Category: Field Work

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Which camera bags are best for video shooters?

There are SO many camera bags, all claiming to be THE perfect one for your specific needs. Obviously that’s impossible. So which camera bags are best for the 1 Person Crew and why?

I’ve owned dozens of camera bags in the past 20 years. I actually used to work at a camera store so I was able to field test ANY bag I wanted for a weekend, and then buy it with a significant discount. Needless to say I ended up with a closet full of them, from very uncomfortable “Sling bags” to extra heavy “hard cases” to even a “floating backpack” that I used once….

Over the years I’ve been increasingly demanding when it comes to buying equipment, and this includes camera bags.

I’m always looking for three things: I want the bag to be comfortable, to have the right features (like compartments that are easy to reach for me, but not for pickpockets), and “the look.” I want something that looks nice, but doesn’t scream “Hey! I have $20,000 right here!”

When it comes to brands, I also have used them all. I want a company that keeps innovating and taking risks, that is using high-quality materials, but also offers a fair price, customer service and warranty. This is easier said than done, of course.

At my workshops I often hear attendees complain “$400 for a bag?!?!?! That’s a lot of money!”

But is it? If I’m putting $20,000, $30,000 or even $40,000 inside a bag that will take some serious beating for 5 years, is $400 really a bad investment? I don’t think so.

So, I currently use three kinds of bags, all made by the same company. The smallest bag is a Messenger style bag. That’s the one I use pretty much every day, for my laptop when I’m not shooting, and with a very compact setup, especially if I need very quick access to my camera.

In action in Fukuoka, Japan.

What’s inside that Mesenger Bag? Watch the video below to find out:

The second bag is a video backpack. That’s the one I’m taking with me pretty much every time I leave town. It goes next to me in a taxi, under my seat on a plane, and on my back the rest of the time. That bag NEVER leaves my side.

Everything I need (except a tripod) to shoot several interviews overseas.

The third bag is a hybrid bag, which means it’s a rolling case AND a backpack. That’s my carry-on bag, that rolls 90% of the time, and it’s on my back when I’m dealing with sand in Mexico, snow in Chicago, cobblestones in Lisbon, stairs in New York’s subway, and mud in Bali.

Scouting the only tea plantation in Europe (in the island of São Miguel, Portugal).

So, what about you? Do you have a favorite bag or packing tip? If so, please share your comments below.

DISCLAIMER
This article is not paid or sponsored by anyone. It reflects my own independent opinion. I only recommend companies and products that I trust. Some links might be affiliates, which means I may get a few pennies if you decide to purchase something.
Thanks in advance for your support!

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Comparing 3 different wireless kits for filmmakers.

DISCLAIMER
This article is not paid or sponsored by anyone. It reflects my own independent opinion. I only recommend companies and products that I trust. Some links might be affiliates, which means I may get a few pennies if you decide to purchase something.
Thanks in advance for your support!

In my previous post I compared 6 different microphones on 6 configurations for filmmakers. Today I will compare 3 different wireless systems, once connected directly to a Panasonic GH5 , and a second time connected to a Zoom H1n field recorder.

The cool thing about these posts is that you will be able to listen to how each mic sounds while recording the same exact audio source, and judge the quality of each system by yourself.

Poison Apple Studios, a modern recording studio in Lisbon, Portugal

The Setup

The main goal was to test which mic/system would perform best under real-life situations for people working as a 1 Person Crew, so we chose one of the most popular cameras among indie filmmakers and the most basic field recorder we could find. For these tests I asked the help of Tiago Canadas, a professional audio engineer and owner of Poison Apple Studio, a professional audio facility in Lisbon. He chose a 30 second audio clip of a woman singing, and we meticulously set the mics at exactly the same distance and angle from the speakers.

Tiago hard at work.

Settings

We recorded all the microphones at 48000 Hz Stereo 24 bit, and used the same output settings to export the .wav files from Adobe Premiere Pro.

First we tested three wireless systems connected to the Panasonic GH5

Eduardo’s Comments: The three wireless systems performed very similarly andt he price for the three kits is almost identical. The RodeLink kit recorded more subtle sounds, and the Saramonic a bit less, but overall they seem extremely close.

See Tiago’s Comments at the end of the post.

Listen to all three samples and choose the one that you think is the highest-quality audio.

07 MicTests_RodeLink Wirelss Kit to GH5
08 MicTests_Comica Wireless Kit to GH5
09 MicTests_Saramonica Wireless Kit to GH5

And then we tested the same three wireless systems connected to a Zoom H1n

Eduardo’s Comments: The Saramonica and Rode wireless systems are very close, but the Rode seems a bit “crispier. The Comica wireless system captures a less details than the other two.

See Tiago’s Comments at the end of the post.

