own a camera AND a camcorder

[Actor]

I don't think anyone is going to become a professional camera operator by playing around with a video camera, anymore than in the past, anyone became a professional movie maker, by shooting Super 8 film.

skieur

Steven Spielberg's and Ron Howard's first movies were made with 8mm cameras. Robert Rodriguez made about 40 short films on VHS before making a (commercially successful) feature on 16mm. J.R. Bookwalter made a commercially successful film entirely on super8. These people got started on the path to "professional movie maker" with 8mm film.

If you can't afford film school or, like Spielberg, can't get accepted, then "playing around with a video camera" is an excellent start. Even if you can get into film school playing around with a video or 8mm camera is great experience.

Haven't seen any specifics about Ron Howard's 8mm movies, but Steven Spielberg indicated quite logically that there was no similarity between 8mm experience and movie making. In movie making he said, the sensitivity of the film is much higher, there is less need for lighting, a steinbeck editor is on a completely different level, using microphones, mixing music, audio editing, waiting for rushes, colour correction, etc. etc.

All Spielberg is really saying here is that there is a big difference between one guy (like Rodriguez) or one guy with a small crew (Bookwalter) trying to make a feature film vs. someone with a big crew and a big budget. No argument. One small note: the reason he perceives the sensitivity of film being much higher is because he broke into the biz at a time when the industry was making great strides in increased film speed. Today you can get ASA 500 in 8mm. I doubt the pros use anything faster. Also, are you sure he said there is "less need for lighting?" Hollywood crews are manic about lighting. They have huge reflectors and 10,000 watt lamps.

With the average video camera however, you are already restricted by poor or mediocre audio, small viewfinder, no tripod with wheels, and hydraulics, no live mixing or editing,etc. When finished, most would not have a super fast 64bit workstation with a large cache and considerable on-line memory for non-linear digital editing. I think that Spielberg would tend to say that there is no similarity between this and professional videography either.

My post was about the possibilities of 8mm film as a starting point for an aspiring filmmaker. Whether he admits it or not Spielberg's experience stood him in good stead when he made his short film Amblin, which impressed the right people enough to get him into the big time. Without his 8mm experience he would not have known what to do. Put it this way, the #1 ingredient for succeeding at anything is passion. Don't dream about getting into the big time some day. Grab whatever equipment you can and do something today. Kubrick made a statement along these lines.

So, my view is that if the average photographer wants to do a little video segment of a wedding or other family event, then a still camera is perfect for the job. Anyone who is really serious about video should take a course, learn what it is all about, and particularly the quality and cost of equipment necessary to do it at a professional level.

skieur

As Spielberg and Rodriguez found out, taking a course in cinema is next to impossible. Universities tend to let only cinema majors take cinema courses, and they don't let just anybody be a cinema major. Rodriguez and Spielberg could not get into film school and neither ever took a cinema course. There are a few commercial courses that you can take if you have enough money but IMHO those are rip offs.

My advice to a young person aspiring to be a filmmaker is to buy the best video camera you can, even if it's a cheap single chip job from eBay. Get a library card and read every book about filmmaking they have. Get out there and shoot a short subject. Edit it on Moviemaker or iMovie. Put it on Youtube. Repeat until you are confident enough to attempt a feature. Don't give up.

 

[skieur]

From Actor: As Spielberg and Rodriguez found out, taking a course in cinema is next to impossible. Universities tend to let only cinema majors take cinema courses, and they don't let just anybody be a cinema major. Rodriguez and Spielberg could not get into film school and neither ever took a cinema course[/QUOTE]

Mmm. I guess I must have been lucky, but then I already had a university degree in a completely different area of study and was majoring in television production while also working on my second go round.
BTW, it was during the same time period as Spielburg.

skieur

 

[Actor]

From Actor: As Spielberg and Rodriguez found out, taking a course in cinema is next to impossible. Universities tend to let only cinema majors take cinema courses, and they don't let just anybody be a cinema major. Rodriguez and Spielberg could not get into film school and neither ever took a cinema course

Mmm. I guess I must have been lucky, but then I already had a university degree in a completely different area of study and was majoring in television production while also working on my second go round.
BTW, it was during the same time period as Spielburg.

skieur

When I worked for the university I had the perk of taking one course per semester tuition free. Since I was working as an A/V technician my boss and a lot of others suggested suggested I take some cinema courses. I could not get in. All cinema courses were "permission of instructor required." I never got permission and gave up asking.

I also have a degree in a completely different field.

 

[skieur]

From Actor: As Spielberg and Rodriguez found out, taking a course in cinema is next to impossible. Universities tend to let only cinema majors take cinema courses, and they don't let just anybody be a cinema major. Rodriguez and Spielberg could not get into film school and neither ever took a cinema course

Mmm. I guess I must have been lucky, but then I already had a university degree in a completely different area of study and was majoring in television production while also working on my second go round.
BTW, it was during the same time period as Spielburg.

skieur

When I worked for the university I had the perk of taking one course per semester tuition free. Since I was working as an A/V technician my boss and a lot of others suggested suggested I take some cinema courses. I could not get in. All cinema courses were "permission of instructor required." I never got permission and gave up asking.

I also have a degree in a completely different field.

I probably had the same perk when I was teaching on the French side of a bilingual university but teaching a 4 hour course, once a week, as well as working was heavy enough. I did not have the energy or time to take a course as well.

skieur

 

[Shutter_to_think]

I am British - not a yank.

LOL . ZIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG.
I love it when arrogance gets zapped!

Now back to the show ----------->
I have a D700 which does not take video. But I really didn't buy it for that. I also have a little $500 DV recorder that takes wonderful video.