Chaotic Fringe is part of a larger company called GenX Noir Productions, which is my media company. GenX Noir covers everything from websites like Chaotic Fringe to film production to photography. I like to say it is a one stop shop for everything anyone might need to get noticed. One question I have been asked more than anything about doing the type of work I do is what type of equipment is needed to do it? Many times when asked the question, people want specifics, like the exact items I use. I can rattle off some of the basics but until I made the move to my new home I didn’t have a list of exactly what I have bought to keep the operation running. I know that might sound wrong, that of course I would know what I use for the operation, but for me it would be like asking someone to list items in an office they need to have for their day to day operations. Some things list easy, but many are so specialized or common they don’t pop into your head right away.

I took time and went through years of purchases, the ones I could find on Amazon and eBay, and was able to come up with a pretty comprehensive list of the items of the operation. They can be broken down into four categories; the basics, the essentials, the support and the accessories. Here’s how I came up with the categories.

BASICS are the easy things. You have to have these things if you want to have a production company. For my case, a camera is obvious however I have several. You aren’t sure what camera might be right for what situation, but if you have none they your SOL. A computer tends to be the overlooked basic needed and again, you might need several. It might be you need one for production and one for keeping records for the business. Obviously you might figure having one computer for both will be fine, and in a lot of cases it will, but if one computer breaks down your dead in the water. The thing is you know the computer will have issues when it’s crunch time on a project. A dead computer that has EVERYTHING on it is asking for trouble.

ESSENTIALS, as odd as it seems, are things that directly support the basics. Why I say odd is I know I have a category called support so why not have these items in support? Or, why not include them as basics? Let’s take cameras. Depending on the type of camera, you may or may not need lens. Depending on the make and model, you might have lens that work with a variety of cameras or only work with one type of camera. You might be able to swap batteries between camera or SD cards. The camera you have to have but depending on the camera you might have to add things to run the camera. I have a Canon HG20 that doesn’t need a lens but can use the same SD cards that 2 other cameras I have can use. All of my cameras have different styles of batteries and all of the lens can be used by all of the DSLRs except for one lens which can only be used with one. I have programs that I have that are vital for work, such as web design and video editing.

SUPPORT almost covers everything else in the business. Extra power cords, lights, MS Office, tripods, monopods, extra batteries, you get the picture. They aren’t needs but not exactly wants. You could make a video shot without a tripod, but you will probably see the need for having one if you make a video. Support also has things that run the office like manila envelopes, tablets, pens and all those little things you never think about until you need them. Right now I’m getting ready for a meet and greet for The San Diego Comic-Con and one thing mention I should have would be idea proposals to be passed out to maybe 20 people. That means I have make up a packet for those potential people, make sure I have a way for me to have their names and a way for them to contact me. So I have envelopes for the presentation I will hand to them, I have business cards printed for them to contact me and other type of things for the interaction to be smooth. I will be taking a camera and a lot of business cards to pass out because when I take pictures of cosplayers or creators, I’d like for them to see the finished product when I’ve posted it. You never know where it might lead.

ASSCESSORIES are those items that might be uniquely specialized. They may not be used often, but when they are it is a life saver. I mentioned going to the San Diego Comic-Con. A few years ago I designed one T-Shirt to wear at the convention that had my website on it. It got a few responses. This year I have four shirts including the previous one I will be wearing. Some have the Chaotic Fringe website and others have GenX Noir. With an official shirt it’s easy to ask people about taking pictures because they see the logo and figure you are associated with some organization. Another vital accessory I have is a portable charger. If I’m running around and my phone or tablet battery is low, I can use the charger to keep going. You know the joy of having one of those when you’re at an airport and you see a ton of business people hunched around the lone power cord.

What I must mention about items needed for a production company is if you want to be on point with it you have to treat it like a business. You are going to spend thousands of dollars setting things up and you have to think smart about what you purchase. I have made some dumb and expensive purchases but I’ve learned from my mistakes. Trust me, even with all the years I’ve done this I still make some bone-head purchases once in a while, but more often than not I take the time to make sure what I get for the company is a need and not a want. Like I said at the beginning, the items you buy will be unique to what your plans are for your company. If you want to do wedding photos, take the time to look up what you are going to need for that. Doing wedding photos may not need you to buy a bunch of high end computers, but you better have a program that can handle the demands of a couple that wants to have a lot of options and changes during the course of doing business with them. In looking up on a number of sites and videos about wedding photographers, a lot of them advocate an array of specialized lens for cameras, yet I know a few friends who do wedding photography who use at most three lens. In the end, what you need will come down to your personal style.

One last thing to leave you with. Build up slowly. It could take years to get all the things needed to get a good set of equipment. Criagslist is filled with many people selling equipment they didn’t need or they lost the joy of running their business.