What Equipment Do You Need For A First-Time Filmmaker?

What Equipment Do You Need For A First-Time Filmmaker?

12 December 2018
 Categories: Entertainment, Blog


If you are planning on making your first movie, then you may already have your idea or plot in mind. You may have your script already written and locations picked out. The next step is hiring your actors, director, and production crew. Then comes the part that can definitely make or break your movie – the equipment.

What equipment do you need for a first-time filmmaker? It depends on how you want your movie to look and what your budget is. You can still have a good movie on a low budget; you just need to pick the right equipment.

Basic Equipment

Even if you have a larger budget, you need the basics first. If your budget is low, then you can still make a good movie with a few certain items. For example, you will need a good, medium-level DSLR camera. The camera should shoot in at least 1080p – there are some that can shoot in 4K, too. If you need still photography for your movie, this same camera can double for both film and stills.

You will need additional storage for your footage. Cameras do have a large storage capacity, but they won't be able to hold your entire movie. It can take a while to download your footage every time the storage is full, and doing so can slow your production down, so you might want to think about getting additional SD cards or a portable hard drive.

A tripod is needed to keep your camera steady during important shots. You could also get a stabilizer for your camera that is handheld should you need your camera to be mobile.

You should opt for a lighting kit or bounce board. You don't want to only rely on the natural lighting of your location as it might not be adequate enough for your needs. Instead, you could use house lamps, spotlights, or even flashlights if your budget is low enough, and build a frame around them to amplify their radiance.

Finally, you need a good directional microphone. This will pick up sound from the direction you are pointing it in and not necessarily from all around you.

Important Equipment To Include

While they may not be cheap to rent, they can make your film have a professional look and feel. You should also include in your equipment list a movie generator and a dolly.

A movie generator can help provide power to your set for your cameras, sound equipment, and lighting. You can get generators of all different power strengths and sizes from movie generator rental companies, so do your research on what will fit your needs. It's a good idea to understand a little about how a generator works or have someone on set to handle it for you.

A dolly can help give you smooth shots like the professional studios. You can either rent one or create your own using a bicycle, wheelchair, rolling chair, or anything with wheels that runs smoothly and is easy to push.