A level research: Filmmaking Equipment

VIDEO PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT LIST FOR THE BEGINNER FILMMAKER

When I planned for my interview with a documentary film maker, I did my homework an recommended gear for amateur film/makers and low budget documentary making.

I started my research about the topic reading about recommendations of experienced filmmakers and newspaper articles such as https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/video-production-equipment.html or https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/12-point-check-list-for-aspiring-documentary-filmmakers.html and I also reflected upon https://www.desktop-documentaries.com/what-makes-a-good-documentary.html topic. Below is a video production equipment list for the beginner filmmaker which I came up with, adapting the recommendations based on my research for my purposes:

Basically, a great place to start is with a video camera and build from there, because the video camera is the centerpiece of your filmmaking gear package.

What camera you choose depends on your budget, the type of shooting you're doing (static, stealth, run-and-gun, etc.) and where you plan to showcase your film (web-only, theater, broadcast, etc).

You can shoot a documentary on anything from your iPhone to a DSLR to a top of line digital cinema camera such as the RED. Whatever camera you choose, make sure you capture excellent audio. 

Also, a necessary piece of equipment to keep your footage looking steady and professional is a tripod. A camera light is a nice accessory to have, especially in a documentary/news style shoot where you might not have time for a full 3-point lighting set-up, but you only really need a lighting kit if you're planning to do a lot of shooting inside. Creating a well-lit scene usually involves a 3-way lighting set-up. 

Great audio often separates the pros from the amateurs. Having a shotgun mic prepares you for almost every situation. It's perfect for sitting on top of your camera or a boom pole. Usually, you can use a "wired mic" which is a bit less expensive, but unless you have an audio person who can hold a boom mic, wireless microphones are the next best thing providing tons of flexibility for walk-and-talk interviews with your subjects. 

If you decide to shoot your documentary with a DSLR or smartphone, it's highly recommended that you either get an external mic or portable audio recorder such as the Zoom H5.

last, but not least, you'll need somewhere to record all that footage you'll be shooting, so an External Hard Drive or a  portable hard drive comes in handy if you plan to do a lot of shooting in the field and need to offload your footage from your camera's memory cards.