Equipment and Props

The main piece of equipment for making a video is probably the camera. The standard cameras available in school is the Nikon DSLR. When it comes to taking stills (pictures) on this camera, I already have experience with last years coursework in media. I had to take a vast amount of photos all with different settings, lighting, and models. 

A standard Nikon SLR will be the camera used to take the shots; for the ancillary photos and any other included photos. Time wise, the photos can be done in a few hours and even on the same day, however i will have to be careful with natural light and the hours they are available for any outdoor shots, all the photos have to vary and i wouldn't want any photos the same or used more than once.

Many tutorials are available online, some of which we have already discussed and evaluated on this blog. However I went searching for a tutorial online that actually shows the operations of the camera

and different effects. I found on Youtube a series of videos showing you everything about the Nikon, the good thing about these tutorials is there are a series, not just one.

The tutorial starts here with number one; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptiTruEXkGk

The first video in the series takes you right back to the basics like how to take your first photo, and how to move on to the more advanced modes. The next video looks at the manual and semi manual modes to give you better creative control over your camera, how to adjust the shutter speed and aperture settings. The third and last shows advanced settings and where you would use them. These tutorials could be handy when shooting my own video and taking photos for the ancillary tasks because it covers the entire spectrum of basic camera and advanced camera skills.

Go Pros are the worlds most 'versatile cameras' and can offer us a range of possibilities. They are waterproof, can sustain high impact and can shoot in slow-motion. Go pros are also very small and easy to carry. These cameras could enable us to shoot a range of shots that previously were very difficult with regular cameras. The effects could also mean that we offer more of a range of techniques that will make our finished project look professional and just well shot.

Holly owns a Gopro and they are also available from school, moreover Holly and i have both had experience working with the camera and the software so we do not need to start from the basics.

I own several guitars and other instruments so we will always have access to those. Holly has a recording study (see locations) at her home equipped with drum kit, microphone stands and a sound board. All the instruments would be advantageous to us as they're probably the most important props we need. 

A Dolly are carts mounted on a track which the camera is then attached too. The cart will move along the track and the shot will be gotten when its in motion. The Dolly shot is also sometime referred to as a tracking shot or trucking shot. Typically the doll shot moves along horizontally but in some cases cranes can be added to the dolly for extra height and movement. Dollys do not always have to follow a track, if they didn't it would allow a far greater range of movement. The dollys we have access to in school don't all have tracks, we have one with wheels also. When we tried out the dolly with wheel it was quite difficult to keep straight and smooth so more practice will have to be done before using it to film anything.

Tripods are very simple yet effective equipment and it will always be handy. The tripod allows steady images or film and can reduce unwanted blurring. However this isn't the only use for a tripod, they can not only hold cameras but also camcorders or reflectors. When taking close up shots it is critical that the camera is very steady as even the slightest movement can effect the quality of the image. However using a tripod can noticeably reduce camera movement.

If you are taking stills of something that is moving then a tripod can make it much easier. If your subject is moving then a tripod makes panning more smooth and fluid so following the movement would be much more effective.

The tripod can also be used in other ways. Retracting one leg on the standard tripod turns it into a 'bi-pod'. This bipod allows smooth shots that can either zoom in or out of a subject and still look incredibly smooth. The bipod technique is similar to the steady cam apparatus so could be an effective replacement if a steady cam isn't available.  http 

the video above teaches you the bipod technique and shows you examples of what it looks like. This is where i found the technique.