I just purchased a TRV900 and the Sony ECMHS1 zoom mic with basically all my savings. I'm using Adobe Premiere 6.0 for editing. I will mainly be using this equipment to film dialogue and the like, but I also plan on filming some weddings. Keep in mind I'm on a very tight budget here.

1. Should I return the ECMHS1 and get another mic? The MS908C isn't too much more expensive. Would it be a better choice? Or is there a good handheld mic with 1/8" output that I could suspend over the actors with some sort of pole? Please remember I can only afford to spend around $100-200. What is my best option for staged dialogue, and what would be best for weddings? I can't use XLR at this point.

2. What's the best way to get a "film" look using my equipment? Lower shutter speed? Premiere plugins?

3. I have a light source that plugs into the wall, and it's basically 3 extremely bright lamps on a board of wood. Can anyone reccommend uses for this (what angles I should shoot at, how to get rid of bad shadows, etc.) when filming indoors?

4. What's a good (cheap) way to film a night scene outdoors when it's actually nighttime? How about a night scene indoors?

-- Brian Bell (inlinebowline@aol.com), May 14, 2002