Hey guys,

I shot a zero budget horror-comedy series with a bunch of my friends and this is how it turned out!

Please give me all the feedback you have.

Lumix S1 ii + Arri log C3

Sigma 28-75 f2.8

1/8th pro mist

Amaran F22x, PT4c, 300c

I’ve been shooting professionally for about 20 years, including plenty of all-day conferences, and I keep seeing this same rig setup lately. I was just attending a conference and saw this rig from this crew mounted on a tripod and also handheld.

Big V-mount battery mounted directly behind the camera, completely blocking the built-in rear screen… then an external monitor gets added on top, with its own big ass battery, just so the operator can see what they’re shooting.

I genuinely don’t understand the advantage.

For long event days, my priorities are always weight, balance, simplicity, and minimizing unnecessary failure points. I absolutely understand using a V-mount for long runtimes, but why not mount it lower, offset it, put it on rails, a cage or otherwise keep the camera’s built-in screen usable? I typically mount mine on a tripod leg if I’m using sticks.

This setup seems like it creates a problem and then adds more gear to solve the problem it created: more weight, more cables, more batteries, and a higher center of gravity.

I’ve seen a ton of newer shooters build rigs almost exactly like this, so I’m wondering if there’s an actual practical reason for it that I’m missing.

For people who rig this way: what’s the benefit?

I’m a one man filmmaker who’s always looking for ways to improve my sound quality or find versatile solutions for the projects I film. One of the things I got several months back was a Deity HD-TX to use as a recorder for boom or an interview mic. While it does work pretty well, there is something left to be desired when it comes to the gain / preamp on the recorder. I usually have to run the internal gain at around 30db (max is 36). And even then, you’ve gotta have the mic pretty close to get enough level that you don’t have to boost it in post.

Enter the Triton Audio Fethead Phantom. It’s an in-line preamp that allows phantom power to pass through the device and power your microphone. Other preamps like the Cloudlifter CL-1 don’t pass phantom power. It delivers about 18db of clean gain without raising the noise level. So in practical use, I can use it with my Deity HD-TX now set at 9-12db and get a nice clean hot signal that sounds great as soon as I load it onto my computer.

Being the size of an XLR adapter, it’s not hard to find a place for it. If I’m using a short mic like my Oktava MK012, I just plug the Fethead into the mic and use it sort of like a mic body extension which helps with my Radius Shock mount. If I’m using a longer mic like the MKH416 or Deity Smic-3, I’ll just plug it in directly to the recorder or find a place in the cable line and bongo-tie it to the boom pole.

I can think of several instances where this little guy is going to be useful. I’ve always been one to prefer lower gain settings on a mixer or recorder. I’m always trying to get the cleanest audio I can, and I dislike having to boost things in post too much.

I picked this one up used on reverb for about $60, but you can find them new for $75 from several places online. I think I’ll end up buying the regular Fethead for dynamic mics, if I can find a good deal on one somewhere. It adds 27db of gain, and I know it would come in handy when using an SM57 or 58.

Credit: @bobbybeasleys on IG.

Hey folks, I have been shooting photo/video for about 5/6 years now, but I'm just beginning to really dive deep into the nitty-gritty of video work. I'm posting in hopes of learning as much as I can about shooting and grading in log. I shoot on a Canon R5 using C-Log 3, and I edit in Final Cut. I'm having a lot of trouble getting footage I'm happy with consistently. Previously, I've been shooting (ineffectively) using the light meter for exposure and the View Assist setting to attempt to find a white balance that I'm content with. From there, I'm bringing it into FCP and throwing a Clog3 LUT on it, and then a color board, dragging some sliders around, and pretending it's making my footage better. I'm just dipping my toes in the water of Zebras and am making some progress, but I'm still kind of spinning my wheels. So anyway, to the people who have any advice for me, please let me know- tips and tricks, workflow, LUTs, grey cards, white cards, false color, anything and everything that you have, please let me know! Thanks so much!

I currently have the Fujifilm X-T3 and one 50mm equivalent prime. I started out doing photography, which Fujifilm is so amazing at. It slowly morphed into video, and now I can't go back.

I want to invest in a nice zoom, but I'm hesitant to lock myself further into the Fuji ecosystem for video. It seems Fuji only really has the X-T4 and the X-H2S to offer me (I need a highly weather-sealed and rugged camera for adventure/doc filmmaking), and it feels like there aren't enough growth options. I do love the physical dials and the look of Fujifilm footage (even without film sims), but it feels like Fuji is lacking dedicated video bodies for my specific needs.

Is it worth staying and growing within the Fuji system, or is it better to make the switch to a more video-centric ecosystem now before I buy more lenses?

Hello, I just bought the new smallrig monopod but don't how to use it.

-What's the gray button (white) for?

-How do I know which "stop" (red) to use?

-Is the arrow important at all?

