Public Classifieds and Announcements - Get The (D-)Word Out!

But if anyone has a better idea on how to start organizing a project for an editor before you can afford to pay one, please let me know!

Your best solution is to get all 200 hours onto hard drives. Then make clones of sections of the materials that can be loaded into an edit system so people have control over the material. Let them make subclips with notes about the material. The transcript project should be done by a professional who can insert time code into the documents. That said, I wouldn't bother with transcripts of all the material. Too expensive. Just transcribe the 20% that may make it into the film.

Robert – thanks for responding. I'm going to post my question and response to yours in the editing section.

Hello,
what would be the best options in terms of camera to shoot a shoestring budget documentary which requires a lot of outdoor shootings following a subject discreetly in different local public places and some indoors for interviews- (pretty much guerilla/ news style)?

here are the options:
-Panasonic DVX 100b
-Panasonic AG-HVX200(P2 cards + camera =outside our budget range-unless somone knows a great place to buy it cheap)
- Sony HDR-FX1 (someone told me good but not so great)
-Sony HVR-A1U
-Sony HVR-Z1U

now i have been told, since the film style will be pretty much hidden camera style (almost) , to use may be a high end HD consumer camera so i can hide it even in pocket.
does anyone know anything about the quality of these cameras below:
-Panasonic HDC-HS9 (HD & 24p)
Canon HV20 HDV (HD & 24p)
Panasonic AG-HSC1
Sony HDR-CX7

any suggestions or help?

thank you

Just saw this info on the IDFA Summer School. Posting it here, so enthusiasts can see it too:
http://www.idfa.nl/industry/idfacademy/summer-school-2008/how-where-when.aspx

it's nice that IDFA wants to do this, but c'mon, that's friggin expensive. first and second time directors who are currently in the midst of producing their films do NOT have the money to jaunt off to amsterdam for a bit of mentorship. to go from the u.s., you'd have to spend about $2500-$3000 for tuition, airfare, and accomodations. no IDFA Summer School for me.

Fredric-

This might well be a question for the mentoring section.

That said, the Canon HV20 is probably the best disposable high definition camcorder you can buy. Because of its plastic parts, it is unlikely to last you much more than one film. But for what it is, a disposable HD camcorder, it can't be beat. It has a very nice lens and superior image stabilization. Ranked as product of the year (2007) by Videomaker magazine.

I must add that one nearly fatal flaw in the Canon HV 20 is the sound. In my book, any camcorder that uses mini-jacks for its mike inputs is completely unacceptable for almost all serious work by any documentary professional.

You can, however, bring the sound quality of the HV20 up to a level that will be acceptable to the vast majority of viewers by using good mikes connected to an XLR adapter (such as a Beachtek). That XLR adapter then plugs directly into the HV 20.

or use new Sennheiser shotgun

(recently posted by D-worder Rafael La Luz in members-only "Sound and Music" topic)

Matt, I was interested to know how you went about getting permission to film in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.