Hello all! I am in the process of starting up a video production company, and with so many options regarding equipment I would like to see what you guys/girls recommend before I spend my hard earned cash.

I would also like to know how you guys set up your business. Did you lease equipment cause you could write it off at the end of the year as opposed to buying it straight out and not being able to write it off? Is there anything I should know regarding setting up this business that would save money?

I've assembled a gear list and would like to have your opinion if you think it is right for me. On the selfish side I want to shoot documentary's, Feature films, and travel stuff (so travel friendly is a concern). And on the more realistic side I will be shooting Corporate videos/weddings/training vids and the like. If you could let me know what you think of the gear and have any brand suggestions, I'd love to hear it from you! I want this stuff to last for many years, so quality is a factor. I'm looking to get a Red One Look on an EX1 budget. Thanks, Trent


Gear List and approx Budget in Canadian $:

Sony Ex1 -------------------------------------------- 9000 (do you recommend ex3?)
Matte Box kit 1000

Detachable Video Light -------------------------------- 700
Shotgun Microphone w/ Wind Cover 750

camera bag and accessories -------------------------- 1000
Polarizing Filter and netural density 9 gradualted filter 300

Adjustable tripod (hold letus and lenses) -------------- 2000 (miller ds20) ???
light kit 2500 (Lowel) ???

lavelier mic------------------------------------------- 1000
digital stills camera slr -------------------------------- 1000 (Nikon d90 body)

rails for ex1 and letus 1000
32 gb sxs card --------------------------------------- 2000
Chest-Mounted Glidecam 2000

Macbook Pro ( big editing screen --------------------- 6000
external HD 5 tb 1000

Leuts elite ------------------------------------------ 2000 (is ult. a better invstmnt?)
50 mm lense nikon 600 (to be used with d90 & ex1)
85 mm lense nikon ----------------------------------- 800 (to be used with d90 & ex1)
zoom lens 800 (to be used with d90 & ex1)
Underwater housing (for slr) ------------------------- 1500 (to be used with the d90)

Grand total $36950

So that is what I have so far. Am I missing anything? What brands/makes do you recommend? thanks.

Just wondering, $37K is a lot to drop for most people in this economy.
Especially when media budgets are declining. Do you have any established clients?

With regard to leasing or purchasing equipment, it would be best to discus that with your accountant.

Did you lease equipment cause you could write it off at the end of the year as opposed to buying it straight out and not being able to write it off?

I think you need to talk to an accountant. I CERTAINLY write off my equipment against earnings and it is all purchased outright.

You are right - getting an account is going to be one of the first things I need to do.

I do have clients lined up and also I am optimistic about getting even more clients. I'm not to scared about the economy - Regarding the budget: I figured 40 grand was a standard for getting into competitive video production and what I want to do privately.

Any suggestions on equipment that would fit in nicely with that set-up? Anybody have any experience with the Miller tripod with letus and ex1 on it?
thanks for your reply's

I do have clients lined up and also I am optimistic about getting even more clients. I'm not to scared about the economy - Regarding the budget: I figured 40 grand was a standard for getting into competitive video production and what I want to do privately.


Being optimistic, and actually having clients, are two very different things. Without clients and income this is just a very expensive hobby without a tax write-off.

You figured 40 grand was a standard for getting into competitive video production?
How did you figure that?
Have you done a market survey to see what services are needed, and what gear is needed to provide those services?
Have you even put together a business plan?
How do you propose to pay $40K for the gear on your list?

How do you support yourself now?

Being optimistic, and actually having clients, are two very different things. Without clients and income this is just a very expensive hobby without a tax write-off.

You figured 40 grand was a standard for getting into competitive video production?
How did you figure that?
Have you done a market survey to see what services are needed, and what gear is needed to provide those services?
Have you even put together a business plan?
How do you propose to pay $40K for the gear on your list?

How do you support yourself now?