Listen to all three samples and choose the one that you think is the highest-quality audio.

10 MicTests_RodeLink Wireless Kit to H1N
11 MicTests_Comica Wireless Kit to H1N
12 MicTests_Saramonica Wireless Kit to H1N

Conclusions

Tiago’s Comments: The sound from all mics is poor, but this wasn’t a fair test for any of the mics. We should redo the test, adjusting each mic to perform its best and record actual human voices, not a recording.

Your Turn!

So here’s a question for you (the reader): If we redo this test, how would YOU like us to test these mics? Write your comments below, send me an email or even a Tweet.

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Comparing 12 different microphones for filmmakers.

Tiago Carvalho, owner of Poison Apple Studio, a professional recording studio in Lisbon, Portugal.

DISCLAIMER
This article is not paid or sponsored by anyone. It reflects my own independent opinion. I only recommend companies and products that I trust. Some links might be affiliates, which means I may get a few pennies if you decide to purchase something.
Thanks in advance for your support!

In this post I compare 6 different microphones for filmmakers. On the next post I will compare 3 different wireless systems on 2 different configurations each. On both posts you will see the exact gear we used for the tests, and you will be able to listen to how each mic sounds while recording the same exact audio source. Sounds good? Let’s go!

The Importance of Clean Audio.

I strongly believe sound is the most important element on a film. We can have the most amazing story, stunning visuals and masterful editing and transitions, but add crappy sound and the viewer will tune out immediately.

For a number of reasons I own different audio sets, but never actually took the time to test them side by side. Until now. A few days ago I called my incredibly talented friend Tiago Canadas who owns Poison Apple Studios, a professional recording studio in Lisbon.

“Poison Apple Studios is a modern recording facility for today´s musician, band, producer, equipped with some of the most cutting-edge and old-school gear within an environment that is dedicated to one thing: creating great music. “

I’ve always wondered, “how long does it take to learn what each button does?”
Poison Apple Studios, a modern recording studio in Lisbon, Portugal.
Not exactly 1 Person Crew audio gear.

Why these tests?

I often joke about how many people spend all their money on a camera, get the kit (aka shitty) lens that comes with it, and if there’s any money left they buy the crappiest tripod in the world. It should be the opposite, as a good solid tripod can last 20 years, a great lens at least 5 to 10 years, and the cameras are being replaced by cheaper, better, faster alternatives every 18 months or less. Well, the same goes with audio gear. You can have a great field recorder and a professional mic, add a low-quality XLR cable and you get low-quality sound.

I’ve set a few professional goals regarding sound for 2019; pay more attention to audio recording while on location, add more sound effects to my projects, get better at choosing the music that enhances the story, and get a better technical understanding of mixing and mastering.

We spent an afternoon designing a test to compare three XLR shotgun mics, three on-camera shotgun mics, three wireless systems connected to a camera, and the same three wireless systems connected to a field recorder.

The Setup

At some point we considered plugging the mics to Pro Tools and go nuts analyzing the different tracks. But the main goal was to test which mic/system would perform best under real-life situations for people working as a 1 Person Crew, so we chose one of the most popular cameras among indie filmmakers and the most basic field recorder we could find. Tiago chose a 30 second audio clip of a woman singing, and we meticulously set the mics at exactly the same distance and angle from the speakers.

Tiago hard at work.

The Settings

We recorded all the microphones at 48000 Hz Stereo 24 bit, and used the same output settings to export the .wav files from Adobe Premiere Pro.

We tested three on-camera shotgun mics connected to a Panasonic GH5

Eduardo’s Comments: Saramonic mini shotgun is as good as the rode video mic go that I’ve used for many many years. The Panasonic shotgun picks up a lot more ambient sound than the other two shotgun mics. The Saramonic Vmic Mini and Rode VideoMic GO seem even in quality (and price).

See Tiago’s Comments at the end of the post.

Listen to all three samples and choose the one that you think is the highest-quality audio.

01 MicTests_SaramonicMiniShotgun on GH5
02 MicTests_RodeVideoMicGo on GH5
03 MicTests_PanasonicShotgun on GH5

We tested three XLR shotgun mics connected to a Panasonic GH5 using Panasonic’s DMW XLR1 Adapter

Eduardo’s Comments: This was not a fair competition for the Audio-Technica, as it is a completely different type of mic. The Rode NTG2 has a crisper sound than the Saramonic Shotgun. To me the Rode NTG2 performed better on this test..

See Tiago’s Comments at the end of the post.

Listen to all three samples and choose the one that you think is the highest-quality audio.

