ASR Tech Recs
Steve’s Favorite Tech
Hear from our Video Visionary, Steve Kauffman, about his favorite tools and programs to help capture and create a beautifully finished video.
iOS
In a digital world, you need all the gadgets in your life to sync seamlessly. My preferred brand of operating system is iOS or Apple's OS. Whether it's my MacBook Pro, iPhone XR, Apple Watch, or Apple TV; they all communicate with iOS. This allows you to keep an organized database of schedules, contacts, reminders, etc., alerting each product depending on the scenario. It's also just a great way of continuously interacting with the entertaining world around us.
DJI Mavic Series Drones
The DJI Mavic Series has defined the prosumer market for aerial videography. It is a reliable and safe option for those learning how to operate a drone, while still being versatile enough to pull off professional cinematic shots. The DJI Mavic Series have several intelligent flight modes including the ability for the pilot to lock-on to a subject and keep it centered, slow down the drone speed in tripod mode, and even avoid obstacles during flight with its front and bottom facing collision sensors. These modes allow for the pilot to focus on the seemingly endless amount of factors when it comes to flying a drone, all while having the compact design at your fingertips.
Adobe After Effects & Photoshop
When creating video that's entertaining and engaging, it's important to include some kind of compelling graphics. Using software such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects together, can not only help you design your graphics but also manipulate them within your video. Photoshop is the first step in the process, it allows you to create your graphics from scratch (text, images, logos, etc.) on a digital canvas of your choosing. Once you have the design concepts just right, import your .PNG files into After Effects and use "keyframes" or transformation parameters to go frame by frame, bringing your creation to life!
Zoom H6 Audio Recorder
Let's be real, silent movies are no longer a thing. It's important to have a reliable audio recorder in conjunction with a high-quality microphone. The Zoom H6 is a portable 6-input sound mixer. It has switchable -20 decibel padding, which helps maintain audio levels in loud situations. The backlit colored display also makes it easy to monitor audio levels to maintain proper decibel range. When it comes down to creating any type of media, you can't have an excellent video without superior sound.
Cameras
When creating video, there's no right or wrong camera - it's simply the preferred tool to capture the look you are going for and can be a highly personal decision. This strongly relates to budget and production needs. Being a videographer, you want to experience all different types of cameras to figure out what you like the most, depending on the project. Based on the many different cameras I've had the opportunity to use, my top-rated camera is... the Sony FS7 - This camera is an incredibly multifaceted tool for creating stunning visuals both in-studio and out in the field.
Its body design is built with 10+ customizable buttons that allow you to personalize the settings that best suit your needs.
It includes a preset neutral density filter as well as a variable ND wheel, allowing the operator to keep the aperture at a fixed f-stop while adjusting the proper amount of light coming in through the lens.
It has an ergonomic telescoping control handle with a servo zoom controls built-in. This keeps the strain off your shoulders, elbow and hand when contorting your body to get that perfect shot (something every cam-op can appreciate).
It also allows you to shoot in Sony's S-Log, which is a gamma curve designed to record as much of the picture information recorded by its sensor as possible. This function allows fine-tuning of exposure and color correction to be manipulated in postproduction.