March 2015
Equipment We’re Using To Film Our Independent Documentary
In the past few years filmmaking technology has evolved at an astounding rate, enabling a new class of filmmakers to make professional quality productions on a lower budget than ever. This has lead to an explosion in independent filmmaking that’s paved the way for storytelling enthusiasts like me to bring our passion projects to life.
My personal collection of gear has grown as my love for the film and photo mediums has grown, yet many would consider my kit to be quite small in comparison to my aspirations as a filmmaker. I’m okay with that. I like to push the envelope by using compact, cutting edge gear that minimizes the need for a bunch of specific use tools. Plus, it’s been proven over and over that you don’t need a big expensive rig to tell an amazing story. In fact, I feel like the less gear you bring to an interview, the less intimidating you are to a subject. The focus should be on their story, not on my rig.
Here are a few great short films that were made with the same gear we’re using:
Gateway to the Ganges from Brandon Li on Vimeo.
How Did I Get Here – Jamaica from Tim Kellner on Vimeo.
Sony A7S Test – Chasing Shadow from Two Bearded Men on Vimeo.
So, with all that said, here is the main equipment we’re using while traveling and shooting:
Camera Bodies:
Sony a7s
Sony a6000
Sony rx100 iii
GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition
Mics:
Audio-Technica AT875r
JK MIC-J 044
Rodelink wireless mic
Audio Recorders:
Zoom H5
Sony PCM-M10
Tripod and stabilizer:
Benro Aero 2 (can also transform into a monopod)
Cheap Neewer shoulder rig
Storage:
8 SD cards
Two 2 terabyte external hard drives
Extras:
Spare batteries
Extra cables
Two backup Giant Squid lav mics
Giotto Air Rocket
Ape Case Cubeze
Equipment we’re considering:
DJI Ronin M
DJI Phantom 3
The best part about our scrappy but powerful documentary kit is that it all fits into a Goruck GR1 and Patagonia Black Hole Duffel.
In a future post I’ll talk about the software we’re using to edit the film, but for now I’d love to hear about your favorite must-have filmmaking gear in the comments below.
The PHOcumentary Is Real
The story of how the PHOcumentary came to fruition starts in 2013 when I left the creative agency I’d co-founded. I left the agency for many reasons but one of the biggest was that I wanted to find creative work that I could feel passionate about.
So, to shake things up my girlfriend and I packed all our belongings in our tiny car and moved from Denver, Colorado to Santa Ana, California.
I’d always loved pho (Denver has some phenomenal pho places) but in California my love for pho grew exponentially as I discovered that I had moved to an area of California that is home to the most Vietnamese people outside of Vietnam – Orange County.
We started going out for pho multiple times every week. Trying new places around Orange County and rating each place on how rich their broth was and how fresh their ingredients were.
One day, while getting our weekly fix of liquid heaven, I started joking about making a pho documentary.
After that I found myself daydreaming almost daily about different scenes and shots for the film. With each daydream, the idea became less of a joke and more of a serious idea.
On one particular pho outing my buddy Matthew and I even storyboarded a brilliantly choreographed opening scene for the film.
I started quietly plotting out scenes and planning for a Kickstarter campaign without knowing when or if the film would actually ever happen.
Meanwhile, I was feeling lost creatively and overwhelmed with ideas for projects that I couldn’t see myself feeling passionate about.
I tried to start a few different startups in 2014 but nothing stuck and by the end of the year my girlfriend and I packed our belongings into a 5×10 storage locker and left California to road trip up the West Coast in search of our next home.
While living on the road we started playing with the idea of going on an extended trip to Southeast Asia. The timing was perfect – Our belongings were already in storage, we had no lease or mortgage to pay, and my mom was watching our dog.
I knew it was now or never.
After doing some research and outlining a rough story, I called up my long-time friend, Curtis Bell, a personal chef and fellow entrepreneur, to see if he’d be interested in being a part of the film. Without hesitating he said “Yes!”
That’s the moment I knew that the PHOcumentary was real.
– Freeman