Depends on what you selling, I make FB adverts with a $170 Akaso action cam and $60 AMZ light boxes. My gear freak pals aren't doing squat. I'll be doing a music video this fall.
I hate when they say "gear doesn't matter" or "the best camera is the one you have with you." While it's true that any camera is better than none at all, there's a reason professionals use professional equipment.
If you're good then you're good man. I've tried swapping tools with my art teacher, she gave me her expensive pencil colors and I gave her my cheap store-bought pencil. We drew the same thing and hers is just miles better than mine As my friend have said "if you can be good with bad tools, then you'll be amazing with good tools. If you can only be good with good tools then you're still not good enough"
Because it’s difficult to talk about. It’s non linear, subjective and abstract. Unlike gear and specs. That doesn’t mean no one talks about it though. Check out Tyler Mowery he’s pretty good
People focus on gear because its quantifiable and more tangible. It is much more difficult to approach and dissect why an image or story touches us emotionally.
@@Archonsx yeah like u can make great shit on a cell phone, but it’ll look better on bigger screens on top of better details etc if u use bigger sensors etc
@@Grumpygrumpo Well, that’s subjective, too, because it’s all about the story you’re trying to tell. If you’re trying to tell a very intimate story that’s set in a single location- like a room- it’s pointless to set out to make it look like Lawrence of Arabia. It’s a disservice to your story. To put it another way, if you’re building a small cabin, you’re not going to bust out a 400-person crew with cranes and cement trucks and earth movers and steel girders. Conversely, you wouldn’t attempt to build a skyscraper with just a saw, a hammer, and a single box of nails.
Preach! It’s also annoying because all gear questions get reduced to “gear doesn’t matter”, when some questions have legitimate reason behind them. Like here’s a person who has worked hard filming various smaller projects and jobs, has saved up $2k to drop on their first “big boy” camera, is totally bewildered by the hype surrounding the brands so they comment on their favorite creator’s channel (possibly the one that taught them everything they know) and the creator responds “I hate this question, gear doesn’t matter, it depends what you’re doing, just learn to use whatever you have”. Okay, lol, way-too-close-to-home rant over :) One of the reasons I love Matt Johnson is he doesn’t do this.
BuT gEaR dOeSnT mAtTer Lmao, I'm more into photograph. Gear might not matter if you do stuff as a hobby. But today I was asked to do sometime and istg having the correct DID matter a lot because there are technical limitations (better noise sensitivity to get faster shutterspeeds, less buffering time, bigger apperture to achieve better results. All things I kinda needed today. I did tell the person who contact me that I had none of them tho)
And aside to the other production factors involved in “shot on iPhone” of which there are many, there is also post. Eg colour graded by industry professionals using industry tools, audio produced and mixed by professionals, etc. Not within reach of most consumers. And in a commercial setting where those resources are available there is no doubt access to professional cinema camera gear
It's also so much about reliability, consistency, the right tools to work with a team. Image quality is a factor for sure, but professional tools are so much more than that. Focus gears so you can split the job of focus to a human, timecode so the editorial department can sync faster, trucks of lighting so can shoot all day in a variety of lighting conditions, list goes on and on, but when you are investing so much into any work, the equipment needs to be ready to meet that project needs so you can shoot more setups in the day, make less unintentional mistakes and just generally get out of your way.
I think its funny that its "just a phone" when myself and alot of other people started with canon rebel cameras that were like $200-$300? and the iphone is $1200? so its like...? is it really changing the game? its still expensive lol
I really wish that Tarkovsky lived long enough to see this camera tech. He had a great book of polaroids so he wasn't averse to simple tech. He might have done some great stuff.
When you try to do your best with what you have, you will understand that upgrades are just to produce the same vision but with better understanding. Your taste matters most, and the will power to continue or let go.
once jumped into local online filmmaking forum, and there was somebody that asked about the best gear to get with x amount of budget, and i just said to budget most of it for things in front of the camera like lighting, and focus more on what you shoot than what u shoot with, and i got bombarded by comments saying to just shut up because its not what the guy asked and said i was some "know it all", never commented on a filmmaking forum ever again
In film EVERYTHING matters. From attitude, thought, skills, creativity, originality, personnel, equipment, location, set, marketing, distribution, etc. EVERYTHING MATTERS!
Gear matters when you are a professional and make money from your work. Otherwise if you have the money go to professional, if not, grow in less professional material and when you see it becomes a barrier in your professional progress invest in better material to keep motivation on and your projects expanding. People do not realize but when you buy a better camera you will need 90% of times a better computer too. So, it is not just one investment most of the times. Starting with less good material gives you the vision on how to cast your money with eficience and cut in things you will realize you do not need to do your work.
The “use the right gear for each situation is a better approach” Tight spaces where it’s complicated to put a DSLR? Use a GoPro, moments you want it to look authentic, use a camera everyone has like a cell phone to make it more relatable, if you study cinematography you can clearly see that, you choose your tool according to what’s needed to communicate, the lighting conditions, the budget, the story, etc.
For me cinematic only means one thing, that the visuals are fit to be projected on the silver screen. Whether it's shot on a potato or an Alexa doesn't make a difference, it comes down to your skills as a filmmaker and how you utilise the resources in front and behind the camera to create a cinematic image. Yes, some cameras will give you a slight edge if used properly but skill will determine your image.
Good video and oh so true! The one thing, I think, is most important, even more important than gear, sets, styling, is story. If the story lacks, no matter how big (or small) the production, it won't work.
I had a bit about all of this, it goes "there once was a little boy from Arkansas who wanted to make a blockbuster movie inspired by the movies he grew up watching, but he was depressed for he didn't have the right camera, but now he realized he can shoot with an iPhone and hang with the big boys, now he can totally make a movie, totally not ignoring everything else that makes the camera look quaint in comparison in terms of budget"
There is also a clear digital quality to smartphone footage. Not in a nice way, everything just looks 2 dimensional due to the lens and depth of field. Unfortunately, Cinema mode doesn't quite fix this. As you said, there is a clear distinction and leaning into the gear's weaknesses is the best way to go.
Thank you for this. I was getting really frustrated every time I would see these articles that were basically advertisements for the iphone, or go pro making it look like all you needed was a camera phone to make a broadcast, oscar worthy movie, not because they are necessarily lying, but the disingenuity that they weren't being completely honest. Tony Scott, or Zack Snyder shooting a side project on an iphone is not the same as John White trying to make a film around his neighborhood. When you look at the bts footage of these projects you see that they still have the resources of a veteran Hollywood production team backing them up, as well as having put enough accessories on the phones that to duplicate that you'd be spending about as much for a dedicated film camera, and that doesn't even include lighting and sound. Anyone familiar with photography or cinematography won't be fooled, but it's the newcomers to filmmaking that are really getting conned. Not that these aren't great tools -- I wish I'd had something like any of today's camera phones back when I was in filmschool, it would have given me a big leg up on learning the aspects of the craft. Gear matters both more and less than a lot of people think, but it really comes down to knowing the insides and outs of the gear you have and knowing what it can and can't do.
I recommend Joel Haver's channel as an example of gear mattering quite little. It's high production from him if he even bothers with a two dollar wig, but the stories still absorb and entertain you.
