Filmmaking is an artistic process that owes a great deal to technology. In fact, the sophistication of motion pictures produced today can be attributed, in large part, not to the sophistication or creative genius of modern day filmmakers, but to advancements in the motion picture technology. And while amateur filmmakers may not have access to Steadicams® and the latest lenses from Panavision®, the digital revolution has made it possible for anyone to master the basics of cinema language without requiring a computer science degree.

The first tool you'll need is a digital video camera. If you already have access to a camera, great! The camera I recommend is any model that can record to MiniDV tape. All cameras of this kind will also have 4 pin FIREWIRE port, essential for transferring your video footage to a computer for editing. If your full size VHS camcorder is still functioning, unfortunately it's not very compatible with today's desktop editing systems and won't be very useful at all. I recommend a single chip (1 CCD), Mini DV, Standard Definition (SD) camera for beginners. While it might not be as sophisticated as the bigger brother 3 CCD cameras, I think there are two important advantages with a single chip camera. First, it's relatively inexpensive (you can get into a video camera for a minimum of $325) allowing you to save money for other production costs, and secondly, the technical features won't get in the way of producing acceptable and useable images. I've spent many years in the classroom (and video lab) helping beginners get started. As an educator, my job is to help remove obstacles from the learner's path. Top-heavy technology can get in the way of our real goals. So when starting out I like to keep it simple. Trust me, after you've made about a dozen short films with your single chip camera, you'll understand perfectly the features you'd like to own in a more sophisticated camera.

There are many brands available. Most entry-level cameras have similar features and functions. The only minimum requirement I suggest in a camera is that it is able to have some degree of exposure control and has a manual focus feature. Again, most entry-level cameras have these but some won't. Find the camera whose features and menus make the most sense to you. Is it easy to move though the menus? Can you access the focus controls easily? Is it easy to open the small port covers to access the Firewire and AV connectors? What about button size? However, please don't feel as if you need to agonize over your choice. Again, this is your starter camera. It's job is to take you to the first couple steps on your journey. Truthfully, any of the entry-level cameras will serve you well at this point, but be sure to examine a select few so you're familiar with the differences.

The one other production tool every aspiring filmmaker needs is a good tripod. In fact, in my classroom projects I insist that all beginners use a tripod for EVERY SHOT in EVERY PROJECT. I'll speak more to the reasoning behind this teaching philosophy in a later column. There are different kinds of tripods, and the sort you'll want are the VIDEO TRIPODS, not the STILL PHOTO tripods. Video tripods allow you to pan and tilt with ease. Still photo tripods are lightweight tripods (sometime too lightweight for video cameras) designed to hold a still photo camera in place during the length of an exposure. Avoid the still photo tripod, if you can. If you're learning filmmaking on garage sale prices, and the still tripod is all you have, in my opinion, it's better than no tripod at all.

Again, there are a number of different tripod models available, and they can get pricey, since there's a limited consumer market. All video tripods can pan and tilt, but pay close attention to the knobs that tighten and loosen the HEAD (the top part) and the legs (get the extendable variety). Do they seem to be designed and manufactured to last over time? A tripod that can extend on it's legs above eye level will offer you more options than a tripod that can only rise to about four feet. Do the feet of the tripod allow use on smooth, fine floors (non-scratching) and turf (do they have retractable spikes)? Does the head seem steady enough to support your camera? Most entry-level cameras are light enough for most medium duty tripods.

A tripod may not seem to be very important, however it's ability to produce a decent tilt and pan will be the difference between smooth, unnoticeable, delicious camera movements and jerky, clunky, distracting shots that call attention to themselves. Which would you like in your films? And while you may outgrow your single CCS camera after a number of productions, you can use a decent tripod for decades. I recommend, if you can afford it, to purchase a tripods in the $350-$450 range. This may seem kind of steep, but it's a piece of equipment, if well cared for, that will last you a lifetime.

Here's a mention about some format differences and upcoming technology changes in cameras. Within a decade, cameras will not record their data (notice I didn't call them pictures) to a tape. Instead, all cameras will be some form of built-in hard drive. A few very sophisticated pro-sumer (the in-between ground between professional and consumer models) High Definition (HD) cameras already record to high capacity memory cards, in the same way your digital still camera records to a removable chip or disk. Hard drive storage is such a convenient feature in the post-production phase (more on this later), that all cameras will eventually go this route. As with all technology change, intermediate steps are taken and new devices are thrown into the market. One of the latest tape-less varieties is a camera that records to the mini DVD (a small DVD disk). In some ways, this is a convenient format since you can remove the DVD disk and immediately play it in your DVD player (provided it's tray loaded), but I consider it a low quality intermediate step, a dead end branch of the evolutionary tree of consumer digital video technology.

The next column will discuss the role of the camera in the production process, composition and framing, and some tips to make interesting award winning shots.

A quick retraction: In my first column I mentioned no low-budget digital film has been nominated for an Academy Award. The 2007 release, ONCE, directed by John Carney and shot on digital video, won an Academy Award for best song in February 2008.