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Yesterday, part 2 of our music video series featured some very good cameras and lenses, but before we get stuck into this post on equipment, there is one important announcement I have to make:

You DO NOT need expensive fancy cameras to make an iconic music video.

I repeat, You DO NOT need expensive fancy cameras to make an iconic music video.

You get the point.

So you’ve got the big idea, now how are you going to film it? If you’re starting from scratch, equipment is very likely to be your biggest expense, and there is only one thing to keep costs down – mates! And lots of them. Mates with cameras, mates who are studying media studies and need to do a final year project, mates who insist on filming every embarrassing moment of a night out on their phone; all these people have kit that might be useful, so start scrolling through your Facebook and see if you can start pulling in some favours (if you don’t have any mates you could always go to where you can submit a brief and wait for directors to offer treatments, then hey presto! You hook up and make a video)

The camera

There are hundreds of ways to film things these days, the most important thing is you choose the right style of filming that captures the vibe that you are looking for. The nice cinematic look that features in the previous post comes from an HDSLR (High Definition) camera, which is basically a digital camera with proper interchangeable lenses. In the past year or two, various digital SLR cameras capable of recording HD movies have hit the market. These cameras have become increasingly popular beacuse they are small, easy to use, relatively cheap, versatile and the picture quality can be stunning. So much so that some TV programmes have started shooting on them - check out the clips from Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two's No Hats, No Trainers, for example. However, HDSLRs don't come without drawbacks.

Having experimented a bit with these cameras, I have come across some limitations: Recording in HD eats up a lot of memory and a lot of battery life very quickly, so you need high performance batteries and memory cards (which can be expensive). Although many record sound via a built-in microphone, it's not really good enough quality to use, so extra sound equipment is also essential (although, when making a music video, it's likely you won't need to record any sound as you will just use the master recording of your song, which is a real bonus).

Image courtesy of

The small size of these cameras makes them very good for sneaking into tight spaces and being non-intrusive, but it also makes them hard to hold steady, so the use of a tripod or is often essential for steady shots.

Recording digitally saves you from the hassle and time constraints of using tape, but you should bear in mind you'll need a large hard drive to store your rushes. The good news is there are a lot of websites out there offering advice about shooting on a DSLR. Just check out the brilliant tips on or or for a start (in fact there is a clip showing the on there right now which is quite amusing!).

Shooting on a budget is really about problem solving. You have to know the limitations of your tools, and play to their strengths. You will come across of lot of barriers on your way to achieving the look you want, you just have to find innovative ways around the problems.

There a quite a few of these cameras on the market now, and there are a lot of nerdy out there going into mega detail, but I’m far more interested in how you actually use the camera. It's the lenses, however, that really make the difference, and a number of succesful film directors have told me to invest more in the lenses and less in the camera body. Prime lenses (lenses that can't zoom) are prefered by most film-makers, and lenses like the Canon/Nikon 50mm 1.8 have become popular because they are cheap (under £80 new), lightweight, and have relatively high optical quality, earning the rather affectionate nickname, the ''.Ìý "Zoom lenses are for tourists and paparazzi", one director told me.

The lenses give you the ability to focus on specific areas and blur the background (), and is one of the most beautifully filmic features of using these cameras (do read this warning of the impact of going overboard with this effect, though!) You will notice lots of examples of using depth of field in this Pulled Apart by Horses video, which again I think really encompasses the energy and sound of the band:

But what if I don’t own a camera I hear you cry!?

Well, you can hire cameras, lenses and just about anything else from somewhere like or but be warned, the cameras that initially appear to be quite cheap may not come with any lenses or memory cards, so a full ‘shooting kit’ suddenly makes the price shoot up. Hiring from schools, colleges and universities is probably a better idea, as film/media departments often have kit they lend out (please note: you may need to befriend media studies student)

To make a film you are going to need 1) a camera 2) a lens 3) a battery and 4) a memory card. There are thousands of accesories you can add like tripods, monopods, lighting - you could even add a if you've been to Glastonbury and like the look of that crane camera thing flying over your head. Just remember you have to know how to use all this extra equipment and even worse, you have to carry it all! So my advice would be go as light on kit as you possibly can.

It’s at this point I have to emphasise once again how important it is to make friends with people who have their own gear. Forget personality, you have to do whatever it takes to get that camera into bed with you! In all seriousness, there are a lot of wannabe directors out there with cameras, and many will be more than happy to get involved for free as it's good experience for them and will build their portfolio. Go forth and find these people! Your equipment worries and costs will ease and you can really start getting creative, working together, and realising your vision.