THIS! I just watched this video and felt like it was bogus, when truly story-especially if you want to capture realism in the classical sense of the word-matters most. Spectacle (which requires bigger rigs and more $) is cool and all, but seldom necessary to create iconic images and potent scenarios.
So good! Yeah I feel like one thing that holds me back with creating more videos from my idea list, is realizing the time and resource it will take to pull it off. Sure I can make something quality with what I have, but yeah that next level always seems a little out of reach…
THERE IS NO CAMERA IN THE WORLD THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE LOOK YOU WANT WITHOUT BRINGING IT INTO POST PRODUCTION. NONE. ALWAYS REMEMBER WE CANT NAME ONE FILM MAKER WHO SHOT A FILM AND STRAIGHT OUT THE CAMERA THE FOOTAGE WAS READY TO GO. CAMERAS ARE MONEY GRABS FOR COMPANIES, HENCE WHY THEY MAKE A NEW CAMERA EVERY YEAR.
Great video. I'm a filmmaker of 10 years and a photographer of 1 and I still kinda roll my eyes when I hear it's not the camera it's the photographer. It's not black or white. A newbie accountant who's never touched a camera or drawn a picture in his life won't be able to use a $10k camera right and the most experienced DP will have a hard time getting a usable picture on a 2000 flip phone. Anyway I came by to mention one fascinating thing about The Batman is that the director and DP purposely chose lenses that had imperfections and crazy fall off at times. The images look so awesome and cinematic because... they are less perfect than we are used to as modern audiences. And I love it.
I would love to learn more about the fundamentals, like you mentioned, if you have any future videos on these topics. Quality and story definitely have a space within cinema. Thank you, Zach and congrats on your first book.
the only ones who could say that "gear doesnt matter" are the ones who have experienced using them and probably have the means to purchase better gear when they want it. that experience is still part of learning, and through learning and experience could you only grasp what gears you need for your specific use case and art style. then can you only decide what gears does and does not matter to you.
Not really. Most people dont have experience with 100k worth of cameras but the still know they dont need it. You think in a backwards fasion. Lets try everything out to know what i need and what i dont need. Instead of thinking of what you want to achieve and then see what you need to achieve it.
@@Yodd ofcourse if you are talking about highly expensive gears then everything wouldnt make sense. everyone knows you dont need a quantum computer to calculate 1+1. so lets not blow it out of proportions. did you know right from the start what light setup suite your needs? didnt you experiment first before finding out youre favorite lens? to you im the one thinking backwards, to me you are the one thinking backwards. so can we agree that neither you and i are wrong and just say that there are many approaches to solve a single problem? thanks ^_^
@@ViewportPlaythrough i actually didnt test a light set up that suits my needs. I knew a couple of ways to light people and used any light that was available to do it. I agree there are definitely more ways to solve a problem. But one way is cheap and the other one is expensive. My point is that 99% of people including me dont use the cellphone camera to its fullest potential let alone any mirrorless or dslr. For any social media including youtube and vimeo 4k resolution is overkill. Yet people want 8k and 6k cameras to crop in in post. At the end of the day content is king and gear really doesnt matter if you use everything to its full potential.
@@Yodd and you are losing my point while you try to squeeze your own point to me without listening to mine.... look bro, im trying to have a peaceful conversation here where we both benefit with each others opinion, without making one of us look disgraceful.. are we cool with that or do you wish to continue pushing your own opinion unto me and ultimately give you a trophy or something? 99% of the people? where did you even get that from? and who are you to say that? are you mind reader or something? full potential? how do you define full potential? social media? bold of you to assume that those 99% of people only use their gear for social media. ow sure, im the ignorant 1% right? who are you to tell anyone what they need or want? bold of you to assume too that i dont use my gear to their potential. again, define full potential. do i have to throw my gear on a septic tank for you to consider using them fully? content is king, true, but isnt it bold of you to assume that i dont think the same or that any other people than you think the same? 4k resolution is overkill, sure. but you are wise, im sure you could think of reasons why some people would smartly use 4k or should we assume that those people are not part of your 99% too? you did not test light set ups that would suit your needs? {slow clap} bravo. congrats man, you are a genius. im so sorry for being a lowly person that needs to learn from scratch oh almighty person who knows everything about lighting that s/he doesnt need to learn and experiment we cool now? can we get some peaceful conversation now without pushing each others ego or what not? or are you here to lecture me about that too?
@@Yodd peace men. i get your point, hope you get mine in the future. we clashed and might we shake hands. lets not push each others buttons anymore.. peace
Well said. The iphone is great for novice people to get into filmmaking, but to give the impression that you with an iPhone can produce the same quality as what big budget produce can produce is unrealistic. But they are great devices and can do alot.
Oh Zach ! I'm so happy you're getting your book out ! Joining the waiting-list immediately, but in any case : I love your videos, they're my go to when I need some motivation. xoxo Simone
The problem is gear does matter if you are professional, see the reason big expensive pro equipment exist is to give more control and latitude in the final edit. A cell phone is nice and all but you are limited to what you see in the camera and the god-awful compression that comes with cellphone video files. The one fatal mistake people tend to forget is you have to be properly trained in the mechanics of filmmaking. Yes, you can know your gear inside and out, but you have to learn, storytelling, script writing, sound design, production design, and traditional editing. There's a world of difference between a TH-cam filmmaker and an industry trained experienced craftsman.
There’s a GREAT film shot on iPhone 5s. Tangerine. Look it up. Of course gear matters depending on the subject, style, concepts etc etc. The Batman used vintage still photo lenses (Helios and Jupiter) on some scenes, top gun 2 used still photo lenses in the cockpit (Voightlander) it depends on intention and ideas. Obviously a high end production like Dune won’t be shot on iPhone.
I only really shoot stills but I liked the example of the lower quality footage with the Riddler. That makes sense in that context. I use this with stills a lot where sometimes purposefully shooting with methods that degrade the quality improve the over all picture. I think you would really like this video by Jamie Windsor talking about when bad photos are better. I remember one time I was in this dingy old shed hiding from a storm on a the coast of Iceland trying to dry out my gear. I wanted to take a picture of my friend to kind of tell the story of what was going on. And the building was really dark so I used my on camera flash but pointed it toward the ceiling because this usually gets much softer light than the direct harsh light of the flash. But it looked weird to have such nice light in that place so the next shot I shot the flash directly at my subject which ended up with a bit of red eye and really harsh light. But I didn't even bother fixing the red eye it looked so much better with the harsh light. th-cam.com/video/gyCumQ78ZoI/w-d-xo.html
I continued making some cinematic films even lack of gears because someone tells me "it's not the plane, it's the pilot" but still I am thinking about having expensive gears is a game changer. Sooner I am looking forward on buying one soon. as of now I am only using my Huawei Smartphone for filming.
just read through the comments section and wow its just full war mode that you are right in saying that people do give hypocritical advices, some are even pulling numbers out of thin air. good for you guys.. just remember that every one has their own circumstances, thus needs different approach and solutions to their own problem. may your art bring you success and goodluck everyone.
I'm so happy to have a blackmagic bmpcc 4k camera tbh it's the shooting directly to an SSD with "DSLR quality" video quality for me so affordable as well
Sure, there are films shot on an iPhone. But it's directors like Sean Baker and Steven Soderbergh who could probably make a film shot on VHS look interesting (and they still have a crew of professional sound and lighting to help.)
