Blackmagic Forum

Hey!

Okay so treat me as a total newb as I've typically made documentaries and art films so I have no idea about product videography.

However I've just got a retainer client for product work so I'm looking to invest time and money into what exactly I need to do this correctly.

Can anyone recommend any specific equipment/and anything else I need to know for this type of work? I know I'll need a slider, rotator, lights (I already have Aputure 300x), backdrops, diffusion, some kind of stand - but if anyone has any specific recommendations of what's worked for them?

Also regarding lenses, I've always shot on vintage lenses which I of course wouldn't use for this, so recommendations for what lenses would work best regarding focal length and brand?

Lastly, I'll be doing this alone and I'm concerned that because the Black Magic doesn't have autofocus that it may be more difficult to do this type of work, so any experiences here would be useful? (perhaps with the right motorised slider for example I can pull focus with a tilt Nano for example).

Thank you in advance, much appreciated!

You don't need particularly large lights for product, though it you do any high frame rate shots you'll need more power. More smaller lights is better -- more options for painting the subjects with light is always better. Use what works for each.

Lens wise look for one that doesn't breath, so not the Sigma ART lenses unless they have a newer version around (great image quality, but they breath quite a bit, so not ideal for film work).

A lot of gimbals these days have built in focus controllers that can drive small motors that are powerful enough for small cine lenses. Primes are probably your best bet for size + cost, and they'd be easier to use on a slider or gimbal due to the smaller size (and weight).

Well, with the 6K you can handle lens breathing quite well by a bit of keyframed zooming in the Inspector. The use of vintage lenses in general depends on the style you're aiming for. If you need something very clinical, the Sigma Art lenses are not a bad choice, IMHO. But for a different look, older lenses can be quite nice.

I think that a lot depends on what products your client is selling (cars, watches, clothes...?), what your client wants video to do and how much money your client wants to spend.

Absolutely. And since you don't seem to have any experience in that field, it may help to sit down over your concept for an hour or two with someone who has, even if you need to pay for that.
Technology doesn't cut it, experience does! But there's always a first time.