Pre-Production Checklist: The Core Tools Needed to Make a Film

Lights, camera, action. Three words synonymous with filmmaking, and two of those things you can't make a film without. But what tools are actually necessary when entering the domain of filmmaking for the very first time? 

There’s a world of video gear out there, and also an army of marketers whose sole job is to make it feel like you need every latest camera with all the accessories added to it. GAS, gear acquisition syndrome, is very real. This article will break down the core components, and the core components only, that you need in order to make your first film, movie, or video. 

The core components

While filmmaking is an expensive but worthwhile investment, it can certainly be overwhelming when browsing for filmmaking equipment, especially for beginners. You may think you need the best DSLR camera for perfect visuals. However, you can start filmmaking with just your smartphone. There’s no need to sacrifice your funds to make good-quality videos. Whether you're a solopreneur, a small business, or a teacher with little to no budget, focusing on the bare essentials can yield fantastic results.

1. Camera phone

Your smartphone is actually more powerful than you think. Every modern-day smartphone comes well-equipped with high-resolution camera sensors that are more than capable of producing video content, from marketing videos and tutorials to student projects. Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh has created two Hollywood feature films using an iPhone! Furthermore, with tools like the WeVideo mobile app, you can easily offload footage from your phone straight to your desktop for further editing.

2. Microphone

While the video functionality of cameras has come a long way, obtaining clear professional audio from a smartphone is still a challenge. A well-equipped visual setup can easily be let down by poor audio quality. Instead of relying on the microphone on your smartphone or camera, investing in a shotgun microphone provides better quality and precision. If you intend to film with a smartphone, rest assured that microphones are available to accommodate your smartphone, like the Rode VideoMic Me-L iOS. These microphones are specially designed to focus on the subject while rejecting background noise (and if you do capture unwanted background noise, WeVideo's automatic background noise reducer is here to help!). 

3. Tripod

Many smartphones and newer mirrorless cameras have fantastic stabilization tools built-in, which minimize shake. However, sometimes, a small step is enough to introduce some vibration into your shot. For static shots, investing in a simple tripod can make a world of difference as it provides stability and ensures your shots are correctly framed. There's no need to invest in an expensive model; a basic tripod will suffice and will significantly enhance the quality of your videos.

4. Basic lighting

As noted in our cinematography article, lighting is arguably one of the most crucial elements in filmmaking. Having better lighting equipment is sometimes better than having a good camera. Therefore, a basic lighting setup can help you control your environment and keep your subject(s) well-lit. There’s no need to splash out on an entire lighting arsenal; a simple and affordable LED lighting kit will provide you with the necessary illumination.

Diving deeper into your pre-production checklist

Those are the core components needed to get off the ground and start creating engaging video content. But what if you want to take it one step further and really start exercising your creative muscles? You’re going to want something that packs a bit more power.

Camera

Of course, like setting off on a summer road trip without a car, you’re not going to get very far without a camera. The question is, which one do you get? With the likes of Sony, Blackmagic, Canon, Fuji, Panasonic, and more, releasing new cameras every year for the past decade straight, the choices can feel endless. This, though, is where we want to strip away the branding and instead focus on what you need for the film, not what the camera offers.

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor

So let’s run down the core components you want to look for with a filmmaking camera:

1. Dynamic range

Dynamic range refers to the ability of the camera to capture detail in both the brightest and darkest areas of a scene. If your camera has 13+ stops of dynamic range, you will be able to obtain better image quality in challenging lighting conditions. Typically, it’s dynamic range that gives an image a ‘cinematic look,’ as film (celluloid) has extensive dynamic range.

2. ISO

ISO Refers to the camera's sensitivity to light. When shooting on film, filmmakers select film stock that has specific sensitivity to light depending on what the lighting condition is. With digital cameras, decent ISO performance means the camera can shoot in low-light conditions with minimal noise. This is essential for nighttime or indoor shooting without additional lighting.

3. Resolution

Resolution is the number of pixels that make up the image. As a default, in 2024, most cameras are 4k. However, you can move beyond 4K into 6K, 8K, and even 12K!

Even if your intended output is 4k, shooting in higher resolution provides more detail thanks to down sampling, and in post, allows for cropping and stabilization without losing quality.

4. Frames Per Second (FPS)

FPS stands for frames captured per second, and when filmmakers want to employ slow-motion, they will film at a higher frame rate and then convert the footage to 24fps. A higher FPS allows for smoother motion and slow-motion effects, which are crucial for action sequences or dramatic shots.

