Documentary Technology

A bunch of you have asked what technology I am using for the documentary that I am working on.  I posted a link to the camera before but here are the rest of the setup.

• Canon ZR-800  | Spencer Burke had an Sanyo Xacti that he used down in Soularize that I loved it.  Recording to SD cards is a wonderful feature.  When I got the idea for this project, one of the things that a Saskatoon police officer said, "Make sure you can walk away from your camera.  I would hate for you to get hurt over it."  The ZR-800 met that requirement.  It also has an external mic jack which eliminates the need for the internal mic and the horrible motor noise it picks up (the main weakness of the camera).  It also shoots in 16:9 format.
• Sima Video Bracket | This came from Amazon.com and was a little frustrating to buy.  I tried to get one here but Don's Photo and several other stores told me that they didn't exist and had to be bought for a specific camera.  Ummm, they don't.  It screws into the bottom of the camera where the tripod mount goes.  It also allows for some steadier camera shots.
• AUDIO TECHNICA ATR-35S Lavalier Microphone | Audio-Technica ATR25 Stereo Condenser Microphone  The before mentioned external mics.

As for editing.  I won't be doing that much of it is but Adobe Premier is pretty much the only option.  I am still looking for a good bag but I haven't found anything I like yet.  If you have any suggestions, leave them below.

Technorati Tags: Canon ZR-800,Sima Video Bracket,Audio Technica,Adobe Premiere

A New Project

There are a lot of reasons for doing this but I am starting a new project a few of you might find interesting. It is a documentary about life in the inner city of Saskatoon (which is now famous as the second most dangerous place to live in Canada). Those that live there, a look at how some of the NGOs and government agencies are doing to help them. Some friends are helping out as well which should be fun and several agencies, elected officials, and others have been quite receptive to it. In some ways, it is Saskatoon's version of a Westside Story.

Doing a project like this involves a lot of decisions. I am shooting it on mini-DV as I needed a camera cheap enough to give up if it avoided a serious conflict but then I needed a external mic, lights, and a external hard drive to store it on. As far as aspect ratio, we are going to distribute it via YouTube but I decided to go 16:9 as I also want to distribute it for computers and for the iPod/PSP.

Why video?

I was torn over this as I am more comfortable writing or even with a still camera but I thought back to a series of columns in the now defunct Saskatoon Free Press about the west side. Stories of prostitutes, homeless people, and addicts and I thought he was making it all up. I am hoping that doing a documentary makes this seem a little more real to people and hopefully change a couple of incorrect stereotypes along the way. If you are interested in helping out, let me know as I will be shooting video over the spring, summer, and fall and there is a lot to get done. I'll keep you posted.

Technorati Tags: Saskatoon,Free Press,poverty