David, You are smart to question me, as getting over my head would be a very bad mistake. I have done extensive research and posses a very indepth business plan. I have 20 grand in contracts lined up for corporate work prior to any purchase of any equipment. I have a degree in Film Production so I am not going into video production blind - although the technology has vastly improved since I graduated in 2003. As of now I own a Painting and Renovation company to support myself, and the purchase of any equipment. Also I will be still managing and taking an income from that company as I start this new venture. I've been in business for myself for several years and am not worried about making even more sales, because that is one of my strong suits - proven in my Reno business and obtaining pre sales in Film Production before I have even gotten it off the ground. Thank you again for your concern.

Now in Regards to my equipment that I would like to purchase, do you have any suggestions on it as I am a little out of date on what is the best products? thanks in advance.

The only one who knows what you should purchase would be you.

What you buy depends upon what you will be shooting.

You list looks fine. This seems like an expensive business, but in reality, most "normal" business get loans for a lot more to start ventures.

Camera, tripod, mics, editing system & a good production monitor are the most important.

You can rent lights and stands as needed or buy later.

You can rent lights and stands as needed or buy later.

I don't disagree but I do believe that a BASIC three point light kit (if interviews and such are an integral part of your business model) is nearly a must, especially if you live in a centre with few rental houses. This allows for last minute shoots (a fair bit of my business) without having to hit the rental house first and hope they have a complete kit available. Something as simple as 3 Lowel Prolights with barn doors and stands and gels COULD fit this bill for under $1000. Throw in one umbrella if budget allows.

I haul my Lowel kit (5 prolights and a Rifa softbox) to most gigs that are indoors JUST IN CASE. Sometimes I leave the kit in the vehicle. I also have a 25w on camera Anton Bauer UltraLight2 (with dichroic and wide angle diffuser), also JUST IN CASE.

I absolutely LOVE to spend other people's money vicariously. But I think you're heading down the wrong path - you're listing no-budget indie gear, not pro stuff you can make a living with.

I would forget the matte box, Glidecam, rails and Letus for the moment and spend much more on audio.

I'd also budget for gaffer/grip gear - c-stands, weight bags, booms, flags, scrims, cucs, etc, which add up really fast. You'll also need to spend 2x more on lights if you want to do commercial work.

The camera is perhaps the last thing you should buy. I know shooters at the high end who don't own cameras. They rent. The client dictates what format you shoot and there are a zillion formats out there - you can't own them all.

Your list shows you need some more experience... I'd buy as little as possible at first and get some jobs under your belt with less gear so you know what's important.

Spend your money in this order: first on quality audio gear - preferably by hiring a pro audio guy - but if none are available where you are, get Lectro wireless, Sound Devices mixer, mkh416 shotgun, tram or countryman lavs. Second, a good tripod. Then get lights - a Lowel Rifa Pro kit for run-n-gun travel; for commercial work, get Arri fresnels and Kino divas. With what little's left, get a travel camera but count on renting real cameras for real jobs.

And remember, it's a craft you learn by doing. Get out there and shoot with what you've got now.

Bingo! Thanks Chuck!

I have 20 grand in contracts lined up for corporate work prior to any purchase of any equipment.

You don't really need a great equipment list if you can pull this off with no experience, no company, and no gear. You could just hire someone with experience to do the job well and be the sales guy for awhile. Once you have generated $30K in sales and learned all that you can from the experienced production person, then buy the gear, that way there is no risk. Good sales people are much harder to find than good production people, in my experience. You should play to your existing strength.

That said, if the gear addiction has its hooks in you already, it is too late. My recommendation would be to buy as much of this stuff used, instead of new, as you can. There is a lot of great lightly used gear for sale here, much of it is stuff that is on your list or very similar to what is on your list. You can save thousands - just ask the seller if they're equipped to send along an invoice, and you can still write it off, and not have to put up as much money up front, thereby lessening the risk.

Hi there,

If you're shooting tapeless then you need a more robust storage plan. I would
strongly recommend RAID storage, which will be an issue with your Macbook pro
set up, as you'll be limited to firewire raid.