Something about phone cameras, since we’ve all watched lots of iPhone video over our lives, it’s very hard to ignore the feeling that someone is holding the camera
In the Batman there was even cheaper equipment used then an iPhone. In the car chase scene, a Helios 58mm lens from the Soviet Union was used. A few years ago this lens was worth literally $40 if not less for an okay example. It’s not the equipment as much as it is everything surrounding the shot.
Well said! In the end is all about Fast-Good-Cheap principle. Weather is a DIY solution, a gear that has similar specs etc, there is always the pro solution. You cant beat that. You surely can make a film that will be nominated/awarded in fests etc, but if you want to play with the big boys ,there is no other way! This is not an overpriced t-shirt that has the brand name but still manufactured in vietnam/Bangladesh etc.
It all goes back to the old adage, "It's not what you have, it's what you do with it." The tools to make a movie aren't like food or shelter, you can live beneath your means in that regard. One of my favorite movies ever is Clerks. As recent as five or six years ago, someone could've made that same movie for the same budget which would have allowed them access to more tools which cost less (and which the filmmakers could've owned rather than rented, like an iPhone and a home computer) and it'd have looked three times better, but it wouldn't have made the movie better or worse, because what made that movie so great for me is that Kevin Smith is a really talented writer and knows how to shoot his films in the way that best serve his scripts. Obviously, you don't want to make something that looks incomprehensible or ugly, but if it communicates the ideas and evokes the responses that you want it to, no, it doesn't matter. People can tell when you're trying your hardest, even if they don't like the end result. The question is "What did you try your hardest to do? Tell a cohesive story? Make it look professional? Achieve an aesthetic? Communicate an idea or message?"
I use my IPhone 13 sometimes for my videos. When I need deep focus shots on a wide angle. Every time I go out take photos on my camera I film myself with a mini tripod and the iPhone because I don’t have to worry about anything and focus on photography.
Funny I despise smartphone video. It feels plastic, artificial, flat. And of course it lacks detail, the footage looks terribly compressed (even on TH-cam). Really not a fan of it. It does the trick alright if there's no other option but it can't begin to compete with the crispy clean realness of a serious dedicated camera with a good lens and sensor.
If all you have is a pencil and paper, use that. If you later find a pen, upgrade to pen and paper. The tools do matter in the final quality. But fundamentally, the story can be told from any level of technology; regardless of how elevated we convince our egos that we must use the latest technologies to be relevant. Tell the story from the place you are right now. It will never be exactly the same again.
same happen in photography ....no matter how much you paid for your camera or lenses... bad lighting create bad image ( no matter how sharp your lens is ) and even in extremely high resolution a bad image is a bad image
One major thing you can use a phone for is underwater shots. I mean for a normal camera you need to set up a waterproof cage and special lenses which are bulky and not agile. But my phone is already waterproof with an amazingly camera built into it, and you can get super unique, low shots underwater with it. Thats why i love having the option to use my phone
if you're doing everything in your basement with a greenscreen, gear is pretty close to not mattering. since about 2020 the 4k mode on an iphone is enough bits per second to get a clean key, which is more than i can say for my 2013 and 2011 androids phones' 1080p modes that made me manually mask things like hair and shoes.
I had times where I had the gear but not the time. It's the one thing I'm struggling about for a long time. The gear comes in time, it really is the time I need to produce something. A short movie I'd like to invest in
I get the sentiment of what you're saying but I have mixed feelings about how it's being said. I agree that Apple is a bit obnoxious and dishonest with the whole "shot on iPhone" thing because as it turns out, the average person does seem to think the Hollywood look is created almost entirely by the camera used and Apple definitely takes advantage of that by implying as much with their ads. But once past that average consumer with no real filmmaking ambitions, I find it unlikely that anyone pursuing a filmmaking career is as easily misled by that message. Now about the ads not mentioning the other elements that need to be in place such as lighting, location and production design... well, sure, but those exact same challenges will still be there if you have a Red cinema camera in your hands. And it's much easier for a creator to write around production design limitations (e.g. finding a good location where they can shoot with natural light at the right time of day, writing a story that goes well with low-key lighting, etc.) than it is for them to get access to a Red and all the crazy extra gear it requires. In that way, better shooting capabilities in our smartphones with no real change to their price point is a net gain, even considering the other factors. So regardless of the ads being disingenuous, I don't really see how it follows that a DIY filmmaker being excited that they can now get ProRes footage out of their phone is necessarily under the illusion that this means they can shoot Dune on their phone. There is a huge spectrum between the footage quality required of an indie short and a Hollywood blockbuster and you'd be hard pressed to find any serious aspiring filmmaker who doesn't understand that.
Lol my galaxy note 10 plus can do the same with the pro video mode. As freelance filmmaker 1st AC It is about the gear and that's why we have preproduction and we select the gear according the shoot or DP thinks are necessary From the light to choice of lenses tripods Dolly or jib and lot more In the end it is about the gear to make something beautiful visually.
You have to be super naive to believe that if i got best camera i will capture beautiful shots,wrong it is all about lighting and composition,you can have crap location but if you light properly you will get nice image,camera with codec or raw capture will help a lot.
lots of truth to music-making as well. Great instruments are literally inspiring just to touch and hear, while crappy cheap instruments go out of tune too fast to enjoy long enough to start learning high-end effects processors just "have that sound" and cheap ones often sound cheap of course, there are occasional exceptions anyway, it's cliche but the point is - get your skills up, focus on the high-impact gear first, buy the best you can, and LEARN TO USE IT creative people work with whatever they have but they also tend to love having high-quality tools, gear & instruments to inspire them, make practice more fun & rewarding, and sound/look like their artistic idols so they keep going and themselves become idols to the next generation (who will also lust after the gear they used, while themselves needing to learn to be creative with limited resources... and on and on the chain goes...)
Nah you're wrong wrong about music dude. I've been making music for basically free for a year already and I have not only never felt like I didn't have what I needed, but I've also tried out and been unimpressed with paid software. There's a huge difference in music, because professional grade synths are completely free to use and patch with, as well as audio effects, where a similar thing is literally impossible for film. Gear only matters as much as your experience allows, and people who are getting into these hobbies tend to shell out way more than they'll realistically be able to use. That's ultimately the point of "gear doesn't matter". You should adapt your gear to surpass the hard limits you feel are imposed on you, not buy gear because you need to have "the best gear". Free or cheap tools are more than enough to get started, and once you're at a point where you'll want to be spending money, you'll know what you want and why already.
@@NICUofficial Sure! Only thing I would say is that you should try sometimes to use gear that is free, to see if you really need the shiny toys. Of course, when it comes to hardware it's a completely different story (hardware is literally physically better or worse depending on what you pic etc), but you can get incredible plugins for free, and most paid plugins are, frankly, overpriced. I suggest giving a try to ChowTape for an analog character, Airwindows for more things than I can mention, Analog Obsession for incredible analog hardware emulation, emergence by Daniel Gergely for the actual best granular effects plugin I've ever tried, the TB-audio older gear bundle for some nice graphical EQs and stuff, the free audio damage bundle for crazy weird stuff, deelay and Valhalla supermassive for some of the best reverbs around, dragonfly reverb for a pretty nice expensive sounding standard verb... There's more. Like I think it's worth it to really give a fair shake to the free alternatives before dismissing them. I tend to prefer my free stuff over my paid plugins, with the exception of pigments 3.
