Which Camcorder to shoot low budget music videos?
 

Music videos is mostly post production and video FX it seems.

Would it be possible to make a half decent music video with a low budget camcorder? Im talking of something in the $500 range, a miniDV or a DVD Camcorder.

If yes, which camera would you suggest for such video shooting? It would mostly be indoor shooting in a studio with proper lighting. I just need to be able to get good quality vids, without it having expensive features for night shooting or high zoom etc. Many of the shots would be against blue screen composited on CGI backgrounds later.

I have shot a lot music video on Hi8mm and Mini DV - the last one I shot was on an XL1s Canon - You can see it on MTV2.com:

Goto:

http://www.mtv.com/bands/az/damageplan/artist.jhtml

Select: Breathing New Life

Choose: Your format and download speed.

The video was done for the cheap and got a world premiere on Headbanger's Ball - also played for several months and was listed as one of the best metal videos of the new millenium (so far).

Videos can definately be done for a shoestring and get played - that video helped sell a lot of records - it's simple and the band rocks - no frills got the job done. Just try to deliver quality even though it isn't a big budget production.

p.s. I'm for hire!!!

p.s.s - make sure you know what you are doing with the blue screen - especially shooting with dv - most don't recommend it because the resolution is too loose for key. The are plug-ins made to help get it done with in after effects for DV.

XL1s Canon is a good starting point but it is your editing skills that really matter...

I have the new Panasonic DVX100A. It shoots at 24P which no other camera has right now. I think.

I have made a few nice quality DVD's on it and it gives you that movie look and feel.

The Pana is a great cam, i have one too, but so is the Canon XL1 mentioned earlier...however, none of them fits in the 500 bucks budget...so, as a PRO, my answer would be NO, you would need AT LEAST a 3 CCD Mini DV camera, so you can use the footage in PostProduction, bluescreen, effects and all...
Cheers, EMY

Thanks for the replies.

So which and how much would be the cheapest camera I can use for my purposes?

The cheap way is to shoot b/w only, then just go for a cheap one, but if you want colour spend a lot more.

No, which is the cheapest color one I can use to make half-decent music videos?

look at the cheaper panasonic 3 ccd camcorders they have really nice ones for around $600 Panasonic PVGS120

Me thinks the sound is the critical issue for you.

Getting good sound means off camera mikes and a mixer.

A $500 camcorder and $3,000 in sound accessories....

It is a huge leap over just recording the sound on the camcorder mike.

Good luck.

I agree sound is 60% of video

:thumbsup

why not just rent a pro one.

you simply cannot get yourself a XL1s for 500$ (low budget).... it is an excellent cam though :glugglug

I dont need ANY sound capabilities.

Music videos have the soundtrack provided separately, and the video will have to be edited according to the sound. While recording the video I do not need to record the soundtrack at all.

sound is not an issue except for playback - you will need to be able to listen to the playback as it goes to video when editing later - sync issue - also - you can find a hungry shooter on craiglist to help you if the project is cool. Everybody wants to be in on a good project - money isnt always the issue...except in LA where everybody is a pro and don't work for free unless they can get somehting reaaalllly good out of it later. :b

Whats craiglist?