Thanks so much!

Thanks for the comment. This is something you will regularly come across in documentary filmmaking and all I can say is honesty is best. If personal viewpoints come up in conversation, don't hide who you are. But even if they don't come up, the way you handle situations will speak volumes. If you approach the situations confrontationally or purposefully avoiding certain moments that would hide key details, then you've done yourself, the subject and the story a disservice. The best way to approach is capture the story honestly with as little bias as possible and let the subjects speak for themselves. How you edit the material to serve the story is up to you, but telling the subject (whether you agree with them or not) that you are there to let them be themselves, then you've done what you need to do.

@ thanks for the advice :D Makes a lot of sense to me.

Thanks for your comment. I don't really have a "max brightness" recommendation, but there is certainly a balance of proper exposure and comfort. If you want to balance the interior with a window, then consider using a stronger light with heavier diffusion that won't be as harsh on the subject's eyes. Or if this isn't possible, you might need to wrap the light further to the side to limit how much they have to look into it. But keeping the light dim that will give you extreme contrast ratios, its up to you to decide if the compromised image but comfortable subject will give you what you need to tell the story.

I'm not familiar with the Rode Wireless Go, but as far as I'm aware, there isn't an option to simultaneously transmit and record with any brand other than Zaxcom (in the US). There are plenty of options that record directly to the pack, but in that case, I would go with Lectro, Tentacle or Diety that will embed timecode into the file for easier syncing. At the time I made this video, some of these products either didn't exist or I hadn't used them. I'm now use the Deity Theos system for this reason. Hope that helps!

Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately I can't speak to the budget options you listed because I haven't used them. I own the gear I own through countless recommendations of professional sound recordists I've worked with, while also balancing my own budgetary restraints. As you can see I don't own Lectrosonics, despite being the best option available! Generally speaking, you are correct in the cheaper options running off 2.4GHz being an issue. There is latency, clogged channels, inability to micro-adjust frequencies, etc. But if internal recording is important, then there are certainly budget options. Tentacle, Diety, etc. But none of these will allow simultaneous transmission and recording (in the US at least). The question of timecode is a big one - and I would argue it's absolutely critical. Without it, you are playing with fire. Say for instance you have a lav on someone who is 100 ft away from camera. How are you going to sync that with only the camera's internal mic or attached shotgun? Neither of those mics will pick up what the lav is getting. And then there's the issue of time. Timecode syncing is simultaneous across multiple cameras, audio recorders and additional microphones. No need to let PluralEyes run for hours depending on the amount you have when you can be frame accurate immediately. At this point, timecode is well within budget of most filmmakers and should be brought into the standard of use. Thats my professional opinion. At the end of the day, all of these options are tools in the toolbox. There are specific applications where one thing makes more sense than another. So it all comes down to determining how you work and what you 'll need to not only capture the story appropriately, but also save you time in post. Hope that helps!

Thanks for your comment. I believe there is a pretty substantial difference between verite storytelling and journalism of any kind. Verite films tell a nuanced story that is factual, but with emotion, subtext, and dramatic structure while journalism is (or should be) objective reporting of the raw facts without interpretation or poetic meaning. That's my opinion at least.

Thanks so much! The wooden ball I have was sadly from a company that went out of business. But another option was recently brought to my attention. Check it out here: www.kinogrip.com/store/p19/KinoBall.html

@matt-porwoll Thank you! I always wanted a wooden ball handle but couldn't actually find one.

I didn't want to believe your comment, so I had to see for myself. At 1:20 I realized that you were right 😁

@@bballman This is the biggest challenge to tackle! While it certainly happens, it is completely avoidable. Check out my “Building Trust with Your Subjects” video to see how.

@@elvin00 it’s a SmallHD 1703

Hi, this is tough question to answer without knowing the kind of work you do. Are you typically working in daylight environments where you will want a daylight-specific light for slightly higher output compared to a bi-color unit of the same wattage? Or are you working in a variety of environments where multi-color is more important than the output? Know that a 300W unit will be hard to compete with the exposure presented out a window, so maybe a bi-color is the way to go. Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with lights on this budget level, so I don’t want to just throw out a product that I haven’t used. Keep your eyes open for sales and reviews and make a decision based on that. Work with what you can at the moment and then upgrade as the budget allows. Best of luck!

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

Thanks so much for your thorough comment! I hear you on mic bleed, but honestly it isn’t that big of a deal - especially in docs. The cam mic primarily serves to cover when the lavs are muffled (or not there). The lack of a cam mic is your biggest downfall in docs. Also, never rely on audio syncing cameras if at all possible. Please timecode jam!! It’s no longer expensive and will save your hours in post. If you are able to hire a sound recordist to deal with the subtleties of iso audio tracks, please do. I will never advocate for not having a sound person unless there’s a story-specific reason for it. But if you are in the situation where you have to record your own sound, just get yourself covered. Cam mic, lavs, boom. No, I don’t edit, and yes, there are trade-offs with this approach, but it’s better to have clarity with a little bleed than the far-worse alternative of actually bad audio. If you have to bring in a sound mixer / recorder to handle your channels then you should just hire someone to handle it. I’ve done this approach on many big, award-winning films and series, and no one’s had an issue. Hope that helps!

It can certainly happen, so be sure you have all required insurance and payment options to cover you in the event that happens. But if anything seems off when doing a rental with someone, it might be in your best interest to not go through with the rental.

Of course it all depends on the situation. More often than not, people aren’t moving all that much where controlling with one finger is possible. But if they are moving a lot more or I anticipate them to walk away from camera, I shift to putting my hand on the lens instead. That way I can make a longer rack.

We had a vest with us on Cartel Land, but never on The Trade. Sadly, I wouldn’t have the slightest idea of what’s the best option. And that was 10 years ago, so I’m sure it’s come a long way since then. I know what we wore was incredibly heavy and made quick movements tough! So unless the situation was dire, we wouldn’t wear it to make getting away easier.

@@matt-porwoll Thanks for taking the time to reply. Yeah, that makes sense, I've been researching lightweight options and seeing what I can get away with. got some doc work upcoming in some contentious areas so thought I'd ask, big fan of your work!

@Videosbyme278 Nice! I hope everything goes smoothly! Stay safe out there.