Lighting and Cameras
- Specialist film lighting is very expensive to buy and hire. It may be more economical to buy lighting from a large DIY store
- Don't be afraid of shooting in low light. Some DV cameras can produce excellent results with minimal lighting, ie down to one or two candles. Play to your strengths, and if the story requires night shooting, the results shouldn't disappoint
- Natural light looks... natural. It produces realistic results and generally will out-perform artificial light. Only use artificial light when it is relevant/necessary
- It is unlikely that you will need filters and they should therefore only be used as a last resort. Colour correction in the edit gives you significantly more accuracy and flexibility
- All equipment and locations need to be tested thoroughly. It is a good idea to have the editor present at these test shoots and for him to provide feedback on these test results
- You should be aiming to buy or hire semi-professional digital cameras as an absolute minimum. These cost in the £3-6,000 range and we achieved excellent results with the Sony Z1
- There are very good arguments for shooting in high definition. You need to carefully consider the pros and cons and a factor may be whether your edit suite has the necessary software to edit HD recordings
- A first-time director will be going through a huge learning curve and have a number of important new things to deal with. It is therefore crucial that you have an excellent cinematographer who really believes in the project
- Time spent work-shopping is invaluable. Your cinematographer must feel comfortable with the camera and have tested it thoroughly
- You will almost certainly be recording the sound directly onto the camera. It therefore helps a lot if the cameraman and sound recordist get on at a personal level as well as being experienced in their fields
- You will need a professional photographer as great still shots can be used for so many things, eg your website, general PR, attracting new cast and crew to the project, giving a clear indication when testing the look and feel of your movie, etc.
- Consider buying lighting from a builder's merchant
- Many modern DV cameras produce amazing results in low light
- Natural light is great - use it wherever possible
- To filter or not to filter?
- Test all your equipment/locations thoroughly before the shoot
- Don't go lower than DV cam or Beta cam. Hire the best camera your budget will allow
- HD or no HD?
- Nothing pays off as well as a cameraman with experience, enthusiasm and true vision
- Give the cameraman plenty of time to play with the actual camera you will be using
- The cameraman and sound recordist are a key team. Make sure they work well together
- Stills, stills, stills