@@radiofloyd2359 damn dude it's clear you've been putting in the work. no doubt the creative force lies much more inside ourselves than in external gear or programs. that being said, I've fetished musical instruments and music gear my entire life and so I think it's valuable to honor that by investing in my tools (mostly physical rather than software for me, as you mention!) For me there's this huge artistic value in being physically drawn to touch a musical instrument again and again. Eg modular synths, so tactile and visually appealing. Or the fine woodwork & stringing of a violin, guitar, or piano. Really does it for me :) I definitely think the most important thing is creativity and putting in the time and work to refine our craft, regardless of tools :) and that no money needs to be spent to make excellent art
And this is why you don't get the views you deserve. Because you have a valuable opinion that doesn't fit with the narrative of the masses. Your content is always on point, you have a creative touch and you always put out a genuine message, which is something that's missing. You sir, are absolutely correct, gear does matter and it will always matter. Gear + creativity + practice and finish off with a lot of patience and a smattering of self doubt. I think that's what makes the greats.
Who ever thinks gear doesn’t matter is crazy, skill can only take your vision so far, we and I need the tools to take it to its full potential. Yes are a 4000 key light setup gonna make your shoot look amazing without your skill behind it, NO, but without the lights your shot looks like crap. WHY CANT PEOPE JUST ACCEPT THE SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN GEAR SND SKILL? Are our egos that big??
Cinema, is a movie theatre. Cinema photography is shooting for the “MOVIE THEATRE” . So when you blow up your footage on the big screen from your little sensor it looks like 8mm footage.
"Every amazing movie you've ever watched looked amazing because of lighting, set design, and massive budgets etc." No? My favorite movie is Lost in Translation. They just filmed Japan often impromptu. What a load of bollocks. Didn't they have Bill Murray film for like less than a week?
For me it boils down to creamy smooth sharpness and dynamic range that low end camers just can't produce. I'm not saying great work can't be produce with cheaper cameras, I'm talking about image quality only.
SO funny when people say it's not about the gear, but then I got new gear and they said, "Wow, your cinematography skills have really improved." No, I'm shooting in RAW with better lenses. XD
Let's be serious. Smartphones wasn't made for cinematography. Sometimes a smartphone footage can look enough "good" with AI assistance. But that is not what we want... Why? cannot call you with an Arri Alexa??? Get a mirrorless or dslr for start. Just saying.
You make some very good points about the craft of not just film. And as a communications/advertising creative turned teacher, I completely relate. I'm very interested to see your take on originality-and put it next to mine. Can we send you questions once we've read it?
Ya shot on an iPhone *By people with limitless budgets* I mean a super 16 film camera is relatively small and compact and that can take incredible footage. Good video man.
I hate Apple for pushing this idea that smartphones will replace cameras, I have a Canon R6 and when I pair it with an 85mm lens, it makes magic, the depth is amazing, a whole with all the AI and cheap parlor tricks could never, also the sensor in that phone is tiny compared to mine. I do use phones to shoot a lot of gym videos or swimming videos, but outside of that, I use my R6 for everything else
I am going to sound like an elitist, but I am so tired of hearing people say "gear doesn't matter." Could you build a house with a saw, hammer and nails? Probably. _Would it be extremely difficult and not fun at all?_ Also probably. Hollywood isn't going to switch to iPhones any time soon. I am not insinuating that anyone should let their lack of professional equipment impede on their creativity or hamper their output -- but Jesus, am I ever tired of hearing the "gear doesn't matter" cliché. I think it's actually counter-productive advice that could potentially cause newcomers to plateau and quit evolving/upgrading their filmmaking techniques down the line. Just my two cents. Rant over.
What's up my friend yes gear it could matter as long as you get real good footage out of it either a cell phone or your camera I am doing the script for my movie and I got my equipment shout out from Phoenix Arizona
not to mention if your a freelancer people just look at the best gear before hiring - you could be next level skilled and use a iphone - potential client: oh everybody use iphones Im looking for guys with cinema cameras and cinema lens -
I disagree with you on the statement "filmmakers give you that advice" when in reality stupid TH-cam caliber videographers do. Filmography vs Yt type videography is an extremely high bar(in reality there are an extremely small number of filmamakers who do TH-cam). In my actual practice with the camera I have found that in reality actually the equipment matters and this also promotes true filmographers(that doesn't mean they can't do almost the same thing with an iPhone for example... ALMOST the same thing.The quality of the image coming from Panavision, Arri or Red camera is immediately noticeable no matter how ignorant you are).
I was at Uni when the red came out and I got damn annoyed at everyone renting it out and making terrible films with crap lighting, no mood and awful storylines. People talked about the camera more than the film or its meaning. Saying that, a lovely lens on a nice camera used by someone that knows the strengths of the gear is a beautiful thing. It is all about knowing the limitations and strengths of the gear you have or use.
I currently make all my videos on my iPhone and cinematic mode looks amazing! It's a very high quality camera that take 2 seconds to set up, rather than having a big camera that takes a little longer to set up. I still can see very subtle differences between the iPhone and a camera, but still iPhone are excellent for starting out!
I think the camera vs iPhone test is not fair because apps like Filmic Pro offer 8-bit/10-bit HDR LOG footage, which it doesn't appear was used for the test
8:20 I still no not understand why they did not put some coffee foam on the actors finger there. Would have made the reveal a bit more significant in my eyes. It irritates me. Its kind of a no brainer to me XD
Do you think GEAR MATTERS?
It will be dope if you can help me out on the film
Depends with what you want to achieve...
gear matters, I'm a professional Portrait and wedding photographer, smartphones are smart, but can't trigger a strobe, or speed-lights.
ofc it does
Depends on what you selling, I make FB adverts with a $170 Akaso action cam and $60 AMZ light boxes. My gear freak pals aren't doing squat. I'll be doing a music video this fall.
I hate when they say "gear doesn't matter" or "the best camera is the one you have with you." While it's true that any camera is better than none at all, there's a reason professionals use professional equipment.
they wanna make professional stuff
Fancy seeing you here, Possum
"The best camera is the one you have with you"
Not mfs with nokia soulja boy type quality
Gear doesn't matter but lenses of quality cost in the thousands
If you're good then you're good man. I've tried swapping tools with my art teacher, she gave me her expensive pencil colors and I gave her my cheap store-bought pencil. We drew the same thing and hers is just miles better than mine
As my friend have said "if you can be good with bad tools, then you'll be amazing with good tools. If you can only be good with good tools then you're still not good enough"
Know what else doesn't get talked about when it comes to these "cinematic" filmmaking? CREATIVITY
Because it’s difficult to talk about. It’s non linear, subjective and abstract. Unlike gear and specs. That doesn’t mean no one talks about it though. Check out Tyler Mowery he’s pretty good
Naah, I feel like Creativity is indeed talked about
Creativity means nothing when you don't have the tools to exploit it.
And STORYTELLING.
@@milovarquiel yep, a person who has the creativity to make a house, but doesn't have a hammer. Useless
People focus on gear because its quantifiable and more tangible. It is much more difficult to approach and dissect why an image or story touches us emotionally.
