David Peterson
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Posts posted by David Peterson
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8 hours ago, AJ Young said:
Ha! I wouldn't call my GH4 "camera package" a real package. Sure, it can do the job and definitely punches above its weight, but I wouldn't consider it the in real sense.
What's in the rest of your "camera package" aside from the GH4?
8 hours ago, AJ Young said:I'm always tempted to upgrade, of course, but I've really never had the need to upgrade yet. I've been able to get by borrowing fellow DP's slightly better but just as cheap "camera packages" for when I don't believe my camera is enough for the project.
Ah yes, of course, if you've got the connections to borrow for free/cheaply a range of other options be it a BMPCC4K or an F5, that does help put off further ever needing to buy your own!8 hours ago, AJ Young said:Buying a camera on your own solely depends on what you can afford. How much can you afford to spend? How much can you afford to take a job for? Some people can manage bringing their fully kitted out Alexa package for $300/day. I'm not one of them. ?
$300/day *and* throwing in an a free Alexa? That's crazy, hope you're meaning an older Classic and not a new Mini?8 hours ago, AJ Young said:Oh, it's tedious and at some point this is a job that your agent is supposed to do with clients you get through the agency.
"supposed to"? I guess they don't in general
Strongly doubt I'll ever have an agent, but have been thinking it is well past time I join up with a crewing agency. However, with the severe recession we're now in, I think I'll give that a pass for now to save the money.
8 hours ago, AJ Young said:However, majority of my work has been through networking in all forms; the one I explained is just one way of doing it. Social media is definitely a way to network; in fact this list is just an easy way to remember who I haven't talked to in a while! ?
Indeed, remembering back to who I haven't been in touch with for a while is a good strong point! Guessing you can sort your Excel Spreadsheet to be ordered in terms of when you last contacted them? -
4 hours ago, Robin R Probyn said:
Im glad the fs7 claimed such a massive market share as it saved the arse of all the f5 owners like myself !
Why are you glad? Thought most F5 owners were upset the FS7 undercut them? Or do you think the immense popularity of the FS7 helped extend the lifetime of the old F5 to longer than usual?
4 hours ago, Robin R Probyn said:as you are a sound recordist I dont know why you just dont go out and buy a Venice from cash you will find down the seat of your Bentley ?
Ha! No, we struggle too.
Plus I still care about ROI, and spending any more than a few thousand dollars for something (camera work) which I only do a handful of times a year means I'd have a very very poor ROI indeed in the end -
Cheers. Your Tascam DR60Dmk2 is not too bad for zero budget films, but definitely think about getting a Zoom F4/F6 or MixPre with a Tentacle or two sometime in your future.
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Absolutely amazing, you got an insane bargain of an ARRI Alexa for only US$3.5K in 2019! A bit lucky too that it has been a workhorse without any problems popping up?
Fingers crossed I can find (and afford!) in 2020 an Alexa for the same price! -
An "Arri Alexa Plus Extreme" doesn't officially exist.
Nothing exists on Google (aside from this thread).
https://www.newsshooter.com/2018/02/02/a-look-back-at-the-history-of-the-arri-alexa/
Newsshooter makes no mention of it either, in their look back at the history of the ALEXA -
For the OP: get the Zoom H1n (and wind protection), if you're sure you'll never need anything more than that.
For everyone else, have a read of this:
http://ironfilm.co.nz/which-sound-recorder-to-buy-a-guide-to-various-indie-priced-sound-recorders-in-2017/
On 12/10/2019 at 3:08 AM, Dan Hasson said:Unfortunately I have not had a huge amount of experience with other recorders to comment on comparisons to the Zoom H4N Pro. But the sound mixers/boom ops I work with on set (when I AD, not my own stuff) have all said the Zoom H4N Pro is one of the best handheld audio recorders out there for small/amateur/semi-professional work.
Nope.
1) the H4n Pro is not even close to the best handheld recorder there is
2) additionally, you should not ever get any handheld recorder for semi professional work! Especially not in 2020. Get instead any Zoom F series, or MixPre series, recorder. (or heck, even a secondhand Sound Devices 633 / 664 / 788T / Zaxcom Maxx / Nomad, which are now VERY CHEAP on eBay!)-
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On 2/25/2020 at 3:32 AM, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:
Ugh! That's got so so so many issues with it, I could be here all day.
Yet another clueless "writer/journalist" who knows nothing about production sound who is attempting to write about it.
Even my out of date blog post from 2017 about what indie sound recorder to buy has better content of relevance.-
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On 2/25/2020 at 3:30 AM, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:
When the sound man holds the boom pole do they use any supports if they can get by with holding boom chest level or is it usually overhead?
