Pre Production - Film Equipment Needed

The final decisions of what equipment will be needed will be down to the producer and cinematographer, but it is a subject I need to understand somewhat myself so I can make cinematic decisions in the script. From camera tests and knowledge of the venues, I have been able to get a good idea of what cameras will be needed, as well as which ones produce the camera angles & cinematic style I am looking for.

Cameras

Due to the nature of our project, we will need multiple cameras throughout the project. Through the camera tests I have completed with the team, I have been able to decide which cameras should be used in specific situations.

SONY AX53:

Surprisingly, we are not going to use the universities Panasonic as our main camera. Through our camera tests, we found the SONY has much better image stabilisation thanks to its optical SteadyShot along with its incredible Face detection capabilities. It is also much lighter and easier to set up than the Panasonic, so to capture raw emotions, this camera is the best for this job. It will be used for the PTC scenes where the contributor is guiding the documentary along as he undertakes the various challenges needed to complete the dream. The use along with its features will enable this camera to be the one used when travelling around. It will primarily be used the handheld as it's light weight means, that is how it's best utilised. On the race day, this will not be the main camera, but the one in the garage capturing the moments of the race from inside the garage.

UNIVERSITIES PANASONIC:

While the Panasonic will not be our main camera for the majority of situations, it will be important in such scenes as the DIARY ROOM and DRIVER INTERVIEW scenes. It's the breadth of controls as well as it's quality means it produces the best quality from our selection. However, it's lack of good autofocus and heavier weight mean it would not be as viable "on the go".  For scenes where there is little movement, we will use the universities Panasonic as it should provide superior quality as it has pi-point manual focus and a large range of controls that are other options are lacking. On the race day, we will use the universities Panasonic to capture punchy shots of the car going around. We will use the moderate length of zoom at a part of the track which is not far away from the track, as the zoom is bettered by our other cameras.

ALEX'S PANASONIC:

From conducting camera tests with my Panasonic, we know that while the quality is on par with the Universities Panasonic, but it lacks the manual controls that may be needed in certain situations. The zoom length is not fantastic, especially for on-track shots so this camera will be very much our back up camera. It will be taken to every scene, just in case, but we will not rely on it. It is the lightest of our four main cameras meaning it could come in handy as a secondary shot of each handheld scene. All cameras will be in use on the main race day, so as this camera has a smaller zoom range than the rest of the cameras, it will be located on the corner that is closest to the race track. This camera only shoots 25fps so we must be wary of action shots being filmed with this cameras as its low FPS could drastically lower the quality.

CAILAN'S PANASONIC:

Much like my Panasonic, Cailan's Panasonic is a backup. It has a fixed lens so is only lighter than the Uni's Panasonic. Cailan's camera is even more basic than my camera in terms of its manual features. However, it has the best zoom range of all of the cameras, which is a great attribute for filming at a race track. We will not use this camera for the PTC's or interviews, but it can be a backup like mine. This camera will mostly be used for track footage of the car racing and it will be located at the part of the track where the distance to the track is the farthest. We want to make the most of its long lens and ensure we maximise the equipment we have. After we know the track, we will do a location scout and decide which is the most effective place for this longe lens camera.

LOANED SLOW MOTION CAMERA:

We will be loaning a slow-motion camera for the race day or possibly the test day so we can capture some very high-quality footage that can be slowed down for cinematic effect. We have a couple of possible cameras listed, and we will decide upon which one we should use nearer the time. As it is so far in advance we do not want to book it now as it is very likely that dates could change, especially for the test day. We will maximise the camera's controls to capture these beautiful shots which will be used in the montage sequences of the race day. We think it is more likely that we will hire this camera for the test session rather than the race, as on a test day will give us more on-track running, enabling more chances to get the perfect shot. The only issue would be in the conditions are different on the test day to the race day - Continuity will be vital here. That will be a hurdle we sort out nearer the time, we may end up renting the slow-motion camera for multiple days.

Other Equipment

GO PRO'S:

They will be located inside the car to capture a unique angle when racing. They will provide the closest shot to what I am seeing when racing. They will also be able to capture reaction shots during the race which will be important. When racing, all cameras will remain inside the car. However, on the test session, we may locate some Go Pro's on the exterior of the car to gain some very unique angles. This will need to be sorted with the car's owner and permission from the track to do so. They are more lenient on test sessions as they are not time-constricted so we may be able to film many more unique angles with the Go Pro in the test session. These could still be used in the race montage but we would need to be clever in how we use them to ensure continuity.

TASCAM:

From our camera tests, we have concluded that the best audio for this documentary will be received via a wireless microphone for the PTC Sequences. As we will not be using the Uni Panasonic with the Microphone slots, we will need to use a Tascam to capture this audio. The audio will then be synched with the camera recorded on the sony being used for the PTC. The Tascam will also be useful for capturing atmos and environmental sounds that can be used in establishing shots or as a buzz track.

LIGHTING:

The majority of our film will be shot under natural conditions, but for the Diary Room sequences, we will be using some artificial lighting to create a cinematic effect. The sequence will be taking place in a dark room with key lights to light the areas we want, this will be our only artificial light in our project. We need to do a camera test and pose the question "what lighting gives the best cinematic effect". This is something we will do in our location scouting time in January. We must decide if LED, or tungsten, or possibly something else, provides the best cinematic effect.

AUDIO:

We will use the wireless mic and Tascam for the PTC sequences but have a backup mic always recording on the SONY (Our PTC Camera) just in case something happens and we do not capture it on the Tascam. Getting a backup will be vital in making sure our project is fulfilled. We will be using shotgun Microphones on the rest of the cameras to capture reliable audio at a cheaper cost. We will also take the boom to ensure a high-quality sound bed. However, that is something George and Cailan will need to sort out as that will be their duties. I personally think it would be good to have multiple sound layers to ensure both the story and edit has depth.

TRIPODS/SHOULDER RIGS/DOLLY:

Tripods will be used for the main race day as they will ensure the quality of the camera is not compromised. We will have one or two cameras on a shoulder rig to get some movement shots so that the whole race sequence is not shown on a tripod. This is something we need to decide as a team once we have scouted the final location and can choose which parts of the track are best for this style

We want to use the dolly for some subtle movement in the Diary room sequences, as we know the rest of the documentary is going to have movement, and we do not want the film to the ground to a halt as soon as we get to this sequence. Some subtle movement will be key in ensuring the tempo is consistent throughout. The subtle movement also makes these sequences more interesting as it is not a static camera. As we cut back to this sequence so often, we need it to be a little more cinematic than a static camera. This technique is used in may online podcasts and the subtle movement adds another layer of professionalism to a well-crafted studio environment.