Video and sound equipment recommendations for filming scenes

Apr 09, 2014

Hello E-Learning Heroes!

I have been incorporating more video into my e-learning courses- I work in the health care industry and it's particularly helpful for staff to see various scenarios played out for them. I am in the market for video equipment, a mic (for filming- I use the snowball for voice-overs), and possibly lighting equipment.

Do any of you regularly film as part of your courses? If so, do you have any recommendations for good equipment that will produce quality audio/visuals that also won't break the non-profit budget I am working with?

Thanks in advance for your help!

3 Replies
Bob S

Hi Siobhan,

Video is a wonderful addition to e-learning. I'm not sure what oyur experience level and/or budget is, but here are a couple of thoughts that might help....

1) Consider hiring a consultant videographer that can teach you the basics and vet your equipment choices. Those that do this typically charge an hourly rate (less than their full rate for filming and equipment use) . A short session or two of co-filming and you will learn wonders for under $2k.

2) Before you think about equipment, decide on your location(s) and the type of shoots you will need to do. This will have a dramatic impact on your equipment choices. For example...

  • If you really need to do location shoots (ie real settings) then you are going to want gear that packs nicely, portable lights, wireless mics, lots of batteries, hand held reflectors, lots of bags/cases, etc.
  • If you can get away with studio shoots with backdrops then you can get a more stable tripod and dolly, larger lights that are easier to light a scene with, fewer cases, no battery plates and chargers, etc
  • A "compromise" of sorts are chroma key shoots (ie "green screen")  where you have the option of digially changing out backgrounds and even simulating live scenes. Here you will need a couple of extra lights and a few other things but gain lots of advantages.

Hope this helps to get you started thinking.... Will try and answer your specific questions about gear etc as time allows.

Fun project.... good luck!

Bob S

Hi Siobhan,

FIgured I'd pop back in and offer a couple more thoughts on gear choices...

  • Camera - No matter what, choose a camera that has external microphone inputs. Shooting with the on-board mic is a big no-no for almost every situation. XLR connectors are preferred, but usually found only on the best of the pro-sumer grade and above models in the $2k+ range. Mini-plug mic inputs can work fine but will limit your microphone choices a bit. In reality, most consumer grade HD camcorders with external mic inputs can do a pretty decent job if your on a tight budget.
  • Tripod - You will thank yourself for getting a better tripod. Look for a 65mm ball or larger as a sign that you've started to get into decent quality.  If you are doing most studio/green screen shoots (see post above), one interesting option is to add an inexpensive dolly under the tripod and semi-permanently mount the tripod on it with tie-wraps or the like. This will make your tripod far more stable and allow you to reframe shots with ease. This is a decent low price combo for $200 if you have only a lightweight camera and nothing else on it.
  • Lights - Today it's hard to justify going with anything other than flourescent or LED. They run cooler, last longer, are safer, and color rendition is far better than even a few years ago. A simple three-point light set up covers many/most situations unless you are doing green screen. This is actually an exceptional light kit for the money; very flexible for any kind of shoot, reliable and sets up/packs nicely.
  • Mics - I always reccommend wired if you can get away with it. For less money you can get better sound and more reliability. But many folks are just partial to a wireless set up. For wireless, the basic AudioTechnica set up is nice on te cheap. For wired, if you can pop for a $250 TRAM, you will get better sound than many wireless setups costing $500+

Hope this helps!

Justin M

As far as a camera is concerned, you might consider an entry level DSLR as a way to keep costs down (under $1000).  They can produce excellent video plus you also have a nice camera for still images.  You can also pair them with an external mic for improved sound quality.  An example camera in this range is the Canon T5i.  Good luck!

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