£1500 to spend before 2moro! What do i need?

[bhwrh]

Hey,

Basically I run a cultural awareness programme within my area (soon looking to branch out to the whole of London).

The groups aim is to radically improve Personal Citizenship lessons that nearly every school with in the UK does - and fails miserably at. We will have live recorded music, interviews with people, street questioning, voiceovers, etc etc. Basically, everything a documentary aimed at young people should have!

I have recently created a documentary introducing myself & the group using: a Macbook, a Sony handycam (SDV) and... some very very bad acting. It looks OK enough to just say 'hi, here we are' to our school but by no means to MPs and constituents!

We have £11,000 to create this, and I have £1500 to spend BY TOMORROW [2nd October] !!! For this reason I would really appreciate if somebody could draw together a list of stuff available on Amazon/Amazon.co.uk (where everything MUST be bought from) so I could then go through, find the items and click buy.

Things Ive looked into:

Sony HDR-HC7 camera - would definately like to keep it Sony as I have a lot of their products!
Lapel Microphones (wired? wireless? if so I'd need transmitters/receivers too...) ALSO: how would I connect these mics to the camera? is this easy or too difficult for such a basic user
Boom stand & Microphone - which product is best???
A stereo microphone that can be put on top of the camera (the click in bit that Sony Cams have...)
Tripod with Remote controller

*and anything else you think i need for this*

Thanks so much in advance, I know I'm incredibly basic but it should be fun attempting to make this

Ben

 

[coldmember]

Being restricted to Amazon.com for your video needs is like going to a pub that only sells bottled water.

Alas, you're kinda limited.

That being said perhaps give some thought to the o so important but neglected light and sound aspect of your projects.

I assume that the Sony cam you're looking at lacks an XLR input. In this case, Rode makes a good stereo mic that should give you a little better sound than what you're getting with the stock mic. It's called the Rode SVM. If you need to focus on dialogue, then pic the Rode Videomic.

Next I'd get a light kit. The best you can find on the site. I haven't delved too deeply to take a look and see what they have, but good lights and "painted" subjects can turn an bland looking shot into a broadcast quality shoot, even with a consumer camera.

Don't forget the tapes and batteries. Not sexy and something we often overlook when budgeting, but they are definite must haves.

Any software or books/instruction manuals/tutorials you need? Amazon will actually help you out here.

With your budget limitations, you don't have too many tripod options, either. Get one with a fluid head, though.

If you had other sources from which to pick supplies, then myself and others could offer better options.

Good luck.

 

[kidtofu]

May I just say it sounds like a damned fine project!

What did you end up buying?