (with clipboard and pens)
All obvious and all very important. Especially release forms and shot list so you can write down the tricky spelling of names which you forget two months later whilst editing.
Powerboard
For charging equipment
Still camera
SD images are in most cases not of a high enough resolution for printing (i.e. DVD covers, posters, etc) so a still camera was used to get these promotional shots.
Miscellaneous things worth mentioning – some are Uganda / Africa specific
Dust
I have never seen so much dust. You couldn’t really see it, but you saw its effects. It got in the tripod, it covered the lens within hours, it was everywhere. I have heard that many photographic blogs have mentioned this problem in Africa too. You can’t really avoid the dust so the best thing you can do is to be careful and ensure you clean the equipment and lens very regularly. Also, keeping all tapes in sealed glad bags is highly advisable.
The Sun
I didn’t know this, but the sun is very different in other parts of the world. I don’t know many reasons why, but to some degree I had to relearn very quickly how to shoot in these conditions. The polarizer also appeared to work differently. In most cases it wasn’t an issue, but it was noticeable and required slightly different technique to get the shots I was after.
You Only Get One Chance
This is one of main things I have learnt from doing this documentary. For example we went for a leisurely trip into town and I decided to not take my camera. On that trip there were some very impressive shots and we also ran into a high profile figure who gave a great testimony about the schools we were featuring in the documentary. If I had the camera I could have got this clip but although we had hoped to arrange to meet him again, this never happened. If there is the opportunity to film something, go for it as you may not have another chance and don’t know what may happen.
Conclusion
I know I have much more to learn and it is a never ending process. However I hope this article helps other doco makers in preparing and shooting their productions. To find out more about the doco I made, Cinderella Children, please visit www.cinderellachildren.com
(Contact Matthew Clift through his website – www.mattclift.com )
Although for many years I have made my living from video production however when I was approached to volunteer to make a doco in war-torn Northern Uganda I knew I was getting out of my depth. In preparation for the shoot, a huge benefit to me was simply reading articles in forums and filmmaking sites. Now with the documentary complete and receiving a great response, I want to be able to offer advise from what I learnt for other doco makers.
The teaser of Cinderella Children (the finished doco) can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj6ZHnF1T1Y
My Disclaimer... Although I work professionally in filmmaking, I am not stating that I am an expert in the field and that my methodology is the best for every circumstance. What I did worked for me and I know in some cases is not even be the ‘technically right’ way to do things. Ensure you do your own research as to what is best for you.
A One Man Crew...
First things first... The title is true and not true in some respects. Although I was the only video professional on the trip I did have one other person with me whose role was to oversee the project and to conduct most of the interviews. However I did not have the luxury of a sound person or a director in the traditional sense, it was simply just myself for all of these crew roles. The in postproduction it was my task to do the editing and colourgrade. I have read in some articles that if you try to do more than one job, something will suffer. And to some degree this is true but I think this doco is a testimony that although having one person is not the most ideal way to do things, it can be done. Although there would be an ideal of a large crew, in reality (and especially in the world of indie), there is a lot of compromise and I firmly believe that you do not have to be held by old rules of how things need to be done.
Before you embark to complete a one man crew production I should stress that most of my employment in film prior to this trip was where I was a one man crew for corporate videos. Practice is essential as there is a bit of an art to be learnt in simultaneously monitoring audio, checking luminance and ensuring the shot looks aesthetically good at the same time. I have made many mistakes in the past (primarily with the audio as it seems to be often with most filmmakers), so you need to know how to get things right first time as often with docos there are no ‘take twos’. But don’t let budget deter you. Some of the most creative projects made are done on a small budget and the improvisation required to get the shots can be the thing which makes such projects great.
Equipment List and Technique
Below is a copy and paste of what I took on the trip along with my reasons for this. I tried to find a list like this all over the internet before I went on the shot so I thought there would be a lot of benefit in putting my list online. I make no disclaimer that this is what you should take, but it is what worked for us and I’ll give a bit of reasoning as to the reasons why.
Camera Gear
2 x DVX100AE cameras
Really there is no reason for this camera choice except for as the project was being funded by the church I go to, this was the two cameras they already owned and there was no budget for any alternatives. However, I love the DVX100AE (and the HVX202 if you want widescreen) for its features and picture. 16:9 would have been better but no viewer so far (who isn’t a filmmaker) has ever mentioned (or probably noticed) that the finished product is in 4:3. Never forget that a good story which has been well shot and put together is more important than whether something is in 16:9 in the end in my opinion.
