If your rich uncle gave you 10k....

[trueindie]

If your rich uncle gave you $10k for you to buy yourself film and audio gear, and that's all you had to spend, and you had to start from scratch, what would you spend that money on?

I have no idea as I don't know all that much about gear. So I'm wondering what all the experts in this forum would buy.

Let's keep the budget between 10 and 15k. And let's limit equipment to Audio and Video (including lenses). Let's exclude computers, software, lighting etc, (unless you feel compelled to).

Yes, we can all dream
No, I don't have a rich uncle.

[don patterson]

What sort of specific projects are you going to use the 'film' (video?) & audio equipment for? What is your expected audience? How do you plan to distribute finished work? Lot of questions you need to ask yourself before you go any further...

[trueindie]

Originally Posted by don patterson

What sort of specific projects are you going to use the 'film' (video?) & audio equipment for? What is your expected audience? How do you plan to distribute finished work? Lot of questions you need to ask yourself before you go any further...

how do I intend to distribute finished work??? AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

You got me wrong brother . like The Artist said, I'm just dreaming out loud. Just thinking about equipment. And since I constantly buy this or that, I was just thinking what an ideal 'budget' setup would look like, that's all. Not much more than that.

I downloaded your script Don. I'm in about 10 pages. I intend to finish it. Looks good so far.

Equipment I currently own:

Two T2is
Lenses
canon 70-300 4-5.6
canon 50 1.4
tamron 17-55 2.8
Kiron 50-200 4 (not completely true. I bought this lens used for 60 bucks. The iris is stuck at 4 . It's just beautiful. But this glass is just fantastic. Awesome)

Audio
1 pair of Sennheiser G3 Lav (transmitter receiver)
2 pairs of Azden lavs (transmitters and receivers)
Tascam DR-100
zoom h1

Softbox lighting equipment from ebay. They work well in close quarters. But the fall off is pretty dramatic in a large room and doesn't really work all that well. (at least the ones I have)

plenty of rechargeable batteries (my pride and joy)

a lilliput 8" field monitor (just purchased, haven't really used it )

That's it I think.

I have my eye on this bad boy as my next significant purchase.... but I think it's going to be a while before I decide to get this..
http://www.kesslercrane.com/product-p/1001493.htm

So, as the man said, just thinking out loud on what an ideal gear setup would be for others. So I could figure out what I should sell and what I should buy or what I should dream about, that's all
Cheers.

[TheArtist]

He doesn't have 10k, he's just dreaming out loud

I know I'd buy a 5D and a few things that goes with it (filters, 3 or 4 lenses, stab) but I don't know much about sound to make a definitive shopping list.

[Alcove Audio]

It's going to be all audio gear; after all, you asked what I would buy...


Schoeps CMIT5U Shotgun - $2,200

Schoeps CMC6 Supercardioid Kit - $1,900

K-Tek KS-247 Boom Pole - $750

Rycote Blimp Kit - $650

Lectrosonics 100 Series Wireless - $1,200 x 3 = $3,600

Countryman B6 lavs - $310 x 3 = $930

Edirol/Roland R-4 Pro Recorder - $2,300

Sound Devices 302 Kit - $1,750

Cables & Misc. - $980

TOTAL - $15,000



Now, on to reality...

Here's my version of a passable low-budget production sound kit:

Marantz PMD-661 w/case

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

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

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

Audio-Technica AT-897 Shotgun Kit

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

Audio-Technica AT4053b Hypercardioid Microphone

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

You'll also need some nice headphones.

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


Add a few extra XLR cables, a good case for everything else and some insurance this totals under $2,500.




Add in the wireless:

Sennheiser G3 - $600 x 2 = $1,200

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

Countryman B6 - $330 x 2 = $660

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

Wireless accessories - $300

That's an additional $2,200 for a total of under $5,000.


I would probably substitute the Edirol/Roland R-4 for the PMD-661. That allows for two wireless plus the boomed mic to be recorded simultaneously on separate tracks and still keeps you around $5k.



Some of you will ask why the price for the Countryman B6 is different - the connector is different for Sennheiser and Lectrosonics wireless systems.




I'll leave the camera to those who know cameras.

[trueindie]

Originally Posted by Alcove Audio

It's going to be all audio gear; after all, you asked what I would buy...



TOTAL - $15,000

Holy mother of ....

Thanks for providing the cheaper version advice also. I need a rich uncle for both versions.
Aveek.

[Comikkaze]

Would it be bad to spite my uncle and buy myself my first car? I'm so close to getting my license . No I would definitely invest in a new camera, although I'd reasarch what I'd want, I would need to get a new computer. My current one is crappy

[trueindie]

Originally Posted by Comikkaze

Would it be bad to spite my uncle and buy myself my first car? I'm so close to getting my license . No I would definitely invest in a new camera, although I'd reasarch what I'd want, I would need to get a new computer. My current one is crappy

Hey, my first car cost me $1000. I drove it until I wrecked it. I should have been killed. The damn car saved my life. Don't spite your uncle . He's rich.