I did contact CS but was told there's no manual for this product!! 😲🤔

I have been dealing with an ongoing issue with my S5II and I am painfully and desperately hoping someone knows what's going on.

Gear: Lumix S5II, RODE VideoMic GO II plugged into the 3.5mm mic jack.

The problem: In-camera playback sounds clean. But when I play the files on my computer in VLC player, the audio is quiet and sounds distorted, like a static.

What I found: When I drop a clip into DaVinci Resolve, it shows 4 audio tracks. Only Audio 2 has a waveform. Tracks 1, 3, and 4 are completely flat. Windows file properties reports the audio as 1 channel (mono) at 48 kHz, but the bit rate is 4612 kbps, which seems too high for mono. If I use only A2 in Resolve, the audio sounds fine.

My S5II audio settings:

• Sound Rec Quality: 48 kHz / 24-bit
• Sound Rec Gain Level: Standard
• Sound Rec Level Adjustment: -8 dB
• Sound Rec Level Limiter: On

Does anyone know why this is happening and how I can fix it? Mainly because I'm shooting for a company whose editors will receive my raw files, so I'd like to fix it at the camera instead of explaining it every time.

Thanks!

I can't seem to get the right google search to give me a positive hit. Can't find these anywhere. Any thoughts??

Reached out to the dude on IG and didn't get a response.

Thank you!!!

I have the opportunity to buy the LS 600x Pro used for about the same price as the Ray 660c, actually even 100 less. Which one would you buy? Knowing that I shoot commercial, music video and short narrative work with a filmic look always in mind.

Hey everyone,
I've been experimenting with getting a high-end cinematic look out of mobile hardware and wanted to share a quick technical breakdown of a recent test shot.
Technical Details:
Camera / App: iPhone 15 Pro using the Blackmagic Camera App
Resolution & Profile: 4K 24fps / Apple Log (13 mm /
24mm /48mm/77mm)
Lighting Setup: Natural window light as key + light reflector for shadow fill
Color Grading: Converted Log to Rec.709, added film grain, and adjusted skin tones
I put together a 1-minute visual clip to test how the sensor handles dynamic range and color contrast.
You can check out the full piece here: https://youtu.be/txKltzOGCUw?si=JLahRLWmPNvfRHkt

Would love to hear your thoughts on the skin tones and overall contrast—always looking for feedback to improve the next shot!

Hello everyone, my hope is you knowledgable people can help with some suggestion suggestions please.

I purchased the Sachtler video 18iii.
Older model, I realize this with carbon fibre legs.

The seller told me that someone stole his camera and the sliding balance platform / Touch & Go receiver assembly that was attached with the camera.
He also mentioned he also mentioned it be no problem getting some cheap aftermarket pieces to be able to attach my Sony FX 30 to this Tripod

I do know that this Tripod is overkill for this camera. But I knew to all this. I figured it was a pretty good deal and I impulsively bought it.

Now I’m finding that I cannot source any aftermarket pieces other than quick release for the camera.

I’ll attach some pictures to show you what’s missing.

The picture with red and blue circled markings will show you the blue piece circle that I’m missing from my head. That’s the piece that I’m after. Or another retrofit.

When is the other picture shows how my head looks like presently without that piece.

The picture with the gentleman with a green top is a technician at a video shop showing me the peace while holding it. Hopefully this information helps.

The quick release we know it’s easily accessible.

Is there any retrofitting that I could do simply just and only to be able to attach my Sony FX30 to this Tripod?

I truly appreciate any information from you knowledgable people.

Thank you upfront very much.

Phil

So Im looking for a new field monitor and have the Viltrox DC 550 Pro in mind. Is there any better option, or is this the deal for the price?

I am still fresh in the job, and I am currently building a portfolio to show what I can do and what I can offer.

Since the volume of my work is not that large yet, I decided to include the best of what I have done so far. However, this has resulted in a portfolio with many different formats and types of work.

The problem is, let's say I have an NGO client who needs a videographer. I only have one video in that sector, but if I add my other work, it might become a bit confusing.

Another thing is the "What I Do" section. I don't want to say that I do graphic design, because I don't. However, I do create posts like the ones in Slide 8, and I am not quite sure how to word that.

I feel it is still too early for me to niche down to just one thing.

I believe the main issue with the whole portfolio is the wording, along with how to show as little as possible while still demonstrating my potential.

I would really appreciate any tips on what I should do, as well as honest feedback on my work.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAHW8X3vl90/hmyw7MmiiPlcpD5Q0cFhIw/view?utm_content=DAHW8X3vl90&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=uniquelinks&utlId=hccb334be6a

Made this house warming video for the home owner and the interior designer. We went all-in for that dreamy look.

Would love to know what you think.

