Advice: Gear and Funding

[Gregormannschaft]

Hey folks, this isn't a 'I want to upgrade my camera' topic, more of a 'what should I do with my gear to prepare for a big gig next year' and how do I fund myself topic.

Next year I'll be in London filming my master thesis solo, a 30min documentary with a mix of interviews and rolling footage from across the city and amongst big crowds. Currently I own a Sony A7s, tripod, monopod, Rode Videomic Pro, Rode Smartphone Lav and a Tascam DR-05. Funding is very limited as I'm currently working and paying off student bills. I have a monthly wage coming in where I use the camera to shoot the odd corporate video with the rest covering the travel for the month or to I'll be working on the doc next year.

My big conundrum at the moment is this. I have a 5D Mk. III sitting around that I have used once in the last year for stills. I've kept it for the stills but am starting to wonder whether I should sacrifice the stills and cash in on it to upgrade my equipment - get a proper rig, XLR sound perhaps some LED lights.

What do you think? Has anyone ever filmed a doc solo and could recommend some bear essentials? i should also add, I'm happy with the A7s as an A cam.
 

[Mattias Burling]

If you're not using the mk3 it's costing you money. Every day you loose cash in depreciation. 

So sell it today, and if you change your mind in six months you can buy it again for less money. So no matter what, selling it will be a win from an economical stand point.

[Gregormannschaft]

If you're not using the mk3 it's costing you money. Every day you loose cash in depreciation. 

So sell it today, and if you change your mind in six months you can buy it again for less money. So no matter what, selling it will be a win from an economical stand point.

Thanks Mattias.

[IronFilm]

Every second that ticks by you are losing money on that camera. 

Are you making money on it? If not, sell it.  (Thus as it appears you're not, I'd recommend selling)

Only exception is if you gain something more intangible from having it than money (such as you have lots of fun shooting with it, but again appears that is not the case. As you've only used it once in a long time).

[Gregormannschaft]

I think it's better to go without crowd funding than with. So yeah, good idea. I think it makes you more creative without crowd funding. I would not use it at all, but I can understand why.

I don't think crowd funding would work for this project. More likely to get funding through some organisations which is what I'll try to do.

[User]

Hi Greg,

I work solo a lot of the time.

It sounds and appears (by your work) that you already have a good deal of what you need (gear and knowledge) to do the work that lays ahead. When planning your approach to collecting the material for your thesis, will you require equipment that you don't already have? For example lights? If not, keep the Canon. I kept mine because it's a solid photo camera that just works and will keep working. God knows about the Sony stuff and what the depreciation will be like on it in the next year or 2. But if you've currently in a cycle where you don't feel the need to shoot stills for the next period (say a year or more) then maybe it's ok to dump the Canon for something knowing that you will pick up something better down the road. In the end, you will make/ find more money down the road to buy new equipment anyway. Hope that helps.