That's the point, understanding why
nah bro, film use 100k cameras for a reason, that quality of colors, depth and so on is essential to the film
@@Archonsx yeah like u can make great shit on a cell phone, but it’ll look better on bigger screens on top of better details etc if u use bigger sensors etc
Agreed
@@Grumpygrumpo Well, that’s subjective, too, because it’s all about the story you’re trying to tell. If you’re trying to tell a very intimate story that’s set in a single location- like a room- it’s pointless to set out to make it look like Lawrence of Arabia. It’s a disservice to your story.
To put it another way, if you’re building a small cabin, you’re not going to bust out a 400-person crew with cranes and cement trucks and earth movers and steel girders. Conversely, you wouldn’t attempt to build a skyscraper with just a saw, a hammer, and a single box of nails.
Preach! It’s also annoying because all gear questions get reduced to “gear doesn’t matter”, when some questions have legitimate reason behind them. Like here’s a person who has worked hard filming various smaller projects and jobs, has saved up $2k to drop on their first “big boy” camera, is totally bewildered by the hype surrounding the brands so they comment on their favorite creator’s channel (possibly the one that taught them everything they know) and the creator responds “I hate this question, gear doesn’t matter, it depends what you’re doing, just learn to use whatever you have”.
Okay, lol, way-too-close-to-home rant over :)
One of the reasons I love Matt Johnson is he doesn’t do this.
BuT gEaR dOeSnT mAtTer
Lmao, I'm more into photograph. Gear might not matter if you do stuff as a hobby. But today I was asked to do sometime and istg having the correct DID matter a lot because there are technical limitations (better noise sensitivity to get faster shutterspeeds, less buffering time, bigger apperture to achieve better results. All things I kinda needed today. I did tell the person who contact me that I had none of them tho)
What was your question to them exactly?
And aside to the other production factors involved in “shot on iPhone” of which there are many, there is also post. Eg colour graded by industry professionals using industry tools, audio produced and mixed by professionals, etc. Not within reach of most consumers. And in a commercial setting where those resources are available there is no doubt access to professional cinema camera gear
It's also so much about reliability, consistency, the right tools to work with a team. Image quality is a factor for sure, but professional tools are so much more than that. Focus gears so you can split the job of focus to a human, timecode so the editorial department can sync faster, trucks of lighting so can shoot all day in a variety of lighting conditions, list goes on and on, but when you are investing so much into any work, the equipment needs to be ready to meet that project needs so you can shoot more setups in the day, make less unintentional mistakes and just generally get out of your way.
Bigger TH-camrs love to tell you that gear doesn’t matter while they shoot that same video on a cinema camera for TH-cam.
I think its funny that its "just a phone" when myself and alot of other people started with canon rebel cameras that were like $200-$300? and the iphone is $1200? so its like...? is it really changing the game? its still expensive lol
I really wish that Tarkovsky lived long enough to see this camera tech. He had a great book of polaroids so he wasn't averse to simple tech. He might have done some great stuff.
When you try to do your best with what you have, you will understand that upgrades are just to produce the same vision but with better understanding. Your taste matters most, and the will power to continue or let go.
once jumped into local online filmmaking forum, and there was somebody that asked about the best gear to get with x amount of budget, and i just said to budget most of it for things in front of the camera like lighting, and focus more on what you shoot than what u shoot with, and i got bombarded by comments saying to just shut up because its not what the guy asked and said i was some "know it all", never commented on a filmmaking forum ever again
In film EVERYTHING matters. From attitude, thought, skills, creativity, originality, personnel, equipment, location, set, marketing, distribution, etc. EVERYTHING MATTERS!
Gear matters when you are a professional and make money from your work. Otherwise if you have the money go to professional, if not, grow in less professional material and when you see it becomes a barrier in your professional progress invest in better material to keep motivation on and your projects expanding. People do not realize but when you buy a better camera you will need 90% of times a better computer too. So, it is not just one investment most of the times. Starting with less good material gives you the vision on how to cast your money with eficience and cut in things you will realize you do not need to do your work.
The “use the right gear for each situation is a better approach” Tight spaces where it’s complicated to put a DSLR? Use a GoPro, moments you want it to look authentic, use a camera everyone has like a cell phone to make it more relatable, if you study cinematography you can clearly see that, you choose your tool according to what’s needed to communicate, the lighting conditions, the budget, the story, etc.
For me cinematic only means one thing, that the visuals are fit to be projected on the silver screen. Whether it's shot on a potato or an Alexa doesn't make a difference, it comes down to your skills as a filmmaker and how you utilise the resources in front and behind the camera to create a cinematic image. Yes, some cameras will give you a slight edge if used properly but skill will determine your image.
Good video and oh so true! The one thing, I think, is most important, even more important than gear, sets, styling, is story. If the story lacks, no matter how big (or small) the production, it won't work.
I had a bit about all of this, it goes "there once was a little boy from Arkansas who wanted to make a blockbuster movie inspired by the movies he grew up watching, but he was depressed for he didn't have the right camera, but now he realized he can shoot with an iPhone and hang with the big boys, now he can totally make a movie, totally not ignoring everything else that makes the camera look quaint in comparison in terms of budget"
There is also a clear digital quality to smartphone footage. Not in a nice way, everything just looks 2 dimensional due to the lens and depth of field. Unfortunately, Cinema mode doesn't quite fix this. As you said, there is a clear distinction and leaning into the gear's weaknesses is the best way to go.
Thank you for this. I was getting really frustrated every time I would see these articles that were basically advertisements for the iphone, or go pro making it look like all you needed was a camera phone to make a broadcast, oscar worthy movie, not because they are necessarily lying, but the disingenuity that they weren't being completely honest. Tony Scott, or Zack Snyder shooting a side project on an iphone is not the same as John White trying to make a film around his neighborhood. When you look at the bts footage of these projects you see that they still have the resources of a veteran Hollywood production team backing them up, as well as having put enough accessories on the phones that to duplicate that you'd be spending about as much for a dedicated film camera, and that doesn't even include lighting and sound.
Anyone familiar with photography or cinematography won't be fooled, but it's the newcomers to filmmaking that are really getting conned. Not that these aren't great tools -- I wish I'd had something like any of today's camera phones back when I was in filmschool, it would have given me a big leg up on learning the aspects of the craft. Gear matters both more and less than a lot of people think, but it really comes down to knowing the insides and outs of the gear you have and knowing what it can and can't do.
I recommend Joel Haver's channel as an example of gear mattering quite little. It's high production from him if he even bothers with a two dollar wig, but the stories still absorb and entertain you.
THIS! I just watched this video and felt like it was bogus, when truly story-especially if you want to capture realism in the classical sense of the word-matters most. Spectacle (which requires bigger rigs and more $) is cool and all, but seldom necessary to create iconic images and potent scenarios.
So good!
Yeah I feel like one thing that holds me back with creating more videos from my idea list, is realizing the time and resource it will take to pull it off. Sure I can make something quality with what I have, but yeah that next level always seems a little out of reach…
Well put, not about the camera but all the other gear thats often not mentioned or talked about. Awesome video man and congratulations on your book.
THERE IS NO CAMERA IN THE WORLD THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE LOOK YOU WANT WITHOUT BRINGING IT INTO POST PRODUCTION. NONE. ALWAYS REMEMBER WE CANT NAME ONE FILM MAKER WHO SHOT A FILM AND STRAIGHT OUT THE CAMERA THE FOOTAGE WAS READY TO GO. CAMERAS ARE MONEY GRABS FOR COMPANIES, HENCE WHY THEY MAKE A NEW CAMERA EVERY YEAR.
Great video. I'm a filmmaker of 10 years and a photographer of 1 and I still kinda roll my eyes when I hear it's not the camera it's the photographer. It's not black or white. A newbie accountant who's never touched a camera or drawn a picture in his life won't be able to use a $10k camera right and the most experienced DP will have a hard time getting a usable picture on a 2000 flip phone. Anyway I came by to mention one fascinating thing about The Batman is that the director and DP purposely chose lenses that had imperfections and crazy fall off at times. The images look so awesome and cinematic because... they are less perfect than we are used to as modern audiences. And I love it.
Another winner, Zach. Your videos are such an inspiration to me. Love what you do!
I would love to learn more about the fundamentals, like you mentioned, if you have any future videos on these topics. Quality and story definitely have a space within cinema. Thank you, Zach and congrats on your first book.
the only ones who could say that "gear doesnt matter" are the ones who have experienced using them and probably have the means to purchase better gear when they want it.
that experience is still part of learning, and through learning and experience could you only grasp what gears you need for your specific use case and art style.
then can you only decide what gears does and does not matter to you.
Not really. Most people dont have experience with 100k worth of cameras but the still know they dont need it. You think in a backwards fasion. Lets try everything out to know what i need and what i dont need. Instead of thinking of what you want to achieve and then see what you need to achieve it.
@@Yodd ofcourse if you are talking about highly expensive gears then everything wouldnt make sense.
everyone knows you dont need a quantum computer to calculate 1+1.
so lets not blow it out of proportions.
did you know right from the start what light setup suite your needs?
didnt you experiment first before finding out youre favorite lens?
to you im the one thinking backwards,
to me you are the one thinking backwards.
so can we agree that neither you and i are wrong and just say that there are many approaches to solve a single problem?
thanks ^_^
@@ViewportPlaythrough i actually didnt test a light set up that suits my needs. I knew a couple of ways to light people and used any light that was available to do it.
I agree there are definitely more ways to solve a problem. But one way is cheap and the other one is expensive.
My point is that 99% of people including me dont use the cellphone camera to its fullest potential let alone any mirrorless or dslr. For any social media including youtube and vimeo 4k resolution is overkill. Yet people want 8k and 6k cameras to crop in in post. At the end of the day content is king and gear really doesnt matter if you use everything to its full potential.
@@Yodd and you are losing my point while you try to squeeze your own point to me without listening to mine.... look bro, im trying to have a peaceful conversation here where we both benefit with each others opinion, without making one of us look disgraceful.. are we cool with that or do you wish to continue pushing your own opinion unto me and ultimately give you a trophy or something?
99% of the people? where did you even get that from? and who are you to say that? are you mind reader or something? full potential? how do you define full potential? social media? bold of you to assume that those 99% of people only use their gear for social media. ow sure, im the ignorant 1% right? who are you to tell anyone what they need or want? bold of you to assume too that i dont use my gear to their potential. again, define full potential. do i have to throw my gear on a septic tank for you to consider using them fully? content is king, true, but isnt it bold of you to assume that i dont think the same or that any other people than you think the same? 4k resolution is overkill, sure. but you are wise, im sure you could think of reasons why some people would smartly use 4k or should we assume that those people are not part of your 99% too?
you did not test light set ups that would suit your needs? {slow clap} bravo. congrats man, you are a genius. im so sorry for being a lowly person that needs to learn from scratch oh almighty person who knows everything about lighting that s/he doesnt need to learn and experiment
we cool now? can we get some peaceful conversation now without pushing each others ego or what not? or are you here to lecture me about that too?
@@Yodd peace men. i get your point, hope you get mine in the future. we clashed and might we shake hands. lets not push each others buttons anymore.. peace
Great video. I completely agree. Nice work.
Well said. The iphone is great for novice people to get into filmmaking, but to give the impression that you with an iPhone can produce the same quality as what big budget produce can produce is unrealistic. But they are great devices and can do alot.
Oh Zach ! I'm so happy you're getting your book out ! Joining the waiting-list immediately, but in any case : I love your videos, they're my go to when I need some motivation.
xoxo Simone
The problem is gear does matter if you are professional, see the reason big expensive pro equipment exist is to give more control and latitude in the final edit. A cell phone is nice and all but you are limited to what you see in the camera and the god-awful compression that comes with cellphone video files. The one fatal mistake people tend to forget is you have to be properly trained in the mechanics of filmmaking. Yes, you can know your gear inside and out, but you have to learn, storytelling, script writing, sound design, production design, and traditional editing. There's a world of difference between a TH-cam filmmaker and an industry trained experienced craftsman.
There’s a GREAT film shot on iPhone 5s. Tangerine. Look it up. Of course gear matters depending on the subject, style, concepts etc etc. The Batman used vintage still photo lenses (Helios and Jupiter) on some scenes, top gun 2 used still photo lenses in the cockpit (Voightlander) it depends on intention and ideas. Obviously a high end production like Dune won’t be shot on iPhone.
I only really shoot stills but I liked the example of the lower quality footage with the Riddler. That makes sense in that context. I use this with stills a lot where sometimes purposefully shooting with methods that degrade the quality improve the over all picture. I think you would really like this video by Jamie Windsor talking about when bad photos are better. I remember one time I was in this dingy old shed hiding from a storm on a the coast of Iceland trying to dry out my gear. I wanted to take a picture of my friend to kind of tell the story of what was going on. And the building was really dark so I used my on camera flash but pointed it toward the ceiling because this usually gets much softer light than the direct harsh light of the flash. But it looked weird to have such nice light in that place so the next shot I shot the flash directly at my subject which ended up with a bit of red eye and really harsh light. But I didn't even bother fixing the red eye it looked so much better with the harsh light.
th-cam.com/video/gyCumQ78ZoI/w-d-xo.html
I continued making some cinematic films even lack of gears because someone tells me "it's not the plane, it's the pilot" but still I am thinking about having expensive gears is a game changer. Sooner I am looking forward on buying one soon. as of now I am only using my Huawei Smartphone for filming.
Great video. Thank for sharing!
Fully agree Zach. Storyline is just one part of the story. You need to underpin it with the footage. That requires gear.
Totally agree! Thanks brother!
just read through the comments section and wow its just full war mode that you are right in saying that people do give hypocritical advices, some are even pulling numbers out of thin air. good for you guys.. just remember that every one has their own circumstances, thus needs different approach and solutions to their own problem.
may your art bring you success and goodluck everyone.
iPhones are annoying cuz of iCloud and soon as the light is low the quality is just gone.
Interested in your book. Enjoyed vid. Love you to buddy!
I'm so happy to have a blackmagic bmpcc 4k camera
tbh it's the shooting directly to an SSD with "DSLR quality" video quality for me
so affordable as well
Sure, there are films shot on an iPhone. But it's directors like Sean Baker and Steven Soderbergh who could probably make a film shot on VHS look interesting (and they still have a crew of professional sound and lighting to help.)
What’s the most annoying is when premiere bugs and makes your colors all off when you export
Something about phone cameras, since we’ve all watched lots of iPhone video over our lives, it’s very hard to ignore the feeling that someone is holding the camera
thank you. you, this video represents me towards all those hypes.
