The Mentoring Room - Ask the Working Pros

Barging in here with what might be a ridiculously simple minded
question to be asking of 'working pros' but then again..who else?

I've been a working artist (painter, printmaker) for 30 odd years and
am now determined to move into a new (for me) media, digital video.
So, assuming I know nothing about editing but have used a video
camera in a somewhat haphazard manner in connection with my work as a
painter..should I lay out a whack o' dough and purchase a 3 chip
camera (say, Canon G1), a big computer with something like Adobe
Premiere 6.5 etc. etc. or should I perhaps get the big computer, but
go for a high-end single chip camera and something a little cheaper
in the soft-ware..

I'm wondering if using simpler cheaper equipment will result in more
frustration and disappointment and be a less than positive
introduction to this medium or would it be worth it to have higher
end stuff?

thanks,

Steve

Impossible to answer your question, Steve, without knowing how much
you have to spend and what your priorities are. A great image? A
more powerful edit system?

If you can afford it, higher end is always better. And these days,
there isn't much price diff between higher end and low end.

Doug..

Thanks for taking the time with this..I have roughly priced
out 'higher' end stuff and would be around 15 thousand bucks
including 3 chip camera..would be a considerable stretch to go for
that and was wondering about staying with the higher end editing
capabality and going with a single chip camera to sort of feel my way
around and in the process develop some small projects that could be
used to raise money..grants etc..That would cut 5 grand off the top
and make it much more doable..

At the same time I'm concerned that the single chip would
compromise 'quality' and perhaps render these small projects useless
for such purposes. I guess I'm wondering if it's possible to get
one's feet wet cheaper and be able to produce something that could be
used to generate interest (income) that would then translate into the
possibility of upgrading to a 3 chip camera?

thanks,

Steve

Steve, you can get a top of the line Final Cut Pro edit system, G-4
dual processor, all the memory and hard drive space you'll need for a
feature length doc, two monitors, etc. for under $7,000. You can buy
a state-of-the-art 3-chip digital camcorder like the Sony VX2000 or
PD-150 or the new Panasonic 24P camera for around $3,000. You can get
everything you need for under $10,000 if you shop around.

Steve, where do you live? Perhaps you want to rent a camera for a
weekend and use your local public video/film coop to edit... you can
prob. take an editing class at your local access station or something?

Then decide where you want to spend your money... nothing wrong w/ a
one-chip camera. Just depends what you wanna do w/ your stuff...

You're right on the money, Doug..You're talking American dollars I
presume inwhich case 10k US translates to about 15k Cdn. As i am just
getting into this, Margot, I'm quite sure where the hell I'll be
going with it. I'm certainly committed to doing this and I want to
produce 'quality' projects so am wanting to get good stuff to work
with.

One problem for me is that I live in the interior of British
Columbia, Canada and have little access to professional help although
I do know a couple of people involved with the medium and one of whom
is quite professional having moved to this location from Toronto..

The local cable station has moved all of its video equipment to the
local high school to be used in a audio-visual class..I've checked
out the program at the school and although the teacher involved is
fairly clueless as to how to use the editing software (they hava a
new system with Adobe Premier 6.5, there are a couple of students who
do seem to know their way around on the system and have agreed to
give me some free tutorials. I'm hoping i can work my way into
getting access to the system and spend some time there perhaps
cutting up some old home movies to get a feel for the editing.
I suppose in a general sense, I'm interested in community and in
focusing on the 'particular' as apposed to the 'corporate'..in paying
attention to what is lost in communities when international
franchises move in and give communities the 'same as everywhere else'
look and feel.

I note that you mention getting Final Cut and a G4, Doug. I know that
deciding wether or not to get a Mac or a clone pc is probably more
difficult than finding a proof for God..but what is your take on the
pros or cons of going with one or the other?

thanks again for your time,

Steve

I'm not the best to ask, Steve. All I know is me and the rest of the
world use FCP. You want a clone pc? Be my guest but lotsa luck with
support.

Ehm.... the rest of the world uses FCP? Wait for this:

http://www.avid.com/company/releases/2003/030107_AvidFreeDV_prod.html

Steve, you should see if there is some way (even a journey to
Vancouver or freebie downloads) to test out both Final Cut and Avid.
From my limited experience (I am not an editor), Final Cut has an
easier interface as an editing program if you have little editing
experience (and especially if you are interested in doing lots of
artsy overlay type effects), but, as a committed PC person who has
never found Macs more user-friendly, I knew that I had to get a
program that worked effectively on a PC so I invested in Avid XPress
DV. The main problem I've found with the Avid is that the
instruction manuals seem to presume the folks using it are
experienced with Avids and are simply new to having one at home. The
Final Cut instruction manuals I've seen don't presume you have any
editing experience.

STeve, maybe you could borrow someone's Mac and test out iMovie??
I've never used it but it comes free on Mac and whittles down editing
to the essentials.

For someone just getting into video, a 1-chip camera and iMovie (or
that new free Avid software Ben mentioned) would let your experiment
and have a lot of fun...

then after you've started up the learning curve, you'll have a better
idea of where to invest your money... fancier edit system, or fancier
camera (or both). Your 1-chip camera will always be handy to have...
you can use it to load footage instead of a deck later, e.g.

