Build-equipment hire is scheduled by week
Beyond the camera/stream kit, the construction gear — plate compactor, scaffold tower, telehandler, scaffold/EWP, forklift and cherry picker — is each booked to specific build weeks (≈$4.3k total). The hire timeline lives on the Schedule dashboard. The build is temporary by design: it runs from containers + a truck body, on screw-pile footings, with a boltable frame and a portable water tank.Dedicated timelapse camera
A fixed build-site timelapse camera runs unattended every build day (Days 1–98) — it needs weatherproof mounting, continuous power (solar/battery or mains) and a daily card/battery check (now a task on every build day). Its footage feeds the 14 weekly timelapses and the full-build master timelapse. See the Schedule.Cameras
A small, mobile camera kit chosen for durability and range — from POV abuse to a cinematic A-cam to a pocketable gimbal, plus a hands-free glasses cam, an aerial drone, and an HDMI switch board to cut between sources.
| Device | Role |
|---|---|
| GoPro (GoPro 3) | Action / POV / durability — the take-anywhere, throw-anywhere camera |
| Panasonic HC-VX1 | Main A-cam / cinematic — the primary look of the channel |
| DJI Osmo Pocket 4 | Gimbal / walkaround / handheld — smooth moving shots and B-roll |
| Glasses camera | Hands-free first-person POV — worn while building, skating or working, no rig needed |
| DJI Mini 5 drone | Aerial / establishing shots — property fly-overs, dome site, cinematic reveals; lightweight and portable |
| HDMI switch board | Multi-source switcher — cut live between cameras/HDMI feeds into one output for streaming + recording |
Streaming & transmission
The wireless chain lets the camera move freely while the signal reaches the streaming rig — built for the 24/7 livestream plus off-grid and wireless streaming tests on the property.
| Device | Role |
|---|---|
| Hollyland Mars 4K | Wireless video transmitter (4K) — camera-to-base link with no cable run |
| HDMI conversion box | Signal conversion for the streaming chain — bridges camera output into the encoder/stream |
Where this lives
Used for the 24/7 livestream plus the off-grid / wireless streaming tests. The full transmitter, encoder and bandwidth notes are on the livestream kit page.Physical infrastructure
There is no studio. The "set" is the property itself — repurposed industrial objects standing in for a workshop, living space and signage.
No proper workshop
No proper workshop — fabrication happens around the containers and the truck body.Everything is being designed to stay portable, because the property may be developed within ~2 years. Anything built has to be able to move when it does.
File / folder workflow
One master project folder, so footage, audio, exports and assets never go missing across the solo edit pipeline.
- Set up a backup structure — mirror the master tree to a second drive so nothing is single-copy.
- Create an editing project template — a reusable timeline + bin layout so every new video starts from the same structure.
Camera-prep checklist
The quick pre-shoot pass before heading out to film:
- Charge all batteries
- Test the Panasonic HC-VX1, Osmo Pocket 4, GoPro and Hollyland system
- Format SD cards
- Clean lenses
- Organise cables
Fuller version exists
There's a fuller interactive version of this on the Launch Checklist.Production style
- DIY documentary filmmaking — real, unscripted, hands-on
- Cinematic realism — grounded look, no gloss
- Environmental storytelling — the place tells the story
- Slow atmospheric pacing — room to breathe
- "Working-class sci-fi" look — dark industrial textures, warm internal lighting, storm skies, containers, dome architecture, water reflections, wind/airflow imagery
The mobile-production thread
A dedicated livestream van is planned (not yet purchased) for event coverage and remote streaming — a rolling base for the wireless kit.
- Lean on a DJI Mini drone + Hollyland wireless to shoot anywhere, untethered.
- Overlaps with the farm's mobile chicken trailer — shared fabrication, same portable-everything philosophy.
- Driver's-licence loss is part of the backstory — the mobility problem is real, and shapes how the whole rig is designed to move.
images/livestream-wireless.png
images/dji-livestream.pngReconstructed from production_and_gear.txt and the "main covo" to-do list.