This was the most refreshing “filmmaking video” I’ve seen in forever. It seems like most filmmaking videos like to talk about filmmaking but never employ their own advice. This was super creative and I love how you turned a generic topic into a creative and unique story!
Spot on. It’s become a burden to find/view relevant content, since everyone is in pursuit of free gear from collab deals. YT has turned a lot of valued & trusted creators into well-lit people who read spec sheet & tip-toe around objectivity.
29:49 "I'm a firm believer that in any creative process nothing has to be what it was supposed to be. ... The story you set out to write and the story that emerges on the screen are rarely the same." Pure gold!!!
First vid I've seen from you. Loved it. Such a fresh breath of air in the UA-cam filmmaking world. "At the end of the day it's your job to make the best piece with what you actually end up with not with what you hoped you'd end up with." This hits hard. I'll try to remind myself of that from now on, whenever I feel like my shots suck and are useless. Which is kinda often.
Breath of fresh air is correct. Just yesterday I torched prob 5-6 accts here on YT - was simply wanted to see some actual footage from a particular slider, and almost every single video was just a well-lit person reading the spec sheets & not mentioning any downsides. These “collab” deals are murdering some of my fav & most trusted creators, and it’s videos like this that initiate a widespread change in the format.
It was a relief to find this video on youtube. As a filmmaker that doesn't live in the US, it is SO HARD and SO EXPENSIVE to buy gear. My country has so many taxes for everything, it's so frustrating. But the thing is: as much as I watched UA-cam videos from US creators talking about gear, I began to believe that I would never have enough to tell the stories I wanted. This killed my creativity for a while, I was only thinking of how I could buy things that I obviusly couldn't aford... Videos about gear are very important, but it shouldn't make you feel like an amatour 'cause you don't have money to buy things. The most important thing about a video is not the video itself, but the story you're telling, let's never forget that. Thanks for this!
I once picked up a crappy webcam to improve my skype calls. I got hooked on cameras 4 years later and suddenly I own a $130,000 set of anamorphic lenses and i'm not really sure wtf happened
@lucsmithmedia Toyo Eiki set. Only one in the world as far as I know. They're the same thing as JDC Cooke Xtal Express...Speed Panchro spherical base with Shiga anamorphic block.
@PsychonautTV Haven't rented them out to anyone yet...they just finished getting serviced a few months ago and i've been using them on a documentary. but will be offering for rental soon.
You have a very special way of making videos, they feel honest, are full of emotions and are very engaging. I also really like the "small" details, which I imagine are not small at all when you are planning a video, but the "anonymous witness" was perfect!
I love this video. It's probably my favorite that you've ever made here on UA-cam. As a fellow UA-camr who has been navigating the same gear review dilemmas you explained, this story is validating and inspiring. Keep telling standard stories :)
Right. I needed this one. I just been feeling like it just never comes out the way I see it in my head when I am planing. So ya. Good watch at the right time for me.
As someone who just bought their first nice camera/monitor with big dreams, this is the story I need right now. Beautifully done! As a musician and audio engineer I've learned this lesson more than once already, but it's definitely like a drug...or disease like you say. I try to remember how in my music experience it never matters how nice of a mic/preamp or instrument you're using, if the musician sucks and/or the song sucks...it doesn't matter.
This is the most meta thing I have ever seen. And it’s amazing. I’m not into video making, but I am a creative myself, and it’s common place for us, to remember that a “failure” is also part of learning, perhaps the most important one, and that not everything has to be perfect and that’s okay. Great content man, subbed.
hahaha, loved the "anonymous witness" one. And I agree, appreciating your honesty and authenticity in your videos in general, also here! Well done! and great reminder of being flexible with the storyline too.
Never have I ever heard a man say: - I had a horrible time, in such nice manners. Loved the video Kent. As I am getting more into investing in my own little filmmaking business I find your videos incredible valuable, and gives a light relief when getting to see new gear. When compared to the more "extreme"camera gear channels.
When I had a $75 used electric guitar I played my heart out. Years later when I could afford to get three Les Pauls I found that I was looking for a fourth Les Paul! However my playing hadn't improved very much from the $75 dollar guitar days. The better equipment didn't improve my spark.
My man turned his DSLR into a camcorder complete with camera, viewfinder, top handle, servo controls on the pistol grip(?), tying it all together by powering them all with a single battery. Is there a reason videographers don't seem to want to use purpose built video cameras any more?
genius. this GAS thing has become such an issue with the youtuber approach to filmmaking. this is a super down-to-earth and creative way to explain that and keep your sponsors happy ;) nice work haha!
You do a rare and beautiful thing on this channel. Your unique creative voice, humble and comedic self awareness and apparent talent as a story teller makes for a kick ass channel. Thanks for this!
I just found you recently but I have loved every video. Mostly because your aren't JUST a gear review channel but talk about how to make our stories better. Plus you have a really great way of speaking and are nice to listen to so that helps. Keep it up man. You should set up a Twitter or something for people to hit you up during their projects. I'd love to pick your brain!
You've no idea how much I needed the message of this video right now. I'm in the middle of editing a short film and the story is evolving into something far more interesting as it goes. Even though I love the idea, there are still those mid-edit nerves of "is this going to be good enough/does it even make sense?" Yet the story choices are right for the footage we shot. I know this is all part of the process, but it's easy to forget that when you're in the middle of it. And something as simple as hearing another filmmaker saying it aloud helps massively. Keep up the great work, Kent. Love your videos.
