Directive Studios Blogs

A video slate, or clapper board, can serve multiple purposes in production. When using multiple cameras in a scene, having a slate can help confirm which roll, scene, and take you're looking at in post production. By clapping the sticks together, you can also easily sync multiple microphones as well! Not only can you write and erase easily with a dry erase marker, you can also note who the director and camera operator that are running the production.  B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/292535-REG/Birns_Sawyer_425007_Economy_Dry_Erase_Production.html

The Kessler Pocket Jib allows us to put the camera where our arms and tripods aren't willing to go. By being able to fully maneuver the jib, its 100mm bowl allows you to mount a fluid head which will give you even more angle opportunities. This is a great support system for both in and out of the studio. We wouldn't mind if it was a little more portable, but with the fully collapsible body allows us to get it where it needs to go!  B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1088121&gclid=CN_2qbTHl8cCFQ6RHwodHWgPlA&is=REG&m=Y&A=details&Q=

Sometimes you don't have enough room for a tripod, or any other stabilization. That's where monopods come in handy! Having a monopod is an excellent backup of not being able to lug around a hefty tripod when you need some stability. With its adjustable leg and fluid head, it is a great reliable source on getting the stabilization you need.  B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5535-REG/Manfrotto_680B_680B_Compact_Monopod_Black.html

Talk about having every tool when we need one. Any gear we have with screws and knobs can be a hassle. We keep this Gerber Multi-tool on us at all times no matter where the set is. This assures that we're not messing around with looking for a tool box or ways to get something done. Anything we need to use on our gear is right here in the palm of our hand. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1051894-REG/gerber_22_01470_diesel_multi_plier_stainless.html

We can't always film in the studio. Therefore, we enjoy when we stumble upon equipment that is easy to travel with. The 5-in-1 Reflector helps us prevent those unwanted shadows on our talent, yet can fold up into something worth traveling with. All we need to do is point it directly at the unwanted shadow from any light we choose, and it's gone. Great little tool to help our lighting. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/501357-REG/Westcott_301_5_in_1_Reflector_Disc.html

Sometimes the best way to execute the shot you want is to not touch the camera at all. The Shutterboss Timer Remote allows us to do just that. With a 3 pin connection for canons, the wired remote can be set for either a number of shots or unlimited shots with delays and intervals. This allows you to control taking the photo without touching the camera, and prevent the camera from shaking. The timer is highly suggested for those Time-Lapse recordings and night shooting.  B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/840098-REG/Vello_rc_c2ii_Shutterboss_Version_II_Timer.html

Having to travel with a bunch of equipment can be a huge hassle. We depend on these portable Bi-Color LED lights by F&V for on the road sets. Not only are they extremely portable, but we don't have to rely on having an outlet on set. We can simply connect it to it's battery pack, and we're on our way. There are two dials on the back of the lights that allows us to dim the lights, or even change between daylight and tungsten lighting. Without knowing how great the lighting is at our next location, it's great to bring this much control on the road with us.

We're always looking for gear that will bring better resolution pictures and videos to the table. The GoPro Hero 4 Black does exactly that. Supporting 4K footage, the Hero is great for aerial and underwater film and photos! The fully waterproof housing allows us to get the image we want no matter what the elements are. With the auto low light and night photo modes, we can now use the Hero 4 throughout any part of the day. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1078001-REG/gopro_chdhx_401_hero4_black_edition_adventure.html

The Kessler Crane Second Shooter is a 3 Axis motion control system that allows you to pinpoint the exact shot you want by tilting, panning, and even sliding. The awesome keyframable positions makes it so you no longer need to record your every move. This device is especially handy when you are short camera operators. This is a very fast, effective, and portable way of getting total control over our camera with limited hands. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1088280-REG/kessler_crane_ss2003_second_shooter_bundle_3_axis.html

The Canon 580 flash is a great addition to our lighting inventory. The 360 degree swivel head allows us to get any lighting angle we need on a subject. With a metal hot shoe you can adapt the flash right on top of your camera. The more consistent color and enhanced controls help our cameras achieve the best quality photos. By making sure our camera has the best lighting, the flash exposure lock that targets our subject helps us do just that. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/801246827-USE/canon_1946b002_speedlite_580ex_ii.html

