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Filming gigs


scalpy
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What cameras and mics do you wonderful lot recommend for recording gigs please? At the moment I have a decomissioned iPhone 5 and basic GoPro hero, but both are proving a bit fiddly and unreliable in the heat of battle. I wouldn't mind something without wide angle lens as well. Footage will end doing the Facebook thing, not looking to make a full on professional promo. Many thanks in advance.

Harry

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Any camera would do, if you get something with a tripod hole and one of those mini tripods, you can stand it on a table, and if you manage to get clear line of sight you can certainly get youtube / facebook quaility video.

GoPro isn't very useful, it is a very fisheyed lens, and although the iPhone video is easily good enough, it is hard to mount it to stay still for a video without handshake.

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1473601536' post='3131515']
I'd hire a student or pro, most folks have no clue on how to take even marginal footage of a band in a live setting.

Blue
[/quote]

Nonsense. All you need is a mic / recorder that can handle the SPL and a tripod.

It doesn't take a student or a pro to get something useful - just common sense.

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[quote name='Woodinblack' timestamp='1473592861' post='3131412']
Any camera would do, if you get something with a tripod hole and one of those mini tripods, you can stand it on a table, and if you manage to get clear line of sight you can certainly get youtube / facebook quaility video.

GoPro isn't very useful, it is a very fisheyed lens, and although the iPhone video is easily good enough, it is hard to mount it to stay still for a video without handshake.
[/quote]

With GoPro, you just press a button in the software to change it from Fisheye to standard. Pretty decent quality, small and easy to use too!

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Thanks folks. Basic GoPro can't do that change from wide to standard I think. Not going to junk it so will still be useful. WoT vids always look/ sound good so I'll investigate the Zoom. I have used a third party to film gigs but I'm quite demanding and it's difficult to get people who 'get it'!

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[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1473603222' post='3131530']
With GoPro, you just press a button in the software to change it from Fisheye to standard. Pretty decent quality, small and easy to use too!
[/quote]

That was from the gopro 2 onwards, I assumed he meant the original hero like I have

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1473601536' post='3131515']
I'd hire a student or pro, most folks have no clue on how to take even marginal footage of a band in a live setting.
[/quote]

Most people can point a camera, and in this case this is what is needed.

I have a load of video of my current band which is from a camera on a table. It isn't great but it is good enough to show to pub owners when they say 'what do you do', which is what we didn't have before that. I have got gigs because of it, thats good enough for me!

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[quote name='blue' timestamp='1473601536' post='3131515']
I'd hire a student or pro, most folks have no clue on how to take even marginal footage of a band in a live setting.

Blue
[/quote]

Too right, asking 'someone' without a clue to do it will result in disappointment and unusable footage.

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[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1473602831' post='3131529']


Nonsense. All you need is a mic / recorder that can handle the SPL and a tripod.

It doesn't take a student or a pro to get something useful - just common sense.
[/quote]

Water of Tyne, it takes more than common sense.

I really wish we had some professional video. However,gigs are the primary focus.


Off topic, wonderful gig today.

Outside event, great weather,food and a really fun and engaged crowd. Hot Rods on Hampton. 12:00-4:00 with 2 ten minute breaks. 20 minute commute, one way.

Our third year doing this event.

Blue

Edited by blue
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While a fixed, unmanned camera such as the Zoom is absolutely fine for showing the band and its audience from one single point of view, if available we tend to prefer a zoomable camera with a built-in stereo microphone (and me behind it), to make things a little more interesting. All totally amateurish, but fun. The Junkyard Dogs have both kinds of videos - plus a few professionally edited showreels. The following is one example of the zoomable camera from another band's repertoire:

[media]http://youtu.be/pqL__Tqhrns[/media]

Edited by bluejay
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[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1473661739' post='3131961']
While a fixed, unmanned camera such as the Zoom is absolutely fine for showing the band and its audience from one single point of view, if available we tend to prefer a zoomable camera with a built-in stereo microphone (and me behind it), to make things a little more interesting. All totally amateurish, but fun. The Junkyard Dogs have both kinds of videos - plus a few professionally edited showreels. The following is one example of the zoomable camera from another band's repertoire:

[media]http://youtu.be/pqL__Tqhrns[/media]
[/quote]

Yep, that's a good approach, but if the OP is struggling to find someone with 'a bit of a clue', it could turn into a bit of a lumpy zoomfest. Best stick with a fixed in that case :-)

(It's confusing that the Zoom recorders we're referring to here don't actually have a zoom function. Who's idea was that? ha ha.)

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[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1473598188' post='3131489']
The Zooms work for me, especially for the audio. The field of view tends to be very narrow, so I try and use other cameras if I can.
[/quote]

I've found this with mine. Audio is usually really good but just can't get it far enough away because of the camera.

Keep meaning to look up some of those after market phone lenses that come with tele, wide and macro adapters and see if I can mount it onto the front. Dunno if it'll work but worth a shot.

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[quote name='Geddys nose' timestamp='1473593498' post='3131420']
I've always used the Zoom cams, Just got the Q4N and it's a great step up from my old Q3hd.

The sound is so good on them we never multi track record any more, It's also got a good basic editing app too that you get
Good results from.
[/quote]

Might be worth you trying out the new toy at Chorley Live with a friendly local band? ;) ;)

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Massive thumbs up for the Zoom recorders. I've used the Q3HD, the Q4 and now Q8. The key thing for me is that they record in stereo and the audio is pristine, even standing next to a wall of Marshalls, unlike most which just distort and have mono 'congested' audio. Sure, these machines won't stand up to the top notch pro recording gear, but for the money you're getting some really useable recordings.

Oh and a side 'plus' of having a Zoom recorder or video recorder is that the stereo audio feed is always live out of it's headphone jack (if you want) - in short tests I've found that the audio makes a really good ambient feed for IEMs too! I've not tried gigging the theory yet, but if you have a Zoom, then it could save a bit of hassle when wanting a bit of ambient audio in you ear mix!

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If you get a video of the whole width of the stage you can zoom in using software afterwards. This will give a multi-camera type impression. Any decent camera will do this.

Then give a hand held video to any old monkey with no skills and tell them to get close up footage from different angles.

Cut it all together with the soundtrack from the first camera and you'll get something fairly impressive.

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