What are essential when shooting a webseries?

[Stormegadan]

So, my friends are going to be shooting a infected-based (but not necessarily zombie) YouTube webseries. We don't have a huge budget, but I was wondering what are essential when shooting a webseries? I already have a camera (Nikon d5100) and an editing rig, but I'm looking for upgraded lenses (my lenses either came with the camera or are older film slr lenses that don't zoom overly smooth), a decent tripod, and lighting. Most of our filming is outside, but I need some sort of lighting that can emulate moonlight for shooting at night when it's overcast or no moon. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[BURNINGJUNK]

Internet

[GlassBomb]

Decent audio, anything other than just the camera's own microphone. And there is really no need to have zoom lenses. Your feet can be the 'zoom'.

[Stormegadan]

 

15 minutes ago, GlassBomb said:

Decent audio, anything other than just the camera's own microphone. And there is really no need to have zoom lenses. Your feet can be the 'zoom'.

The only problem with not having a zoom lens is our location. We'll be shooting along, and at the bottom of an escarpment, so getting some of the shots we need will require one. We also can't really change location, it's the only decent area that isn't overly busy and has the right setting.

[ALwin]

Aside from gear?  Learn cinematography techniques.  Learn camera techniques.  Learn how to record location sound in various ways.  Learn story telling techniques.

 

I recommend you watch some videos like the following:

 

 

 

 

 

 

and STOP watching camera gear review videos.

 

[ALwin]

1 hour ago, GlassBomb said:

Decent audio, anything other than just the camera's own microphone. And there is really no need to have zoom lenses. Your feet can be the 'zoom'.

This statement is only partially true, and it is partially false.

 

If you have a 50mm prime lens on a camera like a Nikon D800 which is full frame, you can walk back away from your subject or move towards your subject to get the same field of view as a 25mm or 75mm lens.  However the composition will not exactly be the same as if you stood in one place, keeping a constant distance from your subject, and switched the 50mm for an actual 25mm or 75mm lens.  The change in focal length also changes the relation between foreground and background, compression and expansion.

[ALwin]

2 hours ago, Stormegadan said:

but I need some sort of lighting that can emulate moonlight for shooting at night when it's overcast or no moon

1. Better to shoot in day time or with proper amounts/shapes of light than to actually shoot in night time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_for_night

 

2. You need to think about what types of lighting, what size, and what types of light modifiers/shapers you need.

http://nofilmschool.com/2015/12/heres-what-you-need-think-about-when-choosing-your-lighting-equipment

 

3. Learn to edit.

 

 

[.spider.]

2 hours ago, GlassBomb said:

Decent audio, anything other than just the camera's own microphone. And there is really no need to have zoom lenses. Your feet can be the 'zoom'.

They can't like you can't use a wide angle lens for natural looking portraits

[ALwin]

Here's another example of stuff you should watch