Having the right gear for the job is crucial, but isn't it also as important to know how make your same gear work for you on different projects?
I'm a one-camera guy (as in, I own one 'main' camera)
I'm always thinking about how I can make the image feel more professional, or be more inventive in different situations by learning how to change the way I use the camera in different ways.
Isn't that what most filmmakers and videographers strive to do - to make the image look more professional or more inventive with the resources that they've got? For me anyway, that's an interesting prospect.
For me it's all about capturing the moment the way you like to see it in your head - whether it be a short film, a music video, a presentation, a wedding or event coverage.
Being adaptable with the one camera you have is hugely rewarding. Getting to know it's limitations in all sorts of scenarios has always been a really important element of filmmaking to me, going back to the most basic Mini-DV I started shooting on.
Currently I shoot on my trusty Canon C100 MKii. It's a fantastic all rounder; the fundamentals like recording formats, frame rates, recording time, audio inputs, battery life and form factor are all built to last. But those features alone aren't unusual.
I've used this camera on varied projects, for diverse examples I filmed a death metal video for Vallenfyre; pushing the ISO, depth of field and using lens whacking effects and recording ProResHQ to the Blackmagic recorder on a pretty stripped down handheld setup...
...then shot my cousins wedding on the same camera in a different way with stabilised shots, deeper depth of field, recording audio with my Sennheiser mic and shooting internally with a lower bitrate...
Other work undertaken on the same camera include corporate talks and presentations for SkyBet
And run-and-gun festival coverage, this one for the official Camden Rocks Festival highlights.
Of course, the image and tone often comes down to how it's treated in the edit; especially the colour grade, the pace and story - but don't be fooled in to thinking that your camera is your limit when shooting. You always can get the look you desire with what you've got. Even it's a budget DSLR.
Here's how how I can strip down my little camera for use on different projects:
Usually what you can come up with under pressure with what you have often turns out to be the most characterful and engaging pieces of work.
That goes not only for your camera, but with lighting and staging too.
Cheers for reading.