This is something that most people seem to under-estimate, but it can really come
back to bite you in the butt. Redundancy is absolutely crucial without any sort of
tape back up. There also doesn't seem to be an archival system in place - I would
suggest that you look into getting a blu-ray writer to archive older footage. This
cost can be billed into all your upcoming jobs.

Good luck with your new venture,

Sandeep.

I have 20 grand in contracts lined up for corporate work prior to any purchase of any equipment.

Now in Regards to my equipment that I would like to purchase, do you have any suggestions on it as I am a little out of date on what is the best products? thanks in advance.

Sorry I hate to sound like a jerk, but being blunt, I find it hard to believe that you have $20K in corporate contracts lined up without having a production company, or a way to produce a product for said clients for that matter.
And for a corporation to need video services performed, but to say... Lets hold off on producing this $20K video we need until this guy who owns a Painting and Renovation company buys some video production gear with the advice he gets from an internet forum is preposterous.

In regards to your equipment selection.... I thought you said you had a business plan put together?

How could you bid on $20K worth of work without knowing what gear you will need to complete said projects?


In my honest opinion... Put that $40K back into your painting and renovation company.
Which is a service people are more likely to use in this economy.
Rather than the dwindling video production field.

Hi there,

If you're shooting tapeless then you need a more robust storage plan. I would
strongly recommend RAID storage, which will be an issue with your Macbook pro
set up, as you'll be limited to firewire raid.

Sandeep.

Sorry, but you are mistaken about being limited to a firewire raid when using a MacBook Pro.
I use a SATA raid with my MBP all the time.

Thanks for the correction David. I'd like to get one for myself now!

Sandeep.

Thanks for the reply's all. This is the information I want as I want to make as an informed decision as I can.

[David: My clients for film production are also my clients from my reno business. 20 thousand is a drop in the bucket to these guys. They aren't "holding off" on any production, they didn't even think about doing it in the first place until I sold them on it. They will proceed whenever I tell them they fit into my schedule. They aren't even investing in a film - they are investing in me.

The BP is based on the gear list budget I have submitted in this forum. If I can get members in the film community to give me advice based on their experience, I think that is a fantastic opportunity. Maybe my money is better spent elsewhere. (note: I am really just concentrating on the camera, lights,tripod, MAC and sound right now ---when it comes time I want to expand and do more things like shorts and doc's movies whatever - that's when the rest comes into play (letus, lenses, etc)

In regards to this field dwindling - Its not. You have to work harder to sell your service and set yourself apart from the other guys and also make first contact. I've never been the sit and wait to see if someone will call me kind of guy. I hussle to get every job. It's the difference between having a hobby business and producing an income.

You can ask yourself why it is that you are just as talented as the next guy - but the other guy gets far more jobs and makes 10x what you make... that isn't luck...It's because they are more hungry. You can't blame that on the economy - you have to blame that on yourself.]

Thanks for the reply's guys, keep them coming - im looking into that RAID storage now... What do you guys think of the RODE mic?

Trent, some of your original list, like the letus & rails, has a very 'specific' use. As a corporate shooter, I might want shallow depth of field, but rarely. It's really more something used in dramatic features.
Corporate video usually is shot quicker because your 'locations' are often other people's places of work and you are interrupting their space. Or you are interviewing an executive and he is taking time out of his busy schedule for this. Not a lot of time for adjusting extra lenses and hardware when your exec is stumbling, take after take.

I agree that c-stands, a roll of nd gel, flags, sandbags are always a good investment, assuming you have a crew. The EX-1, a good audio kit and lighting kit are good choices as well. But you might want to rent some of this gear, get a feel for how you like working with it before you buy. Rent for at least a couple of productions, crewing with people you will hopefully work with in the future and get a feel for what you might need and/or want in the future. (i.e., are you doing lots of outside work or inside, is it interview heavy, do you most often light large or small interiors, are your locations going to be noisy and does that matter, how quick will your shooting need to happen and will you have quick or more leisurely turnaround times for posting, will you need to have lots of grafx/motion grafx to compliment your live footage...?

