What's your setup for video puppetry?

[rurulesunc]

So with all of the talk lately about microphone setups and backdrops I thought maybe we could have a central place where all of the tv/film puppeteers could list their current equipment and whether they like using it or not. I know personally I am looking to upgrade my system and just want to know what other people are using. So I will start with what I have now:

Camera: Sony Handicam Digital 8 TRV140 Its about 10 years old so I definitely need to upgrade. It is good because its not bad video quality and I get no delay on playback through monitors while Im puppeteering like I have heard the more modern digital cameras get. But I would like to upgrade to something HD.

Audio: No system just recorded through the air.

Background: Ok yeah I need this too. I was looking this morning at the links Buck Beaver posted. Might try to make a backdrop in the near future.

Lighting: Natural lighting so far but I definitely want to get some professional level lights.


I work in the film industry and have lots of friends with equipment where I can ask their opinions but I also wanted to find out info from fellow puppeteers. Im especially interested in the delay on monitors as you are puppeteering as I know this can be a pain to puppeteer with. Has anyone found a nice HD camera that does not give them that half second or so delay?

Thanks!

April

 

[mrhogg]

I'm in the process of building an extensible, modular system for setpieces, which will hopefully allow me to hang the different sets on them, letting me get a bigger looking set out of a smallish area. I will be using some wood on which sets will be painted, and such.

As for the audio, I have a wireless mic (just the one so far), it's a SHURE mic, the cheapest one they had (it's not terribly wonderful, bit does the job for now).

For the video, I'm still using my Sony HDR-HC3. I want to get a pair of the Canon HV-series cameras (HV20 or HV30), but that will have to wait for some finances to line-up. (I'd like to go well into professional camera territory, but that will have to wait for a while longer, I suspect)

My lighting is pretty straightforward, as I've just got some cheap garage worklights (500W apiece) that I use to light my bluescreen, and the puppet as I'm performing.

 

[Kevin the Frog]

I'm trying to talk the wifey into letting me buy the HV20, if I sell some stuff of course. My local Frys has it for $700 right now. I have an old Sony TRV-22 which needs laid to rest.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

For the current project I am doing I am working with a Canon HG10, which is very similar to the HV-20, expect it's a hard drive camera and doesn't require tapes. It's a camera from work and not necessary the one I would have chosen to buy myself, but it's pretty ideal for web video. Under most lighting conditions it produces very good video (even with no lights) and when a scene is lit properly the footage looks absolutely gorgeous.

The only drawbacks are that the video files are AVCHD, a high-def video format that doesn't play nice with most editing software; you'll need either Sony Vegas, iMovie or Final Cut to edit the video you shoot with it, but only Sony Vegas allows you to edit the native files (Final Cut and iMovie have to convert them to a compatible format in order to work with them). If you have access to professional AVID workstations for editing they can edit AVCHD too I believe. Also, I hate that it doesn't have a manual focus ring, but other than that it's a very solid camera.

For audio I am usually working with a Rode VideoMic Shotgun mic, which is really good, affordable professional-grade microphone. If you're not working with individual wireless lav mics this is probably the best mic on the market to be working with in terms of the quality you get for price. It's especially good at picking up and isolating low audio in a crowded room. If you plan to do something with a puppet interviewing people, this is definitely the way to go.

For lighting I've owned a set of photoflood lights for years and it's a kit that has held up really well (a few of the stands were salvaged from my high school over 12 years ago). I like working with more expensive, professional lights whenever I can, but honestly photofloods can meet your needs 80-90% of the time. They can be bought at any professional photography or video store and usually cost about $50-60 for a stand, reflector and the bulb socket; a complete 3 light kit is usually $150. These are much, much better than using halogen work lights, especially for green screen and blue screen because they give off fairly even light. If you use photoflood lights be sure to buy compact fluorescent bulbs, they last 10 times longer than the incandescent ones and are much easier to work with because they don't get very hot.

 

[CBPuppets]

what's the kind Jim Henson use, Because I love it.

 

[CoOKiE]

Camera: Samsung (i think its SC-CX103... i just bought it this week). It saves onto a card and mini DVDs

Lights: I use work lights. Regular ones which 2 were bought at Home Depot and 1 at Wal-Mart (thinking about getting another one from walmart as well. They're cheaper for the 6ft one)

Backdrop: I have a green screen set up.

Audio: currently lacking that. But i've been looking around and right now someone on the boards showed me some light into a sound board.