I need help... Shooting a Club Promotaional Video at DVinfo.net

John Ryan Robinson · August 24th, 2009, 11:26 AM

A week from today I will be shooting an R&B/Soul performance in a Washington, D.C. club. The club will be dark of course and I’m pretty sure they will have speakers. I am taping the performance for promotion. With that being said, I will have someone hosting the piece and possibly going around the club before the performance asking people there opinion of the club’s ambiance and environment.

Let me get to the point:

I own a DVX 100B. I have the original battery, the charger dock, and the camera. I would like to rent a lighting source, wireless mic, and a battery back-up for the day.

Here are my questions:

What type of portable lighting source would be best for a club scene, given the limited amount of power I’d have?
What type of wireless microphone can I use in a club scene to pick up only the host and not a lot of the background audio? (What type of power source would it use?)
What type of back-up battery can I purchase or rent that will be strong enough to last 3 hours with the light sources used above as well as the audio source?
I know it’s a lot but I want to be sure to do a great job on this project so I can continue to do business with this person. I appreciate any advice you can assist me with.

THANKS!

Chris Soucy · August 26th, 2009, 03:21 AM

Just so you get an answer (of sorts)...........

I keep re - reading your post and thinking to myself, there, but for the grace of God, go I.

However, I was lucky.

I was taught/ learnt pretty early on to look at what was proposed, in light of my knowledge and experience, and decide in that light whether to tackle a problem or give it a swerve.

The other thing I developed was a "if you can't do it properly, don't do it at all" mentality which has resulted in me being a total perfectionist. Which makes me quite a pain in the whatsits to a lot of people.

You, obviously, haven't and aren't.

Give this one a swerve mate, just a friendly bit of advice.

There is nothing I can impart at this late stage that can save you from disaster should you wish to embark on such a project.

You wanna do this good?

Hire a professional and go schmooze the talent while they do the work.

Just my 2 cents.

CS

Oren Arieli · August 26th, 2009, 10:37 AM

I've got to second that opinion. Hire a local shooter with all the necessary gear. You'll probably pay less than the rental of such equipment for his expertise/time/equipment. Become the producer, or add value by shooting 2nd camera B-roll. Even if you get the necessary gear before next week, you won't have time to learn it properly, and I doubt the end product will make anyone happy. Sorry if this isn't the news you wanted to hear.

Troy Williams · November 21st, 2009, 12:35 PM

I would not consider this job with the information you provided for your equipment. I am located in Chesapeake, Va and can offer some assistance if needed....

August 24th, 2009, 11:26 AM	#1
John Ryan Robinson Tourist Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Posts: 1	I need help... Shooting a Club Promotaional Video A week from today I will be shooting an R&B/Soul performance in a Washington, D.C. club. The club will be dark of course and I’m pretty sure they will have speakers. I am taping the performance for promotion. With that being said, I will have someone hosting the piece and possibly going around the club before the performance asking people there opinion of the club’s ambiance and environment. Let me get to the point: I own a DVX 100B. I have the original battery, the charger dock, and the camera. I would like to rent a lighting source, wireless mic, and a battery back-up for the day. Here are my questions: What type of portable lighting source would be best for a club scene, given the limited amount of power I’d have? What type of wireless microphone can I use in a club scene to pick up only the host and not a lot of the background audio? (What type of power source would it use?) What type of back-up battery can I purchase or rent that will be strong enough to last 3 hours with the light sources used above as well as the audio source? I know it’s a lot but I want to be sure to do a great job on this project so I can continue to do business with this person. I appreciate any advice you can assist me with. THANKS!

August 26th, 2009, 03:21 AM	#2
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,689 Images: 18	Hi John............. Just so you get an answer (of sorts)........... I keep re - reading your post and thinking to myself, there, but for the grace of God, go I. However, I was lucky. I was taught/ learnt pretty early on to look at what was proposed, in light of my knowledge and experience, and decide in that light whether to tackle a problem or give it a swerve. The other thing I developed was a "if you can't do it properly, don't do it at all" mentality which has resulted in me being a total perfectionist. Which makes me quite a pain in the whatsits to a lot of people. You, obviously, haven't and aren't. Give this one a swerve mate, just a friendly bit of advice. There is nothing I can impart at this late stage that can save you from disaster should you wish to embark on such a project. You wanna do this good? Hire a professional and go schmooze the talent while they do the work. Just my 2 cents. CS

August 26th, 2009, 10:37 AM	#3
Oren Arieli Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: San Jose, California Posts: 919	I've got to second that opinion. Hire a local shooter with all the necessary gear. You'll probably pay less than the rental of such equipment for his expertise/time/equipment. Become the producer, or add value by shooting 2nd camera B-roll. Even if you get the necessary gear before next week, you won't have time to learn it properly, and I doubt the end product will make anyone happy. Sorry if this isn't the news you wanted to hear.

November 21st, 2009, 12:35 PM	#4
Troy Williams New Boot Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia Posts: 20	I would not consider this job with the information you provided for your equipment. I am located in Chesapeake, Va and can offer some assistance if needed....