5. RAW

RAW is the ability to shoot in format which captures all the data from the camera's sensor. This provides greater flexibility in color grading and editing. When you film with a baked-in colour profile, if you want to later change the color properties, it’s somewhat like trying to remove a specific ingredient out from a baked cake.  

At this stage in your journey, the aspect of worrying about autofocus, IBIS, codec options, and audio input capabilities may not be as critical, but these are the primary technical components that will aid you with the creation of your project. More importantly, they will help whittle down what you need.

Tripod

When you first set out on your creative venture, moving the camera forward and backward, or tracking from left to right shouldn’t be on your mind just yet. You’ll need to master framing, composition, and the camera from a static position in order to develop a solid foundation in visual storytelling.

With that, you’ll need a tripod. However, it’s important to know that tripods are split into two categories: photo tripods and video tripods. While they both do the same thing — keep the camera still —they do so in different manners.

1. Photo tripods

• Designed for still photography: Ideal for taking still photos with precise framing.
• Lightweight and portable: Generally lighter and easier to carry around.
• Limited movement: Typically have ball heads that allow for flexible positioning but are not designed for smooth, continuous movement.

2. Video tripods

• Designed for video recording: Built to handle the demands of video production.
• Fluid heads: Equipped with fluid heads allowing smooth panning and tilting.
• Sturdier build: Often heavier and more robust to support the additional weight of video cameras and ensure stability during movement.

As one would expect, video tripods do tend to cost slightly more, but investing in a tool that can withstand a slight brisk of wind, as well as pan fluidly, will make your life that much easier when in post-production.

Lenses

Like the endless lists of cameras, the list of lenses may actually be infinite. There are some lenses, like the Canon EF 70-200mm F/2.8, that are on their third iteration! However at this stage, your choice of lens is simply going to come down to two options: Is it going to be a zoom lens, or is it going to be a prime lens?

A zoom lens will house variable focal lengths in one body, allowing you to zoom in and out without switching lenses. This is very convenient for a variety of shooting situations, from wide-angle to telephoto. The 24-70mm F/2.8 is a staple zoom lens that you can find in nearly everyone’s kit. 

On the other hand, a prime lens has a fixed focal length, which generally results in better image quality, sharper videos (and photos), and greater low-light performance. They’re also lighter and more compact. 

Image via filmmaker Lewis McGregor

A common question is, why choose a prime lens when a zoom lens can cover more focal lengths? It's a valid question, and the answer lies in the typically faster glass found in prime lenses, indicated by their lower f-stop numbers. Budget zoom lenses often range from f/3.5 to f/5.6, while premium zoom lenses might reach f/2.8. Prime lenses, however, can go as low as f/1.2. This wider aperture allows more light to enter, offering two main benefits: the ability to shoot in lower light conditions without additional lighting and the capacity to create a shallower depth of field, resulting in a more blurred background.

Shallow depth of field is a staple element in cinema, and often can change your footage from looking like it was shot on HD video into a scene pulled from the latest blockbuster.

Microphones

Many filmmakers agree that sound is more important than the visuals, and this is because you can often get away with a visual slip-up if the story is engaging, but everybody will hear the bad sound. That’s why selecting the correct microphone setup is crucial.

1. Shotgun microphones

With video creation, especially as a novice, the type of microphone is going to be dependent on the type of project you're working on. If you’re creating short narrative-based projects, then you’re going to want a microphone that isolates the subject. In most circumstances, a shotgun microphone would be the perfect choice as they're highly directional.

Brands like RODE offer low-budget shotgun microphones that allow you to connect them to your camera (assuming it has a 3.5mm jack input). These microphones are great as they veer away from the need for a dedicated mixing unit, a boom pole, and well, someone to hold it.

Image via Lewis McGregor

The issue with a shotgun microphone is that while you can mitigate a lot of sound from around the subject, the distance can be challenging. If the subject moves further afield, then the quality of the sound will lessen. Likewise, if you’re working solo, then positioning the microphone on top of the camera will limit the audio pickup to only appear from whichever way the camera is facing. 

Therefore, if your character is speaking, and turns away from the camera to pick up a prop from behind, the audio will drop.