I got the overwhelming feeling that you were experiencing imposter syndrome and that nagging voice was the biggest driver. It is helpful to listen to it but remember that you also have an equally powerful confidence voice. This was a really good twist on the gear review space ❤
I love the warm colours that you use in your videos. I am learning color grading myself. Hoping to use that soon in my video myself. Thanks for being awesome
Earned yourself an immediate sub with this video. Love how this is really multiple videos within a video, somehow as sincere as it is meta. GAS hits me in bursts and depending on the side of my profession (Art/Creative Direction) that I'm currently most invested in. So thankfully my cycle is 6 months of research, forgetting I ever wanted anything, then 2 months of research a year later just to go with the one I would have bought based on a gut feeling lol.
I love the way you soaked up all these “Please review…” commitments inside a video warning us about the downside of “Please review…” commitments. Very meta!
This video was such a breath of fresh air. The 4D storytelling you pulled from your “botched” experience, while at the same time checking off your to-do’s, blows my mind. Amazing work 👏🏻
Here's the thing about gear - when we filmmakers watch a review or buy a new piece of equipment, it unfortunately feels like we've achieved something. The problem is, nothing really has changed except that we now own a new toy. But the dopamine hit still comes and gives the sense of completion. GAS holds people back. It also never ends because you get that light and you need c-stands, or cutters.... then you need gels... then you need cases. Then you need a bigger car. And storage for all the S*** you bought. It goes on lol. PS. Totally nailed this video. Nice job!! ;)
Great video, it turned out as a multiple gear review but with a touch of creativity beyond what others do, I like that you turned a "problem" into an opportunity andfound it quite engaging. Usually I never watch youtube videos this long unless they are tutorials, but this "short story" format was entertaining enough to stick up for the whole video.
I actually appreciated the hell out of this. Been feeling the same way recently with my photos and my filmmaking and even without all the gear, I had began to chase the wrong stuff. Thanks for being relatable and hilarious the entire time, all while teaching us some stuff. Also? That last acronym joke was PEAK 😭
Is it being authentic though? Or is it just a giant, long ad designed to look like something else? I'm not really asking: This is 100% an ad ... with an ad inside to boot.
That conclusion was exactly what i was trying to figure out myself for so long, and hearing it put into proper words... it feels like the weight of my own expectations for myself has lightened a bit. Thank you for putting this together and putting so much thought and effort into the content you make. This helped me, and probably many other people.
Personally, I think we all need to change the way we think and talk about "free gear"... Because it's not free gear. It's never been free gear; it's payment in the form of gear. Calling it free gear mis-represents the power dynamic that these companies wield over us. If you spend 20 hours shooting and cutting together a video for a $100 piece of gear, then you're working for the gear. In that situation you're a freelance filmmaker who is willing to work for $5 an hour to shoot a commercial, assuming it's something you would have bought no matter what. If it's a product you ordinarily would not have bought, then you're working for the used/secondhand value of that product after you sell it - closer to $2 an hour. It's less like the gear is free, closer to you agreeing to work for these companies, essentially for free. As a film maker, or as an influencer one really needs to step back and ask themselves: What are my skills worth? What is the wear and tear on my tools worth? Do I really want to advertise for this company so badly that I'm willing to work for far below minimum wage? Will the content really build my channel or my own business enough to make up the difference? We all make that choice, but really, I'm just very tired of UA-cam being a never-ending pile of cheap shill videos and highly-biased 'reviews' that are essentially infomercials. All internally justified by the idea "the gear was free, so they didn't pay me".
Making a video on G.A.S. worsening audience's G.A.S. Now I NEED that wireless shotgun. Came here for the gear talk, stayed for the amazing storytelling.
This was a great video man, and came at a perfect time for me (just did my first gear review video and it was a strange and time-consuming experience haha). It's amazing how often things can click into place when I just bounce ideas off of someone else, rather than trying to figure out everything myself...which is where it can be tempting to see gear as a cure.
Thanks for this. I'm at a much earlier stage in my creative journey on this platform but I'm already experiencing some of the dilemmas you highlight here. I appreciate you sharing your own experience with them. Right now I'm just starting to do gear reviews.....but I don't think I like making them. I'm still discovering "who I am" on this thing, and I seem to learn great lessons on every video I make - even the gear reviews - but the one thought that keeps rattling around in my brain is that "I don't have what it takes" because I can't see myself doing review after review for years to come. The hard (and sometimes soul-crushing) part of that, is everything I see is telling me I NEED to review gear in order to be successful. But your girlfriend is right - we don't HAVE to do anything. Our channels are ours. We can do whatever we want. It's very hard to remember that sometimes, but hearing THIS from YOU right NOW - helps.
You absolute legend--this video gave me 3 things I knew I needed (a new Standard Story Company video, info on V-Mount batteries, AND a link to that something-something nitrate sponsor I wanted for my shoot) and exactly the lil Pacino Pep talk I didn't know I needed... "Nothing has to be what it was supposed to be." I'm not a big commenter but I HAVE to say: I've been stressing lately because I'm working on a feature and am running out of time in the shooting schedule to accomplish everything I wrote and planned. But that part really comforted me. Also throughout production, I've been going back through your older videos while I eat so that like every free moment I spend is towards the betterment of the project and I did recently see the pacing video you mentioned. I also liked the slower version, it was more the style of my writing, and when you said the faster version was better I was like "Man, what am I even doing? I think maybe my taste is crap." But this was one of those wonderful "I'm NOT crazy!" moments that delivered a glorious 4-layer cake of comfort at just the right time. And to top it all off with Amazing Supporters Sometimes...bro, just chef's kiss. End of ramble, Thank you!