As our number one audio recorder, we use the Zoom H4n to capture the sound from our Rode NTG-3 mic. By simply running off of two AA batteries, the back-lit LCD display helps us determine where our audio levels should be. Even though we connect our Sony headphones to this recorder for monitoring, it also has an integrated speaker that allows us to quickly check our recordings just in case something were to ever happen to our headphones. It is extremely portable, and at the end of the day all our audio files are put on to a SD card which we can easily move to our computer. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=11116977&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi

White balancing our camera is one of our very first steps to any of our shoots. We certainly couldn't obtain this without our One Shot Digital Target. By being able to hold up the target in front of the talent, our only job is to take a picture with any of our cameras. This is a very fast and convenient technique when you want more than just a white balancing preset.  B&H Lunk: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/492619-REG/Photovision_DT6020_6_Mini_One_Shot.html/prm/alsVwDtl

No matter where or what the weather is, we have a camera for it. A great addition to our inventory is the GoPro HERO3+ Silver Edition. Shooting full HD at 1920 x 1080 and 60fps, the ultra wide angle lens captures any video on and off land. We no longer are afraid of the rain or bad weather knowing the fully waterproof housing will keep this camera safe. With a battery life that lasts 30% longer than the HERO3, we're not afraid of missing any footage while we're out and about. Now that GoPro also has an App for our mobile devices, the built in wifi helps display the image we're hoping to get. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1003322-REG/gopro_chdhn_302_hero3_silver_edition_camera.html

Whats a good video without good sound? Here in the studio our source of hearing is the Sony MDR-ZX100 headphones. We could be filming for hours and hours, which is another reason why we recommend these lightweight, very comfortable set of headphone for your audio. Just like almost every other headphones, the stereo mini can plug into laptops, cameras, ipads, ipods and almost anything else. We love making sure our audio is at its finest, and these headphones help us do that. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/757685-REG/Sony_MDRZX100_BLK_MDR_ZX100_Stereo_Headphones.html

Perfect images rely on perfect lighting. Our handy tool here at the studio that helps us achieve that is the Sekonic Light Meter. This handy cordless meter helps us determine the f/stop we should be setting our cameras to. This weather resistant meter can also tell us information such as the ISO and measuring modes. The easy to read LCD that displays icons and symbols really helps us get that perfect lighting here in the studio.   B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/368226-REG/Sekonic_401_309_L_308S_Flashmate_Light_Meter.html

For any cameras from 4 to 10 pounds, the Glidecam HD4000 is a great walking and running stabilizer we have here at the studio. The quick release plate makes it nice and easy to put on and take off the camera. It's free floating, 360 degree pan and tilt really gives you the variety of angles needed for any running or walking shot. Simply counterbalance the weight of your camera with the adjustable weights on the system itself, and you're off to the races. Great for those unsturdy, quick shots. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/579908-REG/Glidecam_HD_4000_HD4000_Stabilizer_System.html

Not all of our work is done here in the studio. What better way to explore outside than the DJI Phantom 2 Quadcopter. We love using ours with any of our GoPros (Hero 3, 3+, and 4), for recording great B roll for company videos. Having the 3,280' Line-of-Sight Wi-Fi Range really helps us monitor its every position while in flight. Running off of 2 GPS modes, we can assure that the Phantom will stay close to our home base position during windy or low battery days. Such a nice piece of equipment to help us get the videos we normally couldn't get! B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1018649-REG/dji_cp_pt_000083_phantom_2.html

The best way to display our live feed from our camera is by the iKan vk7i 7” Display Monitor. This 7 inch monitor runs directly from our camera through a simple HDMI cord. This display also allows us to adjust the brightness, contrast, chroma, and even sharpness! As portable as it is, we travel with it without any hassle! Great display with great customization that we need in and out of the studio!  B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/968089-REG/ikan_vk7i_n_vk7i_su_7_hdmi_field.html

By owning a few Canon lenses, we decided to get a hold of the Speed Booster EF-M43 since we have a couple of GH4s in the studio! The speed booster, also known as a speed adapter, is powered by the camera to help adapt third party lenses to the Gh4. Even though we are highly satisfied with the lenses we have for our GH4s, we never know when we could use more of a variety. B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=1079566&gclid=CN6Gxb_U9MYCFUoXHwod3voMrQ&is=REG&m=Y&Q=&A=details

We're looking forward to start using the Tascam DR70D. This sound recorder can record up to four channels as once. A really nice feature it also has, is the audio output. This allows you to connect the recorder right to the camera's mic port. Which essentially means the audio and video will be synchronized for us! B&H Link: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1086798-REG/tascam_dr_70d_4_channel_audio_recording.html