I've always known this but have never spoken to people about. Thanks for bringing the common thought to the table bro!
Hit the nail on the head man! This was great. Stoked to check out the book🤙🏼
Great video! Anyone knows the guys on 55 sec shooting the diorama?
Congrats on the book! Enjoying ur videos/channel!
In the Batman there was even cheaper equipment used then an iPhone. In the car chase scene, a Helios 58mm lens from the Soviet Union was used. A few years ago this lens was worth literally $40 if not less for an okay example. It’s not the equipment as much as it is everything surrounding the shot.
Is there a way to put an inner baffle inside to diffuse a hot spot created by a hard light?
Well said! In the end is all about Fast-Good-Cheap principle. Weather is a DIY solution, a gear that has similar specs etc, there is always the pro solution. You cant beat that. You surely can make a film that will be nominated/awarded in fests etc, but if you want to play with the big boys ,there is no other way! This is not an overpriced t-shirt that has the brand name but still manufactured in vietnam/Bangladesh etc.
Ask em all how much money they brought in last month, that'll shut em up.
Finally someone talked about that like straight on point. Well done.
It all goes back to the old adage, "It's not what you have, it's what you do with it." The tools to make a movie aren't like food or shelter, you can live beneath your means in that regard.
One of my favorite movies ever is Clerks. As recent as five or six years ago, someone could've made that same movie for the same budget which would have allowed them access to more tools which cost less (and which the filmmakers could've owned rather than rented, like an iPhone and a home computer) and it'd have looked three times better, but it wouldn't have made the movie better or worse, because what made that movie so great for me is that Kevin Smith is a really talented writer and knows how to shoot his films in the way that best serve his scripts. Obviously, you don't want to make something that looks incomprehensible or ugly, but if it communicates the ideas and evokes the responses that you want it to, no, it doesn't matter.
People can tell when you're trying your hardest, even if they don't like the end result. The question is "What did you try your hardest to do? Tell a cohesive story? Make it look professional? Achieve an aesthetic? Communicate an idea or message?"
I use my IPhone 13 sometimes for my videos. When I need deep focus shots on a wide angle. Every time I go out take photos on my camera I film myself with a mini tripod and the iPhone because I don’t have to worry about anything and focus on photography.
Funny I despise smartphone video. It feels plastic, artificial, flat. And of course it lacks detail, the footage looks terribly compressed (even on TH-cam). Really not a fan of it. It does the trick alright if there's no other option but it can't begin to compete with the crispy clean realness of a serious dedicated camera with a good lens and sensor.
WOAH! This was suuuuuch a good video! well done!
Does any one know the TH-camr name in 0:34 sec.. I used watch his vdos. But i forgot his name lol.. Im not good with remembering names?
I Agree, good job Zach.
If all you have is a pencil and paper, use that. If you later find a pen, upgrade to pen and paper. The tools do matter in the final quality. But fundamentally, the story can be told from any level of technology; regardless of how elevated we convince our egos that we must use the latest technologies to be relevant. Tell the story from the place you are right now. It will never be exactly the same again.
same happen in photography ....no matter how much you paid for your camera or lenses... bad lighting create bad image ( no matter how sharp your lens is ) and even in extremely high resolution a bad image is a bad image
One major thing you can use a phone for is underwater shots. I mean for a normal camera you need to set up a waterproof cage and special lenses which are bulky and not agile. But my phone is already waterproof with an amazingly camera built into it, and you can get super unique, low shots underwater with it. Thats why i love having the option to use my phone
if you're doing everything in your basement with a greenscreen, gear is pretty close to not mattering. since about 2020 the 4k mode on an iphone is enough bits per second to get a clean key, which is more than i can say for my 2013 and 2011 androids phones' 1080p modes that made me manually mask things like hair and shoes.
I had times where I had the gear but not the time. It's the one thing I'm struggling about for a long time. The gear comes in time, it really is the time I need to produce something. A short movie I'd like to invest in
Great video. Great discussion.
I get the sentiment of what you're saying but I have mixed feelings about how it's being said.
I agree that Apple is a bit obnoxious and dishonest with the whole "shot on iPhone" thing because as it turns out, the average person does seem to think the Hollywood look is created almost entirely by the camera used and Apple definitely takes advantage of that by implying as much with their ads. But once past that average consumer with no real filmmaking ambitions, I find it unlikely that anyone pursuing a filmmaking career is as easily misled by that message.
Now about the ads not mentioning the other elements that need to be in place such as lighting, location and production design... well, sure, but those exact same challenges will still be there if you have a Red cinema camera in your hands. And it's much easier for a creator to write around production design limitations (e.g. finding a good location where they can shoot with natural light at the right time of day, writing a story that goes well with low-key lighting, etc.) than it is for them to get access to a Red and all the crazy extra gear it requires. In that way, better shooting capabilities in our smartphones with no real change to their price point is a net gain, even considering the other factors.
So regardless of the ads being disingenuous, I don't really see how it follows that a DIY filmmaker being excited that they can now get ProRes footage out of their phone is necessarily under the illusion that this means they can shoot Dune on their phone. There is a huge spectrum between the footage quality required of an indie short and a Hollywood blockbuster and you'd be hard pressed to find any serious aspiring filmmaker who doesn't understand that.
Lol my galaxy note 10 plus can do the same with the pro video mode.
As freelance filmmaker 1st AC
It is about the gear and that's why we have preproduction and we select the gear according the shoot or DP thinks are necessary
From the light to choice of lenses tripods Dolly or jib and lot more
In the end it is about the gear to make something beautiful visually.
You have to be super naive to believe that if i got best camera i will capture beautiful shots,wrong it is all about lighting and composition,you can have crap location but if you light properly you will get nice image,camera with codec or raw capture will help a lot.
lots of truth to music-making as well. Great instruments are literally inspiring just to touch and hear, while crappy cheap instruments go out of tune too fast to enjoy long enough to start learning
high-end effects processors just "have that sound" and cheap ones often sound cheap
of course, there are occasional exceptions
anyway, it's cliche but the point is - get your skills up, focus on the high-impact gear first, buy the best you can, and LEARN TO USE IT
creative people work with whatever they have
but they also tend to love having high-quality tools, gear & instruments to inspire them, make practice more fun & rewarding, and sound/look like their artistic idols so they keep going and themselves become idols to the next generation (who will also lust after the gear they used, while themselves needing to learn to be creative with limited resources... and on and on the chain goes...)
Nah you're wrong wrong about music dude.
I've been making music for basically free for a year already and I have not only never felt like I didn't have what I needed, but I've also tried out and been unimpressed with paid software.
There's a huge difference in music, because professional grade synths are completely free to use and patch with, as well as audio effects, where a similar thing is literally impossible for film.
Gear only matters as much as your experience allows, and people who are getting into these hobbies tend to shell out way more than they'll realistically be able to use. That's ultimately the point of "gear doesn't matter". You should adapt your gear to surpass the hard limits you feel are imposed on you, not buy gear because you need to have "the best gear". Free or cheap tools are more than enough to get started, and once you're at a point where you'll want to be spending money, you'll know what you want and why already.
@@radiofloyd2359 sounds like we have different philosophies about it, I'm glad your approach is working for you though!!!
@@NICUofficial Sure! Only thing I would say is that you should try sometimes to use gear that is free, to see if you really need the shiny toys.
