The Blog

Does Gear Really Matter?


It's our second formal blog post and we are already diving into two of the largest topics surrounding video work. If you haven't read our blog "How Much Does Video Cost?" you might want to go read that too.

The question does gear really matter? Is a question asked by other aspiring filmmakers and clients alike.

In my opinion?  No.

You can stop reading this article right now if you want because the answer is no. Gear does not matter. You're probably confused as to why I decided to write a long blog post about a topic that I already answered-if you're still curious, I suggest you continue reading.

Let's face it, Filmmaking is expensive. In the film world it is not uncommon to be speaking in dollar sums of $10,000-$100,000. Cameras, batteries, lenses, cards, microphones, lights, computers, gimbals, tripods, drones, more batteries, hardrives, hardrives, did I mention hardrives? When a 128g card disappears in about 7 minutes, hardrives are like a filmmakers Achilles Heal.

All of this stuff costs money, but are these tools necessary? I think to really answer that you must first peel back the layers and ask "what is video?" At it's truest form, video is a story. The technique to create a video is the same recipe that cavemen used thousands of years ago to tell stories of their ancestors. But instead of circles around fires and stories told orally, we have this thing called the internet.

The real success and emotion, behind video is the story. The story is what makes the video memorable. Not the resolution.

It is often easy to forget the "why" behind video. But in reality the "why" is why we use video. It's why it's so successful, It's why 87% of marketers use video. Though video is a new tool the art form has been everywhere since the beginning. Its practice is timeless.

So in the end, whether or not you have the best camera or the newest drone won't matter. These tools won't affect your ability to tell a proper story. However, (and this is where all the camera nerds say "Ah hah, we told you!") Gear is a tool and just like in car mechanics, a socket wrench works better on a bolt than a screw driver.

Gear gives us filmmakers opportunities. Opportunities to tell stories in different ways. Our gear list does not make us better storytellers but it does give us chances to tell a story in a more unique way.

Let's take drones for example. 5 years ago no-one had a drone and their videos were still just as great. Now, it seems like every video has a drone in it. So what happened? Filmmakers have taken this new tool and figured out how to use it to create even more visually compelling emotions to DRIVE their story. The drone gives us the chance to show a subject from an entirely new perspective that wasn't possible half a decade ago. Which is absolutely incredible when you think about it!

At heart we as filmmakers deal with emotions. We are emotional people and the best way to communicate to people, is through emotions. Think about those fond memories we all hold on to from our grandparents, or those memories deep down of our childhood that we try not to forget. If we let ourselves sink into our own stories and memories we become awash with nostalgia, happiness, and sadness. This is the power of video. Through the use of tools, we as filmmakers are able to capture these emotions and use them to connect with others.

To all you filmmakers out there, use your iPhone, use your dads old handy cam. Just get out there and start telling stories. Don't let a lack of gear stop you.

If you are curious what type of gear we use check out this link: