How to Build a Video Production Kit Gradually Without Overspending

The most expensive way to build a video kit is to buy cheap, buy twice, and buy in the wrong order.

Most people start with the camera and then wonder why their footage still does not look right. A smarter approach is to treat your kit as a system you build in stages, starting with the things that make the biggest visible difference, and buying each item once, at a quality you will not outgrow in a year. This guide maps out a staged path through the Black Flag Distribution range, from the must haves you need on day one through to the nice to haves and the professional tools you grow into.

Five rules for building a kit without overspending

1. Spend on what touches every shot. Support, light and power are used on every job, whatever camera you own. Spend there first.
2. Buy once. A quality tripod or light will outlast several cameras. A budget version that fails, wobbles or has to be replaced costs more in the end.
3. Buy into systems, not one offs. Choose products that share mounts, batteries and accessories, so every new purchase adds to what you already own instead of starting again.
4. Let the work decide the next purchase. Rent or borrow the specialist items first. When you find yourself hiring the same thing every month, that is the signal to buy it.
5. Protect what you have bought. A good bag and a rain cover are cheaper than a repair.

Stage 1: The must haves

These are the items that make the biggest difference to every shot. Get these right and even a modest camera will produce footage that looks deliberate and professional.

A proper fluid head tripod. Stable, smooth footage starts here, and it is the purchase most people regret skimping on. A Sachtler system gives you a genuine fluid head with counterbalance, so the camera stays where you put it and pans and tilts stay smooth.

• Sachtler Ace M Mk II is the entry point for lighter cameras.
• Sachtler FSB 4 or FSB 6 Mk II systems step up to a broadcast quality head that will carry you through several camera upgrades.

One quality key light. Lighting is the single biggest difference between amateur and professional footage. Start with one good, soft source rather than several weak ones.

• Litepanels Astra IP 1x1 bi-colour panel with a Snapbag softbox for soft, flattering key light. It is weather resistant, so it works outdoors as well as in.

Colour correction gels. The cheapest upgrade with the biggest visible return.

• A small set of LEE Filters sheets in CTO, CTB, Plus Green, Minus Green, ND and White Diffusion lets you match windows, practicals and LEDs so every light in the frame agrees on colour.

Reliable power. Flat batteries end shoots. A professional battery system keeps the camera and light running all day.

• Anton Bauer Titon Base Kits and the Titon Micro range suit smaller cameras.
• The Titon range covers V-Mount and Gold Mount builds and, with a Litepanels battery bracket, can power your Astra panel on location too.

A C-stand. The most useful grip item on any set: it holds lights, flags, reflectors and diffusion where a light stand cannot.

• Matthews 20" C+ Stand with Turtle Base, Grip Head and Arm.

Stage 2: The quality upgrades

Once the foundations are in place, these purchases lift the quality and consistency of your work and make every shoot faster.

A second and third light. Key, fill and edge is the classic three point setup, and it is where footage really starts to look produced.

• Litepanels Astra IP Half as a fill or background light.
• Quasar Science Rainbow 2 linear LED as an edge light, background accent or hidden practical.

Light shaping. Taking light away matters as much as adding it.

• Litepanels Snapgrid eggcrates and 4 way barndoors to control spill.
• More LEE Filters diffusion and colour, including wide rolls for windows.

A proper on camera monitor. Judging focus and exposure on a small camera screen is where many shots are lost.

• SmallHD Ultra 7 for a bright, daylight viewable monitor, or SmallHD Cine 7 for cinema camera control.
• Light Widow Horizon Monitor Mount Kit to put the monitor exactly where you need it.

Protection. By now your kit is worth protecting properly.

• A Sachtler Dr. Bag shoulder bag sized to your camera, with internal LED lighting for packing in the dark.
• A Sachtler rain cover for the camera, and an OpenMoon Rain Cover for idle gear.
• Litepanels Traveler cases for your Astra panels.

Audio, if you record it. If you are recording sound with a mixer, protect it and keep it accessible.

• Sachtler Lightweight Audio Bag sized to your mixer.

Set essentials. Small, inexpensive items that make you faster and look more professional.

• Setwear gloves for handling hot lights and rigging.
• OpenMoon silicone T markers, cleaning cloths and translucent storage pouches.

Stage 3: The nice to haves

These items add production value, speed and flexibility. None of them fix bad fundamentals, so buy them once Stages 1 and 2 are covered and your work is asking for them.

