Filming and Editing Blog: Tripods

 While I have yet to begin filming for my project, as my actors are only available on weekends, I have begun to prepare to film. One of the biggest things I did was purchase a new tripod. I raved about how much I loved the tripod I got for my music video project, and I still do. Unfortunately, I lost it while filming something else and had to purchase a new one. I ultimately decided to buy an entirely new brand of tripod, and it has pros and cons compared to my last one. The most useful feature of this new tripod is that it comes with a ring light, meaning that I will not just have to rely on natural lighting or light in my room for the scene. The light is incredibly bright but it can be dimmed down quite a bit, so I have the potential to use some softer lighting in my film. The light also has three color modes, from a neutral, cream light, to a cool, icy white, and a warm yellow light, which might help with some of the issues of yellowing I've found in my previous projects. Unfortunately, the ring light is not battery operated, and thus must be plugged into work. I don't think this will be a huge issue, as most of the shots in my film where the camera moves are lit by natural sunlight, but it is still inconvenient. This tripod is also much taller than my last tripod, this is absolutely wonderful as it means filming high-angle shots, or close-ups will be made all the easier. The size of the tripod also means it is quite bulky, and truth be told, it is not all that stable. The actual base of the tripod is perfectly grounded, but the clip that holds the camera often tilts to the side under its weight, and changing the angle on the camera is a fiasco of knobs and not quite being able to keep it in place. This ring light also doesn't include the Bluetooth button which turns the camera on and off, which I find incredibly inconvenient. However, it usually will eventually stay put. I intend on trying to find the tripod I used previously, however, I am not all that mad at this one. The ring light honestly makes a massive difference in how the shot looks, and the height is a huge plus. If I do find my old tripod I will probably use the two of them in tandem. If I don't find it, I won't be too mad, and I'll just have to spend a little more time setting up the shot.