Why two cameras? As we were in the middle of nowhere I couldn’t just go hire another camera if one died. However the second camera was also used simultaneously to the first camera for an alternate shot for the main protagonist's interview. An example of this technique can be seen at 0:14 in this excerpt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZUG0QsHknA
4 batteries
2 chargers
The second charger was a backup charger as last year I had a Panasonic charger all of a sudden stop charging. If shooting overseas make sure you have the right adapter for their power outlets along with making sure your charger can take their electricity (and whether they even have electricity!).
Polarizer
This is simply up to personal preference. It can make blues and greens look richer, but it makes the picture darker so you need more light and you can’t really do panning shots without some colour issues. I probably used the polarizer 10% of the time to get some nice steady scenery shots.
Rain jacket for DVX100AE
I hired this just in case but didn’t need it in the end.
Lens tissue and Lens cleaner
Absolutely essential, I went through probably a full pack of lens tissues. The amount of dust in Uganda was unbelievable.
Tape Heads Cleaner
Very important for dusty environments and for general maintenance.
50 x Mini DV tapes
I know it sounds obvious but the point is that I took more than what I needed. I also wanted to ensure that I only used the same brand and type of tape to minimise drop outs, etc. The tapes were kept in sealed glad bags in a backpack and I guarded them wherever I went (including from excessive exposure to sunny environments).
Camera Support
Miller DS5 tripod
I am a fan of using a tripod as opposed to trying to hold a small camera steady. The DS5 is not the smoothest tripod but it was light and quick for setting up.
Spiderbrace
I got a Spiderbrace especially for this documentary thinking that it would get better shots. I still found myself reverting back to the tripod or even hand held as I like to be able to constantly adjust the zoom and focus controls which is very difficult to do when using the Spiderbrace.
Audio
I did not use any external mixing devise throughout the shoot. In my opinion it is just another thing to setup and another link in the chain which can go wrong. There are benefits to using an external mixer, but these were minimal in comparison to the benefits of not using it in my situation. I fed all audio directly into the 2 x XLR jacks on the camera.
2 x Letrosonics 185 Wireless Transmitter and Receiver (Lapel Mics)
No piece of equipment gave me such frustration. This isn’t so much the fault of the brand of type of mics but just the complexity of working with wireless mics.
If I used two wired XLR lapel mics I would have only two audio level controls to monitor and adjust being the two camera XLR inputs. However with wireless mics in addition to these inputs you have to monitor and adjust the sensitivity on the transmitter and the AF output on the receiver. That means if you have 2 x wireless mics on separate channels you effectively have to adjust 6 different audio settings along with worrying about everything visually related. Getting one setting wrong can result in distortion or unclear sound although your meters on your camera viewfinder might look perfect.
The Letrosonic mics were chosen primarily due to budget and availability reasons. They did not cost much to hire and I knew we wouldn’t be doing much wireless lapel work. VHF meant their range was also not the best. I read a great quote once which said ‘my wired will always sound better than your wireless’ - very true. The post production work needed on these mics was quite substantial and it required a professional sound mixer to sweeten this sound.
You need a good reason to want to use wireless mics if you are on your own. I would not recommend using them unless you have had a lot of practice in various situations with these such as high wind, walking and filming, etc. Also keep in mind radio frequencies of other countries where some of our radio mic frequencies may be illegal to use.
1 x Sony ECM 77 wired lapel mic
My favourite wired lapel mic. It simply gets great results every time.Almost all interviews were used with this mic.
1 x Sony ECM 44 wired lapel mic
The backup wired mic. Much larger and there was a noticeable drop in quality in audio from this mic in comparision the ECM 77.
1 x Sennheiser ME66 with Rycote Softie
The only shotgun mic I have ever used therefore I can’t make much of a comparison to other shotgun mics. However, you need a good shotgun mic for general atmos sounds. It is also ok for getting dialogue from a close proximity and I had it on my camera with a Rycote softie whenever I was getting footage so I captured reasonably good quality audio. We used the mic on a small stand with a long XLR lead to get audio of a group interview and children singing and it the mic performed well at this. It can distort in very high noise environments (including indoor singing with percussion as we found out) and you need to remember that this is not reflected on the camera audio meters.
The Rycote Softie does not work as soon as there is anything more than a mild breeze.
