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Home Studio Setup with Scarlet & Final Cut

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PipeDreamer

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To all the folks knowledgeable in digital film making:
I am planning to setup a little home studio as a hobby besides my day time job. I am an absolute beginner.

I just bought Apple Macbook Pro and Final Cut 2. I am playing around with this at this point. I was going to buy an HVX200 and a synthesizer keyboard to make the studio complete.

As I was comparing HV200 with other cameras, Red Scarlet came to my attention. I read through most of the threads but I still cannot say for sure if I need the 2/3 complete kit or the 2/3 brain and other lenses.

I plan to shoot few short films, a pilot for a tv series and hopefully a no budget feature. All the writing is complete. I need guidance on how to configure the camera. I am not even sure how many lenses I need. My budget is $5,000 just for the camera.

In addition, if someone can tell what else I need to make the studio complete. I plan to make a green room in my basement.

:)

Thanks in advance
 
There is more than one Scarlet.

The Fixed (which is in the complete Kit) doesn't need any Lenses at all.
The Cinema needs 2/3" Lenses or 16mm Lenses. Some, like five or six at least.
Then there is a the S35 Scarlet that features a bigger Sensor and can use a lot of DSLR Lenses.
The last is the FF35 which needs full Frame 35mm Lenses.

If your Budget is $5000 only the first one are in your budget. And you need some knowledge which Lenses to buy.

My Tip: Get the Fixed Kit, which should feature anything you need to start filming and buy some things like a Tripod, Mattebox and Filters for the rest of the Money.

At least that's the Way I do it with my $10,000 Budget (I get two kits to be able to build a 3d Cam also)
 
Thanks

Thanks

:thumbsup:Thanks for your response.

The complete kit is only $3,700 but the problem is that the lens is fixed and we cannot use any another lens. I am assuming that I would need more than one lens to make something interesting. I was hoping to get a few lens options along with the 2/3 brain plus I have the option of replacing the brain in the future. I was hoping to spend $2,500 on the brain and remaining on the accessories.

Please let me know if this makes sense. As I mentioned earlier, I am new to cameras and lenses. I don't have an idea how much the 6 miniRed prime lenses are going to cost.
 
The lens is fixed to the camera, but it will be a zoom lens. You'll still get a decent amount of different shooting options with it.

I agree with GP... Get some lights, and never underestimate how important good sound is. On a budget that low, it's more important to have sound that isn't distracting, than a perfect picture all the time...

Just my 2¢...

Best of luck!
 
Well. the Fixed Lens has a Zoom Lens which should give you mild Wides to some decent tele.

If you get the Cinema Brain you'll need to get some things besides the Lenses, which will be at least $750 (Difference between Fixed Brain and the Kit) but probably more. Don't know what the Lenses cost, but if you buy new ones you'll be over your Budget anyhow imho. Maybe someone else can jump in and give you some info about 2/3" Lenses.

And remember that you need to change the Lenses everytime you want to change to a wider or more tele look. If you, like me, do all by yourself this can really eat time. On the fixed you just adjust the Lens and are ready to go. And when you want extremes there will be adapters for that.
 
Stephen Gentle said:
Art is more about how you use the tools that what tools you have.
Click to expand...

Right. But if it were a 50mm Lens and no Zoom Lens the things you could do with it would be a bit limiting. But it's not. It's a Zoomlens.

Of course you can make beautiful Art with just one Lens, but it is limiting.
 
Thanks everyone for taking your time to address my concerns.

I plan to do all the backgrouned work from writing to editing the footage.

I will go with the fixed lens. I did not realize that I will have to keep changing the lens with the other ones. I also did not realize there are adapters for extreme cases. I have used camcorders with the fixed zoom lens. I will search web on limitations of zoom lens and what adapters are available. If anyone has a link, please share.

Regarding sound, I agree we cannot have a distracting noise. I plan to do dubbing all the way. If I try to do too many things, I am afraid I will fail.
 
PipeDreamer said:
If I try to do too many things, I am afraid I will fail.
Click to expand...

