Once in a lifetime shoot. What primes should I bring?

[herein2020]

1 hour ago, Kisaha said:

It is very important to know your place and understand your concept completely, in the pro world.

That is number one.

I recently did a documentary series with young directors (one director each 25minutes episodes), almost all of them did more than 5 hours interviews! that was too much for the project, the concept behind it, and the budget.

As of the technical stuff. When I was doing such work I always shot 50p (more is just too much) and used whatever technique I considered appropriate. A few timelapses and hyperlapses were good transition tricks also. Speedramp also. Whatever..

 

I think that is the biggest first lesson to learn when shooting for someone other than yourself is; don't fall in love with your own footage. We have all shot a shot that looks so perfect we want to show the world the whole thing so we let it run a little bit too long; but the reality is no one else cares about that shot except you and by letting it run too long you start to lose your audience. I still find myself doing it occasionally and I have to remind myself to stay aligned with what the customer wants, not what I like the best.

Ground hyperlapses is one thing I have never done. I've done simulated ones where I shoot 6/7K images then keyframe camera motion, but a true hyperlapse where the camera is moving I have never done. I think it looks really impressive and would look good in events but it just seems like it would take so much time and the other problem would be all the people upset that you are not talking to them or taking their picture while trying to stick to the hyperlapse path.

[MrSMW]

Drone hyperlapse is going to be a new thing for me from next week onward but yes, you are right in not letting footage drag in too long. Guilty!

I used to do quite a bit of 5-10 second but other than opening or closing sequences, 2-3 is my new norm.

[callumstewart]

With the FX6 wearing the 24-105mm, I'd avoid swapping lenses unless there's a real break in the action. A second body with a fast prime is usually the safer play.

For the two primes, a 35mm f/1.4 and an 85mm f/1.8 (or f/1.4 if you already own it) would be my picks. The 35mm is perfect for backstage moments, crowd reactions, merch tables, and environmental shots in low light, while the 85mm gives you flattering performer close-ups and tighter audience emotion without relying on the f/4 zoom when the lights get dim.

One thing that's easy to overlook is how much time you'll spend filming everything except the performance. Those pre-show interactions and venue details often end up carrying the recap. There are some solid production workflow ideas from Love Studios Nyc Photo & Video Studio, click here, that emphasize planning around the entire story instead of just the stage, which fits this kind of assignment well.

Whatever you bring, keeping one body dedicated to the zoom and the other to a fast prime will probably save you more shots than carrying extra glass in the pack. Good luck, that sounds like an incredible opportunity.