2 x windjammers
These were just in case items for the lapel mics. These are meant to stop a tornado for lapel mics however they have to be worn on the outside of the clothing and look like you are wearing a poodle on your coat due to their size. We didn’t need them but I’m glad we took them just in case.
2 x Sennheiser headphones
The most important part of the audio kit. You would never shoot video by only looking at the luma level and not looking at the picture, therefore you should never record audio by only looking at meters. You must listen to the audio as you record it. The second pair were backup headphones.
Batteries
Stacks of alkaline AA batteries for the mics.
Small mic stand
This was great for many applications. For very important features interviews I used the ME66 on a stand under the interviewee in conjunction with recording them using a lapel mic (ECM77) on the other channel. This provided a very rich sound when mixed together in post. In addition I put the ME66 on this stand for recording audio of singing groups whilst allowing me to move around with the camera (with a very long XLR lead).
Various XLR leads
Multiple short and long XLR leads for all the various situations which arose.
Other goodies
Part of the joy of lapel mics is working out how to mount them. I am a fan of keeping them outside of the sight of camera which is easy on close up shots but normally means beneath clothing for everything else. Therefore I had gaf tape (essential), scissors, kids woolen gloves (you can cut the fingers off the gloves for a small type of windsock under the clothing), tiestraps (for holding the bit of the glove on). I use the method of the two triangles for mounting lapels under clothing as I find it gives the best results. There are a few tutorials on how to do this on the net.
Lighting
Frezzi minifill 12v light with batteries and charger
I think this added 10kg to my baggage but it was worth it. The main reason was there was no electricity where we would be filming. However I used the light for special lighting effects in some reenactments at night time and for filling in shadows in a few interviews. This light has a daylight filter which was used for almost all shots. An example of using this light for a night reanactment can be seen in the teaser ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj6ZHnF1T1Y ) at 0:21 and 0:32.
Diffusion gel and daylight correction gel
I didn’t know if I would use this and in the end I didn’t (primarily as the minifill had a glass daylight correction filter you could slide over it). I had an idea of possibly using it over windows to make light softer, etc but in the end this never eventuated. Ambient daylight was used for almost all interview shots.
White pieces of cardboard
With no electricity where would be filming this was one option I thought of for being creative with getting reflections from the sun. In the end I didn’t end up using these either.
Misc
Small LCD TV with battery and charger
This was a cheap little portable DVD player with RCA in. This was an inexpensive way of being able to look at footage at night. I also used it to monitor important shots whilst I couldn’t be behind the camera (for example when I was using two cameras simultaneously or I was conducting the interview myself). Of course, the brightness and colour on this monitor was not accurate by any means but it was good as a guide and helped with careful focussing.
Shot List, Tape Log and Release Forms (with clipboard and pens)
All obvious and all very important. Especially release forms and shot list so you can write down the tricky spelling of names which you forget two months later whilst editing.
Powerboard
For charging equipment
Still camera
SD images are in most cases not of a high enough resolution for printing (i.e. DVD covers, posters, etc) so a still camera was used to get these promotional shots.
Miscellaneous things worth mentioning – some are Uganda / Africa specific
Dust
I have never seen so much dust. You couldn’t really see it, but you saw its effects. It got in the tripod, it covered the lens within hours, it was everywhere. I have heard that many photographic blogs have mentioned this problem in Africa too. You can’t really avoid the dust so the best thing you can do is to be careful and ensure you clean the equipment and lens very regularly. Also, keeping all tapes in sealed glad bags is highly advisable.
The Sun
I didn’t know this, but the sun is very different in other parts of the world. I don’t know many reasons why, but to some degree I had to relearn very quickly how to shoot in these conditions. The polarizer also appeared to work differently. In most cases it wasn’t an issue, but it was noticeable and required slightly different technique to get the shots I was after.
You Only Get One Chance
This is one of main things I have learnt from doing this documentary. For example we went for a leisurely trip into town and I decided to not take my camera. On that trip there were some very impressive shots and we also ran into a high profile figure who gave a great testimony about the schools we were featuring in the documentary. If I had the camera I could have got this clip but although we had hoped to arrange to meet him again, this never happened. If there is the opportunity to film something, go for it as you may not have another chance and don’t know what may happen.
Conclusion
I know I have much more to learn and it is a never ending process. However I hope this article helps other doco makers in preparing and shooting their productions. To find out more about the doco I made, Cinderella Children, please visit www.cinderellachildren.com
