Shoot an interview
An interview takes less gear than most shoots, but each piece has to be right. One camera on a steady tripod, a large soft light beside the lens and a clip-on mic on each speaker will cover a one-on-one in an office, a boardroom or a living room.
Sound is where interviews usually go wrong. A camera’s own mic hears the room more than the person, so put a lav on every speaker and listen on headphones while you record.
Plan the power before the day. The LS 600X Pro draws up to 720 W at the wall, about half of what a household circuit should carry for hours, so give it an outlet of its own and keep the second light on a different circuit.
Booking a few things? Set your dates once.
Then add gear from any page with + Add; it all goes on the same booking.
Cameras for the main and second angle
Sony FX3 Full-Frame Cinema Camera$180 / dayClean picture in a dim office, and it comes with the XLR handle for wired mics.
Sony FX30 Cinema Camera$125 / dayA second angle that matches the FX3's colour, for a wide shot to cut to.
Lenses for a wide shot and a close-up
Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II E-Mount Lens$50 / dayThe safe pick if you're unsure: wide enough for the room, long enough for a close-up.
Sony FE 85mm F1.4 GM II E-Mount Lens$50 / dayThe classic interview close-up, with the background soft behind the speaker.
Light the speaker
Aputure LS 600X Pro Bi-Color LED$100 / dayA strong key light that stays soft through a big dome, even beside a bright window.
Aputure Light Dome III Softbox 35 in.$20 / dayTurns a bare LED into soft light on the face. Fits the Aputure lights' Bowens mount.
Godox TL60 Light Tube$20 / dayA tube behind the speaker lifts them off a dark background.
Record clean sound
Tascam DR-10L Lavalier Microphone$20 / dayA clip-on mic with its own recorder. One per speaker; check its level before you roll.
Deity D3 Shotgun Microphone with Location Bundle$20 / dayA boom mic over the speaker's head, for when a clip-on would show in the shot.
Zoom F6 Field Recorder$40 / dayRecords up to six mics at once and powers the shotgun mic.
Sennheiser HD280 Pro Headphones$10 / dayListen while you record. A rustling mic is easy to fix on set and hard to fix later.
Keep it steady
Manfrotto 504HD Head W 546B Legs$35 / dayA fluid head with room for a heavy lens, so a slow push or pan stays smooth.
C-Stand (Silver, 10.5')$10 / dayHolds the key light and its dome steady at any height.
15LB Sandbags$2 / dayOne on every stand, so nothing tips in a busy room.
Monitor, batteries and cards
Atomos Shinobi 7" 4K HDMI/SDI Monitor$65 / dayA 7-inch screen bright enough to judge focus and exposure, with LUTs for Log footage.
Sony NP-FZ100 Battery$10 / dayThe FX3 and FX30 take the same battery, so a spare covers either camera.
Sony 160GB CFexpress Type A Card R: 800MB/s W: 700MB/s$25 / dayA fast card for long takes. Both cameras take CFexpress Type A.
CFexpress Type A Card Reader$2 / dayCFexpress Type A cards need their own reader to copy footage to a laptop.
Packages for the light and sound
Aputure Interview Light Kit$220 / dayThree lights, two Light Dome III softboxes and three stands on one booking.
Solo Boom Operator Kit$97 / dayA shotgun mic, boom pole, windshield and the Zoom F6, for one person on sound.