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"If shooting where a camera may be forbidden, always have a blank tape ready. If authorities want to confiscate it, you can slip them the blank one."
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By Kenneth Macias
So
you want to make a travel documentary. Anyone these days can grab a
camera and shoot. To make a good documentary you should first think of
a few things:
-What is the story?
-Why is it important?
-Who are the characters?
-What is the character’s main goal?
-Who is the target audience?
Pre-Production: Planning your Documentary
You
must first think of all the practical issues of traveling with
equipment. You can spend $15,000 and buy the best camera, tripod,
light, and audio kit, but do you really want to be carrying that stuff
on your trip? Probably not. Be reasonable. What trip are you taking? Is
the main goal to have a good time, or to put together a great movie,
and how many people are going to help you with the production?
Once
you have decided exactly what you are planning to shoot, then you can
start looking for equipment. A full set of entry-level equipment should
cost between $2,000 and $5,000, depending on quality and amount.
Cameras
If
you plan to use a camera that you already have, check to see if it is a
3ccd. Most standard camcorders are only 1ccd, the image quality is not
as good, and it will only be capable of taking home-video quality
footage. If buying a new camera, get an HD (High Definition) camera. Here are four HD cameras worth looking into:
-Canon XH A1 Possibly the best option, everything you could want at a reasonable price. $3,500
-Sony HVR- Z1U Very similar to the Canon at the same price point. $3,500
-Sony HVR- A1U The HVR- Z1U’s little brother, cheaper and more compact. $2,000
-JVC Everio GZHD7 The smallest and cheapest of the four. No XLR inputs. $1,200
Do your own research to find out what camera best suits your needs and desires.
Tripod
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Good article, and especially helpful for thos novices wishing to get into filmmaking. I've often wanted to shoot something while travelling but moving about with all the equipment has usually been enough to keep me away. I'll have to look into it in the future with some less expensive/lighter gear.
If you are looking into getting less expensive and light gear, go with the JVC everio or the Sony HVR A1U, get a small tripod (Velbon 607 videomate - $70), and maybe a small light and mic. It will be very compact (except for the tripod it all can fit into any small backpack.
Hey there, nice article. A buddy and I recently put together our first travel/music documentary, you may have read about it here - http://matadortravel.com/travel-writing/colombia/music-art/40th-vallenato-festival
and while we are receiving relative interest from the parties involved...former President Samper singing drunk on camera, disgraced politicians showing their human side and so on, we are having a tought time of it getting comments or interest from the "industry" so to speak.
Do you have any tips?
any reply is greatly appreciated.
richard
The best thing to do is have a completed edit, and then send it to whoever may be interested in it. You can just email a link connecting it or send an actual dvd. But, if it is your first project, and not on broadcast quality camera/audio, etc. Then a realistic goal is for you to use it as a calling card for your next project. Use the completed version to be a resume in order to get funding for your next great project.
good luck
ken
I hit send before I finished-- also wanted to mention that folks who live in NYC or who have the flexibility of schedule to be there can take advantage of documentary filmmaking classes at DCTV, which has an impressive menu of workshops, intensives, and resources. DCTV also offers equipment rentals.
Also in NYC is Tekserve, which is Mecca for Mac users. Tekserve also offers rentals and seminars and workshops in their store.
Resources
www.dctvny.org
www.tekserve.com
Thanks for this article; I always appreciate nuts-and-bolts pieces. Do you have any links you can share to your own work?
Also, just wanted to mention for others who are interested in the subject that I found the book Making Documentary Films and Reality Videos: A Practical Guide to Planning, Filming, and Editing Documentaries of Real Events by Barry Hampe to be helpful (though not up to date re equipment).