Wireless video. Clients, directors and focus pullers can watch without a cable tethered to the camera.

• Teradek ACE 750 4K HDMI TX/RX Kit for HDMI cameras and smaller crews.

Camera movement. Controlled movement looks expensive. A slider on your existing tripod adds it without a gimbal's payload and battery limits.

• Bagside Dolly Slider and the Bagside slider range.

A faster tripod. If you are setting up and moving all day, speed of levelling and deployment saves real time.

• Sachtler aktiv6 flowtech75 or aktiv8 flowtech75 systems combine the aktiv head's quick levelling with fast deploying flowtech legs.

Bigger, softer light.

• Litepanels Astra IP 2x1 for a larger key source.
• Chimera Super Pro X lightbanks for beautifully soft, controllable light.
• Quasar Science Rainbow 2 Quad Kit or Bank Shell Kit to bank tubes into a larger soft source.

More power. Extra batteries and faster charging so nothing waits on a charger.

• Additional Anton Bauer batteries and a Quad charger.

Crew comfort and organisation.

• Setwear pouches and belts to keep tools on you.
• OpenMoon Cinesaddle for low angle and vehicle shots a tripod cannot reach.

Stage 4: Professional and studio level

This is the kit that owner operators, production companies and rental houses grow into once the work justifies it. At this level, every item is chosen for reliability, speed on set and the ability to scale up to bigger crews.

Full colour, cinema grade lighting.

• Litepanels Gemini 1x1 Soft and 1x1 Hard RGBWW panels, and the larger 2x1 models, for accurate skin tones, full colour control and effects.
• Litepanels Space Light Kits for the Gemini 2x1 to turn your Gemini into overhead soft light for studios and stages.

Long range wireless video.

• Teradek Bolt 7 12G-SDI/HDMI systems for low latency, long range video to directors, clients and focus pullers.

Director's and client monitoring.

• SmallHD Cine 13, Cine 18 and Cine 24 4K high bright monitors for video village.

Heavy duty camera support.

• Sachtler aktiv10 flowtech100, aktiv16T and aktiv18T systems for larger cinema and broadcast builds.
• Sachtler Cine 20 and higher for full size cinema cameras.
• Wooden Camera Touch and Go quick release for fast moves between tripod, dolly and shoulder.

High capacity power.

• Anton Bauer Dionic XT and Dionic 26V batteries for power hungry cinema cameras.
• Anton Bauer VCLX block batteries for running lights, monitors and video village off grid.

Lens control and rigging.

• Light Widow FIZLock motor mounting and Horizon monitor arms.

Department level organisation and transport.

• OpenMoon Crew Gear Box for the camera cart.
• Sachtler Rolling U-Bag for full camera builds.
• Bagside Bagstation XL as a mobile workstation on set.

Kit at a glance

Frequently asked questions

Should I buy a better camera or better lighting first?
Lighting, almost every time. A modest camera with good light will usually look more professional than an expensive camera with poor light, and good lights stay useful through every camera you will ever own.

Why spend more on a tripod?
A quality fluid head tripod is used on every shoot and will outlast several cameras. Budget tripods often wobble, stick or drift, and they usually get replaced, which costs more in the end.

What is the cheapest upgrade with the biggest impact?
Colour correction gels and diffusion. A small set of LEE Filters sheets lets you fix mismatched light sources and soften harsh light for very little outlay.

When should I buy wireless video?
When you regularly work with a director, client or focus puller who needs to see the shot. Until then, a good on camera monitor is the better investment.

How do I avoid buying things I will outgrow?
Buy into systems. Choose a tripod head with room above your current camera's weight, batteries that suit your next camera as well as this one, and lights that share accessories across the range.

Should I rent or buy?
Rent the specialist items first. When you are hiring the same thing regularly, buying usually makes more sense.

Where to buy

Black Flag Distribution is the Australian distributor for Sachtler, Litepanels, Anton Bauer, SmallHD, Teradek, Wooden Camera, Quasar Science, Chimera Lighting, Matthews Studio Equipment, Light Widow, Bagside, Setwear and OpenMoon, and the exclusive Australian distributor for LEE Filters.

We support our valued specialist retail partners and prefer that you purchase through them wherever possible: use the store finder to locate your nearest authorised dealer. If you would rather buy direct, we can also facilitate your order.

Want help planning your next stage? Talk to us at sales@blkflag.com.au.