Buyers Guides

Indie Producer’s 2014 Holiday Buyer’s Guide

By Dan Salem

Posted on December 11, 2014

Not all 2014 Holiday Buyer’s Guides are created equal and here at BuzzChomp we have the ten best items for all your wishes, wants, and gift giving pleasures.

Our Indie Producer’s 2014 Holiday Buyer’s Guide has the must have items to make magic in the indie world of film and TV. Straight off of Amazon.com, go buy them now or save for later.

Happy Holidays and please shop responsibly, with your 2014 Holiday Buyer’s Guide in hand.

Film Slate:

Every set feels professional with a slate. Technically you don’t NEED one, but good ones like this are not expensive. Do yourself a favor and buy one.

Tascam Recorder:

Clean audio will make or break an indie project, so invest in one of these. Very easy to use and hooks up with the shotgun microphone perfectly.

Sony Hand Recorder:

Same principle as those fancy mic systems, but much cheaper. One recorder per person records amazing sound, even outdoors in a noisy environment. Lapel mics are sold separately.

Shotgun Microphone:

Best way to capture a full scenes worth of audio via the Tascam is with an external shotgun microphone. This is really no good without a boom pole to mount it and the Tascam to record.

Boom Pole:

Need a pole to mount your shotgun mic, otherwise you won’t get it anywhere near your actors.

Light Kit:

If you can’t use natural light, you need a light kit. Since we’re talking indie, just get a simple kit with at least three lights. Ability to evenly light a scene sold separately.

Slider for DSLR Camera:

Set shots are great, but sliding shots are way cooler. Inexpensive and a lot of fun.

Green Screen w/ Mount:

Put your actors anywhere with a mountable green screen. Another worthwhile investment.

High Speed SD Card:

Anything slower than 80 MB/sec and you risk your camera shutting off mid shot. Grab at least a 32 GB card as well, so you’re less likely to fill up half way through the day.

Camera:

No two cameras are alike and we love the Canons. If you can afford the 70D, grab it. Otherwise the T5i or T3i both shoot great and offer everything you’ll most likely need. Eventually it all comes down to the lens. Lenses are sold separately in most cases and make sure to do some research. Depending on the style of shot you want, you will want different lenses. The Canon cameras come in packages with a great starter lens like this one here.