With only a week left before the Santa arrives, I have
created a list of possible items that would make excellent gifts for filmakers -- whether it be your children,
boyfriends or girlfriends, your fellow filmmakers or the office slave at the production office. I have to admit this is
a biased list, especially when it comes to computers because as many of you know I am a Mac-head. I will try to provide
a PC equivalent when possible but don't hold your breaths.Price Ranges:
$3000 to $6000: Highly unlikely any of us are giving or receiving gifts from this range. But as long as there are people getting cars for a gift, I am going keep this category, hoping, wishing, that I be so lucky.
- HVX200:
Well officially, the camera is to be released after Christmas. But we can wait, take your time!
- G5 Quad: The latest and greatest Mac. As powerful a Mac will get with Power
PC chips. Next year, it will be Intel, how long will they be ready for prime time? Can you or someone you know survive
the wait?
- Alienware 7700: The G5 equivalent in the PC world or at least I am told so.
- JVC
GY-HD100U: HDV and interchangeable lens. Besides some potential problems with the software compatibility, this is a
better option than the Sony HDV offerings.
$1000 to
$3000: Again, this is another unlikely category. Maybe if there is a group of you pitching in, this price
range would be reasonable. Hear that Randall, Zadi & Mike? - Final Cut Studio: The best video package around and at a great price.
For PC, check out the Adobe video pack.
- Randall's recommendation on the PC side for editing software is Sony Vegas. But like all things Sony, they love to lock you in their proprietary formats. For example, the DVCProHD codec, which the HVX uses, is not supported in Vegas. Maybe it will in the future but right now it does not look good. As many of you who have read Randall's review of the best Non Linear Editor's, it is clear that Vegas has many things going for it.
- Creative Suite 2: Another must-have software
suite.
- Randall is getting the Sony HDR-HC1 and you know how he can go on with his research.
Excellent value as you can shoot HDV for less than $2000. All of a sudden, the cameras in that range look dated.
- Shake: I wish someone would buy me this visual effects
software. Anyone?
- Filmmakers omit a NTSC
monitor from their editing set-up because it is expensive and they are ways to work around it. But it is a
compromise that always comes back to bite them. Do them a favor and get them a good monitor.
- If the
person you are shopping for, is all excited over his HVX200, the Firestore device would be an excellent companion
to the camera.
$500-$1000: - There are various softwares you can get in this range. There is just too many good examples to list here. But basically you are looking for software that filmmakers will not buy because it is not neccessary though it is good for them to have it. A good example of this would be a program like Final Touch SD -- a color correction tool for under a $1000 that can stand proud with programs costing in the hundreds of thousands.
- If you know someone getting the HVX200, what better gift than getting them the cheaper but still very expensive P2 memory cards.
- If you know someone who has the skills to edit or do great things with certain programs and is
still finding it hard to find work. Then I suggest you get them Certification courses. Most professional software have
certification programs that help give their graduates a certain amount of credibility. Production houses tend to hire
candidates with these type of qualifications.
- Sound recording is easily the easiest way to tell an
amateur film from a professional one. This year, the most exciting sound recorder was the Tascam HD P2 recorder. The specs simply rock, professional sound for just under $1000.
$100-$500: - iPod Video: This is easy,
you can store video, show your reel to strangers on the bus, and record high quality audio.
- A B&H
Gift certificate is an excellent and flexible present. There is not a video or photography product that cannot be
found at the store. And unlike many other shady dealers online, you are offered fair prices with reasonable service.
- Video or capture cards. You will need to consult the gift receiver.
- Cheap DV cameras are good gifts for the novice filmmaker.
Canon's cheap DV cameras are tad-bit better in visual quality than (my favorite camera-maker in that range) Panasonic
but also offers less controls.
- LaCie
Brick Hard drives: Filmmakers always need more storage. So if you are not sure what you to give, then I suggest
storage. LaCie hard drives are my favorite with the new Bricks and their good looks as the recommended option.
- Wacom Tablets: Comes in various shapes, sizes
and prices.
$10-$100:- One of the best marketing tools for filmmakers is to have a website. There is no way of just giving a
domain name or a hosting site without discussing it with the receiver. But besides the lack of surprise, this is an
excellent gift. A good place to start is here.
- Mac Software: iDive, Foottrack, CdFinder, OmniGraffle. Also upgrades for software they already have is a good idea (couple of gifts I am receiving this year are upgrades). If the person you are buying is a hobbyist filmmaker, then maybe something like iLife might work better.
- Nattress Plug-in filters for Final
Cut Pro: Cannot go wrong unless they already own it.
- Like storage, media is also a no-brainer. A
packet of DV
tapes or a stack of
DVD's make excellent gifts.
- Books: The
Conversations (highly recommended), Creating
short films for the web, digital
video production cookbook, Digital video hacks.
- Barnes & Nobles gift certificate or Amazon
Gift certificates for movies or books.
- Magazine subscriptions: Res or Make magazine subscriptions.
- If the person you are buying for complains about the lack of selection at the local Blockbluster, then give them a Netflix subscription cease the bitching. If
they prefer independent and foreign films, then get a gift certificate from CafeDVD.
- Shuttle Pro: Excellent useful tool for post-production.
(Also, it would be very cool if dealers stepped up and gave our readers special discounts. If you are interested, contact us.)
1. Who knows? You may just get your camera. Believe in dreams and they will come true!
Posted at 5:14PM on Dec 22nd 2005 by Violette