Yes you will.

Have the Problem now with my Feature filmed last year. Sound is terrible. Unfortunately I can not dub it as some of the actors have moved away.

I did all the Stuff myself to and you should really search for someone, maybe another filmmaker to assist you. You can assist him when he films stuff. There is too much to look at if you`re alone.
 
Pipe,

I know your situation, it was VERY similar to mine a few years ago in that I have a setup to shoot, edit, and write music, lock stock the f***ing lot... so I'll relate what my recommendations are.

I love your plan for self sufficiency, when you're starting out, there are 2 great reasons to do as much of the work as you can get away with.

1. You're hard pressed to find anyone else who'll do it... why would they. Your friends and family will help out on a shoot... but all the pre production tasks... the producing, directing etc... and then all the post work such as editing and music and such will be your work to do.

2. reason one aint such a bad thing afterall. Making a dozen short films where you have to do so many of the different jobs yourself is an amazing street-film-school for you. You have to realise that people are paying MANY thousands of dollars to go to filmschool where the tuition they get is not far superior to what you can learn by watching a bunch of DVDs (and special features and commentaries of course), reading a few books on low-no budget filmmaking and screenwriting (my recommendations follow), and then just getting out there and producing stuff. Most of the really big time directors started out making short films on whatever equipment they had... with the friends and family. These include my favourites Robert Rodriguez, Peter Jackson, and Steven Spielberg. By the time they were good enough to get paid to do what they do, they'd spent time doing what you're about to start doing.

Producing films from scratch and engaging yourself in all the jobs teaches you a lot about all the jobs... everything from writing to costume to sound effects editing. It's awesome fun.



Now how does that affect what camera to choose?

Well... like myself... you should go for something light, portable, flexible, and uncomplicated. There are several reasons for this... but the main reason is this:

You're a beginner.

This sets you in a different category than many of the people on this forum who are anything from professional journeymen to long time veterans and people whose names are suffixed "ASC".

So like me, what you need in a camera is something that is going to capture everything you put in front of it, but not get in your way while you're developing and stretching your storytelling muscles.

In a word. Simple.

So obviously the fixed lens 2/3" Scarlet is what you need. Get the package... a few CF cards, and a spare battery.

Why not interchangable lenses? Well at your stage of storytelling skill and cinematograpy skill you will get the same level of results with the fixed lens scarlet or the 65mm Monstro with $200000 worth of lenses.

I sincerely don't mean that to be insulting, it's a fact of life that I have lived through (partially, I'm still living through it).

Let me give you an example. I was at work one night (night shift at a TV station monitoring the broadcasts) and my colleague brought in his new AVCHD camcorder and his PC laptop to get me to sort out Premiere to handle AVCHD... we did that... then decided to shoot something.

Now between the two of us, with this camera, we shot a little short film "at the speed of thought" as Robert Rodriguez would put it... and I edited it on his laptop, and the whole production was complete in 3 1/2 hours. It was awesome fun and an opportunity to do a piece of storytelling.

Now if we'd been messing around with a more complex camera it would have been impossible as we had to use our 1 hour meal break to shoot the whole thing.

So we ran around with the handycam, came up with a shot... shot it (mostly 1 take) and moved on.

it was very creative and fun...and only possible if the equipment side is kept simple. Once you've made 20-30 short films and they're starting to get REALLY good... you can start bringing more complex gear and more crew etc etc on board.

but trust me when I tell you that not only do you NOT NEED all that gear and crew at the beginning of your development... they'll actually slow you down.

Another bonus is that using a small discrete camera that you can handhold fairly steadily will allow you to shoot in public with a minimum of interference. and with no tripod you won't even need permission (on public land)

Also, small cameras allow you to explore the fun world of DIY grip... such as homemade dolly and jip projects. It is possible to make a fairly good workable jib for a small, light camera whereas doing the same for a 100 pound rig is at best a bad idea... and at worst dangerous.



