Solo Documentary and Volunteer Setup - Help Please

[Len Capristo]

Hello -

I'm a solo producer with a 30 minute weekly show on public access TV. The studio provides lots of toys - FCP, camcorders to borrow for shooting, some audio setups, etc. Problem is getting it when you want/need it.

I am trying to create a "wish list" that will allow me to purchase what I need for these functions: (1) documentary shooting - little time for setup, often not possible to scout site prior to shooting, no chance for retakes, natural lighting only; (2) volunteer work with local groups - church setup, filming from 30+ feet to speaker, pulling sound from mixing board, or interviewing various people, using my own equipment; (3) general "fun" shooting - taking various classes and gathering footage as I work toward a Certificate in Documentary Studies at Duke University (highly recommended - great teachers, meets at night); (4) convert video to DVD for final delivery along with coding for iPod, .WMV and QT formats, along with dedicated audio files for ACC and MP3 coding.

I moved up to a XH-A1 from a Panasonic GV-150 (fine camera for the money) and house it in a Portabrace PD-2550 hard case. What I want to get is: (1) Litepanels on camera light (not sure if the MiniPlus or Micro is the best choice): (2) Libec Tripod - heard great things about the 38M, but I'm not sure if the XH-A1 is too light for that platform - Libec suggests a heavier camera to 11 pounds may work better, the Libec 22 supposedly uses a less fluid head, so I'm trying to get the 38; (3) Merlin Steadicam - Again, not sure if this is the right size for the camera. Seems that the Merlin site puts the upper weight limit at 5 pounds, with a light that may be pushing it, but I won't use the light all the time: (4) Sennheiser G2 Evolution wireless lav and on board receiver - again, concerned about weight with Merlin: (5) miscellaneous things -- reflectors to bounce light where needed, works without electricity, important for some of my shooting; Canon Console - seems to provide a lot of control over the camera, but not viable for OS-X on the Mac, so I have to install Windows using Boot Camp, not a major problem but HDD space is tight as it is; Potentially upgrading HDD on MacBook Pro, but Apple doesn't support this and I lose my warranty.

I also use a Rode Videomic and find it provides very good sound for my needs, I hope to pair it with the lav, getting ambient sound on the Videomic, and direct sound on the Sennheiser, problem is that the Videomic is a shotgun, and doesn't get full ambiance.

Another area is editing. I have FC Studio 6, just upgraded from FCExpress. With HDV I wanted more robust editing. I use a MacBook Pro (first Intel dual core chip) and have 256MB video ram and 2 GB system ram (that's all I can fit). Problem is that the HDD is only 100GB, too tight for me to load the full FC Suite and have room for other things. I have an external HDD, 250GB from OWC, works well but can't use it in the field without power.

My budget is limited, and I don't sell any of my work so there is no income potential to offset the costs. On the other hand, I want the right tools for the jobs I want to perform, and I feel that I need to make an investment.

Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Thanks in advance.

[Robert M Wright]

You might consider getting an Azden SGM-2X. It's an economical mic that has interchangeable barrels, and can be setup as either an omni or a supercardioid (basically two mics in one):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...dioid_Mic.html

I'm a little confused about the documentary shooting. Are you saying that for the documentary shooting you will not be able to use an on board light (even if you get one)?

[Andrew McMillan]

The merlin's not gona hold unless you have strong arms.

[Len Capristo]

Thanks for the info. I can use on on camera light, but often can't setup with other lights for documentary shooting.

I was afraid that the Merlin wouldn't take the weight of the XH-A1, is there an alternative?

[Robert M Wright]

I don't know if it would make sense, dollar wise to you, but you might consider a used VX2100 for really dim lighting situations where you have no time for setup and/or on board lighting wouldn't be adequate with an A1. I've seen some VX2100s sell for close to $1K lately. Used JVC DV500Us (three 1/2" CCDs) are getting pretty cheap too (often under $2K nowadays).

Are you looking for Glidecam like performance, or simply better stability when shooting handheld? A DVMultiRig Pro can work pretty well for improving handheld stability (and reducing strain while shooting handheld).

[Bill Koehler]

Originally Posted by Len Capristo

Problem is that the HDD is only 100GB, too tight for me to load the full FC Suite and have room for other things. I have an external HDD, 250GB from OWC, works well but can't use it in the field without power.

May I suggest something like the Western Digital Passport series of external drives. They take power directly from the USB cable, so power in the field shouldn't be a problem.

[Robert M Wright]

Another option, for portable mass storage, might be to get a big and fast CF or SDHC card (or a few) and reader/writer. They are getting really cheap.