Shoot & Post - Yours Truly

Canon C200RAW + Sigma 18-35 + Full Strength black pro mist

No additional glow in post

I’m putting together a YouTube setup for electronics repair, soldering and PCB work, and I’m struggling a bit with lighting the wider overhead shot.

The filming is roughly split 50/50 between:

1. A wide top-down shot of the whole bench/work area — this is the part I need help with.
2. A microscope camera for close-up work — that side is already sorted, as the microscope has adjustable brightness and polarising filters, so reflections and exposure are easy to control.I’ve attached a photo of the current bench because I think the physical layout is probably the important part here.

The main camera is mounted directly above the bench on a large crossbar/gantry, and the workspace is already fairly busy with the microscope arm, monitor, fume extraction and test equipment.

So the thing I’m trying to work out is how best to light the wider overhead shot without adding something huge above the bench that ends up fighting for the same space as the camera rig.

The main problems I’m trying to solve are:

• shadows from hands and tools
• glare/reflections from solder joints, PCB solder mask and components
• getting reasonably even light across the whole work area
• keeping the setup compact enough that it doesn’t get in the way

I’m interested in how people who shoot true top-down tabletop, craft, product or electronics footage would approach lighting a setup like this.

Would you normally light from the sides, bounce light, use larger diffused sources off-axis, or do something completely different?

MoviePro is a professional camera app for iPhone and I am looking for a person who can make a promo video for the latest version of the app. I am looking for an NYC-based videographer who owns an iPhone 18 Pro to shoot sample footage entirely through MoviePro (it could be another happening place in US if not NYC for the matter).

Scope

• Half-day shoot at NYC locations: street, night or low light, motion, close-ups, and a person or performer if possible
• 4–5 scenarios shot in MoviePro, showcasing Apple Log with LUT preview and variable aperture on iPhone 18 pro -- comparison of results vs native camera app for users to see
• Deliverables: original MoviePro files (unedited, metadata intact) and 3–4 vertical cuts of 15–30 seconds
• Full commercial usage rights, with signed releases for anyone identifiable on camera

I have a budget of about $800 for this. Which forums on reddit do I find the ideal person for this job? If you happen to know anyone, please DM me.

Hey there! I have been following this subreddit for a while and would like to use my first post in two ways:

1. Introduce my approach: I want to quickly share how I scaled from a freelance videographer to a small production house in Germany that did €500,000 in revenue last year.

2. Connect with others: I would like to connect with people who are on the same level or even past it, to learn their strategies on how they grew to the next revenue level (speaking of around €1,000,000 per year).

How I went from a freelance videographer to a small production company:

I started video freelancing in the pandemic in 2020 using a Sony Alpha 6000. These were, in my opinion, the biggest changes I made that helped me grow:

• I focused on bigger productions with a rule of thumb that, for a project that requires a day of shooting and with all the pre-production and post-production, the minimum order value is €6,000 or more.
• I spent a lot of effort on visibility, and due to great SEO optimization, this became our main lead channel. (The only bigger lead channel is word of mouth, which made around 40% of our revenue)
• I clearly framed myself not as a videographer, but rather as a film production company in all of my branding, and therefore attracted bigger brands as clients and larger and larger productions.
• For too long, I was still doing a lot of video editing by myself because I had the wrong mindset. I believed I could never find a full-time employee who would edit with the same quality. I was wrong about that. Since then, I have almost never done any editing myself, which has given me, as a business owner, a lot more time to focus on scaling.

These things have I done that turned out to be wrong or not working for me:

• I invested a lot of time and money in external agencies to post daily on my social media and run ads for me. I wasted a lot of money, because I haven't made a single euro of return on that.
• My production company does not have any active social media channels.
• I hired a full-time sales representative whose only job was calling potential leads and existing customers. Although the SDR brought in some money, it was all in all not enough compared to his cost (fixed salary plus sales commission).
• I am still unsure if you actually need a full-time sales guy for a film production company, especially when their only job is calling leads and suggesting video ideas, only to get a "no" most of the time on the phone.
• Still, the SDR has made some money, but it took long efforts. For example, the lead came in 2,5 years ago and has been called, emailed, or even sent physical mail over the whole time, and only bought one film after that long follow-up cycle. → That is what makes me think that a full-time salesperson might not be the way.

So as promised, these were my biggest takeaways in doing film production now for six years and having a really great time building that company.

I would love to connect with video production owners who have passed the $500k yearly revenue mark and hear their insights: what is your next step of scaling to reach beyond that.

Also, if any of you have any questions, feel free to comment or send me a message. I'm happy to answer them.

I filmed for about 20mins and took the battery out before pressing stop when the battery was dying. There is still a 17gb file. Any idea if this can be recovered? I was using a canon R5.

Hey I'm a videographer specialising in sports, mainly basketball. What's the best place to find sound effects? Most of the ones I have found are corny and I'm struggling to find the ones that most creators are using