The Conversation
the sit-down kit. Two cameras, broadcast audio, sculpted light.
/assets/images/kit/the-conversation-hero.jpg
The interview kit. Sony A7S III as A-cam locked on the subject, Sony A7 III as B-cam for the tighter / cutaway angle, Samyang primes for editorial portrait depth. Sennheiser MKE 600 on the boom + Sony UTX-B40 dual wireless lavs, Zoom H5 multi-track master. GVM bi-colour COB key + LED panel fill, RGB hair light, Bowens snoot with 25 gobos for background pattern work. Built around how Mona has shot documentary interviews for S4C and BBC for over a decade.
03 · in the bag · 15 items
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the-conversation-sony-a7s-iii-a-cam.jpg01 · SONY-A7S-III-A-CAM
Sony A7S III (A-cam)
Locked-off wide / mid on subject
A-cam framing. Native S-Log3 records seamlessly cuts with the B-cam profile.
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the-conversation-sony-a7-iii-b-cam.jpg02 · SONY-A7-III-B-CAM
Sony A7 III (B-cam)
24 MP B-camera, matched colour profile
B-cam at a tighter angle. The same S-Log3 + Mona colour LUT applied in post means the cut feels seamless.
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the-conversation-samyang-af-35mm-f-1-4-fe.jpg03 · SAMYANG-AF-35MM-F-1-4-FE
Samyang AF 35mm f/1.4 FE
Wide environmental portrait
B-cam wide framing when the room itself is part of the story.
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the-conversation-samyang-af-85mm-f-1-4-fe.jpg04 · SAMYANG-AF-85MM-F-1-4-FE
Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE
Portrait standard
A-cam portrait — controlled bokeh + flattering compression for the locked-off subject angle.
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the-conversation-samyang-135mm-t2-2-vdslr.jpg05 · SAMYANG-135MM-T2-2-VDSLR
Samyang 135mm T2.2 VDSLR
Cine telephoto manual prime
When the framing has to be tight on the eyes and the background has to vanish — manual focus on a locked-off subject is fine.
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the-conversation-sennheiser-mke-600.jpg06 · SENNHEISER-MKE-600
Sennheiser MKE 600
Pro shotgun on the boom
The interview master track. Off-axis rejection keeps the room dry even in echoey buildings.
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the-conversation-sony-utx-b40-2-urx-p03d.jpg07 · SONY-UTX-B40-2-URX-P03D
Sony UTX-B40 (×2) + URX-P03D
Dual-channel UHF wireless lavalier system
Two body packs for the interview pair, one dual-channel receiver into the cam. Backup to the boom on every take.
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the-conversation-zoom-h5-xyh-5.jpg08 · ZOOM-H5-XYH-5
Zoom H5 + XYH-5
4-track recorder, XLR + on-board capsule
Multi-track master — boom + both lavs + room ambient. Records 32-bit safety alongside the cam scratch track.
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the-conversation-gvm-sd300b-bi-color-led.jpg09 · GVM-SD300B-BI-COLOR-LED
GVM SD300B Bi-Color LED
300 W COB, bi-colour, Bowens mount
The key light. Through the 60 cm softbox for a soft editorial wrap on the subject.
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the-conversation-gvm-60w-led-panel-2.jpg10 · GVM-60W-LED-PANEL-2
GVM 60W LED Panel (×2)
Bi-colour / RGB panels, battery-powered
Fill on the shadow side + hair light from behind. RGB option for accent colour wash in the background.
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the-conversation-yongnuo-yn360-iii-pro.jpg11 · YONGNUO-YN360-III-PRO
Yongnuo YN360 III Pro
RGB LED light wand / tube
Motivated practical effect — sits in the background as a coloured stripe across the wall, or hand-held as a moving accent.
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the-conversation-df-digitalfoto-bowens-snoot-25-gobos.jpg12 · DF-DIGITALFOTO-BOWENS-SN
DF DigitalFoto Bowens snoot + 25 gobos
Spotlight projection with gobo wheel + 4 colour filters
Patterns on the back wall — venetian blinds, window light, abstract gradients. Stops the interview background being a flat colour.
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the-conversation-60-cm-bowens-softbox.jpg13 · 60-CM-BOWENS-SOFTBOX
60 cm Bowens softbox
Generic light modifier
Wraps the GVM key into a soft editorial light. Wider than a beauty dish, more controllable than a shoot-through brolly.
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the-conversation-heavy-duty-c-stand-with-boom.jpg14 · HEAVY-DUTY-C-STAND-WITH-
Heavy-duty C-stand with boom
Grip support for boom mic / light from above
Holds the boom mic over the subject without an operator. Doubles as a hairlight or backlight stand on smaller setups.
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the-conversation-sirui-am-25s-2.jpg15 · SIRUI-AM-25S-2
Sirui AM-25S (×2)
Aluminium video tripods, fluid heads
A-cam + B-cam each on their own tripod. Fluid heads for the occasional B-cam reframe during a long take.
insurance & certifications.
Procurement-ready. Every certificate available on request the same working day — email the procurement reference and the evidence bundle goes out by close of business.
- Public liability
- £[2m] general PLI for all on-location work.
- Drone insurance
- £[1m, extendable] separate policy specific to CAA commercial drone operations.
- Professional indemnity
- £[5m] covers professional advice and deliverable defects.
- CAA Operator + Flyer ID
- Active, renewed annually. Reference numbers supplied on request.
- A2 Cert. of Competency
- Sub-2kg flight near uninvolved people, per UK CAA Open Cat. A2.
- GDPR / ICO
- Active registration. Data-protection notice at /privacy/.