2. Lavalier microphones

If you intend on creating lifestyle videos or documentary films, a lavalier microphone may be a better option. A lavalier microphone is a small, clip-on microphone that can be easily attached to clothing, allowing for hands-free operation and clear audio capture. The lavalier microphone is connected to a transmitter usually hidden behind the primary speaker, such as on the back of their belt clip. This means you don’t have to have the camera directly facing the subject like a shotgun microphone attached to the camera, nor does it matter how far away they move.

However, the issue with a lavalier microphone is that they typically don’t have as good sound quality as a larger shotgun microphone. They are prone to rustle if it starts to rub against the subject's clothes, and more importantly for a new filmmaker; you also need to buy a receiver to receive the audio signal.

This video tutorial outlines the additional equipment you will need for both shotgun microphones and lavalier microphones as you move through your filmmaking journey.

Video via Videvo

Lighting

Many would argue that within the realm of filmmaking, nothing has advanced more over the last decade than cameras, and to a degree, they are right. However, we must also acknowledge that the world of lighting has undergone significant change too. Just 10 years ago, $500 wouldn’t get you much more than two used Arri 300w tungsten lights — a light that wouldn’t illuminate very much and one that would get hot very quickly. 

Fast forward to 2024, and the world of LED has not only given us brighter, lighter, and more versatile lighting options, but they’ve also brought the cost of lighting right down. You can now easily acquire a three-panel LED lighting kit to illuminate the entire room for under $500 — and they won’t make the room a sauna either.

However, the main thing we need to talk about regarding your light purchase is not the light itself but the modifiers, which are a must-purchase. Lights are typically broken down into two categories in regards to the type of light they produce: hard light or soft light.

Here are the key differences:

1. Hard light

• Produces sharp, well-defined shadows.
• Creates high contrast and a dramatic effect.
• Often used to highlight textures and details.
• Can be harsh on subjects, emphasizing flaws and imperfections.

2. Soft light

• Produces soft, diffused shadows.
• Creates a flattering, even illumination.
• Often used for portraits and close-up shots to minimize imperfections.
• Ideal for creating a gentle and natural-looking lighting environment.

In filmmaking, it’s best to use soft light for subjects as it will create a more flattering and natural look by reducing harsh shadows and providing even illumination. The issue we run into is that LEDs by nature produce hard light. The rule to remember is that the smaller the light source, the harder the light.

Case and point: the sun. Sure, it's 864,400 miles away, but it's also a small, bright dot in our sky. Hence: hard light.

However, what happens when that sunlight reaches your living room with your white curtains closed? The light scatters across the curtains, increasing the size of the light source, which in turn creates soft light. 

Therefore, what we need to do is add a layer of diffusion. This can be many things: a softbox, a shower curtain, diffusion paper, and so on. However, for practicality, in most situations, a softbox would be more than sufficient.

Image via Lewis McGregor

Study the example above. A filmmaker is illuminated by a soft box to the left, and a hard light behind him. Note the difference between the two. Even though the hard light is up and behind the filmmaker, it still brightly illuminates his shoulder. Whereas the softbox creates an even spread across him.

While we’ve recommended that you use soft light, it doesn’t mean you have to omit hard light within your shoots. Sometimes you can get a great-looking composition by illuminating your subject with soft light, then adding a streak of hard light in the background.

Stands

Of course, with acquiring lighting, you are going to need a set of stands too. With some LED lights, there are bundles in which they come with a set of stands. 

If they don’t, you'll need to buy some. In the case of buying stands, this is one tool that we recommend you don’t skimp out on. Spending a few hundred dollars on some steel stands, like c-stands, can be a worthwhile investment that stands the test of time. Likewise, we also have to think about safety.

Some LED units can be quite large, and budget light stands tend to have a tall neck with a small footprint. This means that the light is not only prone to swaying, but if the stand is accidentally knocked into, you run the risk of the light falling over.

Here's a great video tutorial from Videvo that runs through the different types of stands available, and which one is ideal.

Video via Videvo

Final thoughts

When a film concludes and the credits start to roll, it can take an extra 5 to 10 minutes to watch all the names scroll by. Each name represents someone with a specialized set of tools they regularly use. That's because the filmmaking toolset is vast, endless, and often extremely expensive. However, with the core tools listed above, you will be able to create great-looking content or films, no matter the budget. 

After shooting your film, the last thing you want to hear is that you now need to sign up for expensive software to edit your film. To avoid that road, sign up for a free WeVideo plan and bring your idea to life!