best camera with fcp

[Rafael Amador]

Hi jennmarie,
Try to get a camera with:
– 3CCD
-FireWire IN and OUT
– Video IN and OUT.
Decent image and conectivity. You can film, download and even to use your camera for monitoring in any TV set while editing in FC. This last point is very useful.
rafael

[Pxlmvr]

IMO many of today’s digital cameras will produce a broadcast quailty picture. But, if you are trying to put together a reel, then you need *quality* footage.

As many of us know, a good DP (Director of Photography) can take a consumer grade camera and shoot good footage. Good composition and lighting being the key. If you, as you say, are not a camera person, then you cannot produce good footage. As has been said, hire someone that can, buy/borrow footage, volunteer your time, etc. Edit that to the best of your ability. You will *waste your money* if you get a great camera and don’t have the skills to produce good footage.

As an assistant, I used footage from ad campaigns I assisted on. This was very good film footage and looked very professional on my reel.

[Chase]

There are no good sub $1000 cameras as many have stated. You can pick up a DVX-100 for $2000 on craigslist. semi risky of course. You’ll likely only be showing people whatever it is you decide to do on a DVD or the web so DV is all you need.

Now to help you with what you really want help with, getting work as an editor. I’ve been cutting for 10+ years now and I rarely am asked for a reel here in LA. I might be dodging bullets but for the most part most people know someone who knows someone who worked on the same thing as me and thats the extent of the background check. Thats followed by the ‘we only need someone for a week or two but it might be longer’ which is the way they deliver the ‘this is a test’ message. The gig always ends up being 3 months.

Knowing what I know I would not bother to buy a camera and shoot something. you’d need lights and sound and time. IMO you’d be better off looking for an assistant editor gig and then at night doing your own cuts of their show for your reel. Usually you can cut some teases and stuff that might air too, all good for your reel.

I have found that in the past 4 or 5 years editors are hired based on temperament, awareness of the post process, editing skill, editing speed, and technical knowledge. All in that order. 4 of those 5 are things which cannot be represented in a reel.

I got my first editing job by showing up to a cattle call at ESPN for editors. The week before I had taken some movies from the 80s and some rock songs from the 90s and recut the movies so the song told the story of the movie and visa versa. I got hired on for a killer $10 an hour but I built a reel and I still get hired to this day because of that particular credit.

Buying a camera and shooting my own stuff would have done nothing to get me that gig. The only benefit I can see is you’d be more familiar with the ingest process for the particular camera you’d buy. And of course creatively it would be fun.

Oh, and if you can, learn Avid. FCP is great but LA is flooded with valley college students floating their editor resumes because they took a weekend class or cut a student film. Those things are good experience but they don’t give your employer a check in a box next to the 5 things I listed above when they see your resume. Knowing Avid indicates you MIGHT have spent some time on something that wasn’t a student project.

Looking for an assist gig would be my most heartfelt suggestion though.