Also, for someone who is an artist/printmaker, I imagine the smaller
the camera the better... you can get more artistic and experiment
more... carry it w/ you everywhere... there's something about a more
expensive camera that might make you afraid to throw snow at it or
whatever...

Erica- there are so many "unofficial" editing manuals out there (for
FCP at least).. The bookstores here have whole sections of 'em. Did
you ever find an Avid manual to help you?

p.s. Steve, if you're wanting to do interviews, you will have to
invest in a microphone as well, eventually.

Thanks everyone for your time and info.. Margo,Is it possible to
combine footage shot with a one chip and a 3 chip..would the cheaper
camera be useful in that way in the future? After what you were
saying about the portability etc of the smaller camera, I'm thinkin'
yah..that could be good.

I know i have to get a microphone but I was leaving that for now
while I fretted about the system and camera etc. Is there a
particular microphone that one should get/avoid??

Man, this is so great to be able to get information like this..altho
if this list wasn't available I would probably have been overwhelmed
with the difficulty etc and gone quietly back to the brushes thus
saving myself much travail..not to mention money..

Does anyone have an opinion about the Pinnacle products? The fellow
I'm talking to about a computer is yakking up the Pinnacle capture
card and Adobe Premiere 6.5..

Once again, thanks for info and time

Steve

real quick, am running out door...

-You really want a Mac, not a PC clone, for what you wanna do.
Believe me.

-You don't need a capture card--if you get a Mac, you just plug the
DV camera into the computer (via Firewire) and you can load footage...
It's very simple. You don't need to know about Pinnacle cards, etc.

-Any level of new Macintosh computer (including laptops) and a cheap
DV camera (one-chip) will let you get started w/ what you wanna do.

-yes, you can combine 1-chip and 3-chip footage, no problem.

In terms of Final Cut Pro... you should look at a newer product
called Final Cut Express instead... it's way cheaper than FCP, and
omits all the crap you won't need anyway.

Margot, I am holding out for the Visual Quick Pro manual since the
one for Final Cut seemed to be pretty helpful. The Avid one was
supposed to come out by the end of 2002, then got pushed to April
2003, and now I see on Amazon, the release won't be until June.
Crap. My main issue is that my background is all in Media 100 and
Avid doesn't use the same terminology at all, so when I look up in
the manual or online guide something like "split clip," it doesn't
exist and I simply don't have the same sense of logic as whoever
created Avid to figure out its terminology. That said, I have
actually finished one simple piece for my office on the Avid, so I'm
hardly giving up on it yet. If anyone else here has any other
recommendations for good Avid XPress manuals, that would be welcome.
The online Avid User Forum is OK, but the interface is way too
unwieldy for the amount of questions generated there that good
responses are few and far between.

Yes, Robert, we really should have put the plug for your book. It is
essential reading.

Erica, if you have any questions about your XDV, you know where to
ask them... {LINK NOT IMPORTED}.... There's quite a bunch of Avid
editors among D-Worders.

Robert, your book has been on my Amazon wishlist for months. My
birthday is Tuesday. Hint hint. (But does it give translations from
Media 100 to Avid? I'm not using Final Cut.) And, of course, I know
I can always ask questions in the Community. Just didn't want to
come across as the dumb dumb Avid newbie that I am. A pride thing, I
guess. :-)

translations from m100 to Avid included.

super!

Thanks Margo, Erica, Robert et al...Your book is ordered Robert and I
will put off any further exploration until I have had a chance to
read it..thanks again all..

Steve

Hi ! We are an independant group who are making a documentary about
Eva Peron. We almost finished the 48 minutes version and now we are
contacting distributors and networks to sell it around the world.
Many of them just watched the trailer (posting on our web site) and
are asking for us to send them the full version to analyse it and
then send a proposal. My question is regarding of international
rights: We have regustered the documentary here in Argentina, but we
don´t know exactly how it works for the rest of the world, we should
register in every country ? Do we have to get any papel for export
the video ? We are not a company yet, so we have no idea how to
manage the commercial issues...
Thank you very much ! Maria

No need to register elsewhere, Maria. You license your film to
broadcasters on a territory by territory basis. Or you find a
distributor or sales agent who will contact the broadcasters.

Since you are intending to enter into contracts one way or the other,
I suggest that you form a company. Or, at the very least, you need a
lead producer who will sign any contracts on the group's behalf.
Sounds like a company might be better, if only to force your group to
come to terms with the business end of the biz.

and I wouldn't send anyone a tape -ever.
The purpose of a tape is to allow distributors
to say we saw that - it's no good. You
need to take the trailer to a market, show
em that only, and make a deal or not. No
deal no show. The alternative is to take
the completed doc to an A list festival
and win a prize. Then let them approach
you with a deal.

Sending tapes out is the kiss of DEATH!

I am currently completing an historical documentary and am having a
hard time locating guidelines for what to include in the credits and
in what order. Any resources or suggestions would be greatly
appreciated. Thanks.

there aren't any standards for credits. Suggest you look at a few
other films you admire - and copy.

Thanks. I have looked at a few and am trying to emulate them the
best I can.