No. You just simply use your arms!
(welllll... there is one rare niche exceptions, there is a product which is kinda like the Tilta Armour Man but for holding a boom pole rather than a camera. But practically speaking, this has 99% of the time more negatives than positives. Maybe if the Sound Department got treated like the Camera Department gets treated, then we might see greater usage of it)
On 2/25/2020 at 6:41 AM, Adam Froehlich said:I use these + C-Stand for interviews and smaller one-man-band type things when I don't have a sound guy: https://www.amazon.com/Neewer-Microphone-Boompole-Support-Holder/dp/B00YEEDJF6/
This is definitely great! Interviews is a common example of where I use this, but even fairly simple intervews might mean I need to abandon this approach, for example if it is someone who shirts around and rocks back and forth a lot in their chair then you really should be holding your boom in your hands to follow them as they move.On 2/25/2020 at 3:30 AM, Daniel D. Teoli Jr. said:If overhead the must get tired on long takes with arms overhead.
Yes!
But we have a few tricks up our sleeves that helps:
1) technique (yes, your boom technique matters! The angle your arms are at, how you grip your pole, they way you stand on your feet, many little minor differences make up your technique and do matter!)
2) training, keep yourself fit!
3) good equipment (a high quality pole will be better than a cheap & heavy Rode Alu boom pole!)
4) just simply grimace and bare it, hoping that the 1st AD will be calling out "cut" soon!
I once did an interview out in the wilderness that'd we flown then hiked to (no C Stand with us!) which was an entire HOUR of me with my boom pole at full extension with a blimp & dead cat at the end! No breaks. Just did it nonstop, as that was how they rolled. Not going to lie, that was tough! But I did it.
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iZotope RX7 is by far the industry standard for repairs / noise reduction. (along with CEDAR, but that's waaaaay outside your price range)
You can now and then find RX on sale.
There are three versions: RX Elements, RX Standard, RX Advanced.
RX Elements is of course the cheapest, dirt cheap even!
https://www.izotope.com/en/products/rx/pricing-options.html -
On 8/5/2019 at 5:07 AM, jacob larsen said:
I'm really torn about that idea
Just don't list anything in the credits which you did but isn't relevant to where you want to go.
For instance:
You did recording and post sound for your film yourself? GREAT!
But for the love of god, if you don't want a career in sound then do NOT put your name as "the production sound mixer / dialogue editor / composer / etc etc"! Nooooo
Much much better to leave those job roles empty.
Pick the role(s) you want to focus on for your future career, a max of two roles, or maaaybe three, then for the rest of the roles they're better off being empty than having your name there! -
It's also fine to show up with a DSLR if you're merely on a scouting trip!
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On 2/16/2020 at 12:26 PM, AJ Young said:
- LA/NYC is a notoriously competitive market for DP's. There are so many of us here. There are those, like me, who don't own a camera package and shoot with what the production can afford. There are those who own an expensive camera package and shoot a lot more for a lot bigger budgets. There are those who are somewhere in the middle.
Ah, I was about to say I assume/hope the "LA indie DoP rate of $300/day" is labour only and NOT including the gear package!
Guess it must be labour only, as you don't own a gear package.
However..... you then say:On 2/16/2020 at 12:26 PM, AJ Young said:- Should you own a camera? Yes, but get the one you can afford. My mantra is that if a production can't afford to rent an Alexa, then they'll get my GH4. I want productions to hire me because of my expertise, not my cheap Alexa rental.
So you do own a "camera package", but just merely an old GH4.
With how dirt cheap but good cameras are getting, are you tempted to upgrade? If not upgrading to the likes of an URSA Mini / Sony FS7 (bet we'll see secondhand FS7 prices hit $2.5K before the end of the year! And Alexa Classics will go for $5K) then perhaps a BMPCC4K?
As a BMPCC4K is dirt cheap enough you can at least not feel too bad about giving away a Pocket 4K package "for free" because they couldn't rent an ARRI.
While the BMPCC4K will help you at least get prettier looking footage for your showreel than the GH4, which could help pay off in the long run.On 2/16/2020 at 12:26 PM, AJ Young said:-
I'm actively trying to meet new filmmakers all the time. On a good day, I try to make 3 new connections. The internet, particularly social media, has made it easier to meet more people. I have an excel sheet of everyone I interacted with who became a new connection. This sheet has when we last spoke, what we talked about, how we met, and who introduced us. This sheet takes time to fill out and is tedious, but allows me to keep track of everyone I've made a genuine connection with.
- It's difficult to maintain quality relationships with friends, imagine trying to maintain professional relationships with 150 (and growing) people.