This kind of experience can help you focus your choices quite a bit. And if you don't have to buy this stuff tomorrow, put a couple productions under your belt with rental gear, then go to NAB which is coming up soon, and ask about and play with the gear. That could help a lot.

Trent,
I love your enthusiasm and I think that it will pay off for you. You dont have to always do things by the book in order to succeed. You mentioned that your client is investing in you and not just the project. This tells me that you have good people skills which can frequently take you much further than just skill alone. I wish you MUCH success.

I know this is a slightly older thread, was just wondering if there was an update on how the business worked out?

I'm also looking at getting a production company off the ground right now and this thread came up in a top search on google.

The only advice I'd throw in is to always buy used because you will need to stretch every dollar you can.

I know some folks just love their Macs (nothing wrong with that), but I just couldn't see spending 6 grand for one, when I could build a 4 CPU, 16 core beast of a PC for less.

Well, THAT got my attention. Can you share what motherboard supports the multiple processors? This is a new one on me...worth looking into! thanks /Battle Vaughan /miamiherald.com video team

Server motherboards like Supermicro support multiple processors.

They often use Intel Xeon chips.

This type of setup will be my next rig once Windows 7 comes out and I have some more mileage on my current setup.

All of the processors, loads of ram, 64 bit OS and a SSD boot drive will make a great editing machine and will cost well under $6,000.

Trent, please update us on your progress...

This is an example of a board you can put 4 quad core Opterons on:

Newegg.com - TYAN S4985G3NR Thunder n4250QE Quad 1207(F) NVIDIA nForce4 Professional 2200 + 2050 SSI MEB footprint Four AMD Opteron (Rev. F) 8000 series (dual/quad-core) processors Server Motherboard - Server Motherboa (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813151085)

Throw 4 of these in there (essentially Phenom IIs), and you're probably still under 6 grand for the system (they do have some lower cost quad Opterons also):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103666

Here's how I got my start:

I wanted to do car and corporate videos because I felt my existing network could give me access to potential clients, so I went and bought a Canon XHA1, a new MAC desktop, lav, lights, backdrops, and a few hand held HDV cameras for car mounting and b-roll.

I spent a bunch on software, filters, plugins and support graphics packages for FCP. I bought a Steadicam and Jib. I continuously add equipment wherever possible and have networked with other videographers to get them working and filming with me.

I stayed up late at nights, often all night, learning the software, practicing, learning the equipment, reading the manuals. It took 2 years to get me comfortable and I still have much to learn.

That got me started.

I did a series called Bikini Driving School on spec. Those monies got me more equipment....and paid my bills. I was still working a regular job in support of my side business.

I landed a contract doing videos for a corporate client which was exclusively interviews at their place of business.

Quit my day job.

All the while, I continued to do car videos and build up my library of footage. Every time I went on vacation, I built my library.

This paid off when I started landing automotive clients to do THEIR corporate video.

On each new job, I always set aside a small portion to add new equipment, be it a hard drive, software, etc.

I still have to work on the cheap. My in-office interview videos net bring in about $1000-$2000 filmed, edited, released to web.

My car videos are about the same.

My more elaborate car videos (for DVD) are bringing me about $3000, but some of this goes back to other videographers I hire to help me shoot.

When the bigger jobs come, I rent equipment with about 15% of my profits set aside to buy more equipment.

I will probably never be a big production house, but I make a living doing what I love.

Living in So Calif is expensive, but there's a good roster of potential business.

I do this full time now and hope to continue to grow my business, so I have great respect for anyone who does the same.

Best of luck in your startup.

Great to hear of your growth Craig.

I wanted to ask what you mean by "car videos".

Are you driving or shooting the car?

