P2(a) Setting Up equipment

Equipment List

• Canon 7D DSLR + Battery
• Sony HVR Z5E
• Rode VideoMic - Sound Recorder
• Zoom H4 N Handheld Recorder
• Tripod Velbon DV6000
• K9 Hague Cam Crane With Stand and Camera Tilt Control
• KIT - N15 - Drive - Ianario Gulliver Lighting Kit 

K9 Hague Cam Crane 

A piece of equipment used at the beginning of the film was the K9 Hague Cam Crane, along with the Lilliput 668 monitor in which enabled me to see the footage from the camera from where I was controlling the crane, without this I would have been unable to see the footage I was filming. The Sony HVR-Z5E camera was attached to the top of the crane which produced 1080p high definition footage. There would have been no alternative to achieve the opening establishing shot if we had not had access to the Hague Cam Crane, which allowed us to film from a height inaccessible with tripods or on foot. 

Camera - Canon 7D 

The most essential piece of equipment used was a Canon 7D DSLR. The camera will capture at 1080p HD quality, allowing me to film in high quality resolutions. The interchangeable lenses meant I can shoot a wide variety of footage to create a more unique and captivating clips, including long or wide angled shots, establishing shots, as well as close ups and shallow depth of field. The camera is lightweight and portable with the help of a protective case to carry all essential equipment, meant I could travel to various locations to capture images, this was very beneficial when visiting different locations such as the primary school, crash scene and the exterior house footage. The battery life is long lasting, meaning I had a full days use with one charge, and no worry of the camera losing battery by the end of the shoot. Furthermore, having the ability to change setting such as white balance and ISO meant I could alter these to produce my desired effects and achieve exactly what I wished, meaning lighting and quality could be altered simply by changing the ISO. 

 Features Include:

- 18 MP APS-C CMOS sensor.
- ISO up to 6400 (H:12,800).
- 8 fps continuous shooting.
- Full-HD movie.
- 19-point wide area AF.
- Dual “DIGIC 4” processors.
- 7.7cm (3.0 inch) Clear View II LCD.
- Intelligent viewfinder.
- Integrated Speedlite Transmitter.


Canon Carry Case 

 The protective case used for the Canon 7D DSLR was crucial in the safe keeping of the camera. Additionally I could store all lenses required for the day and keep appropriate camera equipment together. As well as being tough it was also waterproof which prevented any potential water damage to the equipment.

Tripod - Velbon DV6000

I also used the Velbon DV6000 tripod. It is a very versatile piece of equipment that could be positioned in many ways to achieve the exact shot I desired, ranging from simple, eye level shots, to oblique, high and low angle images as it could be adjusted to different positions. The tripod was essential when filming a variety of shots to create continuity high quality images of the same standard.

Camera Lenses 

Sigma 10-20mm 

• Super wide-angle lens for Canon digital SLR cameras and an APS-C sensor
• Incorporates SLD low dispersion elements and aspherical lenses
• HSM motor for quiet, high speed focussing
• Internal focussing

Canon 85mm Fixed Lens

A short telephoto lens very popular with portrait photographers. Fast autofocus speed, a large maximum aperture and the short telephoto focal length.

• Bright f/1.8 maximum aperture ensures great shots in low light
• Fast, quiet autofocus with full-time manual focusing
• Circular 8-blade diaphragm helps produce attractive background blur
• Super spectra coating reduces flare and ghosting
• Minimum focusing distance of 85cm
• 58mm filter diameter
• Optional Lens Hood ET-65 III and Soft Case LP1014

The Canon 85mm lens was perfect for creating more atmospheric and captivating shots. Especially for filming with a shallow depth of field. The fixed lens meant I would set the frame exactly where I needed it to be without alteration, and then alter the aperture and focus to create the shallow depth of field. Although in my final film I did not use a shallow depth of field on many occasions as there was a number of things occurring in each scene, enabling the audience to see all that is going on.

Canon 50mm Lens

A brilliant combination of image quality and versatility. With fast focusing and the fast f/1.4 maximum aperture makes this a superb performer for any assignment.

• Bright f/1.4 maximum aperture ensures great shots in low light
• Fast, quiet autofocus with full-time manual focusing
• Circular 8-blade diaphragm helps produce attractive background blur
• Super spectra coating reduces flare and ghosting
• Minimum focusing distance of just 45cm
• 58mm filter diameter

Canon 18-55mm Lens

The EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II is an ideal general-purpose standard zoom. Its four-stop Image Stabilizer provides great performance in low-light conditions.

• Lightweight, compact design
• Wide-angle to short telephoto range
• Four-stop Image Stabilizer
• Aspherical lens elements for control over distortion
• 0.25m close-focusing distance
• Super Spectra coatings
• Circular aperture diaphragm
• High-speed AF

The 18-55mm lens was another that was used on many occasions throughout the film shoot. With the range of 18-55, I was able to frame every shot specifically and alter if I felt I could achieve higher quality footage. The lens enabled me to be precise and pernickety with regards to all shots filmed. For example, the POV shot below was altered to show a more natural 'human' perspective, looking from above the watch. Other lenses would have been too cropped or wide, the 18-55mm lens allowed me to create this 'look'.