- If you keep this sheet updated, it gets easy to manage.
Wow. Just WOW!
That's amazing dedication, seriously next level approach to taking networking seriously. I'm nowhere near that level of professionalism in terms of my networking. I'm just merely "active on social media". -
On 1/31/2020 at 6:33 PM, Andrew Ko said:
Times may be different
Times are very different!
Not many (non-IT) industries have changed as much as the film/photography industry has in only the 29yrs since David Mullen graduated!
Heck, even people who graduated just 10yrs ago lived in an extremely different environment to someone who graduates this year or next. Those people graduating now, don't have all the same pathways open to them that someone a decade (or 20 or 30 plus years) ago had. (on the flip side, they're spoiled with riches of options that someone ten or twenty years ago didn't have! There was no Netflix then, no YouTube, no affordable raw shooting cameras, no LED technology, no powerful VFX programs for your home PC, etc etc)On 2/3/2020 at 4:48 AM, Andrew Ko said:I guess what I mean by "medium-high level productions" would be anything with an AD. In other words, nothing like small corporate videos that you would make with a DSLR where you do every job including editing.
That doesn't sound like a good definition?
Even no budget amateur ish productions by film students can have an "AD"On 2/5/2020 at 1:27 AM, Phil Connolly said:Either get trainee/assisting work and move up. Work for a equipment rental company
Working as a trainee at a rental company is a very good tip! Gets you lots of hands on experiencing becoming familiar at least at a basic level with a wide range of gear, but also you are building up your network meeting lots of working professional crews who are coming into the rental house. -
On 1/31/2020 at 4:52 PM, Andrew Ko said:
- Join the local camera union, and work as an 2nd/1st AC for 10+ years until one day you get thrown a bone to work as a cinematographer.
Reality is even worse than you think, before you can get regular full rate work as a 2nd AC, you need to get experience as a 3rd AC / trainee.
And you can't exclusively focus on grinding your way up the camera department's ladder to becoming a 1st AC and ignore your development as a DoP.
So while you're focused on your bread and butter AC work, you still need to squeeze in indie work as a DoP whenever you can on top of your regular work.There is also a very similar but different path (which I reckon is arguably the better path): do exactly the same, but grinding your way up the Lighting Department instead.
Start out as a trainee, move up to LX Assist, then keep on working and working (all while keeping up indie work as a DoP on the side) at it until you're an established Gaffer, then attempt to make the leap back across to the camera department as a pro DoP
On 1/31/2020 at 4:52 PM, Andrew Ko said:- Do something else for a living for 5+ years until you acquire $40,000+ to start with your first camera package, then sell yourself with that.
Once again, reality is even worse than this!
$40K would only scratch the surface when it comes to getting a complete Arri Mini kit (once you count tripod, lenses, monitor, etc etc).
And even if you have an Arri Mini kit, nobody is hiring you at full rate if you haven't proven yourself! You need that track record and show reel first.
So this is what the path really looks:
You work night shifts as a security guard / bar tender / etc so you can scrape together the five thousand dollars a comprehensive Panasonic GH5 kit costs, all while shooting during the day anything and everything anybody will let you shoot! (and if you get paid too, that's a bonus!) Maybe you even shoot a "big" project during this with your GH5, such as a web series or an indie feature film.
You've now after a few years, grown and build up your network that you get your steady flow of work from, and have scraped together the money for a Sony FS7 and an improved/expanded camera package.
Perhaps you shoot another low budget feature or two with your FS7, plus lots of short films. Hopefully you're also doing a steady stream of corporate / adverts / reality / etc shoots with your FS7 so you can give up your night job and get some sleep now!
Now a few more years pass by.... that's then when you get that Arri Mini package! (or rather, more likely, the new Arri Mini S35 4K which hasn't even been officially announced yet)
Which path is best?? I really don't know. Depends a lot on the person as well!
But either route will require a lot of hard workOn 1/31/2020 at 4:52 PM, Andrew Ko said:But the thing is, both of these paths seem rather unreasonable. I've worked on sets as an electric/camera trainee and I've seen fairly young cinematographers just out of film schools doing shoots for music videos and the like. Are these all rich heirs to cash that have managed to get themselves an ALEXA mini?
Do you know they own the Mini themselves? You'd be surprised/saddened by how many young aspiring "DoPs" are happy to shoot a music video (or short film) for free if it means they get to use an Arri Mini. (so that is where the music video's budget goes, to hiring a Mini instead of paying the DoP) -
On 3/28/2020 at 4:26 PM, Chris Burke said:
Any HD video recorder or deck with HD-SDI input or HDMI input will do.
No, the F3 doesn't output 10bit over HDMI.
