How To Get Started Making Short Films - Cameras and Video Editors

In order to become an independent filmmaker you dont need thousands of dollars to start or fancy equipment. You can make all of your films look professional and nice with the equipment you have!

Now there are 2 kinds of filmmakers:

1. The first one makes films for the heck of it. Sort of like a hobby on the side.
2. The second one also makes films because it is a hobby, but they want to do more with it. They want to make something big out of it.

If you are the first once, chances are that you work with what you have and don't need much else. But if you are the second one then you want everything to be big and high quality. Well no matter which one you are, to start out all you need is a camera and a computer.

Now you may ask, What kind of camera should I get?

Well you want to think of your budget. The camera you get should be based on what you plan to do with it and how much money you have. Here are 4 cameras that are great anywhere from starter to professional.

1. The Flip Video Camera: If you have a super low budget and only have $50 - $100 to spend then I suggest getting a Flip Video Camera or a camera like it. Although the audio quality isn't the best and you can't play with the aperture and stuff on the camera, it shoots in HD and is great for beginners. 
2. Sony HD Handycam: If you have about $500 dollars to spend on a camera, I recommend the Sony Handycam. The Handycam has a lot of different features like HD video, better audio quality, steady shot, and much more! This camcorder is a great start off camera and gives you great quality for the price.
3. Canon T2i: Now if you have a little more money to spend then I recommend the Cannon T2i. The T2i is a step above all of the camcorders I listed above. You can find this high quality DSLR for about $700 and it is well worth the price. This camera is an 18 megapixel camera that is small and lightweight. You can change lenses and you can plug in external audio for boom microphones. This was the camera I first started out with and I loved it. It gave me a professional looking image every time and it was super easy to use.
4. Canon 5D: The Canon 5D Mark II is about $2,000 and the Mark III is about $4,000. This camera is just a step above the Canon T2i. The 5D has been used in professional films and is an amazing DSLR. It shoots 21.1 megapixels and all the features of the Canon T2i plus much more! This is the camera I have now and it is great.

Now You will also need a computer and some editing software. Editing software is important because it can give your video the boost it needs. Below I have listed 4 video editing softwares great for beginners.

1. Widows Movie Maker: Windows Movie Maker is great for people who have a PC. It is a very basic editing software that allows you to cut your videos and add titles in. Although you can to fancy explosions and clone people in it, it allows you to get the video edited right.
2. iMovie: iMovie is great for the people who have Macs. iMovie is a little bit more advanced than WMM in the fact that you can do a little more in it like green screen and simple effects like muzzle flashes and being able to make people fly. It is great for beginners.
3. Final Cut Pro X: Now Final Cut Pro X is also for Mac users. It costs about $300 on the Mac app store. This software has the same layout as iMovie but it allows you to do so much. You can do almost anything that they do in the "big movies". The layout is super easy to work with and is a great stepping stone to get into the big editing softwares.
4. Adobe Premiere: Premiere is an amazing editing software. It costs about $800 but is well worth it. With Adobe Premiere you can do almost anything you want. If you combine that with Adobe After Effects then you are unstoppable! It is super professional and has an easy format. The only downside is that it has so many features and som nay things you can do that it might take a little time mastering it. But once you have it down you can do anything!

So those are some good video cameras and editing software you can use to get started. Follow this blog to get more film news daily! Feel free to message me if you have any questions, comments or concerns!