It’s amazing having UA-camrs like you, it’s what makes the platform special and amazing. Getting to hear from a filmmaker a few years of experience ahead of me is so useful and you always have answers for the million questions that are banging round my head. Great video! Can’t wait to see your next short or feature
I had to stop somewhere in the middle of the V-Mount ad. I get that there is probably a "message" about how gear reviews make for bad storytelling but... it went on so long that it crossed the line from poignant to literally just being an ad.
I love the entire message in this video and seeing the journey to what got you here makes you realize anyone in the creative space faces this from time to time and it's normal. It's how you handle it and what you learn from it that you take away from it, and you illustrated this perfectly. And that very ending bit took me out! Lol!!! Kudos on this video all around!
Hey man this was amazing. Probably the best not gear gear review short film I’ve ever seen in my life. The amount of creativity that went into this with all of the pivots was incredible. Props to ya and I hope one day I will be on this same level. Thank you.
I spent the whole day editing a gear review, only to somehow then end up watching this... a deeply layered gear review meta-take tour de force that has me in awe. Well done 👏
Gotta say, love a good v-mount battery. I used to work on a church's AV team and we had 2 portable cameras and a portable wireless audio setup that all took v-mount batteries. This was back when Ni-Cd was the available rechargeable battery tech and it kinda sucked, but being able to pop those v-mount batteries on their charging rig and use some of the spares we kept around was great! It made recording the kids' plays so much better because they were always in 2-parts. Just set up, record part 1, lights go down, stop recording. Swap all the v-mounts and take a bio break. Resume recording, lights go up, and we're good to go! There's even plates that let you connect v-mount gear to a wall outlet (via an AC to DC power supply) for unlimited runtime. That was a neat upgrade when we got 'em.
🔥 Dude this video was SO GOOD!! im really glad you mentioned the 'gear review' cycle that many youtube filmmakers seem to be trapped in. I also like how you talked about the pressure that comes with a video blowing up, and trying to match that!! Its really refreshing to see a bit of honesty in the youtube filmmaking niche!! Keep it up :)
Took me a full 8 minutes to realize “oh wait I see what’s happening here” lol, but watched anyway cause you’re a great story teller. I personally run a UA-cam channel that does ok but struggle so much with picking ideas that invite great storytelling (gaming content). Great video sir.
Hahahah omg, the note. I was honestly impressed with the first shot of that, where it seemed like a story and not just boring UA-cam stock photos (which ARE a UA-cam disease, for sure). Then each successive shot, leading to the note? Just delicious. Your videos are truly delightful. Thank you for doing these!
I've been sitting on some footage that puts me in a similar pickle as the stuff you got in the desert and what you turned this video into gives me great ideas for how I could repurpose my dull footage into a larger story.
I love this video. It gives a voice to all the things I feel. We need to put more emphasis on gear that you can keep using for years and years and actually make you money from a commercial perspective or make your life easy time and time again.
I laughed so hard at the bullet at the doorstep, we have several companies hounding us to do videos we promised for free stuff, now we say, send us product if you want but no promises, if we love it we will include it in a video when it fits, if its awesome only. Larry
This was just wonderful. I feel like this video is just dripping in a ‘voice’. Gives me the feels like the best of other brilliant UA-camrs like Jacob Gellar.
Best Video in your channel yet imo...i got a little goosebumps at the end lol. And weird enough even tho i don't think have GAS...it was very helpful ;). Keep this up, this is what storytelling is all about imo.
I really enjoyed this video. Part way through when you did the battery review I was so into it, after a few minutes I thought I had started another vid. Everything in this video was informative and entertaining. The ending and conclusion was so so good! Thanks for this work and for talking about GAS. GAS can be full of shame for some of us to talk about, but you covered it with great sensitivity! I am no longer ashamed that I suffer from GAS.
Well done. What a refreshing look at GAS. As I'm still at the beginning of my UA-cam journey, I find myself with the same dilemma of wanting to mention gear, but really wanting to focus on the stories and other parts of filmmaking. Or actually make those stories. You definitely inspired me with this one.
I really enjoyed this video, especially given that I feel most channels are pumping out gear reviews quicker than they can even get to know the products these days. I really appreciated that there was a longer story, even beyond the opinions on gear, to connect all the dots. Your ability to turn even the most mundane or normal things into an entertaining story is what brought me to your channel in the first place. I hope to make something half as powerful as any of the cool things you've made someday. Awesome stuff, as always.
This was very inspirational, I feel like whenever I try to film cool shots for my videos they don't look like what I envisioned because things always change from my plans but I'm learning to work with what I got
The positive part. Amazing video. It truly was a bit longer than I would expect from you but it communicated the message clearly. The final resolution was very well foreshadowed and the whole video just felt right. Now a bit of nitpicking. The audio just sounded wrong. I think it could be due to the shotgun mic being much closer than it usually is, but I'm no expert. Otherwise amazing video. It's content like this that inspire me to weak up. And if that takes 30 minutes, it's worth it. The depressive part. (Read on your own risk) I'm trying to break into filmmaking for a few years now. But the thing is, I wish have friends interested in filmmaking. I'm student from czech republic and the filmmaking community here is exclusive to film schools so it is nearly impossible for me to find somebody and learning something alone is hard for me. And i haven't even started with trying to finish any project with 50 bucks as my monthly income. I'm stuck. If anyone have any advice, please share it.
