There are several items every UCF FILM Production BFA student needs to own and others we recommend be purchased. These items are in addition to the production equipment the department makes available to all UCF FILM Production BFA students in good standing.

Firewire 400 Hard Drive (160GB or higher) Every production student must own their own Firewire drive which is used to store the media and files of class projects. We recommend ProMax.com drives, as they've been the only vendor who promises drives capable of playing back digital video live (read product claims carefully - most drives say they're perfect for video storage, but they never mention live playback). Students have also had success with Western Digital Firewire drives. The critical thing is the drive be Firewire 400 (not USB2.0), have a capacity of at least 160 GB (250 gig is very common), have a speed of at least 7200 rpm and a Seek Time below 9 ms.

The benefit of owning a hard drive is you're not tied to one editing system. You can carry your media to whatever system is available. This includes your home. People who own a home editing system benefit from a hard drive as most don't own a DV deck (the cheapest of which costs about $1500). With a portable Firewire hard drive, such folks can capture media using the school systems and then carry it home to cut there.

Usb Flash Drive When a firewire hard drive is overkill, we recommend mini USB flash drives, such as the Sandisk Cruzer shown here. Offered in capacities ranging from 32 MB to 1 GB, these itsey-bitsey drives are sometimes disguised as keychains, necklaces and even watchbands. Perfect for text, photos and small audio tracks, these flash drives take the place of floppys and zip discs, which are vanishing fast. Cost ranges from $15 to $100+, depending on capacity.

Headphones When you have 8 editing systems in one space (as in our editing lab) things can get noisy. That's why we require all students to own a set of closed-back headphones. Take a look at these phones available from Sony. The basic, cheapest model is fine. They don't need to be wireless or anything fancy, just avoid the lightweight iPod-style ear buds which sound thin and don't block outside noise very well. Expect to pay $20 to $100.

DVD-Rs Every editing system at UCF FILM is equipped with a DVD burner and most all of your production classes expect you to turn in projects on DVD. When you include the dubs you'll make for cast and crew for each project, it's easy to burn through 50+ DVDs per semester. Our systems require DVD-Rs, not DVD+Rs or DVD-/+RWs. Buy a spindle of 100 DVD-Rs at Best Buy or Meritline.com and avoid borrowing a DVD 15 minutes before class. Cost is currently around $25 to $50 per 100 DVD-Rs (and dropping daily).

Production Insurance

Insurance is a necessity of modern production - renting professional gear or working with a SAG actor is impossible with proper insurance. That's why UCF FILM arranges for production insurance to cover all student productions. The policy's deductible is high, so in most cases, you'll be responsible financially if UCF equipment is lost, stolen or damaged on your shoot. But for the major disasters, insurance is there to protect you. The policy cost is shared by all production students and usually comes out to $150 or so per year. For any questions, please contact Professor Lisa Cook, who handles production insurance issues for the division.

Computer

UCF requires that students have access to a computer. That means either buying one or becoming familiar with the many huge computer labs on campus.

UCF FILM provides edit suites equipped with Apple Macintosh computers and Final Cut Pro software to students for the purpose of cutting class projects. As technology prices fall, students increasingly want their own editing systems so that they can cut at home. We recommend you stick with the Apple / Final Cut Pro combination, which is not only reliable, but also available with deep Education Discounts.

Almost every current Mac handles video editing out of the box, but we find it's always good to double the installed RAM. Check with an Apple dealer - either at the UCF Student Union or in one of Orlando's two Apple retail stores - for specific info or visit Apple's online store - www.apple.com.

If you're doing any other school work with your computer, you'll like need some kind of Office-style application - either Microsoft's office, iWorks or, if you're in a freeware mode, check out NeoOffice, an open source application that does everything Office does and costs you nothing.

Cameras

Many students arrive at UCF with high-end digital video cameras as good or better than the Panasonic DVX100a we offer. Get to know them. For the rest of you, we suggest you purchase a digital still camera and a cheap DV camera. These items could even be combined in a single model. You probably won't make your senior year movies with them, but you'll use them for casting sessions and location scouting. In those situations, it's very handy to own your own gear.

Be sure any digital video camera shoots to min-DV tape - avoid Digital 8 or DVD formats as they don't play well with our workflow.

Locker Rental

Where do you store your firewire hard drive and DVD-Rs while at school? We suggest you rent a small locker from the Film Division. The cost is tiny and the location is right - just a few steps away from our editing rooms. Supply is limited, so reserve early.

Cellphone

If you do any production work, a cellphone is essential - your producer will want to be able to reach you any time. But don't just bring a cellphone from home, get one with a local Orlando area code. The reason for the local area code is the sad fact that some UCF phones can't dial long distance numbers. Plus, local vendors/actors location owners might not call you back if they think it's a long distance call. Avoid the hassle, get a local number on your cell.