Your Camera DOESN'T Suck! Here's What You Need
Being a filmmaker or any kind of artist is a lot of things but one thing it can be is expensive!
Whether it’s a new set of brushes, a new midi-board, or in my case a new camera.
artist that easily fall into the trap of putting the creation on hold while waiting to have better tools.
we forget that these thing at the end of the day are just that: TOOL
When the pandemic first started, I had JUST got into the film union here in Toronto and was really excited to start working on set, I was excited to meet people, to collaborate, to riff with others on story ideas, aaaaaaaaaand none of that was happening.
So I directed the efforts inwardly. I taught myself all this creative software, read books on screenwriting, and wrote a short film “Apartment Tour”. BUT I also went down the rabbit hole of camera and gear review websites. It felt like every other month a new camera was coming out and I got sucked into resolution, dynamic range, video bitrates, codecs...all the while feeling like this camera that I have is getting more and more obsolete by the second.
Look at these lighting set ups used to achieve these on camera looks. The truth is, in film, once you have lighting set properly, you can actually capture stunning images with any camera. Camera is not lighting.
Film is a collaborative medium. You cannot do it all by yourself. Trapped inside and not being able to see anyone, I was very creatively isolated. And I started to blame my camera. Somehow I thought, if I just had a better camera, I would be creating more and better stuff.
And this is not a bad camera. It is 6 years old yes - but it can produce amazing photos and videos.
The thing about filmmaking is that it is a story based medium. Ultimately what really matters is the story I’m telling, not whether you see both the highlights and shadows of my image at the same time.
As a budget indie filmmaker, a new camera that shoots higher resolution or higher framerates will have a very marginal impact on my films. A better camera won’t make your film “cinematic”.
Look at these lighting set ups used to achieve these on camera looks. The truth is, in film, once you have lighting set properly, you can actually capture stunning images with any camera. Camera is not lighting.
A nice camera isn’t a great performance, it doesn’t make your composition better, your soundtrack more captivating, or your story more compelling. A camera doesn’t make a film more “cinematic”.
The short film I wrote would cost me around 6-8 thousand dollars. This would cover everything from paying actors, crew, and post production. This sounds like a lot of money and it is. But I’m recording this video right now with a camera and lens kit that cost almost 2 thousand dollars. If I spent that money on the camera and skimped on actors, crew, or lighting, “Apartment Tour” would most likely be a terrible movie.
What it comes down to is do you need a new camera or do you just want one? Shiny new toys are my favorite. But just like Gimbal that I though I was gonna be using on every project, the appeal lasts about two weeks then the expensive new toy just sits on a shelf collecting dust.
The instrument is not the artist. Your camera isn’t your movie. To be better filmmaker and artist, invest time and effort into learning your craft. This is a slow drudging process the rewards of which are never as immediate or as gratifying as clicking the checkout button. Once I accepted, I learned to love my camera and enjoy the craft with a curiosity and ease and more money in my pocket.
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My Gear:
Main Camera: https://amzn.to/3MKiNeb
Microphone: https://amzn.to/3tvnSjP
Tripod: https://amzn.to/39iEdS3
Cage: https://amzn.to/3xpMiMu
Monitor: https://amzn.to/3xqXEA9
Camera Bag: https://amzn.to/3tuTbLt