I looked at a lot of cameras and read a lot of reviews. Even though I will likely buy a Digital SLR camera at some point, for the nonce I decided to get the GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition. This camera is incredibly tiny and lightweight and comes with a waterproof case. Because of it's size, it is not intimidating at all the way a larger camera might be which might make it easier for people to focus on me for interviews and forget the camera is even there.
I made one purchase with the camera that I may regret and that was a wrist mount. It is literally a strap around your wrist that mounts the camera much like a watch face. I somehow had it in my head that I would have more options on how to angle the camera, perhaps even sitting it up and facing my hand so I could point my hand in the direction I wanted the camera to go. Not so. This is $40 I may have wasted although I can take it back if I wish and I may.
One of the things that I really like about the Gopro is that it is very adaptable to several situations. I can buy a pole for it and get shots that are far above my head. I can utilize a wireless connection to view the footage in real time so I can get my angles straight. I can mount the camera to nearly anything. There is a camera mount for it that is simply a strong plastic clip and the camera can be pointed at nearly any angle.
While I still want a DSLR camera at some point, if I never get one I can still film my documentaries without it. If I can borrow the recording device I need (I have a couple of options there) then I can jack that into the camera and skip part of the workflow if I buy another mount that is an open face rather than the watertight case and do plenty just with that alone. A DSLR is, by all accounts, far superior to a large professional video camera for filming all sorts of things because it is small enough to be manipulated more functionally. If that is the case, then the Gopro should be far superior to even a DSLR.
Another advantage of the Gopro camera is that it is "Cheap". They retail for $399.00 which is a bit of bread for me right now (thank you federal government for returning the extra money I gave you) but our tax return helped a lot. The point is that next year, I could get another camera or I could even save up for a second camera over this year and then I would have multiple options for filming different angles. That, however, is not necessary at this point, it is simply an option. The included remote will operate up to 50 Gopro cameras simultaneously.
Another great feature of this camera is that I can shoot in several different film qualities up to 60 frames per second allowing me to adjust for slow motion. This might be a particularly fun option if I am filming ecstatic ritual where there is a lot of dancing or gyration. It will be really cool for the drumming during Beltane at the Beach and the footrace as well. It just seems to me like this is a phenomenal option.
I also dug out my old Flip camera which also takes hi-rez video. I had stuck it away because it ceased working well but apparently time does heal all wounds because it seems to be working now...I'll take what I can get!
Between these two cameras, plus my canon point and shoot, I think I am set to begin. Unfortunately, because of the setback I mentioned in the last post, I will be filming all three mini-docs in a 6 week time period which means a LOT of work on the editing deck. The real question now will be if my software can handle the video quality I'll be working with and whether my computer will need an upgrade. I think it should do alright but I'm still crossing my fingers.
The camera is now fully charged and I will begin playing with it tomorrow to learn the ins and outs. I won't lie though, the investment in this camera means there is no turning back. I cannot just invest this type of money (all the necessary accessories I bought cost money too) and then let it sit on my shelf like a toy or make cute films of my son playing and say "Good, that was useful!".
The good part is that if this works (and I believe it will as it has worked well for others) I have a top notch camera for this project and a way to make this documentary that will not kill me financially. I still plan on doing some sort of crowd sourced funding but that will likely end up being more about covering travel expenses which makes the amount I will ask for more realistic a goal. However, I do want to spend some time working the ins and outs of the camera over the next week or so to ensure that I have a reasonable idea of how well the software and hardware I have will handle the video quality because that will effect my bottom line.
I am understandably excited. I've already begun listing some of my other things online in an effort to defray the cost...stuff I don't really need.
Another advantage of the Gopro camera is that it is "Cheap". They retail for $399.00 which is a bit of bread for me right now (thank you federal government for returning the extra money I gave you) but our tax return helped a lot. The point is that next year, I could get another camera or I could even save up for a second camera over this year and then I would have multiple options for filming different angles. That, however, is not necessary at this point, it is simply an option. The included remote will operate up to 50 Gopro cameras simultaneously.
Another great feature of this camera is that I can shoot in several different film qualities up to 60 frames per second allowing me to adjust for slow motion. This might be a particularly fun option if I am filming ecstatic ritual where there is a lot of dancing or gyration. It will be really cool for the drumming during Beltane at the Beach and the footrace as well. It just seems to me like this is a phenomenal option.
I also dug out my old Flip camera which also takes hi-rez video. I had stuck it away because it ceased working well but apparently time does heal all wounds because it seems to be working now...I'll take what I can get!
Between these two cameras, plus my canon point and shoot, I think I am set to begin. Unfortunately, because of the setback I mentioned in the last post, I will be filming all three mini-docs in a 6 week time period which means a LOT of work on the editing deck. The real question now will be if my software can handle the video quality I'll be working with and whether my computer will need an upgrade. I think it should do alright but I'm still crossing my fingers.
The camera is now fully charged and I will begin playing with it tomorrow to learn the ins and outs. I won't lie though, the investment in this camera means there is no turning back. I cannot just invest this type of money (all the necessary accessories I bought cost money too) and then let it sit on my shelf like a toy or make cute films of my son playing and say "Good, that was useful!".
The good part is that if this works (and I believe it will as it has worked well for others) I have a top notch camera for this project and a way to make this documentary that will not kill me financially. I still plan on doing some sort of crowd sourced funding but that will likely end up being more about covering travel expenses which makes the amount I will ask for more realistic a goal. However, I do want to spend some time working the ins and outs of the camera over the next week or so to ensure that I have a reasonable idea of how well the software and hardware I have will handle the video quality because that will effect my bottom line.
I am understandably excited. I've already begun listing some of my other things online in an effort to defray the cost...stuff I don't really need.
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