Buying the Studio Equipment

Buying the Studio Equipment

ManfreedintheKitchen.com Blog 10

I had two problems to overcome in the beginning of my project.

Never having created my own production before this I was relying on the information in the filming industry books that I had studied.  And secondly, one must recall that I had not yet informed my wife of my great production idea.

To get started, I figured that the first piece of equipment that one needed was the cameras.  What camera to purchase?   And how many cameras would I need for a professional look?

In this era of the Internet research is far easier that when I was much younger.

I recalled planning my first trip to Europe in the early 1970’s.  Research involved trips to the local library to read about the history of the countries I was intending to visit on my Eurail Pass.  Europe on $10 a day was my first resource for information.  It gave me a certain amount of confidence that I was not going to arrive mindless to how the travel might transpire.

I wrote to all the European Embassies in our nation’s Capital asking for tourist information.  In that era one had to compose the letter, pay for the paper, envelopes, postage stamps and a trip to the post office.  Waiting for return mail seemed like an eternity.  A two to three week turn-around was considered good.  Some information did not arrive for six to twelve weeks!

Today information is at one’s fingertips.  Emails make contacting for information a quick few hours for information to be instantly returned to one’s computer.  And the quantity of information that can be returned via the Internet can be somewhat overwhelming to say the least.

I began researching at the top of the line of cameras.  Wow, a quarter of a million dollars for a camera!   I took a step back.

Lowering my expectations I found a high definition camera for about ten thousand dollars.  Two would be twenty thousand, dang, maybe I needed to do a budget.  Maybe not, cause the cost of a production might scare me away from the project.  Skip the budgeting and just do it became my motto.

Finally I decided on a twenty-five hundred dollar used analogue camera.  The camera I chose has facility to be connected to a computer for recording with a tape facility for back-up.  The cost was right.

But what really settled the deal was analogue is easier on one’s recorded face.  High definition shows every bump, bang and wrinkle, all of which I have from sports and the occasional night of bad decisions in my youth.

I ordered the cameras online.  They were delivered to the door.  I unpacked and admired them.  I felt a beginning.  I was on my way to my first production.  It felt great.  I put them on the table and waited for my wife to come home from her day of teaching.

Her reaction was totally expected.

“Where did they come from?  What are they for?  How much will this bright idea cost us?