5 Budget-Friendly Gadgets For Beginner Filmmakers

Filmmaking presents the ultimate clash of creativity and commerce. Every movie faces the same struggle, whether it's a $200 million Marvel blockbuster or a $1 million A24 indie horror flick. Telling a compelling and creatively-told story while dealing with the pressures that come with time and money is hard. This is especially true if you're a filmmaker or content creator starting off your journey. Unless you're lucky enough to have the right resources or connections off the bat, chances are you're spending your own money to fund your projects and buy equipment with no guarantee of making that money back right away, which can quickly add up.

As tempting as it might be to want to buy the most high-end gadgets to up your production values, your best bet is to scale back. Investing in the most expensive cameras, audio equipment, tripods, or filters may sound like a great idea on paper, but the learning curve it takes to master these tools can quickly become overwhelming, distracting you from nailing down the fundamental skills of filmmaking and discovering your storytelling style. By purchasing equipment that's more affordable, you'll better be able to focus on advancing your know-how of the craft.

Similar to low-budget video editing software, the wide accessibility to varied film equipment nowadays has allowed even cheaper filmmaking tools to produce stunning quality results. At the end of the day, it's how you use these tools that determine the quality of your work rather than how much you've spent. With that said, here are five budget-friendly filmmaking gadgets to get you off on the right foot. 

Capturing good sound is easy to look over when it comes to filmmaking, but it can't be overstated just how crucial this aspect can be. Of course, your camera can capture audio just fine, but to achieve the best results, you'll want to invest in a good microphone. While there's no shortage of mics to choose from, few brands are as trusted by professionals and beginners alike as Rode. If you're in the latter group and believe that Rode is too much for your budget level, then look no further than the Rode VideoMicro II Shotgun Microphone.

While Rode has plenty of higher-end mics that exceed $250 in price, the VideoMicro II provides much of the same exceptional quality that comes with the brand in a far more affordable package, costing only $79. As we stated before, having a simpler product will make your job easier as you learn the ropes of filmmaking. The VideoMicro II demonstrates this, as it's easy to set up and use. All that is required is to connect the device into your, and it should start working right away, with little in the way of complex cables or connections to stress over. 

It's further aided by its compact size, making it easy to transport and stow away. It comes with Rode's top-of-the-line annular line tube technology as well as foam and fur windshield protection, ensuring cleaner audio quality. Buyers have responded to this product positively, with it holding a 4.5 star average rating on Amazon. 

There's essentially no point in having a camera if you don't have any way of supporting it. A sturdy tripod can make a world of difference in this regard, giving your camera a secure way of being kept in place while you're filming. For beginners seeking an easy-to-use option, the Amazon Basics 60-inch Lightweight Tripod is an efficient and economical pick.

At $35.60, you'll be hard-pressed to find a tripod as low-priced as this. Thankfully, it's not at the sacrifice of the item's overall quality or performance. Of course, this doesn't have the support capacity of some more heavy-duty tripod options, weighing a little under 3 pounds and supporting upwards of 6.6 pounds. 

However, for the needs of most, especially those starting out, this nevertheless provides sufficient versatility, with the ability to hold DSLRs, GoPros, still cameras, and other devices. It works with smartphones as well and can be switched to shoot in landscape or portrait mode, just keep in mind you'll have to provide a smartphone tripod mount adapter to attach your device. Its convenience, ease of use, and stability have earned it a 4.5-star rating average on Amazon from over 181,000 reviewers. 

Chances are you already have one of the most versatile filmmaking tools in your pocket. Calling some smartphones "budget-friendly" may be a stretch, as the price tag on a newer iPhone will attest, but a good majority of these handy devices are easy to obtain and afford. Among their variety of useful functions, ranging from calling and texting to web browsing to GPS navigating, smartphones can also prove to be an all-in-one tool for filmmakers.

Nowadays, the camera quality of many smartphones rivals that of high-end DSLRs. With the proper camera settings and functions applied to suit your needs, your phone has the potential to create cinematic-quality videos that can exceed your expectations. The popularity of shooting videos using smartphones has led to the creation of a multitude of phone-specific filming accessories, such as attachable lenses, tripods, microphones, lights, and more. 

But that's not all. Along with the built-in abilities of your phone to shoot videos, there's no shortage of quality apps to aid in video editing, color correction, and even simple animation or effects. This, combined with the ability to upload on video sharing or social media sites, makes it feasible to fully make a film from start to finish with nothing but your phone. If you need further proof, then check out acclaimed feature films such as "Tangerine" and "Unsane," which were entirely shot on iPhones. 

Many first-time filmmakers will opt to use either typical room lights or natural light while shooting without thinking twice. While there are ways to utilize these sources effectively, you can add a lot to your production values by employing a controlled lighting setup. Thankfully, you don't have to spend a fortune to secure such a setup. 

If you're looking around on Amazon for low-cost lights, you'll likely come across the Ci-Fotto LED 3 Light Pack. It's easy to see why, as Ci-Fotto lights pack a surprising amount of functionality. The kit comes with three lights, a series of color gel filters, and three stands. Many light kits within a similar price range only offer two lights at most, but having a third one on hand allows you to utilize a three-point lighting setup for a more professional look. While not the strongest lights around, they are extremely long-lasting and can have their brightness adjusted to better match your desired intensity through the use of a small set of buttons on its cord. It's an ideal, affordable choice for those shooting in smaller locations or who regularly produce social media content, and it costs only $42.99. 

The biggest downside worth keeping in mind is that the stands themselves are not the greatest. Not only are they short compared to other stands, only reaching up to 48 inches in height, but they can be flimsy and easy to knock over. Despite these setbacks, customers have largely enjoyed these lights, rating them 4.1 stars on average on Amazon.

One of the most dreadful experiences you can have while shooting is your camera running out of battery at an unexpected moment. Having extra batteries is never a bad idea, but there's no point if you're filming outdoors or somewhere else where power sources are not easily accessible. An even smarter solution to this problem is having a power bank on hand, such as the Anker PowerCore 10000. 

While mostly associated for use with smartphones and tablets, the Anker PowerCore is compatible with a wide variety of accessories commonly used by filmmakers. With items such as battery chargers and even many lights being powered by USB nowadays, this slim, compact power bank provides a convenient method of providing power. It contains a power capacity of 10,000mAh and rapidly charges through the use of Anker PowerIQ and VoltageBoost. This, along with its compact size, makes it a great choice for filmmakers on the go, and they won't be able to access any sources of power easily. 

The Anker PowerCore 10000 also comes with an 18-month warranty in the case of an error or malfunction. This is an item that Amazon shoppers have widely praised, with the product currently holding a 4.7 out of 5-star rating average on the site. You can buy it for $26.99.