Of course, when it comes to hardware it's a completely different story (hardware is literally physically better or worse depending on what you pic etc), but you can get incredible plugins for free, and most paid plugins are, frankly, overpriced.
I suggest giving a try to ChowTape for an analog character, Airwindows for more things than I can mention, Analog Obsession for incredible analog hardware emulation, emergence by Daniel Gergely for the actual best granular effects plugin I've ever tried, the TB-audio older gear bundle for some nice graphical EQs and stuff, the free audio damage bundle for crazy weird stuff, deelay and Valhalla supermassive for some of the best reverbs around, dragonfly reverb for a pretty nice expensive sounding standard verb... There's more.
Like I think it's worth it to really give a fair shake to the free alternatives before dismissing them.
I tend to prefer my free stuff over my paid plugins, with the exception of pigments 3.
@@radiofloyd2359 damn dude it's clear you've been putting in the work. no doubt the creative force lies much more inside ourselves than in external gear or programs.
that being said, I've fetished musical instruments and music gear my entire life and so I think it's valuable to honor that by investing in my tools (mostly physical rather than software for me, as you mention!)
For me there's this huge artistic value in being physically drawn to touch a musical instrument again and again. Eg modular synths, so tactile and visually appealing. Or the fine woodwork & stringing of a violin, guitar, or piano. Really does it for me :)
I definitely think the most important thing is creativity and putting in the time and work to refine our craft, regardless of tools :) and that no money needs to be spent to make excellent art
@@NICUofficial Yeah, for sure. And, you know... Nothing beats the real deal. An actual flute can make 1000 more sounds than all VST flutes combined.
Is it possible to have someone remotely control exposure and focus while someone is holding the phone?
And this is why you don't get the views you deserve. Because you have a valuable opinion that doesn't fit with the narrative of the masses.
Your content is always on point, you have a creative touch and you always put out a genuine message, which is something that's missing.
You sir, are absolutely correct, gear does matter and it will always matter. Gear + creativity + practice and finish off with a lot of patience and a smattering of self doubt. I think that's what makes the greats.
Congratulations on the book!!
Who ever thinks gear doesn’t matter is crazy, skill can only take your vision so far, we and I need the tools to take it to its full potential. Yes are a 4000 key light setup gonna make your shoot look amazing without your skill behind it, NO, but without the lights your shot looks like crap. WHY CANT PEOPE JUST ACCEPT THE SYMBIOSIS BETWEEN GEAR SND SKILL? Are our egos that big??
some of them has egos too large in fact that they dont realize that they are starting to get annoying just because they want to preach their egos out
Content matters, Content is King & Gear makes it look & feel as Great Content.
Cinema, is a movie theatre. Cinema photography is shooting for the “MOVIE THEATRE” . So when you blow up your footage on the big screen from your little sensor it looks like 8mm footage.
"Every amazing movie you've ever watched looked amazing because of lighting, set design, and massive budgets etc."
No? My favorite movie is Lost in Translation. They just filmed Japan often impromptu. What a load of bollocks. Didn't they have Bill Murray film for like less than a week?
Great video, thank you.
For me it boils down to creamy smooth sharpness and dynamic range that low end camers just can't produce. I'm not saying great work can't be produce with cheaper cameras, I'm talking about image quality only.
I love the music of this video, shit smacks! I'm definitely gonna keep watching your stuff
SO funny when people say it's not about the gear, but then I got new gear and they said, "Wow, your cinematography skills have really improved." No, I'm shooting in RAW with better lenses. XD
Let's be serious. Smartphones wasn't made for cinematography. Sometimes a smartphone footage can look enough "good" with AI assistance. But that is not what we want... Why? cannot call you with an Arri Alexa??? Get a mirrorless or dslr for start. Just saying.
You make some very good points about the craft of not just film. And as a communications/advertising creative turned teacher, I completely relate. I'm very interested to see your take on originality-and put it next to mine. Can we send you questions once we've read it?
what's the movie with the cops arresting a guy and a coffee cup?
Ya shot on an iPhone *By people with limitless budgets* I mean a super 16 film camera is relatively small and compact and that can take incredible footage. Good video man.
I hate Apple for pushing this idea that smartphones will replace cameras, I have a Canon R6 and when I pair it with an 85mm lens, it makes magic, the depth is amazing, a whole with all the AI and cheap parlor tricks could never, also the sensor in that phone is tiny compared to mine. I do use phones to shoot a lot of gym videos or swimming videos, but outside of that, I use my R6 for everything else
I am going to sound like an elitist, but I am so tired of hearing people say "gear doesn't matter." Could you build a house with a saw, hammer and nails? Probably. _Would it be extremely difficult and not fun at all?_ Also probably. Hollywood isn't going to switch to iPhones any time soon.
I am not insinuating that anyone should let their lack of professional equipment impede on their creativity or hamper their output -- but Jesus, am I ever tired of hearing the "gear doesn't matter" cliché. I think it's actually counter-productive advice that could potentially cause newcomers to plateau and quit evolving/upgrading their filmmaking techniques down the line.
Just my two cents. Rant over.
Such a great explanation!!
What's up my friend yes gear it could matter as long as you get real good footage out of it either a cell phone or your camera I am doing the script for my movie and I got my equipment shout out from Phoenix Arizona
not to mention if your a freelancer people just look at the best gear before hiring - you could be next level skilled and use a iphone -
potential client: oh everybody use iphones Im looking for guys with cinema cameras and cinema lens -
I disagree with you on the statement "filmmakers give you that advice" when in reality stupid TH-cam caliber videographers do.
Filmography vs Yt type videography is an extremely high bar(in reality there are an extremely small number of filmamakers who do TH-cam).
In my actual practice with the camera I have found that in reality actually the equipment matters and this also promotes true filmographers(that doesn't mean they can't do almost the same thing with an iPhone for example... ALMOST the same thing.The quality of the image coming from Panavision, Arri or Red camera is immediately noticeable no matter how ignorant you are).
Totally agree with you!!!!
New sub!!!!
🙏🏻🙏🏻
I was at Uni when the red came out and I got damn annoyed at everyone renting it out and making terrible films with crap lighting, no mood and awful storylines. People talked about the camera more than the film or its meaning. Saying that, a lovely lens on a nice camera used by someone that knows the strengths of the gear is a beautiful thing. It is all about knowing the limitations and strengths of the gear you have or use.
I wonder what it would look like if you had that same set design, lighting, trained crew, etc, but all you had was a Canon Rebel t6i and a kit lens.
Realmente. Você não precisa de uma câmera de $18000, quando pode usar uma de $900... junto com mais de $25000 em luz e áudio.
Somebody finally said it. Well done!
I currently make all my videos on my iPhone and cinematic mode looks amazing! It's a very high quality camera that take 2 seconds to set up, rather than having a big camera that takes a little longer to set up. I still can see very subtle differences between the iPhone and a camera, but still iPhone are excellent for starting out!
Get Out to Nope is a study in gear upgradation!
I think the camera vs iPhone test is not fair because apps like Filmic Pro offer 8-bit/10-bit HDR LOG footage, which it doesn't appear was used for the test
8:20 I still no not understand why they did not put some coffee foam on the actors finger there. Would have made the reveal a bit more significant in my eyes.
It irritates me. Its kind of a no brainer to me XD
You're absolutely right Zach!
Thank you Lovely mind!