Watch Kent and also Studio Binder.. I use a 10 year old laptop that now has Linux Lite operating system and I use Shotcut for editing and Audacity and GIMP .. all freeware.. I film with a Sony CX405 (use the X setting for MP4, 64gb card 2 hours, it's a good bit rate & battery lasts 2 hours) (has full auto or semi automatic settings, also takes stills & 60x zoom or 350x with electronic), a Campark action camera and... (everything below uses AA batteries) my still camera is a Nikon L100.. Audio is Tascam DR-05 with homemade mics I bought the mic capsules and 2 Zoom H1. Is this budget GAS? I started filming with standard 8mm.. then in the 1980s a massive Betamax camera and so called portapack (I learnt how to be a steady cam, wow was that lot heavy.. that's why I love the 405) Hope this helps.. Above all have fun.
Deep stuff man! I can surely relate with everything that you are saying. And I found it funny that I was getting annoyed with the “ads” but then I found an interesting way to see it: Ads are part of the problem, and keeping them here shows the point your are making me see. This is the first of your videos that I’m seeing and I can clearly see that you’re self-aware and know that you’re much bigger than this review videos. We are all cogwheels in this GAS machine and this video may be the final nail in the coffin I needed. Thanks! Thank you UA-cam for showing me this 😂 and you to producing it.
I Like ORANGE. it helps with noticing a piece of equipment that might be missed when collecting it up at the end of a shoot, especially in dusky or dark conditions,. Neon/Safety Green does the same thing. Great presentation, even entertaining Vid. Love the desert site. I'm the kind of nut who would love to live there in the rocks with a top of the desert view, especially now as the Atmospheric River pounds my roof here in Oregon, though, we rarely get and significant wind or lightning in my area of Oregon. It is really pretty sweet here. Of note, and I shouldn't say this...we really don't get that much rain, and about 2/3rds of Oregon is desert. dry, windy, and beautiful.
I still use clamp light with parchement paper and dollar store poster board and shower curtains. I;ve used shower curtrains on client gigs to soften up large window light. I splurged on my field recorder (Tascam DR40X) and I have good STILLS lenses from my wedding photography days (24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8). I'm on reddit a lot and people go on there asking "What camera should I get, I want to start making short films) and my answer is always. "Do you have a cellphone? If you do use that and spend on lighting, audio, crew, cast, props, locations ... all those will be more important for your short than the camera. Do a feew with yoru camera and then figure out if this is what you would like to do before dropping money on a decent video camera or cine camera."
The tripod support of my slider E700 broke very quickly (on the 2nd use) I sent an email to Zeapon customer service but like in your video my mailbox looks like a desert...
damn u a real one bro at the end of the day it was your girl who convinced that everything was gonna be cool so your exactly right about having a good solid group of people around you to help
Want to make a great short film in a month? Join us at WRAPPED in 30 Days: wrapped.school
Bro just fulfilled all his obligations in one video while distracting us with a deep overarching storyline. Well played. 😂
He also told us what he was doing without specifically pointing that out…
This was the most refreshing “filmmaking video” I’ve seen in forever. It seems like most filmmaking videos like to talk about filmmaking but never employ their own advice. This was super creative and I love how you turned a generic topic into a creative and unique story!
Thanks so much!
Spot on. It’s become a burden to find/view relevant content, since everyone is in pursuit of free gear from collab deals. YT has turned a lot of valued & trusted creators into well-lit people who read spec sheet & tip-toe around objectivity.
And funny, too! 🤣
29:49 "I'm a firm believer that in any creative process nothing has to be what it was supposed to be. ... The story you set out to write and the story that emerges on the screen are rarely the same." Pure gold!!!
First vid I've seen from you. Loved it. Such a fresh breath of air in the UA-cam filmmaking world. "At the end of the day it's your job to make the best piece with what you actually end up with not with what you hoped you'd end up with." This hits hard. I'll try to remind myself of that from now on, whenever I feel like my shots suck and are useless. Which is kinda often.
Breath of fresh air is correct. Just yesterday I torched prob 5-6 accts here on YT - was simply wanted to see some actual footage from a particular slider, and almost every single video was just a well-lit person reading the spec sheets & not mentioning any downsides. These “collab” deals are murdering some of my fav & most trusted creators, and it’s videos like this that initiate a widespread change in the format.
This is such a beautiful example of how to turn your failed footage into a masterpiece with a powerful storytelling and message. Thank you!
a bit too self-indulgent.
Can I just say I've never seen a gear review turned into a cinematic masterpiece before this? Love it
Good to hear your GASy flagellations are under control and that you’ve embraced your inner ASSman😉🦾 Great job on the video!
It was a relief to find this video on youtube. As a filmmaker that doesn't live in the US, it is SO HARD and SO EXPENSIVE to buy gear. My country has so many taxes for everything, it's so frustrating. But the thing is: as much as I watched UA-cam videos from US creators talking about gear, I began to believe that I would never have enough to tell the stories I wanted. This killed my creativity for a while, I was only thinking of how I could buy things that I obviusly couldn't aford... Videos about gear are very important, but it shouldn't make you feel like an amatour 'cause you don't have money to buy things. The most important thing about a video is not the video itself, but the story you're telling, let's never forget that. Thanks for this!
