What Should You Bring to a Video Shoot?

Previously on "What Should You Bring to a ____ Shoot", we talked about the equipment you might want to consider when shooting a wedding. On our second edition, we're going to talk about what you might want to bring when you have to shoot video.

I asked Daniel in our rental department what he brings when he does a video shoot, and the big name here is Canon. If you didn't already know, we carry the Canon C100* and C300 in the rental department, and it's become apparent that these cameras are two of the top choices in shooting video. A lot of that is because Canon's Cinema cameras are lightweight and compact; perfect for "run-and-gun" shooting. The file quality the C300 offers is truly impressive and easy to work with when editing. Each camera comes with the necessary accessories, including the grip and monitor.

Let's look at the rest of his list:

Equipment Daily Rental  Weekly Rental Sennheiser HD202 Headphones $8 $24 Sennheiser MKH 416 Short Shotgun Mic $55 $165 LED Video light bi-color 4x6" Gisteq $30 $90 Canon EF 16-35mm II f/2.8L Lens $35 $105 Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8 IS Lens $40 $120 Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L Lens $30 $90 Canon C300 Video Camera (includes grip and monitor) $400 $1,200 Sandisk 64GB Xtreme CF Card $20 $60 GoPro HD Hero3+ Video Camera with 16GB Micro Housing (includes GoPro Hero3 Battery Backpack) $45 $135 Total $663 $1,989

Let's talk about sound. Generally, you're going to want to shoot with a mic. Whether it's a tiny mic you clip onto your shirt, a handheld mic that you can pass between yourself and your interviewee, or, in this case, a shotgun mic you can affix to the camera, using a mic is the best way to avoid ambient that can really ruin a great video. If you're going to be shooting outside, you might also want to bring a "dead cat" to reduce wind noise. 

Listed above is the Gisteq LED Light panel, which is definitely something you may want to consider, especially if you're going to be talking with guests at an event. You never know how bright, or how dim, the light is going to be, so having this light, which you can attach right to the camera, is a good precautionary step. Not to mention, the ability to adjust the temperature of the light enables you to change the look and feel of your video. (Please note: the Canon C300 is fabulous in low-light situations.) 

Next, the lenses. Here, Daniel chose three different Canon EF mount lenses, which are great, because not only can you use them with this camera, but they also work with other EF mount Canon cameras, like the 5D Mark III. Just be aware, attaching these lenses to your cinema camera will offer a slightly different length than on your DSLR body. You may also want to try out Canon's Cine lenses. We currently have the:

	Daily Rental	Weekly Rental
Canon CN 24mm T1.5 Cine Lens	$125	$375
Canon CN 50mm T1.3 Cine Lens	$125	$375
canon CN 58mm T1.3 Cine Lens	$125	$375
Total	$375	$1,125

All of these lenses are tack sharp and offer amazing image quality and focal control. Play around with them to decide what lenses will work best for your shoot.

As you can see, Daniel also brings along a GoPro. More than anything, it's a nice camera to bring along to any shoot, for time-lapses and first-person video. Bring all mounts and accessories you think you'll need, including housing, because you never know. 

If you're planning on shooting for an extended period of time, as with any shoot, bring extra batteries; you never want to get stuck on a shoot without power. Also, always bring lots of memory and storage back-up. It never hurts to shoot more video than you need and back it up right on-site, just to be safe. Double check your list, and make sure you bring all of the cables, chargers and whatever else you may need. Those small bits and pieces may hold your shoot in the balance! 

For more tips and lists on what to bring to a shoot, stay tuned with our RentalBlog! And for a full list of equipment available in our rental department, click here.

*We also sell the Canon C100 Cinema camera.

Victoria Will's "Portraits Under Pressure"

On Tuesday, June 24th from 4:30-8:30pm, photographer Victoria Will will be here to talk about her techniques working in portraiture! You probably remember seeing some of Victoria Will's stunning celebrity tintypes taken at this year's Sundance Film Festival. Well, if you're interested in learning about her process as well as her experience in photographing such prolific names, such as Glenn Close, Anne Hathaway and Willem DaFoe, then you'll definitely want to this artist talk! We recently wrote a little bit about her tintype project on this blog when she stopped by to show us some of her originals, so check that out as well.

