Video Equipment Overload!As we start to build our studio, we are beginning to feel the heat. This equipment is not cheap. With brands like Vinten, Cartoni, Manfroto and Leonard Chapman, how can a studio afford anything let alone everything to run a decent studio.
Well, step one is EBAY. Buy used, but cheap, look for deals on equipment that was not used hard and put away wet. Find those deals where something is new in the box and ended up in some storage bin sold to the highest bidder and make low offers.
Someone may have paid $500 for a storage locker and they have like new video equipment that they expect to get like new prices even though they don't know if it works or is any good. No warranty, not guarantee nothing. You risk it all, so it is not worth more than 10 to 20 cents on the dollar of the original price.
We have been picking up deal after deal. Some of it is older and the YouTube community turns their nose up at it, because they are young and want the latest and greatest.
And certainly companies like Gilde Gear, Neewer and Impact have brought prices down from brands like Matthews. But is the quality there?
What we found is that it is not.
Glide Gear track is low end, budget and wont be found on a real movie set. It does the job for the price, but if you want to get to the next level, you have to start buying professional gear.
We love the functionality of the DSLR and Mirrorless cameras and accessories. But lets face it, those cameras were made to take pictures and while technology has changed, just because 95% of the consumers embrace it, does not mean it is the best. It is the top 5% making money in video production and films.
One of our recent purchase was a Losmandy Port-a-Jib Traveler. The jib retails for about $2500 new and is very professional quality as you would expect from a $2500 4 foot jib.
We picked one up on eBay for $250 with free shipping. Basically 10 cents on the dollar of the new price.
OK,we had to buy a plate to adapt it to one of our dolly's, but that is pretty normal and if we had more inventory, we would have already had it.
The point is, instead of spending $250 on some cheap shit, look for professional equipment and build a professional studio. Up your game by investing smartly, not buying the latest and greatest.
Sometime a 10 or even 20 year old piece of equipment is better than what you can buy today.
Learn more about higher end, stop looking at influencer pushed brands and look for real quality whether it is popular or not. Buy stuff because it is good, not because it is popular.
We learned our lesson the hard way, we bought a bunch of crap. Prosumer, fine for small run and gun shoots, not suitable for movie production.
Now we are shopping and getting deals on professional equipment and building our inventory without paying Hollywood prices.
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