I’m often asked what kit I use for certain shots or what’s in my film making kit that I wouldn’t be without. A lot of these questions come from people making films with their mobiles, so I have put together this guide to show you what I use.
Here’s my list of things I use regularly and trust when out making films. This is only a small section of what I have, but these are my essential video kit. I have included links tot he items on Amazon and if you buy the products using the links below I get a very small amount of commission from the price you would normally pay Amazon. It’s pennies but it helps me to continue making great films
Gear for Mobiles
Mobile Tripods & Stabilisation
The Handheld tripod 3 in 1 is essential for anyone using their mobile to film themselves. It gives a nice steady shot when in tripod mode and can be used in selfie mode when out and about. The detachable button can be used to start/stop recording and take pictures
DJI Osmo is a great, full packed gimbal for steady shots when moving. It’s also great for timelapse and motion lapse footage. If you move around with our mobile a lot, or prefer handheld shots you need one of these
Wired Sound on mobiles
A lapel mic can be clipped to a shirt, jacket or (using the correct tape) can be attached the chest.
Lapel mics give better, crisp and cleaner audio than other mics due to their proximity to the person’s mouth
They are small so can go unnoticed and ready to plug straight into your 3.5mm jack on your smartphone.
Note: iPhone users will need a lighting port adapter such as the one below.
Convert the lightning port on your iPhone to work with 3.5mm connections.
Note, this will work with microphones designed for mobiles such as the one above (4 gold bands on the plug) but will not work with the standard mic connector (3 gold bands) on the items below
Wireless mics
Designed for DSLR cameras, Rode Wireless Lapel Mic is useful for recording your voice in noisy places when you are a distance from the camera.
Ideally the subject should be as close as possible to the camera and microphone, but when that is not possible or movement of the subject is required a radio mic can be used in place of a wired mic
Note: You will need an 3.5mm adapter for your phone to use this with a mobile (see ‘3.5mm splitter’ below).
Convert any standard microphone and any headphones with a 3.5mm jack to work with your mobile.
This cable plugs into your phone’s 3.5mm jack and give 2 sockets, one is for a mic (like the Rode lapel mic kit above). If needed the other socket can be used for headphones for playback
Other sound gear
Rode Shotgun Mic – https://amzn.to/2kja1sV
Zoom audio recorder – https://amzn.to/2wX4KQG – This stereo recorder can record high-quality sound which is stored on to an SD card or can be used as a wired handheld mic
Lights for video creation
Neewer 2-Pack Dimmable Bi-color 660 LED Video Light with 3200-5600K color temperature and ultra-high CRI 96+, design with U bracket and barn door for easy angle adjustment and light source focus
Gear for DSLR Video creation
Tripods
Joby GorillaPod for DSLR – https://amzn.to/2x0x8kS
Tripod Ball Head to go on top of the GorillaPod – https://amzn.to/2s6YsbM
Tall Tripod with flexible head configuration for range of shots – https://amzn.to/2s12v9m
Cameras & Lenses
Canon 80D – https://amzn.to/2x0w0Oa
Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Lens – https://amzn.to/2M0PPMW
22mm prime lens – https://amzn.to/2rZBPXh
50mm prime lens – https://amzn.to/2s11lL2
Canon 60D Backup camera – https://amzn.to/2s0wKhi