Knowing your equipment is one of the most important things when you are trying to make a movie. As a communications media student, I’ve learned that working on a budget tends to spark amazing work. Some people see it as it makes things a little handicapped, but I’ve seen students who have done amazing work just with just their cellphones. But how do you know what is good enough for a project you are working on?

Taking a course in advance video production showed me that you can make great work and not have the most expensive equipment in the world. Using a cellphone can get the job done if you know what you are doing. I am not saying that I am an expert, but I have seen the results of what a college student can do on a budget. One of the best cameras you can have in today’s day and age is right on your cellphone. If your camera can record on 1080p or higher it’s usually good enough to get the job done.

There are people in the world who do not always have access to the most high-end technology, yet they seem to make do with what they have. This is what sparks the creativity that so many people see. For college students who have other expenses to worry about just for the basic needs of survival, it seems crazy to think we are going to just blow a crazy amount of money on tech just to shoot a video. Having a cellphone, a tripod and a stabilizer that you can find for cheap on places like Amazon, eBay, or just in the right stores can start you on the right path for making a good film.

Not a lot of students know about things like this, I know I certainly did not. Sharing this information for younger students who are trying to start gaining early experience in filming or even if they have a camera and just don’t know what they can really do with it goes a long way. I know that after this class, I really learned more about what I can really do with the camera and editing software that I will go into more detail about on another post.

If you have the right equipment and want to make a career out of it then what’s really stopping you? I am young and slowly finding my passion for video, but it is never too early to start going out and sparking your creative side. I wish I would have done it sooner. Search the web and see if you can find the right stuff for the right price and begin to take your imagination to where you never thought it would go.