04 MicTests_AudioTechnica on GH5 w XLR1 Adapter
05 MicTests_RodeNTG2 on GH5 w XLR1 Adapter
06 MicTests_SaramonicShotgun on GH5 w XLR1 Adapter

Conclusions

Tiago’s Comments: The sound from all mics is poor, but this wasn’t a fair test for any of the mics. We should redo the test, adjusting each mic to perform its best and record actual human voices, not a recording.

On the next post I’ll share the second part of these test, using three different wireless mic kits (with the same set up) on two different recording devices.

Your Turn!

So here’s a question for you (the reader): If we redo this test, how would YOU like us to test these mics? Write your comments below, send me an email or even a Tweet.

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How I Use Hard Drives for Video Productions.

On my last post, I shared where to find information about reliable hard drives and a couple of people asked “How is this applicable to a 1 Person Crew video production?”

Well, if I know that a specific 3TB drive from a certain brand has a 50% failure rate, that’s all I need to know to not even consider getting it, regardless its price or features.

Once I know which brands and sizes are the most reliable, I set up my workflow using three hard drives. On this video tutorial I quickly explain why:

Takeaways

  • For video production, you only want hard drives that are 7200RPM, not 5400 RPM.
  • Keep only your OS and Applications on your computer’s internal hard drive.
  • Keep all your project’s assets in ONE location. It’s good for productivity and peace of mind.
  • An USB-powered drive is almost always slower than an AC-powered drive.
  • Having a clear and consistent back up strategy is essential. Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Solid Sate Drives

Solid state drives are still very expensive, but they tiny, extremely durable, and they are coming down in price.

On location, I like using cheaper internal solid state drives like these to backup my footage.

How are you setting up your hard drives for video production? Leave your comments below.

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DISCLAIMER
This article is not paid or sponsored by anyone. It reflects my own independent opinion. I only recommend companies and products that I trust. Some links might be affiliates, which means I may get a few pennies if you decide to purchase something.
Thanks in advance for your support!

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When to replace your hard drives.

All hard drives will die. The question is not if, but when. This is why finding reliable hardware AND having a solid back up strategy is extremely important.

Finding Reliable Information.

Reading tech reports like Backblaze’s annual report on hard drives is important, because they provide priceless information on which brands and models NOT to buy. At the end of 2018 Backblaze was monitoring 104,954 hard drives used to store data, so they REALLY know which hard drives are good, and which ones should be avoided.

For example:

“Based on 1,220 drives and nearly 500,000 drive days, the AFR (Annualized Failure Rate) of the Seagate 10 TB drives continue to impress. For 2018 it was just 0.33%.”

When can you or I test a thousand hard drives, let alone a hundred thousand? Never, that’s when.

Last year alone, Backblaze had 180 Western Digital 3TB drives remaining, and ALL of them where removed and replaced with 12TB drives. Sometime this year they plan to replace all of their 4TB and 6TB drives and upgrade them to 14, 16, or even 20TB drives.

Annualized Hard Drive Failure Rates from January 2018 to December 2018.
Annualized Hard Drive Failure Rates comparing 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Annualized Hard Drive Failure Rates from 2013 to 2018.

Key Stats.

There are a LOT of useful gems we can extract from Backblaze’s 2018 report:

  • Backblaze replaced 3TB, 4TB, and even a handful of 6TB drives with new 12TB drives. The drives replaced are about 4 years old.
  • The failure rates of all of the larger drives (8, 10, and 12 TB) are very good: 1.21% AFR or less.
  • In September 2018 Backblazde added 79 12TB drives, and as of this publication, none of them have failed.
  • The Seagate 10TB drives, which have been in operation for over 1 year now, are performing very nicely with a failure rate of 0.48%.
  • In 2016 the average size of hard drives they had was 4.5 TB. By 2018 the average size had grown to 7.7 TB.
  • The 2018 annualized failure rate of 1.25% was the lowest by far of any year they’ve recorded.
  • The Seagate 10 TB drives continue to impress as their AFR for 2018 was just 0.33%. That’s based on 1,220 drives and nearly 500,000 drive days, making the AFR pretty solid.
  • None of their Toshiba 5 TB drives has failed since 2016.

Do you find this info useful? If so, leave your comments below.

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DISCLAIMER
This article is not paid or sponsored by anyone. It reflects my own independent opinion. I only recommend companies and products that I trust. Some links might be affiliates, which means I may get a few pennies if you decide to purchase something.
Thanks in advance for your support!

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Being unfaithful (and testing new mics).

I’ve been using Rode wireless mics for many years and never expected to change. There’s even a blog post on why I have been completely loyal to Rode for so long.

But, for the past couple of weeks I’ve been using a new set of wireless mics from a company I didn’t know: Comica.

Features

The complete kit comes in a nice hard case, and offers all the expected features:

  • 96-channels
  • Auto scanning
  • Real time monitoring
  • AA batteries
  • Lavalier mics included

Some other features stand out:

  • Adjustable RF signal strength which can be lowered to reduce power consumption and increase battery time 
  • A working distance up to 394 feet (120 meters) in a open area

But there’s ONE feature that tipped the scale for me: two transmitters can be used with only one receiver.

Audio Workflow

In practical terms I need only one receiver connected to an audio recorder (like this or this or this) and can record two people simultaneously. As you can see below, as a safety net and to record high-quality scratch audio, I used a Rode shotgun mic on my camera. Later in post I simply duplicate the track, keep subject A on Channel Left and subject B on Channel Right, and sync the audio and footage manually in a few seconds using PluraEyes.

The 1 Person Crew Approach

This past weekend I shot at a wonderful winery in Alentejo, Portugal. I previously wrote how I found this amazing location.

I wanted to document my two main characters, one winemaker on the field collecting the grapes with a small group of people, and a second winemaker at the shop, receiving and pressing the grapes. They both were working at the same time at two different locations.

Do you shot on the field with the beautiful early morning light and miss an event that happens only once a year, OR do you document the grape crushing process and get b-roll later with super harsh mid-day light?

As a 1 person crew my options were very limited. I did run like crazy all day to get enough footage of both, but by having a wireless mic on each subject the whole time I was able to also capture wonderful moments. For example, the small group of farmers singing and joking while picking grapes, and at the same time one of the winemakers describing his winemaking philosophy, and why they choose to use ancient methods over modern ones.

Trying to record a long and formal interview on the most important and busiest day of the year for the subjects was out of the question. And if you have done any interviews before, you know it is extremely rare to get this kind of spontaneous sound bites.

Pros and Cons

I used this kit for about 5 hours straight on a single set of AA batteries per unit, which is very impressive. I always use and recommend Eneloop rechargeable batteries, they cost a bit more but last much longer.

I’ve seen some complaints on Amazon about the quality of the mics. I haven’t noticed any issues, but will test the wireless transmitters with other lavalier mics in case I’m missing something.

There are also a few complaints about the battery holders (aka cartridges).  I agree with that one. The batteries are super tight, so I’d recommend getting three extra sets of battery holders to swap batteries much faster.

There you have it; how to record two people at two different locations with only one receiver and getting fantastic results. The 1 person crew approach. 

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Pre-Production Guerrilla style.

I wanted to shoot the upcoming wine harvest in Portugal. Where to start? This is where having a good understanding of pre-production is vital.

A quick Google search taught me that there are 26 DOCs (main regions), 4 IPRs (sub regions) and 11 VRs (regional wines). In other words, lots of options to choose from. A good problem to have.

The Strategy

Since I’m based in Lisbon and don’t own a car I decided to focus on two nearby regions, Alentejo and Setubal. After researching online a bit more, I found a very comprehensive and seemingly up to date website for the Wines of Alentejo. 

I located the info for the marketing department and emailed them, asking for help selecting a few small wineries that would be willing to participate on a video shoot.  Surprisingly, they replied, but the answer wasn’t good. Alentejo has 160+ wineries and they can’t recommend some over others. Understandable. 

Field Research

The next step was to pay a visit the marketing department.  Perhaps over coffee I could ask more specific questions. For example: How many female wine makers are in Alentejo (answer: two). Who are the youngest winemakers with most potential? Any wineries using ancient or very different winemaking methods. Bingo! Now I had a list of 15 candidates. The pre-production research was starting to pay off. 

Back in Lisboa I went to the offices of Viniportugal at Praça de Comercio. A complete waste of time as the two young employees only cared about checking Facebook on their phones.

My next move was to go to my favorite wine store in Lisbon, where I have developed a wonderful friendship with the staff. They helped me narrow down the list from 15 to 7 candidates. Much better.

Engaging the Target

Then I drafted a short, to the point email, indicating exactly what I wanted to do, why I wanted to do it, and how shooting as a 1 Person Crew would not interfere with their busiest and most important time of the year. Then I asked Fernanda, my incredibly awesome Portuguese teacher to help me translate the email to Portuguese. 

I sent the seven emails and within two days received three replies, all positive. Honestly, much better than I expected.

With my friend Gonçalo we scheduled an early morning to scout two of them, Cabeças do Reguengo  and Herdade dos Outeiros Altos. Both produce high-quality wines in very small batches, and both have incredible stories behind them.

The First Battle

Here’s a quick video that my friend Bruno put together from the location scout footage at Herdade dos Outeiros Altos.

A couple of weeks later we spent a whole day documenting the harvest and now we are just missing one last interview with the winemakers to deliver the final video.

The total pre-production process took me about a day or day and a half counting the roundtrip drive to Evora, and the location scout at two wineries took another day.  Shooting was less than two days, including the interviews.

Keep it simple.