In the field

Equipment and general settings

Interviews

B-roll

Photos and stills

Adapting and updating filming plans

Equipment and general settings

Essential equipment

Camera + lens and/or smartphone
Lavalier mics (for interviews) and shotgun mics (for ambient sound).
Sound recording device
Tripod and/or monopod
Memory cards (only for the camera)
Memory card reader (only for the camera)
Headphones
Hard drives to store footage (two different drives, at least)

Other useful equipment

Stabilizer
Drone
Reflector
ND filters
Lights

Image general settings

For camcoder, DSLR or mirrorless cameras

Preferred resolution: Full HD (1920x1080)
Preferred frame rate: 30 frames per second
Preferred color space: Rec709
Preferred video file format: MPEG-4 AVC/H.264

For smartphones, GoPro or drones cameras

Preferred resolution: Full HD (1920x1080)
Preferred camera orientation: horizontal
If you choose a vertical orientation, hold in the same orientation for all clips

Sound general settings

For lavalier or shotgun microphones

Format: WAV
Stereo
Audio Sample rate: 48kHz
When recording, try to set your levels for a range between -12dB and -6dB

To ensure good audio quality, do not use your camera or phone’s built-in microphones as the only way to record audio.

We strongly recommend contributors test their gear prior to going to the field, as we understand sometimes fieldwork takes place in remote areas where no technical support is available. Making sure the kit is clean and has been serviced recently is also something we expect.

Interviews

Learn more

B-roll

Learn more

Photos and stills

For any produced video, at least three photos or stills are required for use in the promotional thumbnail.

Ideally, the image for a thumbnail will be in full HD quality (1920x1080px).

Adapting and updating filming plans

We encourage people to always update their filming plans, schedule, and budget, and share any major changes with Mongabay editors during the trip. We always encourage our contributors to find alternatives or complementary sources of footage if needed. For instance, here are some case examples:

Case example 1: If your camera lets you down

We recommend making sure your equipment is cleaned and serviced, but even the most reliable pieces of kit sometimes don't work. If you are going to a very secluded area, make sure to have a plan B: a spare camera or even your smartphone.

Case example 2: If b-roll is not accesible

You might be filming in an Indigenous community that is facing invasions by illegal loggers, or maybe there is an event you would like to show in the story that happened before or after your field trip. Ask around: maybe the local community or interviewees have footage or photos on their phones that could be used.

Case example 3: If an interviewee is not available

In case a valuable source is not available for an in-person interview or is just in another location, we encourage you to conduct a remote video interview as we can still use this footage in our edits.