Portraits Under Pressure:

Celebrity portrait photographer Victoria Will discusses her lighting techniques for reading and shaping light for any type of portrait. Accustomed to working under tight time constraints, Victoria will share some of her secrets to working quickly on location or in the studio and talk about how to deal with clients in tricky situations while still getting what you need. “I had an assignment to photograph Justin Bieber last year. When it was all said and done—58 seconds after it began, I had shot him in two lighting set ups and had 22 frames to show for it.” Register for this event, here.

About Victoria:
Victoria began her career at the New York Post where she was a staff photographer. In a news environment responsible for headlines like "Headless Body in Topless Bar," Victoria honed her skills and her sense of humor. With a focus on commercial and editorial portraiture, her photographs appear on newswires and in newspapers and magazines worldwide, from the Associated Press to W magazine, The New York Times to Vogue. A graduate from Princeton University, she hails from Washington, D.C., but now resides in New York with her two French Bulldogs and photojournalist husband.

Upcoming Hensel and Chimera Events

ATTENTION PHOTOGRAPHERS
AND PHOTO ASSISTANTS!

You can never know enough about light and the different lighting systems available to you, so come by Foto Care on June 3rd and 4th for a couple of very special events presented by Hensel and Chimera!

On June 3rd from 9am to noon and 1pm to 4pm, Hensel and Chimera are teaming up for a training session for photographers and assistants. This training will include:

• Hands on training to be conducted for Hensel by Guido Puttkammer the Managing Director of Hensel Germany and Peter Levitt.
• Hands on training to be conducted for Chimera by Lynn Bryson from Chimera.

Both sessions are the same. For more information about Guido, and to register for a training session, just click on one of the times listed above.

On June 4th from 5pm to 8pm, we're having a Hensel and Chimera Open House. 

Open House Schedule: 

• 5pm-6pm: Social meet and greet with Hensel and Chimera representatives and photographers, assistants, companies, etc. Light refreshments will be served.
• 6pm-7pm: Key note photographer speaker Jarmo Pohjaniemi. Long time Playboy Photographer and owner of "Shoot the Centerfold" seminar and workshops.
• 7pm-8pm: Overview of the Hensel and Chimera products with company representatives. Hands-on experience and presentation.

Click here for more information about Jarmo and to register for this event. 

We encourage everyone to register before the event so that we can get an accurate head count, as we will be providing refreshments for each of these events!

Special Insurance Offer from TCP & Co.

Tom C. Pickard & Co., Inc., or TCP & Co., and Foto Care are pleased to announce a special offer of up to a 20% discount on rental equipment insurance for Foto Care customers that don’t already have equipment insurance through TCP & Co. when you subscribe.

TCP & Co. is the largest provider of insurance to the photography community in the United States. From photography professionals to enthusiasts, TCP & Co. has developed an exclusive insurance product using their 40 years of experience to protect photographers from catastrophic losses. Whether you currently have insurance or want to find out more, please visit the TCP & Co. site for your own individualized insurance quote.

They have the ability to develop specialized business insurance packages for commercial clients with flexibility as needed in today’s competitive business environment.

Their expert product knowledge formed over years of experience has given them the advantage in designing the insurance package that best fits your needs. Departments include:

·  Advertising Photographers

·  Photography Studios

·  Production Companies

·  Commercial, Personal, and Life, Health & Financial Services

This special 20% discount from TCP & Co. is now available to all Foto Care customers who are first-time subscribers to TCP & Co. Inc. At Foto Care, we do what we can to get you the equipment you need to get shooting and we'll work with you to ensure you know how to use your gear before you get to your shoot. Between our stellar and knowledgeable rental staff and the great people at TCP & Co., you're good to go!

Please Note: If you are a already an existing customer with TCP & Co, the discount does not apply.

We've Added a Ton of Profoto B1 Kits!

We've had the Profoto B1 kits in rentals for a couple of months now, but we've added a few more to the line up! The entire Profoto B1 kit goes for $45 (1-day rental), a spare battery is $20 and the TTL transmitter is $25. Call our rental department at (212)741-2991 to reserve the B1 today!