The equipment thread

[Christoffer Glans]

So, I'm happy to say that I finally bought myself an Epic :emote_happyhappy: Did it through buying an old Scarlet and I'm now about to send it for trade-in.

But...

I'm really not sure what gear to get for the brain. First, I'm thinking of buying as much as possible second hand to keep costs down, but there are some equipment that might be best to buy new and directly from Red. So I thought we could bring together our experience into making lists based on type of work and what is best to buy second hand versus directly from Red (for those who need to think about their economy).

So, here's some headlines for packages, what would be your choosen equipment for these and what would you get second hand versus new? All packages should be considered the minimum requirements.


1. Minimum package (essential minimum amount of equipment to be able to "run" the camera during a days shoot, only the absolutely needed)





2. Lightweight one-man package (single person handheld/tripod package for a one-man band)





3. Small production 1-2 man package (small production with either a single cinematographer handling the entire camera themselves or together with a 1st AC but no 2nd AC)





4. Large production (full crew; cinematographer + 1st AC and 2nd AC. Working package for a larger single camera production (minimum requirements)






Hopefully, I and others could get inspired and find the best tips for our own work and equipment needed.

 

[Michael Tiemann]

RED answers your question #1 on their website by offering "collections" [1]. Many rental houses offer packages that fit the other descriptions. You can look at the components of those packages for comparison purposes. Better yet, you could rent those packages and discover for yourself where the holes are. Good rental houses will have lots of hole-fillers at the ready, so you don't wind up SOL while you are shooting.

You can waste a lot of time (and money) always being one step behind the curve as you buy up. This will also cost you big-time in terms of reputation. You can also waste a lot of money (and time) being one step too far ahead of the curve by over-buying and then shuffling excess equipment to your shoots. A good rental house will have enough knowledge to set you up with the right package, regardless of whether that package cost $20K, $45K, $63K, $77K, $102K, or more.

The one thing to keep in mind for one-man-band packages is to be very cautious about decisions that trade time vs. money. When you are the only one available to do the work, everything that takes time away from you takes time away from your whole day. You can easily fall into the trap of spending the majority of your time compensating for all the things you haven't got properly sorted. And don't get me started about shoving work that should have been done right the first time into later days. It's no good trying to look like a hero on the shooting day only to discover that a day later, there is simply no way to "fix it in post".

I will say this: the cost of the RED gear has always been < 50% of any shoot I have done or seen done. I suppose it's theoretically possible for somebody to buy a RED camera, strap on an EF 50mm lens, go to a concert, bust their way to the stage front, start shooting footage, and then declare "damn, this RED stuff is expensive and the majority of my cost!" But a "real" production would factor in the cost of the stage, the cost of doing the lighting, getting proper audio, etc., in order to deliver a pro result. In that case, the cost of the RED camera with a 50mm lens is still small potatoes in the grand scheme.

I think I'll stop spouting my unhelpful advice now...

[1] For example, http://www.red.com/store/products/scarlet-dragon-collection-canon . Note that this collection includes a "Battle-tested" monitor, showing that RED itself is capable of recommending 2nd-hand equipment for those who truly cannot afford all-new equipment.

 

[Christoffer Glans]

Thanks for the answer. My point of this thread is more of a user based approach to what they think fits these categories. For shoots of a "one man band"-type I'm more referring to productions where you go out alone and take images of nature, cities or in some cases documentary/indie films made with just actors and a director/cameraman at practical lights. All these packages are meant as they are described, large production means a full scale camera crew, while mid production means just a cinematographer and a 1st AC, which I've worked on many times as a 1st AC.
But I've worked a lot on set and I've come across third party stuff that are far superior to reds own equipment which might or might not cost more.

I see these package examples as more of an inspiration for those trying to find their own type of workflow. For some, a light weight package with redvolt XL's and large media SSD's might be all they need, while others involved with larger productions might need a full package but might not need everything.