Documentary Film Gear: What You Need
You don’t need van-loads of equipment to make a documentary. People all over the world are making pro-quality feature-length films out of their backpacks for relatively little cost.
I’ve been working in India as a cameraman, filming for a project that will trace the length of The Ganges River. It’s a light and fast operation. We have two directors, a translator, and only the gear we can fit in our backpacks. Last week we were filming up in the Himalayas in below- freezing temperatures. We’re in Haridwar now, shopping for a rickshaw to pedal down to Kanpur, and it’s 85 degrees and humid. We need to be ready for anything, and able to capture everything.
Basically, all you really need are a couple low-profile, light-weight cameras that can shoot 1080x1920p HD video, and the audio hook-ups to bring the video to life.
Here are the essentials:
- 1 Canon EOS 5D Mark II with an EF 24-105mm lens and LCDVF Viewfinder (The SLR body makes this a great undercover-camera. You just look like another tourist snapping stills, but you’re really shooting 1080x1920p HD video. The eyepiece is key for maintaining the focus, which is often a bit tricky.)
- 1 Panasonic AG-HMC40P Video Camera (Simple to use with awesome auto functions. It’s light, and shoots 1080x1920p. Best of all: it’s relatively cheap.)
- 2 GoPro Helmet HERO HD Cameras and waterproof casings (I’m in love with these little guys. They shoot surprisingly good video in well-lighted situations, and you can huck ‘em down a class V rapid and not worry about it!)
- 1 13” MacBook Pro with Final Cut Studio 2 (It’s great to be able to review your footage in the field. Final Cut allows us to even edit short videos to update our blog as we go along.)
- 1 BeachTek XLR-Mini adapter (Key for attaching pro-audio to cams with only mini-inputs)
- Spare Batteries
- 1 UV Filter (To protect the lens, mostly)
- 1 Polarizing Filter (To capture true-color while shooting outside, it’s worth the $55)
- 5 Class 10 16GB SanDisk Flash Cards
- 2 Terabyte Lacie Hard Drives (One is just a clone for redundancy)
- 2 Sennheiser Shotgun Microphones (Perfect for run-and gun shooting.)
- 2 Sennheiser Wireless Microphones (Because sometimes you just don’t want to hear what’s going on in the background.)
- 1 pair of Sennheiser Headphones (A must for any cameraman serious about quality audio.)
Dave Costello is a former Outside Intern. Follow his crew's blog here. You can also check out his photo- gallery on Climbing In Yosemite at Outside Online.
Comments
Great article and I assume you're not sponsored by the brands you've noted. I am still a but frazzed in regard to sound. You use remote wireless mic, I am wondering what receiver you are using to get the sound from the wireless mic recorded back to camera? Sorry if the question is dumb, but this has been a huge challenge for me, recording good sound. I Guide people in the Himalayas and sea kayak so, the sound issue is always complex.
Flag ThisKeep up the good work fellas, can't wait to see your next film.
Flag ThisThat's not a dumb question at all, Chris (And no, we're not sponsored by any of the companies mentioned--I wish). I'm using mid-price Sennheiser Receivers. Here's the link to them on B&H's website: (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/649984-REG/Sennheiser_EW122PG3_G_EW122_p_G3_Camera_Mount.html). The most important thing I can recommend with sound is to use good headphones, and actually listen to the levels while you're recording. It makes all the difference. Thanks for reading the blog, Chris, and good luck out there!
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