Embracing New Technology - Videos of modelling

[Scottish Modeller]

HI all,

 

Time to bite that bullet....

 

I'd like to be able to make videos of some of the modelling I get up to.

 

I've no idea of the technology I will need to use!

 

I've looked at a lot of videos online and noted the somewhat sparse details of the equipment used.

 

It seems to range from simple camera phones to full proffessional gear - so I'm thoroughly confused and unsure about the equipment I should choose.

 

Any suggestions - all welcome!

 

Phil H

[chriswright03]

Don't know if this (5 years ago) is current enough but Charlie from Chadwick Model Railways has posted a couple, one being here.

 

 

 

[That Model Railway Guy]

Honestly it doesn’t matter what equipment you have, it matters how you use it.

 

As someone who works in the film/video industry (and has on occasion taught courses on this very subject) my advice would be to start simple. You don’t need to worry about fancy cameras or framerates, shutter speeds, iso, etc when getting started.

 

If you already have a smartphone that’s perfectly capable. iPhones and iPads in particular can produce great results. Androids can vary a bit more but in comparison to what was available 15 years ago they’re still pretty amazing. I’ve had footage used on TV that was shot on smart phones and I doubt most people could pick out the differences.

 

My recommendation would be to get hold of a basic tripod so that you can lock the camera into a fixed position. This will also allow you to achieve some panning (side to side rotation) so that you can follow moving trains. Handheld and shaky footage doesn't tend to work well with small models.

 

Most importantly I would look into the basics of framing a shot so that you can create nice looking videos. I could go into detail here but there’s plenty of info out there already. It takes a bit of practice but this alone will make more of a difference than whatever equipment you’re using.

 

Finally, maybe think about lighting if your layout/work area doesn’t have any already. It can make a really big difference when shooting indoors. Again you don’t need anything fancy, I’ve used a couple of gooseneck LED reading lights in the past just to add a bit of extra light to an area.

 

But like I said, it’s not about what you’re using but how you use it and most of that can be done with equipment you may already have - at least initially. Most of all, remember to have fun while doing it! Good luck 👍

[fulton]

I've been surprised at the excellent results on Youtube taken with a phone, I was expecting the film maker to have " better" equipment, but it was a phone.

[That Model Railway Guy]

It is pretty impressive what can be achieved these days with the cameras many of us have in our pockets. Again it comes back to having a bit of knowledge on how to use it which can turn a typical "phone video" into something that looks like (and for all purposes is) a "professional video".