{"id":57975,"date":"2015-06-16T11:00:09","date_gmt":"2015-06-16T16:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=57975"},"modified":"2016-09-13T15:06:32","modified_gmt":"2016-09-13T20:06:32","slug":"filmmaking-tip-gear-for-a-one-man-documentary-crew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/filmmaking-tip-gear-for-a-one-man-documentary-crew\/","title":{"rendered":"Filmmaking Tip: Gear For a One Man Documentary Crew"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you find yourself forced\u00a0to go it alone, here’s\u00a0all the gear you\u2019ll need to get the job done as a one man documentary crew.<\/h2>\n

Being a documentary filmmaker<\/strong> can sometimes mean that you’re going at it alone. Often you\u2019ll have a small crew, but there will be times when you need an interview and everyone you know is booked. In those moments, you\u2019ll have to fly solo. This is a situation that many documentary filmmakers<\/strong> have found themselves in. But fret not, we\u2019ve got you covered. Here’s\u00a0the bare minimum gear<\/strong> that you\u2019ll need if you ever find yourself in this very situation.<\/p>\n

Camera Setup<\/h3>\n

When you have your subject ready for their interview, be sure to choose a camera loadout<\/strong> that’s simple enough for a one-man crew. No rigs or sliders \u2014 just a trusty ol’ tripod will suffice. By placing the camera on a tripod and setting your critical focus, you\u2019ll insure that you\u2019ve captured the best quality video.<\/strong> That is unless you have enough coin to drop on something like the Redrock Micro Motorized Slider<\/a>.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/vimeo.com\/63545139<\/p>\n

For any documentary film shoot, you really can’t go wrong with\u00a0a quality DSLR<\/strong>. On just about every single doc shoot<\/strong> that I’ve been on the ole reliable Canon 5D Mark III<\/strong> makes an appearance. In fact, I’ve used this camera on many occasions for my own documentaries. With that in mind, here is a simple loadout of what you’ll need. If you don’t have a Mark III then don’t worry, just insert the DSLR<\/strong> that you do have along with the corresponding gear.<\/p>\n

\"Gear
\nImage from Birdviewpicture<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Canon 5D Mark III (Body Only): $2,499.00<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Canon EF 24-70mm Zoom Lens: $1,899.00<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. CompactFlash 32GB Memory Card: $64.95<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Benro Aero 4 Tripod Kit: $259.00<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    As we said, using\u00a0a simple setup of a Canon 5D Mark III or other DSLR<\/strong>, along with a\u00a0quality zoom lens, should get you exactly what you need. Do primes look the best? Yes, but you’ll want simple flexibility and the zoom gives you that. Remember, you’re a one man crew and being able to zoom in and out to change the framing<\/strong> is much easier on you than having to reposition the camera and tripod.<\/p>\n

    Sound Setup<\/h3>\n

    So you have your camera setup, but now you need to ensure that you’re capturing the best quality audio.<\/strong> You should setup a\u00a0small shotgun mic<\/strong>\u00a0on the top of your DSLR. This way you can capture an overall audio tone, specifically room tone.<\/strong> However, for the actual interview audio, you’ll want to use a lavalier microphone<\/strong> setup. I like to use the Sennheiser wireless lav mic kit with a Zoom field recorder and Sennheiser headphones. But if you have comparable gear, use what you have. Here’s a sample load out of what you will need.<\/p>\n

    \"Gear
    \nImage from     Bigstock<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Zoom H6 Field Recorder: $399.99<\/a><\/li>\n
    2. Sennheiser Wireless Lavalier Mics: $629.95<\/a><\/li>\n
    3. Rode VideoMic: $106.99<\/a><\/li>\n
    4. Sennheiser HD 280 Pro Headphones: $99.95<\/a><\/li>\n
    5. SanDisk 32GB Ultra SDHC Card: $14.99<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      For a broader overview of what a pro documentary sound designer<\/strong> uses for gear, here is an awesome video from The Location Crew<\/a>. In this video, sound recordist Dean Miles<\/a> goes through his entire gear setup, which is quite impressive.<\/p>\n