Moviemaking is joyful — and hard. Things go wrong at every level, no matter who you are. But from getting more beautiful images to perfecting the post process, the following products and services can make your filmmaking experience far less complicated, so you can stay in the moment and savor the love of your craft. Here are 11 things to buy to make your movies better.
Audio Design Desk
$29.99/month
Innovative and surprisingly easy, Audio Design Desk (see main image, above) combines the best of A.I. with a vast royalty-free library that makes sound editing — believe it or not — fun. Say goodbye to the tedious, multi-day process of gathering sounds from an existing library and placing them at meticulously labeled markers. This digital workstation simplifies everything. ADD analyzes clips and automatically syncs sounds from its database to the right points in your video, making sound edits much simpler. You can import your own sounds or library, too.
Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema Camera
Pocket Cinema Camera 4K: $1,295
Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2: $1,995
Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro: $2,535
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro
Blackmagic Design’s Pocket Cinema Cameras are the go-to for countless indie filmmakers as conscious of quality as they are of cost. The 6K Pro, one of the best values on the market, offers four microphones, a 5-inch touchscreen, and three built-in natural density filters. Its stunningly crisp visuals are renowned for lending an instant silver-screen quality to even the tightest of budgets. Therapy Dogs filmmaker Ethan Eng recently packed his 6k in his backpack to shoot his new film in Mexico, and found the built-in ND filters “perfect for shooting guerrilla style.”
Glidecam XR-Pro
$229
Glidecam XR-Pro
Glidecam’s XR-Pro stabilizer makes high-end cinematography more accessible than ever. It can protect video cameras of up to 10 pounds from shakes, bumps and movements during filming, promising a graceful fluidity to even the most amateur of projects. It promises elegant movements even if your taking it down stairs or over rugged surfaces. The company says the XR-Pro will take your camera “for the ride of its life,” and it may be one of your smoothest journeys, too.
Frame.io Camera to Cloud
From free to $25/user/month, depending on needs
Frame.io Camera to Cloud
Tired of waiting for dailies to get to editorial? Welcome to your future. Rather than physically sending drives, Frame.io’s Camera to Cloud technology allows footage to be automatically uploaded from set to a cloud platform that all editors and departments can access instantly. It streamlines workflow, it opens up communication, and it’s free for very small projects and just $25 a month per user for teams. It might just be the film industry’s most practical new innovation.
Canon RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye Lens
$1,999
Canon RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye Lens
Many filmmakers, especially indie filmmakers, have felt for years like virtual reality was out of reach. That changes with the Canon RF5.2mm F2.8 L Dual Fisheye Lens, an affordable means of creating an immersive 3D experience for compatible displays like the Oculus Quest 2. The fisheye allows you to capture a stereoscopic 3D 180° VR experience at a surprisingly attainable price. The leap from shooting traditional stills to astonishing 3D capture is as simple as swapping a lens.
Artemis Pro
$29.99
Artemis Pro
The Artemis Pro viewfinder makes it easy to compare different camera lenses and even reproduce virtual stand-ins for actors or props, all from a single smartphone or tablet. It’s priced a couple of hundred dollars below many rivals, and its 2018 Engineering Emmy means Artemis Pro will give any project that extra award-winning touch.
Came-TV Dual V-Mount Charger
$152
Came-TV’s Dual V-Mount Charger
Chargers are the true behind-the-scenes stars of filmmaking. Complete with a DC power outlet, a built-in LED, a USB port, and of course the ability to charge two V-mount camera batteries at once, Came-TV’s Dual V-Mount Charger will save you a lot of needless stress.
Aputure LS 600c Pro
$2,490
Aputure LS 600c Pro
Apurture has gained a passionate following through its fast-expanding technology and deep indie roots. Its new light fixture, the Aputure LS 600c Pro, is designed for premium color accuracy and reproduction, spearheading the company’s game-changing agenda. With a 2,300 to 10,000K color temperature range and 15 lighting effects, the LS 600c Pro packs a formidable but affordable punch.
RED Digital Cinema Camera V-Raptor XL
$39,500
In the world of independent film, where creators are all too used to just taking what they can get, the latest RED Digital Cinema Camera is guaranteed to shake things up. The V-RAPTOR XL 8K VV model’s internal ND filters, endless range of mounting options, and 8K VV multi-format video push the boundaries of indie filmmaking. Given the price, this is probably a rental rather than a buy for most indie filmmakers, but it offers near limitless possibilities for high-end cinema. It counts Zack Snyder among its many fans.
Hohem iSteady X
$59
Hohem Steady X
Yes, gimbal stabilizers have been around for a while. But the rise of influencer culture has made them explode in popularity and accessibility, and the Hohem iSteady X is terrific in terms of price and professionalism. Want the technological prowess of The Shining from your smartphone? Start here.
Splice Editing App
From $2.99/week to $69.99/year
Splice is not only one of the slickest basic editing tools on the market, offering seamless transitions and impressive visual effects to its 70 million users — it’s also an app that can be downloaded to any smartphone in seconds. Splice ensures effortless editing for only $2.99 a week. Want to edit a short film while you wait for the train? Now you can.
Main image: Audio Design Desk.
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