You must get an SDI recorder.On 3/28/2020 at 4:26 PM, Chris Burke said:Not sure what trouble you are having with the ninja assasin.
That's because it is an HMDI recorder.
Even though I own an F3, and I'm a big fan of my camera, I'm not so keen in strongly recommending the F3 to newbies starting out.
There are too many "gotchas" or hidden costs / hassles, which even if you know about, you might not still fully appreciate the magnitude of it until you get the F3 into your hands and start working with it.
They're better off getting a Panasonic G85 or an OG BMPCC -
On 11/20/2019 at 5:32 AM, David Pettet said:
My budget is £600 GBP... and I want it to shoot beautifully but also be able to get the hang of quickly and good for a beginner. I’ve heard about the Panasonic G7 but anted to get so,e more feedback before I actually buy!
Buy secondhand and you can get the Panasonic G85! The IBIS is a really nice improvement (plus much more such as live HDMI, and bit better low light, etc)
Panasonic is crushing it for any camera that is sub $1K, you can get a Panasonic G9 for instance for a bit more with 4K 10bit internal! Even the legendary Panasonic GH5 can be found secondhand for around that price.
Looking then at the $1K ish to $2K price bracket I'd say:
BMPCC4K / Z Cam E2 / Panasonic S1 / Nikon Z6 are your top choices in these price bracket.
(or look at a secondhand Sony FS5 / FS700 / F3)
However if you're doing low budget corporate shoots, I'd probably still pick the likes of a Panasonic GH5/G9 over a BMPCC4K
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Did a detailed DIY instruction manual ever become available to follow?
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On 11/7/2019 at 12:52 PM, Max Field said:
Would be very fun with my Digiprimes.
If I had a set of Digiprimes then I'd be looking into buying either a Sony F23 or an URSA Mini B4 camera.
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Did you get yourself a refund in the end?
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On 12/26/2019 at 2:44 PM, Jan Tore Soerensen said:
You don't want stabilization for handheld work, you want to make the camera as heavy as possible to get the shot naturally stable. Digital stabilization looks artificial.
You hang a V Mount battery off the back! -
On 11/4/2019 at 10:17 AM, Harshad V. Gaikwad said:
Being fairly new to the industry
As you're new to the industry, don't buy either!!
Get yourself a secondhand Sony FS7mk1 for a song, as little as US$3K ish. (or an FS5mk1 for even less!) That will serve you much better as a business investment while you find your feet as a newbie pro.
Or heck, get a BMPCC4K even! -
On 10/19/2019 at 8:30 AM, Martin Klabus said:
How problematic is the difference between 8-bit and 10-bit color (do I absolutely need an external recorder for a6500?)
Any external recorder will not give you 10bit recordings from any Sony mirrorless camera
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On 3/18/2020 at 10:32 AM, Harry Masson said:
Hello is this still up for sale?
I'll be surprised if it is! Was listed for sale nearly a year ago, and for only US$3.5K too!!!
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On 3/22/2020 at 12:32 PM, Harry Masson said:
Hey thanks Rick, but thats quite overbudget.
I agree, those prices seem to be waaaaaaaaaay too high for an Arri Alexa Plus
There are ones on this very site selling for easily half that price, or even nearly a third of that price!
Low budget sound equipment
in Sound
Posted · Edited by David Peterson
Definitely, if you're not making any money from sound then don't spend money on it! And the Tascam DR60D can serve you just fine.
Although if you're being paid as a videographer, to shoot a lot of content with a DSLR/mirrorless then I'd *very* highly recommend an upgrade to a Sound Devices MixPre3. As it would just make your life so much more pleasant, and you're doing enough content to justify the improved quality too.
Or if you're a director, shooting entire feature films / documentaries, and needing to rely upon sound guys without their own gear (although, that's a big red warning flag!) then I'd highly highly recommend getting a Zoom F4 or F8/F8n
As the leap from a Tascam DR60Dmk2 to a Zoom F8n is a very small increase in costs, but it is like going from a Canon 60D to a Panasonic EVA1, it is not just simply a leap forward in quality of image, but also a very very big leap forward in features / design / ergonomics / etc!
The initial original Zoom F8 was for location sound like the Canon 5Dmk2 / Panasonic GH1 was! Revolutionizing what is possible with very teeny tiny budgets.
This has had quite an impact on the prices of secondhand professional equipment as well, due to the pressures from low budget gear, it is now extremely affordable to pick up a secondhand Sound Devices 633/664/788T or Zaxcom Nomad/Maxx from eBay
That's great! I too have no debt, and never ever borrowed money (aside from student debt, which in my country has a 0% interest rate, so not such a big deal)