Wow!!! 4 product reviews and a sponsor spot and I sat here and watched all of it.
Great video!
Great storytelling.
Thumbs up!
You're so underrated. You actually deserve millions of subscribers. Maybe one day you'll get that recognition. Love you.
I second this.
facts
Thanks, mom.
Millions of subscribers?
I thought I was already subscribed since I have seen and enjoyed videos here before, I wonder if UA-cam unsubscribed me at some point
I once picked up a crappy webcam to improve my skype calls. I got hooked on cameras
4 years later and suddenly I own a $130,000 set of anamorphic lenses and i'm not really sure wtf happened
What lenses?
@lucsmithmedia Toyo Eiki set. Only one in the world as far as I know. They're the same thing as JDC Cooke Xtal Express...Speed Panchro spherical base with Shiga anamorphic block.
I'm assuming you rent it out to add to your business? There's no way you own 130 grand of filmmaking equipment and you don't run a business
@PsychonautTV Haven't rented them out to anyone yet...they just finished getting serviced a few months ago and i've been using them on a documentary. but will be offering for rental soon.
@@chronoscopefilm5984 very nice
You have a very special way of making videos, they feel honest, are full of emotions and are very engaging. I also really like the "small" details, which I imagine are not small at all when you are planning a video, but the "anonymous witness" was perfect!
I love this video. It's probably my favorite that you've ever made here on UA-cam. As a fellow UA-camr who has been navigating the same gear review dilemmas you explained, this story is validating and inspiring. Keep telling standard stories :)
Right. I needed this one. I just been feeling like it just never comes out the way I see it in my head when I am planing. So ya. Good watch at the right time for me.
As someone who just bought their first nice camera/monitor with big dreams, this is the story I need right now. Beautifully done!
As a musician and audio engineer I've learned this lesson more than once already, but it's definitely like a drug...or disease like you say. I try to remember how in my music experience it never matters how nice of a mic/preamp or instrument you're using, if the musician sucks and/or the song sucks...it doesn't matter.
This is the most meta thing I have ever seen. And it’s amazing. I’m not into video making, but I am a creative myself, and it’s common place for us, to remember that a “failure” is also part of learning, perhaps the most important one, and that not everything has to be perfect and that’s okay. Great content man, subbed.
"-Any video I make could be anything"
Such a good line!
It could sound silly at first, but within the context of the video it has weight!
Your videos are full of spirit, just love your vibe dude! You're one of my favourite's for sure, keep it up bro!
Back at you!
hahaha, loved the "anonymous witness" one. And I agree, appreciating your honesty and authenticity in your videos in general, also here! Well done! and great reminder of being flexible with the storyline too.
You have a very unique and engaging way of putting your videos together. I loved this one. Keep at it!
Never have I ever heard a man say: - I had a horrible time, in such nice manners.
Loved the video Kent. As I am getting more into investing in my own little filmmaking business I find your videos incredible valuable, and gives a light relief when getting to see new gear. When compared to the more "extreme"camera gear channels.
When I had a $75 used electric guitar I played my heart out. Years later when I could afford to get three Les Pauls I found that I was looking for a fourth Les Paul! However my playing hadn't improved very much from the $75 dollar guitar days. The better equipment didn't improve my spark.
My man turned his DSLR into a camcorder complete with camera, viewfinder, top handle, servo controls on the pistol grip(?), tying it all together by powering them all with a single battery. Is there a reason videographers don't seem to want to use purpose built video cameras any more?
genius. this GAS thing has become such an issue with the youtuber approach to filmmaking. this is a super down-to-earth and creative way to explain that and keep your sponsors happy ;) nice work haha!
You do a rare and beautiful thing on this channel. Your unique creative voice, humble and comedic self awareness and apparent talent as a story teller makes for a kick ass channel. Thanks for this!
I just found you recently but I have loved every video. Mostly because your aren't JUST a gear review channel but talk about how to make our stories better. Plus you have a really great way of speaking and are nice to listen to so that helps. Keep it up man. You should set up a Twitter or something for people to hit you up during their projects. I'd love to pick your brain!
You've no idea how much I needed the message of this video right now.
I'm in the middle of editing a short film and the story is evolving into something far more interesting as it goes. Even though I love the idea, there are still those mid-edit nerves of "is this going to be good enough/does it even make sense?"
Yet the story choices are right for the footage we shot. I know this is all part of the process, but it's easy to forget that when you're in the middle of it. And something as simple as hearing another filmmaker saying it aloud helps massively.
Keep up the great work, Kent. Love your videos.
Your videos always hit the spot, but man, this one is so multi-layered and engaging, feels like a journey. This is absolutely mental, love it.
I got the overwhelming feeling that you were experiencing imposter syndrome and that nagging voice was the biggest driver. It is helpful to listen to it but remember that you also have an equally powerful confidence voice. This was a really good twist on the gear review space ❤
Love the music choices in this one! The synth one hits hard
I love the warm colours that you use in your videos. I am learning color grading myself. Hoping to use that soon in my video myself. Thanks for being awesome
Earned yourself an immediate sub with this video. Love how this is really multiple videos within a video, somehow as sincere as it is meta.
