"CSX-55" (CSX-55)
08/28/2014 at 15:53 • Filed to: None
1
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"CSX-55" (CSX-55)
08/28/2014 at 15:53 • Filed to: None | 1
| 17 |
I'm in this phase of my life where I'm going foregoing my traditional attachment I have to vehicles and going through a different car every 3-4 months. Vehicles that I've always thought were interesting and are just about fully depreciated, meaning I can buy one, drive it, clean it up, make any necessary repairs or routine maintenance, and resell it for (usually) little to no cost of ownership. Some examples of cars I've been through in the past 18 months include:
'07 Crown Victoria PI
'02 Mustang GT
'08 Mini Cooper S
'06 Infiniti G35
'08 Dodge Magnum R/T
Since I deal exclusively is somewhat niche vehicles (Camrys, Altimas, etc need not apply), I'm thinking of taking advantage of the knowledge I'm gaining by going through so many vehicles by filming car reviews. Think "Regular Car Reviews"...but with less grunting and more useful information.. I know that whenever I'm researching a car, I end up on various forums having to piece together common problems in a particular model, their fixes, and what years offered what major options/changes, and I think it'd be cool to condense all of that into an 8-10 minute video for the . I don't really think it's the kind of Youtube channel that could generate money, I just want to do it for fun.
My question for Oppo is - what sort of audio/video equipment do I need to do this? Is a couple of GoPros sufficient, or will I need dedicated microphones as well? I like watching how Motor Trend, Smoking Tire, Roadkill, and various other Youtube channels film their vehicles and in-car conversations, and want to emulate that to an extent, but I know that's limited by a budget and the fact that I am but one person, and not an entire film crew.
I've never really attempted to document anything in my life, so any suggestions or input at all is appreciated as I'm pretty video-dumb.
Ryanator122
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 15:56 |
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Realistically if you want any video quality you'll need at least a video-capable DSLR and separate mic.
The mic on a GoPro is complete trash for anything other than an exterior shot. And the lens leaves much to be desired in terms of shot variation.
Final Cut is a pretty decent editing program
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Ryanator122
> Ryanator122
08/28/2014 at 15:57 |
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Go pro is also good for ride-along stuff. Other than that? Nope.
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CSX-55
> Ryanator122
08/28/2014 at 16:01 |
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Would it be reasonable to have, say, one or two GoPros on the exterior, mounted in different areas of the car with those fancy suction mounts just to cover in-motion shots? Would one not be capable of capturing suitable in-car conversation/commentary if used in conjunction with an external microphone? I can definitely see utilizing a DSLR as a stationary for drive-by type shots, but is it routine to stick one on your dash for in-car type footage?
Jonathan Harper
> Ryanator122
08/28/2014 at 16:03 |
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I like to put the GoPro on my head.
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Jonathan Harper
> Ryanator122
08/28/2014 at 16:05 |
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I would actually recommend a compact system or full frame camera as opposed to a DSLR. Much lighter and very similar video capabilities for way cheaper than a DSLR. I use my samsung NX300 and my gopro with an aux mic to film everything i post.
mcseanerson
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 16:06 |
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http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T2i-Came…
http://www.amazon.com/Rode-VideoMic-…
http://www.amazon.com/Zoom-Handy-Por…
That's a start.
Textured Soy Protein
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 16:06 |
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The lens on a gopro is really wide.
I've spotted Sony RX100s suction mounted on the windshield and pointed at the driver for their in-car commentary shots.
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CSX-55
> Jonathan Harper
08/28/2014 at 16:09 |
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What's your setup like exactly? For what kind of shots do you use either the GoPro or the NX300?
jlmounce
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 16:10 |
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The video quality on the new GoPro's is fine for what you're wanting to do. Many broadcast television shows and even some lower budget films are using GoPro's or competitors cameras. Sound is your issue. You want dedicated microphones with wind screens for all of this. Realistically to do anything on par with people like Drive are doing you need a crew and broadcast quality camera's like the Canon XF series. At this point I'd jump straight to 4k capable cameras as that technology is full steam heading to consumers at this point.