Hey all,

That mother/board is pretty impressive.. only $500 for a 4 cpu quad core.. question tho, is it really a good video editing board.. or more of a server board? Meaning, if I built a dual-cpu system with 32GB ram and good matrox/nvidia card, would 2 extra cpus on my editing machine using this board be faster? I am curious if the FSB, the memory speed, and all that will be as fast as a dual-cpu setup or not. I also ask because most of the editing workstations I've seen are either quad-core or 2-cpu quad-core setups. Never really seen one with 4-cpus in it, so I wonder why that is? My guess is that the bandwidth on the m/b is less geared towards video editing and such and more towards the server market. I don't honestly know why there would be much difference.

Incidentally..Craig.. I am impressed, and jealous at the same time. I wish I could find a way to get into this business. I think it takes not only knowledge of how to shoot video and edit it, but marketing/salesmaneship that at least I don't possess. I wouldn't know how to sell my service to someone to hire me for a video shoot.. and even if I could, having not yet done one I don't know how to set one up. Do you just go in with your camera (say your first couple gigs), maybe a soft-box light or two, a tripod, and film. Then go home, edit and present the results? I am curious how the first couple of clients work out, what they may expect, did you ever go in and someone was like "That's all you brought.. what are you a beginner..". Those kinds of things would be good to hear from you guys.

Hey Kevin,

I would like to know the same. I have a single processor right now (Intel Quad-core) and the system edits fine but is a little bogged down when I have multiple cameras and such.

When Windows 7 appears in October I plan to update the motherboard & processors but don't know how much to go for - two for four processors.

My only concern is heat buildup and noise to keep it cool as I have enjoyed how quite and cool my current system is.

Regarding the business. I think finding a need or filling a niche is the best way to make work for yourself. I really think of it as making your own work as there are not that many people who will just hire you enough to make a living.

Be creative, confident of your abilities and go hit the pavement.

A friend of mine used to say, nobody else will market your services.

It is true. It does take some guts.

I've never built a multiple CPU computer, and I don't plan on it anytime soon. Multi-CPU machines certainly have uses, but cost effectiveness (in terms of number crunching power per dollar) is just a whale of a lot lower than with single (quad core) CPU computers. Unless you have deep pockets (a lot deeper than mine) and/or a very compelling need for better performance than an i7 975 can give you, it doesn't make much sense to build a 4 (quad core) CPU system. Realize that a single i7 975, for about $1000, can give you roughly twice (probably a little more) the performance (for H.264 encoding), per core, that a "cheap" $1000 Opteron can.

Memory speed makes almost no real world difference for codec performance as far as I can tell. I've tested cutting memory speed in half, with a number of codecs, and found no significant difference in speed. As long as a server board has enough expansion slots for a video card, firewire card, etc. (most don't), it's probably okay for desktop use (although not really designed for it). You do need an OS that will support the (physical) number of CPUs on the board though. I don't think Windows XP will support more than two (physical) CPUs. I don't know if Windows 7 will or not.

While natural talent certainly doesn't hurt, marketing and sales skills are quite learnable. Knowledge and practice will take you much further than natural talent ever will. There are some good professional training courses out there. There are also a lot of excellent books on the subject. Harvey Mackay's "Swim with the Sharks" is one that comes to mind. I'd also suggest "Magic in Practice" (by Richard Bandler and John Grinder). It's not specifically written as a sales and marketing book (and likely nothing like anything you've read before - unless you've studied NLP), but if you lock onto the concepts, you'll have gained knowledge that is profoundly useful in marketing and sales (among other things).

Hi, my name is charlie. I started a corporate video production company up in 2005.

My advice here would be to not purchase anything at all. Hire it all in when you need it.

Develop good relationships with

We have been able to stay one of the most competitively priced video production companies in london, without owning anything.

here is my video production company,
Dragonfly Productions UK ? Corporate Video Production London (http://www.dragonflyproductions.co.uk)

often, video production freelancers come with gear too!

good luck with it!