GAS hits me in bursts and depending on the side of my profession (Art/Creative Direction) that I'm currently most invested in. So thankfully my cycle is 6 months of research, forgetting I ever wanted anything, then 2 months of research a year later just to go with the one I would have bought based on a gut feeling lol.
I love the way you soaked up all these “Please review…” commitments inside a video warning us about the downside of “Please review…” commitments. Very meta!
This video was such a breath of fresh air. The 4D storytelling you pulled from your “botched” experience, while at the same time checking off your to-do’s, blows my mind. Amazing work 👏🏻
Love the execution of a story in this video.very informative and inspiring as always!! Keep it going!!
Mate, I have to say you're one of the most genuine people on here. Your stuff is always from the heart and I feel better for having watched it. 🇦🇺👍🏻
Here's the thing about gear - when we filmmakers watch a review or buy a new piece of equipment, it unfortunately feels like we've achieved something. The problem is, nothing really has changed except that we now own a new toy. But the dopamine hit still comes and gives the sense of completion. GAS holds people back. It also never ends because you get that light and you need c-stands, or cutters.... then you need gels... then you need cases. Then you need a bigger car. And storage for all the S*** you bought. It goes on lol. PS. Totally nailed this video. Nice job!! ;)
💯
Great video, it turned out as a multiple gear review but with a touch of creativity beyond what others do, I like that you turned a "problem" into an opportunity andfound it quite engaging. Usually I never watch youtube videos this long unless they are tutorials, but this "short story" format was entertaining enough to stick up for the whole video.
I love this video! You style is perfectly fine the way it is.
Ur story telling is the best bro , very entertaining and inspiring
This film started out great. Interesting story. It ran out of gas during the lengthy commercial disguised as a gear demo.
Exactly this.
I actually appreciated the hell out of this. Been feeling the same way recently with my photos and my filmmaking and even without all the gear, I had began to chase the wrong stuff. Thanks for being relatable and hilarious the entire time, all while teaching us some stuff. Also? That last acronym joke was PEAK 😭
Keep this authenticity with your videos bro, loved it ❤
Is it being authentic though? Or is it just a giant, long ad designed to look like something else?
I'm not really asking: This is 100% an ad ... with an ad inside to boot.
@@orangejjayYeah he also do tell that, but he honestly share the whole story
Clever way to cram your backlog of product reviews into a single video.
That conclusion was exactly what i was trying to figure out myself for so long, and hearing it put into proper words... it feels like the weight of my own expectations for myself has lightened a bit. Thank you for putting this together and putting so much thought and effort into the content you make. This helped me, and probably many other people.
Personally, I think we all need to change the way we think and talk about "free gear"... Because it's not free gear. It's never been free gear; it's payment in the form of gear.
Calling it free gear mis-represents the power dynamic that these companies wield over us.
If you spend 20 hours shooting and cutting together a video for a $100 piece of gear, then you're working for the gear. In that situation you're a freelance filmmaker who is willing to work for $5 an hour to shoot a commercial, assuming it's something you would have bought no matter what. If it's a product you ordinarily would not have bought, then you're working for the used/secondhand value of that product after you sell it - closer to $2 an hour.
It's less like the gear is free, closer to you agreeing to work for these companies, essentially for free.
As a film maker, or as an influencer one really needs to step back and ask themselves: What are my skills worth? What is the wear and tear on my tools worth? Do I really want to advertise for this company so badly that I'm willing to work for far below minimum wage? Will the content really build my channel or my own business enough to make up the difference?
We all make that choice, but really, I'm just very tired of UA-cam being a never-ending pile of cheap shill videos and highly-biased 'reviews' that are essentially infomercials. All internally justified by the idea "the gear was free, so they didn't pay me".
Making a video on G.A.S. worsening audience's G.A.S. Now I NEED that wireless shotgun.
Came here for the gear talk, stayed for the amazing storytelling.
You mad man! This is the gear review equivalent of Adaptation by Charlie Kaufman, kudos to you.
This was a great video man, and came at a perfect time for me (just did my first gear review video and it was a strange and time-consuming experience haha). It's amazing how often things can click into place when I just bounce ideas off of someone else, rather than trying to figure out everything myself...which is where it can be tempting to see gear as a cure.
Thanks for this. I'm at a much earlier stage in my creative journey on this platform but I'm already experiencing some of the dilemmas you highlight here. I appreciate you sharing your own experience with them. Right now I'm just starting to do gear reviews.....but I don't think I like making them. I'm still discovering "who I am" on this thing, and I seem to learn great lessons on every video I make - even the gear reviews - but the one thought that keeps rattling around in my brain is that "I don't have what it takes" because I can't see myself doing review after review for years to come. The hard (and sometimes soul-crushing) part of that, is everything I see is telling me I NEED to review gear in order to be successful. But your girlfriend is right - we don't HAVE to do anything. Our channels are ours. We can do whatever we want. It's very hard to remember that sometimes, but hearing THIS from YOU right NOW - helps.
"Nothing has to be, what it's supposed to be"
One of my favorite take aways from this video.
You absolute legend--this video gave me 3 things I knew I needed (a new Standard Story Company video, info on V-Mount batteries, AND a link to that something-something nitrate sponsor I wanted for my shoot) and exactly the lil Pacino Pep talk I didn't know I needed...