For microphones I'd suggest a portable audio rig containing a lap-top, USB audio interface with a minimum of two mono inputs and something like Audio Technica's lavalier microphones with windscreens. For the cameras themselves I'd recommend shotgun mics also with windscreens.
All told, to do something like what you see on drive, you'll want a minimum 2 man team (you and an aux camera man) at least one broadcast quality camera and probably 3 or more GoPro blacks, with your three mics and input devices discussed above. You're probably looking at around 6,000-7000 in startup costs if you're buying new.
If you want to start smaller, get a two GoPro's and two lavalier mics. One for the exhaust, and one for your diction. You can plug the mics directly in to the gopro to bypass the audio rig.
You'll spend a lot more time creating the content, but if you take your time, plan your shots and nail your mic placement, it can be done. You're looking there at startup costs of probably about $1000.00 or so.
EDIT: I just want to add here that the guys from outfits like Drive etc. are probably operating with equipment that initial costs would have been probably over $50,000 given the amount and type they'd need. Especially those high speed cameras which start getting expensive.
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CSX-55
> mcseanerson
08/28/2014 at 16:12 |
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Awesome, thanks for those links - I never would've thought of a separate recorder. Does that mean that the audio is recorded/stored independently of the video footage? And is it just a matter of editing to re-merge the camera footage and the audio from the recorder?
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mcseanerson
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 16:14 |
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Yes that's typically how it's done. For tips on video just in general follow filmriot on youtube. I would go with a Canon camera just for the lens selection and how strong they are in the video/film market.
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Jonathan Harper
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 16:20 |
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I used to have more GoPros but I keep punting them off of cars into the woods, but when I had multiple I liked to put one with an aux mic right next to the exhaust for pure sounds, then either a nice low forward facing shot and some kind of rear quarter or wheel/suspension travel shot.
The NX300 I use for in-car either through the windshield or on me for talking, for which I have a pretty heavy duty triple suction mount. I also use the NX300 when I'm riding along with someone.
Also, for talking I have a RODE lav mic that plugs into my iPhone and then can overlay better voice audio, you would probably want to do something like this if your intention is talking about the cars.
NX300 in car:
Multiple GoPros (audio from rear gopro overlaid):
combination of all:
NaturallyAspirated
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 17:07 |
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I've been editing my videos with an old version of Sony Vegas Studio. Version 11 is under $30 on Amazon and has a ton of pro-grade features that I haven't figured out how to use yet. User reviews of the newer versions (they are up to v13) say that the functionality is the same, but the interface was redone to work with tablets, so many users actually prefer the older version.
Link: http://amzn.com/B0051M6IPI
Ferrero1911
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 18:15 |
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As others have said the most important thing to add to your current set up is a sound recorder. If you get a stand alone one you can sync the video and the sound using the go pro audio as a scratch track if you've got dialogue. For exhaust sounds and such you can clap at the beginning of each recording and sync it that way.
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Ryanator122
> CSX-55
08/28/2014 at 19:22 |
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Here, watch this, and then watch the actual video below in the suggested videos
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=F3ABze…
This is the result of a Nikon DSLR, a GoPro, and their respective on-board mics.
Poor accents, writing, and acting aside, it's pretty weak as far as production quality goes, and we spent about 40 hours doing the editing. This should give you a prime example of why additional mics are necessary.
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Ryanator122
> Ryanator122
08/28/2014 at 19:23 |
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We opted for the DSLR due to the wider selection of lenses available.
Matt@ShiftCarBlog
> CSX-55
09/01/2014 at 22:25 |
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If you haven't bought anything yet, you might want to consider this condenser mic... I have been very please with the results and it has many reviews comparing it to the Rodes.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00…
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