Directing the Documentary, 5th Edition

Chapter 26Advanced Cameras and Equipment

How your film looks and how to shoot it involves equipment choices. You may want to review basic information in Chapter 9, Basic Camera Equipment. As you will see from this chapter, there are currently many video standards and a bewildering array of equipment from which to choose. The higher you ascend in terms of recording quality, the costlier production becomes, but the more marketable your work may become in the future. This doesn’t mean, however, that you cannot make significant work inexpensively—only that it’s wise to match the medium, material, and market. You can shoot the inside scoop on hazing in the military with the lowest grade camcorder, but anything spectacular like Winged Migration merits ...