Photography has never been more open to newcomers, with technology that was out of most people’s price range a few years ago now being available at far more affordable levels. One of the biggest recent innovations in photography is that most cameras now come with the option to film really high quality video too. With many of the popular entry level and semi-professional DSLR cameras from the last few years you can actually film in proper 1080i full-frame video;achieving amazing results.
Want To Make A Film?
All you really need to make a film is an idea, a camera and (in most cases) an actor or two. DSLR film-making is a very popular trend at the moment, as these cameras that were made for still images also manage to capture really nice video footage. Even when using the standard (kit) lens on one of the cheaper entry-level cameras you can film shots with incredible detail and beautiful depth of field. If you ever fancied making your own movie – just get out there and do it. Here’s a few tips for other kit that could help you make the next low-budget surprise summer hit.
Lenses
Start with one of the popular entry-level Canon cameras such as the 550D that gives you the option of using a number of additional lenses. The basic lens the camera comes with is absolutely fine to use, but a cheap zoom lens and a reasonable wide-angle lens will allow you to create all sorts of interesting additional images. If you are really pushed for budget you can even get vintage lenses that will fit the Canon camera body. Vintage lenses can be bought online for pretty good prices and are also the sort of thing you’ll find in places like thrift stores and even boot-sales.
Sound Options
These types of DSLR cameras do record sound, but it’s not amazing. It’s perfectly fine for filming regular things, but if you want to try and get “film quality” sound you’ll need an additional microphone. You can actually pick these up from very reasonable prices. The cheap ones are fine for a fun movie project, though obviously you’ll notice the difference when compared to the top of the range. These microphones can be clipped to the top of the camera then plugged in to the mic jack. This will give you much better audio.
Video Tripods
For video purposes the main thing you need to look for in any tripod is that it has a fluid-head. This means that when you move the camera around on the tripod you get smooth motion that looks good on film. Regular still-camera tripods don’t always have a fluid-head as it doesn’t matter for still photos, so it’s something you need to look out for.
So what are you waiting for? Come up with a cunning short script, get your friends on board and make sure your camera batteries are charged up. Let’s get making films!