So yeah...sorry for the epic post... just thought I'd share my thoughts. Grab Logic Pro for your Mac as well as the instruments are supposedly really good. I'm hoping to grab it myeslf soon. I've already got the MIDI keyboard (and how, it's a gorgeous clavinova digital piano from my piano days)


So there you are. I cannot emphasise enough how someone in your position needs to be able to come up with an idea, put it together, and shoot it. If you take the more complex route, and it takes you 6 months to make each short film you do... then you'll be disappointed with the results, and worse, your skills will develop MUCH too slowly. if you have powerful but flexible tools at your fingertips allowing you to shoot a film at any time, even on a whim, then your skills will develop much faster, and I dare say the results will be more satisfying in the meantime.

Good luck.





List of book and DVD special feature recommendations:

Books
Rebel without a crew - Robert Rodriguez
Story - Robert Mckee
anything by Syd Field (I have "the difinitive guide to screenwriting")
Save the Cat - Blake Snyder
The DV Rebel's Guide by Stu Maschwitz

DVDs with cool special features and commentaries

The Mariachi Trilogy by Robert Rodriguez is outstanding for low-no budget filmmakers to watch for methodology of getting production value as cheap as possible

to see how the big boys do things there are amazingly detailed BTS docos on:

The Lord of the rings 4 disk special edition DVDs
KING KONG (2005) 2 disk special edition
King Kong (2005) production diaries (sold separately from above but excellent)
The Matrix 10 disk box set has LOTS of great BTS docos and some extremely interesting commentaries with film critics talking about what is wrong with the sequels (quite a lot)
The star wars prequels are not excellent films, but DO have excellent special features.
The Pirates of the carribean 2 disk special editions are flush with great special features. That looked like a tough but fun shoot(s).

that's all I can think of for now...it's good to just get into the habit of watching all the BTS docos and commentaries you get your hands on... you probably already do that...

Well. that'll do. If you have any more questions I'll check back here eventually. hope I didn't crap on too long.
 
Oh PS... one thing I forgot...

If you can sound proof your basement to some extent, and "deaden" the sound environment in the basement... it could double as a sound post production area... good for trying to record ADR and sound effects. Just a thought. Wish I had a basement... :)
 
I've had another thought... you might like to buy some soundtracks... since you're already interested in film music, you could first use some of the music from these great soundtracks as music for your films... and then as you develop a sense for the emotional landscape of a certain scene and how that relates to the music... start to use your own music that you've developed.

It's very informative listening to soundtracks and while listening to a certain cue... think of a scene that you would set to that cue... what kind of scene is it? an action scene? Something sad? Is the hero cradling his dying friend? Or what else?
 
I can't agree enough to your words, Michael. The best advice anyone could give this guy.
 
Michael
Thanks a lot for your input. I totally agree with your view and it cleared my concern about doing it alone and with a relatively low powered camera.

I have read several books, including Rebel without a crew, in the years I spent thinking about film making. I believe I can make music but I am not good at any of the instruments, so it is a good idea to start with existing soundtracks to get an idea. One smart thing I did is that I took care of one of the most time consuming part of film making, Writing. I have enough ideas to shoot for a year or two.

It is a good idea to sound proof the basement. It is on my list as well. It is amazing how technology has changed the landscape that someone could setup a decent studio in his own house. I am sure it is much more complex than what I perceive but definitely doable with proper help.

My family and friends have been asking me to join NYFA or take courses from film school. To say the least, they are skeptical. I thought it is easier to learn when we do it ourselves instead of spending the money in classroom training. Clasroom training is good but I do not have enough to spend on class and do my own production.
 
For sure. Your own production IS the class. and the truth is... while filmschool was an essential part of development back in the day... nowadays you can get all the theory from $100 worth of books and dvds and internet scouring... and put your money into the practical... making movies!

Enjoy!
 
Ambitious, lol, but also crazy...

This is why so much indie work turns out so bad. Because there really is only one Robert Rodriguez. And I thought I was being indie because I'm going to have a crew of like 5 people on my next short, compared to the 12 for the one before, which I also considered very small and limiting. It's just hard to make pro work without pro people ;)
 
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