"Nothing has to be what it was supposed to be." I'm not a big commenter but I HAVE to say: I've been stressing lately because I'm working on a feature and am running out of time in the shooting schedule to accomplish everything I wrote and planned. But that part really comforted me.
Also throughout production, I've been going back through your older videos while I eat so that like every free moment I spend is towards the betterment of the project and I did recently see the pacing video you mentioned. I also liked the slower version, it was more the style of my writing, and when you said the faster version was better I was like "Man, what am I even doing? I think maybe my taste is crap."
But this was one of those wonderful "I'm NOT crazy!" moments that delivered a glorious 4-layer cake of comfort at just the right time. And to top it all off with Amazing Supporters Sometimes...bro, just chef's kiss.
End of ramble, Thank you!
That makes me happy 🙏 Good luck on the feature!
Great video. I can attest that V-mounts are a must have and incredible piece of gear.
You have a girl patient enough to do this, and be part of your film making … she’s a keeper!
thank you so much for all the help you’ve given me over these past months
It’s amazing having UA-camrs like you, it’s what makes the platform special and amazing. Getting to hear from a filmmaker a few years of experience ahead of me is so useful and you always have answers for the million questions that are banging round my head. Great video! Can’t wait to see your next short or feature
I had to stop somewhere in the middle of the V-Mount ad. I get that there is probably a "message" about how gear reviews make for bad storytelling but... it went on so long that it crossed the line from poignant to literally just being an ad.
I love the entire message in this video and seeing the journey to what got you here makes you realize anyone in the creative space faces this from time to time and it's normal. It's how you handle it and what you learn from it that you take away from it, and you illustrated this perfectly.
And that very ending bit took me out! Lol!!! Kudos on this video all around!
Hey man this was amazing. Probably the best not gear gear review short film I’ve ever seen in my life. The amount of creativity that went into this with all of the pivots was incredible. Props to ya and I hope one day I will be on this same level. Thank you.
I spent the whole day editing a gear review, only to somehow then end up watching this... a deeply layered gear review meta-take tour de force that has me in awe. Well done 👏
Gotta say, love a good v-mount battery. I used to work on a church's AV team and we had 2 portable cameras and a portable wireless audio setup that all took v-mount batteries. This was back when Ni-Cd was the available rechargeable battery tech and it kinda sucked, but being able to pop those v-mount batteries on their charging rig and use some of the spares we kept around was great!
It made recording the kids' plays so much better because they were always in 2-parts. Just set up, record part 1, lights go down, stop recording. Swap all the v-mounts and take a bio break. Resume recording, lights go up, and we're good to go!
There's even plates that let you connect v-mount gear to a wall outlet (via an AC to DC power supply) for unlimited runtime. That was a neat upgrade when we got 'em.
🔥 Dude this video was SO GOOD!! im really glad you mentioned the 'gear review' cycle that many youtube filmmakers seem to be trapped in. I also like how you talked about the pressure that comes with a video blowing up, and trying to match that!! Its really refreshing to see a bit of honesty in the youtube filmmaking niche!! Keep it up :)
Took me a full 8 minutes to realize “oh wait I see what’s happening here” lol, but watched anyway cause you’re a great story teller. I personally run a UA-cam channel that does ok but struggle so much with picking ideas that invite great storytelling (gaming content). Great video sir.
Hahahah omg, the note. I was honestly impressed with the first shot of that, where it seemed like a story and not just boring UA-cam stock photos (which ARE a UA-cam disease, for sure). Then each successive shot, leading to the note? Just delicious. Your videos are truly delightful. Thank you for doing these!
I've been sitting on some footage that puts me in a similar pickle as the stuff you got in the desert and what you turned this video into gives me great ideas for how I could repurpose my dull footage into a larger story.
Always great to see a professional videographer share his BTS and experience in a project, very informative, thanks Kent
Your sense of humor reminds me of mine lmaooo. Love it
I love this video. It gives a voice to all the things I feel. We need to put more emphasis on gear that you can keep using for years and years and actually make you money from a commercial perspective or make your life easy time and time again.
What a brilliant response to a failed project. I've done so many projects like this and I have so much respect for you as a filmmaker now. I subbed!
You are a breath of fresh ass, I mean, air, in the UA-cam land.
I laughed so hard at the bullet at the doorstep, we have several companies hounding us to do videos we promised for free stuff, now we say, send us product if you want but no promises, if we love it we will include it in a video when it fits, if its awesome only. Larry
What’s funny is this is like a mega review video to get all the products covered in one go 😂😂
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Her hat flying off was perfect! Great video, thanks for sharing!
The world needs more skilled editors, this was so fun to watch.
That poor anonamous victim...
This was just wonderful. I feel like this video is just dripping in a ‘voice’. Gives me the feels like the best of other brilliant UA-camrs like Jacob Gellar.
Best Video in your channel yet imo...i got a little goosebumps at the end lol.
And weird enough even tho i don't think have GAS...it was very helpful ;).
Keep this up, this is what storytelling is all about imo.
I love your videos, man.
I really enjoyed this video. Part way through when you did the battery review I was so into it, after a few minutes I thought I had started another vid. Everything in this video was informative and entertaining. The ending and conclusion was so so good! Thanks for this work and for talking about GAS. GAS can be full of shame for some of us to talk about, but you covered it with great sensitivity! I am no longer ashamed that I suffer from GAS.
