What expensive camera obsessions are doing for filmmaking

[Guest OverCranked]

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@ sc
when all you have to resource to is repeating the same obvious nonce glazed with name calling you have nothing to say.
Kickstarter is a publicly run Crowdsourcing gem. This discussion as unpleasant might be for your kind ( what ever it is ) might eventually help to set some guide lines to prevent misappropriation of public trust. Naturally we all want this service to stay clean and thrive to it’s best – incase we need it someday for a project. Incidents like one we are discussing and attitudes like the one you are exhibiting in here are questionable and ” could ” open doors to fraud into Kickstarter. You shouldn’t be afraid or mad of this discussion if you don’t have any thing to hid – naturally.

The final not : Grow up kido !

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[Guest OverCranked]

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You are wrong ! take a gander kiddo :

http://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/creating%20a%20project#Acco

Here it is :

Accountability Top ↑
What information should I share on my project page?

After visiting your project page backers should have a clear sense of:

• What it is you are trying to do
• How you will do it
• How the funds will be used
• Your qualifications to complete this project
• The identities of the people on your team (if you have one)
• How far along your project is

The more information you share, the more you will earn your backers’ trust.

What is my responsibility for answering questions from backers and non-backers?

People will reach out during the course of the project with questions about your project. These may range from queries on delivery dates to specific technical questions. These inquiries should be answered promptly and, in cases where other backers are asking the same information, publicly with a Project Update and through your Project FAQ (under your project description). Transparency is vital on Kickstarter.

If I am unable to complete my project as listed, what should I do?

If you are unable to fulfill the promises made to backers, cannot complete the project as advertised, or decide to abandon the project for any reason, you are expected to cancel funding. A failure to do so could result in damage to your reputation or even legal action on behalf of your backers.

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[Guest OverCranked]

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@ sc
- [...There is no campaign breakdown of funds!!! He does not owe you or anyone else this!!!! This is really getting out of hand here. I just don’t understand why people like yourself think they’re entitled to know what the film maker is spending HIS money on ...]

Go here for some knowledge kiddo :

http://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/creating%20a%20project#Acco

This is it :

Accountability Top ↑
What information should I share on my project page?

After visiting your project page backers should have a clear sense of:

• What it is you are trying to do
• How you will do it
• How the funds will be used
• Your qualifications to complete this project
• The identities of the people on your team (if you have one)
• How far along your project is

The more information you share, the more you will earn your backers’ trust.

What is my responsibility for answering questions from backers and non-backers?

People will reach out during the course of the project with questions about your project. These may range from queries on delivery dates to specific technical questions. These inquiries should be answered promptly and, in cases where other backers are asking the same information, publicly with a Project Update and through your Project FAQ (under your project description). Transparency is vital on Kickstarter.

If I am unable to complete my project as listed, what should I do?

If you are unable to fulfill the promises made to backers, cannot complete the project as advertised, or decide to abandon the project for any reason, you are expected to cancel funding. A failure to do so could result in damage to your reputation or even legal action on behalf of your backers.

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[Guest ivanlee]

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Amen!

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[Guest OverCranked]

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[... The rules of crowd funding are simple. ] You are correct but not following them !
[ ... There’s no auditing, no balancing books, and no control over what the filmmaker does with the money, so get your nose from where it doesn’t belong .. ] You are wrong kiddo. Go here and learn, it’s very clear :

http://www.kickstarter.com/help/faq/creating%20a%20project#Acco

Accountability Top ↑
What information should I share on my project page?

After visiting your project page backers should have a clear sense of:

• What it is you are trying to do
• How you will do it
• How the funds will be used
• Your qualifications to complete this project
• The identities of the people on your team (if you have one)
• How far along your project is

The more information you share, the more you will earn your backers’ trust.

What is my responsibility for answering questions from backers and non-backers?

People will reach out during the course of the project with questions about your project. These may range from queries on delivery dates to specific technical questions. These inquiries should be answered promptly and, in cases where other backers are asking the same information, publicly with a Project Update and through your Project FAQ (under your project description). Transparency is vital on Kickstarter.

If I am unable to complete my project as listed, what should I do?

If you are unable to fulfill the promises made to backers, cannot complete the project as advertised, or decide to abandon the project for any reason, you are expected to cancel funding. A failure to do so could result in damage to your reputation or even legal action on behalf of your backers.

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[Guest benperez]

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WOW this is so dumb! If you think he should use 2 DSLRs go tell him that!!!

You’re just like Andrew posting an article with WHY WHY WHY. Without bothering to actually talk to the person who is readily available to you.

His email is on his site’s contact info. I emailed him before, he answered quickly.

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[Guest benperez]

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If you donated, go ask him why he bought a RED which he said he was going to use from the outset. I’m not sure why you think you’re entitled to know what he’s doing with HIS money. It’s HIS.

You’re “FAQ” post is irrelevant. He completed his campaign. It’s over. If you have an issue with how he’s spending the money, go tell him about it. Crying about it on this board, like some others are doing, comes off as jealousy.

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[Guest benperez]

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Andrew I think many of us are at a loss as to why you decided to write this article questioning if not criticizing the filmmaker, Koo, without interviewing or discussing the subject with him first. Why did you not do this?!?!

When I see this quote. In reference to the purchase of the RED:
“Hell knows why he felt he needed it.”
My first question is, why didn’t you ask him? Why write an article about someone without asking the person first?

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[Guest benperez]

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We should be congratulating a fellow filmmaker… But as this site bashes anything that isn’t DSLR, this is the result.

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[Guest benperez]

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To be clear, you disagree with any camera purchase that he made that isn’t a DSLR.

