Our Favourite Family Filmmaking Gear: Accessories
If you’ve been a keen photographer or filmmaker for any length of time, you’ll know just how easy it can be to get caught in the trap of spending thousands upon thousands of dollars and still wanting more gear.
Here at FilmingLife®, one of our aims is teach photographers how to make films using the gear they have right now. No need to spend money on fancy gimbals, lenses & high-end cameras. We want family filmmaking to be as accessible as possible, and our members make incredible films using anything from their phones to their entry-level DSLR cameras. You don’t need fancy gear to make meaningful, heart-felt films.
Having said all that, there are a few things that you might find useful if you want to level up your filmmaking game. Some of these things we consider essential, some of these things are fun extras. Either way, these are all things we use and love, so today we thought we’d share our very favourite family filmmaking gear with you…
Scarf Straps from Aspen Willow
We’re big believers in the power of hand-held videos and most of the educators at FilmingLife® don’t use any gimbals for stabilisation while filming. What we do use (and reccommend!) is getting yourself a beautiful scarf strap from Aspen Willow. Not only are they beautiful, but they’re practical too, allowing you to use the strap to hold your camera steady while filming. And best of all, members of FilmingLife Academy + Network get a 15% discount from Aspen Willow when they buy their own scarf strap.
Aspen Willow scarf straps are all handmade and come in a variety of colours & prints. Check out Aspen Willow on Etsy by clicking here.
Rode Microphones
We can’t stress enough the importance of good audio in your films, and we don’t just mean quality music! There’s nothing wrong with using the audio you’ve captured with your camera’s built-in microphone, but if you feel the quality isn’t quite up to the standard you want, a Rode microphone is the way to go.
The best thing about Rode Microphones is that they have one to suit every budget. From the budget-friendly Rode VideoMic Go, to the mid-level Rode Stereo VideoMic Pro or the higher-end Rode Stereo VideoMic X, you’ll be able to find a Rode Microphone that will fit your needs.
FilmingLife® Founder Courtney & FilmingLife® Community Manager Kylie both use the Rode Stereo VideoMic X for their films.
Variable Neutral Density Filter
A variable neutral density filter is a nifty little tool that’s great for those occasions when you find yourself shooting in bright conditions. If you love to shoot with more shallow depths-of-field then a variable neutral density filter will help you achieve that beautiful look, while still maintaining a slower shutter speed.
The neutral density filter works by blocking light from entering the lens by way of a filter your screw onto the lens. There are lots of brands that make neutral density filters and they vary pretty wildly in price. If it’s not something you plan on using often, then you might want to try one from the brands our members use and love, Tiffen or GOBE (just make sure you order the right size filter for your lens!).
FilmingLife® Founder Courtney uses a variable neutral density filter for parts of this wedding film shot in North Carolina, USA.
Lensbaby lenses
For those who like to add a bit of fun & creativity into their films, or Nikon shooters who would love to get a more freelensed look to their work, Lensbaby creative lenses might be what you’re looking for. The best part is, LensBaby offers what they call the optic swap system, meaning that if you buy a Composer Pro II optic housing you can then buy new optics to swap in and out rather than having to be stuck with just the one.
Our favourite optics are the Edge 50 and the Twist 60, but don’t just take our word for it. Check out the LensBaby site to see the full-range and the different effects each lens & optic can give you and treat yo’ self!
This film by FilmingLife® Courtney features scenes shot with the LensBaby Composer Pro II and Edge 50 optic.
OMNI Filter Creative Filter System
FIlmingLife® Educator Kylie Purtell’s favourite piece of gear for adding colour, flare & fun to her films is her OMNI Filter creative filter system. The OMNI Filter is a cool little system whereby you attach a magnetised filter frame to your lens, and then you can add lots of different crystal, prism & coloured films to the filter ring that can be positioned to create some really cool effects.
This film by FilmingLife® Community Manager Kylie uses the OMNI Filter Creative Filter system.
GoPro Hero Black Camera
Not every family likes to stay on dry land, so instead of filming your family from the shore, a GoPro Hero Black camera lets you capture it all of the underwater fun. You can go straight for the newest release GoPro edition (currently the Hero Black 9 at time of writing) or save yourself a few dollars and grab an older model. The older models are still really great and will allow you to incorporate fun, watery elements to your films.
Make sure if you do get yourself a GoPro that you also grab a dome so you can capture stunning under/over images & video clips. We use & recommend the GoPole Domes (and RainX to repel the water drops).
If you’d love to get a GoPro but you’re not sure which one to get or how to even go about using one, check out this podcast where Courtney Holmes, Allison Redmon & Kylie Purtell talk all things GoPro and filmmaking on the go.
This film by FilmingLife® Educator Kylie Purtell was shot entirely with a GoPro Hero 10 Black