Well done. What a refreshing look at GAS. As I'm still at the beginning of my UA-cam journey, I find myself with the same dilemma of wanting to mention gear, but really wanting to focus on the stories and other parts of filmmaking. Or actually make those stories. You definitely inspired me with this one.
love every video you make. thanks for the inspo and the reviews. greetings from colombia. keep making it.
Wow one of your videos that felt the most real? I like which directions this is going!
The best not a gear review gear review video I’ve ever seen.
I wish more people said what you said here.
What a great way to include all the product videos UA-cam been procrastinating on.
I really enjoyed this video, especially given that I feel most channels are pumping out gear reviews quicker than they can even get to know the products these days. I really appreciated that there was a longer story, even beyond the opinions on gear, to connect all the dots. Your ability to turn even the most mundane or normal things into an entertaining story is what brought me to your channel in the first place. I hope to make something half as powerful as any of the cool things you've made someday. Awesome stuff, as always.
Subscribed. That ending was, honestly, exactly what I needed. Excellent insight. (And I've got a Colbor 220 coming so good to hear you were pleased).
5:00 I could relate to this so hard, I think I have one of those notes on my doorstep right now
This was very inspirational, I feel like whenever I try to film cool shots for my videos they don't look like what I envisioned because things always change from my plans but I'm learning to work with what I got
Had to check out this video cuz GAS is a real problem for me. ..too many beans I suspect.
The positive part.
Amazing video. It truly was a bit longer than I would expect from you but it communicated the message clearly.
The final resolution was very well foreshadowed and the whole video just felt right.
Now a bit of nitpicking. The audio just sounded wrong. I think it could be due to the shotgun mic being much closer than it usually is, but I'm no expert.
Otherwise amazing video. It's content like this that inspire me to weak up. And if that takes 30 minutes, it's worth it.
The depressive part. (Read on your own risk)
I'm trying to break into filmmaking for a few years now. But the thing is, I wish have friends interested in filmmaking. I'm student from czech republic and the filmmaking community here is exclusive to film schools so it is nearly impossible for me to find somebody and learning something alone is hard for me. And i haven't even started with trying to finish any project with 50 bucks as my monthly income. I'm stuck. If anyone have any advice, please share it.
Start small, even with only yourself and your phone, and go a little bigger with each project.
Watch Kent and also Studio Binder..
I use a 10 year old laptop that now has Linux Lite operating system and I use Shotcut for editing and Audacity and GIMP .. all freeware..
I film with a Sony CX405 (use the X setting for MP4, 64gb card 2 hours, it's a good bit rate & battery lasts 2 hours) (has full auto or semi automatic settings, also takes stills & 60x zoom or 350x with electronic), a Campark action camera and... (everything below uses AA batteries) my still camera is a Nikon L100.. Audio is Tascam DR-05 with homemade mics I bought the mic capsules and 2 Zoom H1.
Is this budget GAS?
I started filming with standard 8mm.. then in the 1980s a massive Betamax camera and so called portapack (I learnt how to be a steady cam, wow was that lot heavy.. that's why I love the 405)
Hope this helps..
Above all have fun.
Love the ending, favorite kind of/not exactly/more than a gear review ever ❤
Deep stuff man! I can surely relate with everything that you are saying. And I found it funny that I was getting annoyed with the “ads” but then I found an interesting way to see it: Ads are part of the problem, and keeping them here shows the point your are making me see.
This is the first of your videos that I’m seeing and I can clearly see that you’re self-aware and know that you’re much bigger than this review videos.
We are all cogwheels in this GAS machine and this video may be the final nail in the coffin I needed.
Thanks!
Thank you UA-cam for showing me this 😂 and you to producing it.
I Like ORANGE. it helps with noticing a piece of equipment that might be missed when collecting it up at the end of a shoot, especially in dusky or dark conditions,. Neon/Safety Green does the same thing.
Great presentation, even entertaining Vid.
Love the desert site. I'm the kind of nut who would love to live there in the rocks with a top of the desert view, especially now as the Atmospheric River pounds my roof here in Oregon, though, we rarely get and significant wind or lightning in my area of Oregon. It is really pretty sweet here. Of note, and I shouldn't say this...we really don't get that much rain, and about 2/3rds of Oregon is desert. dry, windy, and beautiful.
I still use clamp light with parchement paper and dollar store poster board and shower curtains. I;ve used shower curtrains on client gigs to soften up large window light. I splurged on my field recorder (Tascam DR40X) and I have good STILLS lenses from my wedding photography days (24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8).
I'm on reddit a lot and people go on there asking "What camera should I get, I want to start making short films) and my answer is always. "Do you have a cellphone? If you do use that and spend on lighting, audio, crew, cast, props, locations ... all those will be more important for your short than the camera. Do a feew with yoru camera and then figure out if this is what you would like to do before dropping money on a decent video camera or cine camera."
This video gave me the philosophical push to see why I want to create more clearly. Thank you! Did not expect that from the algorithm today.
glad to have you back bro. Always love your videos.
The Best Video about gear
The tripod support of my slider E700 broke very quickly (on the 2nd use) I sent an email to Zeapon customer service but like in your video my mailbox looks like a desert...
I could see that being a failure point, bummer
You have the charisma of a gaming streaming with the camera expertise of a DP! The perfect combination for UA-cam domination!
damn u a real one bro at the end of the day it was your girl who convinced that everything was gonna be cool so your exactly right about having a good solid group of people around you to help
GOOD JOB! great video.