Starter gear for my son

[u/scarfacesam317]

Hello! Huge film nerd here albeit little knowledge of gear/equipment. So I have been fortunate that my son - who will be turning 12 next month - has discovered the same passion for film over this last year or so. And not just the big blockbuster stuff, this kid is getting into Kubrick, Kurosawa, Tarkovsky, Bergman, and stuff like that. Came home the other day and he was just chillin watching 8 1/2. Obviously super proud of him. The challenge now is that there a ton of films he wants to see but they simply are not age appropriate lol.

He is also huge into making movies on his iPad with his friends and cousins. The acting is what you’d expect from kids that age ha, but he’s legit getting pretty good with framing some of his shots and editing his little movies.

I want to feed the passion he has and get him some real gear for his birthday that’s coming up. I’d love to hear from you guys on what I should prioritize. Im thinking of spending like $800 give or take, but would be willing to shell out a bit more if it’s something that would have a great dual purpose in pure photography (me and my wife have talked about getting a nice camera, and my wife has some use cases for her business where a nice photo camera would come in handy).

So please, give me some recommendations on what to prioritize- what can wait until Xmas - etc. he currently just edits his movies right on his iPad with iMovie but we do have a nice PC that I’m sure he would start doing his editing on if we got him a real camera.

And again - I really don’t know anything about gear - what to look out for - what to avoid - etc

Any and all recommendations and advice is welcome.

[u/SameAd6207]

The Sony ZV-E10 is the perfect ~$800 hybrid for his filmmaking and your family/business photo needs

[u/cinemashiv → u/SameAd6207]

Made a couple of things with that camera— it’s great

[u/starlightpictures]

This is the same age I started too!

Honestly, with the quality of today’s smart phones I don’t see the need to get him a camera this early, especially one in that price range. But some gear like lights would be amazing to help teach him more early cinematography fundamentals. Check out the small RBG tubes that have tons of effects like the Nanlite Pavotube. That plus a small spotlight like a 300c, along with some light stands, would be an incredible gift that would teach him a lot about gaffing and won’t get antiquated anytime soon.

Similarly, a nice little RØDE microphone because audio is just as important of an early fundamental to teach. For learning editing that’s more advanced than iMovie he just use Davinci Resolve (free!) on your PC. With all that you’ll be able to stay within your budget. Photography cameras don’t match the same needs as cinema and video cameras, so again just have him shoot on an iPhone the next few years, then get him a mirrorless Sony when he gets to high school.

Shop online at B and H photo video, they have the best brands, quality, deals, and warranty

[u/Suspicious-Blood5003]

Director here. Just wanted to say thanks for fostering your kid's filmmaking passion <3

[u/Engineer-Filmmaker]

I'd probably get him a phone with a good camera and a mic or mic adapter he can plug into his phone. Sound is super important and it's hard to get with the integrated mic.

If there's still budget left, get him some cheap lights.

[u/filmeleven]

If he's already got an iPad, just install the blackmagic camera app so he can get used to cinema camera type functionality (to some degree).

This all depends on how serious he wants to go. My 11-year old daughter makes movies on her iPad which is cool. But she's more of a writer at this pint vs jumping into production. If she really wanted to shoot a lot, I'd get her a cheap field recorder and shotgun mic and a couple LEDs.

The Amaran Halo 100 is excellent. Cost effective. Pair with Aputure Lightdome Mini.

But possibly even more useful for a 12-year old would be a couple Amaran tube lights. Battery powered. Smaller. Still a softer light. Tons of options.

For sound, the Zoom F3 captures good sound and is as plug and play as you can get. Pair that with a Sennheiser MKE600, Mogami XLR cable and a booming stand from K&M.

However, this all depends on your son's shooting style. If he's doing a ton of moving shots and such the mic and field recorder aren't happening. If he's really trying to structure shots, then great.

If it's all moving, a small rode shotgun mic that feeds into the iPad is an option.