[TheArtist]

But why would you buy and not rent ?

Do you shoot that often ?!

[trueindie]

Originally Posted by TheArtist

But why would you buy and not rent ?

Do you shoot that often ?!

Honestly, I'm not an expert at anything. I'm teaching myself something everyday. To be even more honest, I find, that many of the "experts" who work with me, also don't always know what they're talking about.

I know this dude, who decided to 'trust' all the experts, and he shot a movie and spent a tidy sum renting a red camera. What happened was that nobody knew how to operate it. So there was a lot of learning on the job. So the red camera was paid for and the potential not fully realized.

So the lesson for me from this experience, was, "I don't need a red camera. But I need a semi-decent camera. But I need to be able to exploit its potential to the fullest. I can only do it by using it every chance I get."

I came to this realization also after doing the little shoots that I do. Everytime I do a shoot, some mistake, some setting not being checked prior to shoot, some absolutely dumb mistake, keeps popping up, EVERY time. So my checklist grows everytime I do a shoot, and the next one is always better than the last. But there are still mistakes.

Why do I want the Kessler dolly? Because I've used a dolly system only once and I'm not sure I'm an expert at renting and setting up and using it. I was lucky the last time, because my DP really knew what he was doing. But the Kessler Dolly system is cheap enough (It cost me $1200 to rent the dolly system last time for a DAY), where the money is worth it if I can teach myself continuously.

I don't know. I'm just trying to rationalize in my head why I want to buy it as I try to answer your question. I think buying makes more sense at this price level, because I can constantly fiddle around and learn. If I didn't own what I do, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't shoot the little amount that I do. At this moment it doesn't cost me anything to shoot other than feeding a few people, cause I already own my camera. .

Do I do enough shooting. I don't think so. I'd like to do more. But I don't think I'd shoot even the amount that I do, if I didn't own what I do. I don't know what to say. I just became sad writing this.

I need to shoot more
Aveek

[Kholi]

xD I would not buy gear with it. I'd find a way to turn 10K into 20K, then 20K into 40K.

Then, in a year maybe, when I've got 100K+ I'd go and make a few shorts for 10K a piece, then a feature for 60K.

xDDDDD But yeah, that wasn't the question right? uRrrrrRr Sorry.

[trueindie]

Originally Posted by Kholi

xD I would not buy gear with it. I'd find a way to turn 10K into 20K, then 20K into 40K.

Then, in a year maybe, when I've got 100K+ I'd go and make a few shorts for 10K a piece, then a feature for 60K.

xDDDDD But yeah, that wasn't the question right? uRrrrrRr Sorry.

This wasn't the question, but this is extremely interesting to me.

I shot a feature once. I showed it to somebody, and told her that I'd really like to remake it. She liked my movie a lot and said to me that she'd be willing to invest up to $10k, if I did re-shoot it. Needless to say that it made me very happy. I have 10K to put in also. So that brings it to 20k.

Now what? how do I make the 20k into 40k? How does that work? I don't know enough rich people with disposable income. Please Kholi, don't hold back. How do I make 20k into 40k??????
please, please, please...

[Kholi]

Originally Posted by trueindie

This wasn't the question, but this is extremely interesting to me.

I shot a feature once. I showed it to somebody, and told her that I'd really like to remake it. She liked my movie a lot and said to me that she'd be willing to invest up to $10k, if I did re-shoot it. Needless to say that it made me very happy. I have 10K to put in also. So that brings it to 20k.

Now what? how do I make the 20k into 40k? How does that work? I don't know enough rich people with disposable income. Please Kholi, don't hold back. How do I make 20k into 40k??????
please, please, please...

Lol I don't know any rich people either! I know a lot of people with great knowledge and experience if that counts?

Basically, I wouldn't do it with film: I would probably find something that I could invest in and sell for a nice overhead to multiply my dollars. Something with low risk and obvious gain like selling coffee?

[trueindie]

Originally Posted by Kholi

Lol I don't know any rich people either! I know a lot of people with great knowledge and experience if that counts?

Basically, I wouldn't do it with film: I would probably find something that I could invest in and sell for a nice overhead to multiply my dollars. Something with low risk and obvious gain like selling coffee?

So you really want to start your own starbucks???? damn filmmakers... they know way too much coffee

[Nate North]

Originally Posted by Kholi

xD I would not buy gear with it. I'd find a way to turn 10K into 20K, then 20K into 40K.

Then, in a year maybe, when I've got 100K+ I'd go and make a few shorts for 10K a piece, then a feature for 60K.
.

Hahaha Right answer!