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[Guest DocIsChief]

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It’s unrealistic to say or think that someone should have to stick to one arena just because he put forth a lot of work in that arena. Just because he vested a lot of time in DSLRs doesn’t mean he owes it to anyone to use that tool in everything he does. He clearly has practiced what he preaches up until this point, and it’s his freedom to explore. It almost sounds as if you take it personally that dared not to use a dslr or when anyone doesn’t. It’s not as if he stated that expensive is the only way to go ever and DSLRs are useless. He knows, as do many people such as yourself that technique trumps gear. Just so happens he has the technique to match varying levels of gear. Anyways, it’s not a shame to have them get higher end gear. They never signed on a dotted line to use DSLRs for the rest of their careers/life. Philip Bloom has done a great job of adapting to various areas of camera, and still using all of them. Koo can do the same.

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[Guest Andrew Reid]

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I don’t agree with buying expensive equipment just to get noticed or to get hired, if it is the right tool for the job and you can’t do it with anything else – then fine – I don’t mind what it is or how much it costs. You are missing the point Ben.

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[Guest andymarc chesterman]

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No hate at all.
I have yet to see a good film made by someone who feels that a high spec camera is a first priority regard to the films “quality”…that magically it will make the film better.
Good for him and all…but any low budget filmaker with a vision will work around any limitations…not “I need this high cost camera because im shooting sports or jellocam”
Actually theres plenty of cheap cameras with next to no jello.
If anything the purchase comes across as nothing more than ego posturing and the usual “my film wont be taken seriously if its not shot on a Red investent”
Horseshit I say. If you feel you cant shoot a film with anything to hand…then the only one limiting you is yourself.
So yeah good for him he can go and buy one…but money could of been spent better elswhere on the project thats my view. Like it or lump it.

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[Guest N D Phillter]

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Yeah!!!! I agree! everything should be shot on a GH2! with russian lenses. Either that, or on a small Pen15!!!

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[Guest studio17b]

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Um. Actually… I made that suggestion in the comment on his website long before I said it here.

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[Guest studio17b]

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Probably because this is DSLR site, the people here tend to congratulate only those film-makers who make films on DSLRs? Just saying.

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[Guest paulwatt]

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Wow, a guy spends 15G on a cine camera, with his own money (maybe it was put on a line of credit.. who knows?), and people start screaming about accountability in regards to a project he’s managed to get funded? Anyone who’s ever put together a film/business budget for the purpose of looking for funding knows that all you’re doing is a best guess at what things will cost. You aren’t obligated to follow a budget to the letter. I always guess a bit high on a budget, since it’s better than running out of funds and trying to find more. Call me a criminal.

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[Guest studio17b]

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Yes. But that’s not the issue here, is it. The issue is that a man asks for donations from the public, and during that process he specifically asked for $15k which will be used to rent a camera for $500 a day, for 30 days. And then he went and bought that camera. So the question is, will he still be using that 15k he asked for originally for rental of that equipment? If he does, fair enough. If he doesn’t, then it is deceptive, and if a corporation or an individual within a corporation – ie, somewhere actually accountable – were to do that it would have been investigated for misappropriation of funds. To date, he has yet to comment on this specific issue.

I am not personally invested in the matter. Nor do I care who gets what. But moral indignation at the thought is something which is not to be trivialised.

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[Guest DirectorPhoto]

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If he was going to rent the camera for 30 days @ $500 pd, buying it makes more sense, even if it was with donated money, that way he won’t have to beg again. Anyone knows if he’s going to rent the rest of the equipment, lenses, tripod etc.? The Scarlet is listing for $9,750, but that’s just for the camera body, nothing else. Like buying a car with no engine, seats, battery or tires. I made a list of what I would need if I were to buy one. A set of primes ($19K), an 18-85mm zoom (9K), Zoom Control, Matte Box, Filters for same, Follow Focus Unit, at least 3 batteries, memories or some sort of recording device, a good pro tripod (3k to 4k) Cables and so on. I figured that to make it workable for me it would run no less than $60K to 70K. But, My needs are different, I am a pro with 42 years of experience, mainly shooting TV commercials, documentaries and Independent Features, not an amateur or beginer. Art Adams is a blogger I admire and respect. I have seen some of his work on his web site and he knows what he write about. I have gone through the same nonsense he has with equipment to the point of production companies renting equipment without consulting me just because it was the flavor of the month. Cameras don’t make movies, people like Mr. Adams do. I agree with him that people are placing too much emphasis in cameras instead of what you can do with them.

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[Guest adrian]

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I am extremely disappointed by your refusal to retract your statement regarding Koo’s misappropriation of Kickstarter funds in spite of the fact that he has cleared up the situation on this post as well as on his own site. Also, I wonder if anybody in this comments section actually reads the other comments or do they just wait for their chance to speak. Koo even stated that his initial idea was to rent the Epic. When the Scarlet became available it became an option. There was no hidden agenda to purchase a camera. An excellent option suddenly became available and he went with it. Too many times on this and other sites everyone seems so set on proving how much they know ( or exposing how much they don’t) and not on actually promoting intelligent discourse on the subjects so that everyone can benefit. That’s a shame. I’m sure that what I’m typing right now will be met with either a snarky response or completely ignored but, in this case, I feel like it needs to be said. Your opinion is valuable as far as the individual being more important than the equipment and no one is disputing that. However, to make an incorrect statement and then not correct it because of pride, jealousy or any other reason is irresponsible journalism. I follow NoFilmSchool and this site because they provide me with valuable and CORRECT information. Your blatant disregard for the facts makes me wonder if I should take everything I read in the future on this site with a grain of salt.

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