Helping Hands from 2009

Alain Lumina · February 21st, 2009, 08:24 PM

Really fun songs!! How much do you want to use them in a no-budget feature?
(Making it myself with friends, my HD camera.)

Jeff Kellam · February 23rd, 2009, 03:17 PM

Assuming this is not a scam of some type, you can get all of that as stock footage from almost anywhere.

Greg Boston · February 23rd, 2009, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff Kellam

Assuming this is not a scam of some type, you can get all of that as stock footage from almost anywhere.

If you've seen the content that Josh and DVCreators puts out, you'll know that they mean business. Plus, many productions that have the budget, prefer not to go the stock route so that they can get exactly what they want in terms of shots and locales.

regards,

-gb-

Josh Mellicker · February 23rd, 2009, 03:28 PM

Stock footage is not an option for a lot of the shots because we have a very specific shotlist that would be extremely unlikely to find as stock.

More about us here: about us at DVcreators.net for anyone who hasn't heard of us.

Aanarav Sareen · February 23rd, 2009, 04:39 PM

We need a DP in Las Vegas from March 18th to the 20th. The DP must have his/her own equipment. The event is the MIX conference.

Please email me no later than Friday if you're interested or know of anyone that's interested: as@magnetmediafilms.com

Thanks,
Aanarav

Jason Robinson · February 24th, 2009, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josh Mellicker

Stock footage is not an option for a lot of the shots because we have a very specific shotlist that would be extremely unlikely to find as stock.

More about us here: about us at DVcreators.net for anyone who hasn't heard of us.

I sent two messages (one via DVInfo) and one email. Have not heard back. Is this project still on?

Jeff Kellam · February 24th, 2009, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg Boston

If you've seen the content that Josh and DVCreators puts out, you'll know that they mean business. Plus, many productions that have the budget, prefer not to go the stock route so that they can get exactly what they want in terms of shots and locales.

regards,

-gb-

I learn something new every day.

They have been around for a while, I just had never heard of them. There are just so many video companies around.

Blake Cavett · February 25th, 2009, 10:48 AM

A close friend of my mother in law needs some footage on 16mm put to a DVD. Can anyone help?

jck_dmc12@yahoo.com

Philip Gioja · February 25th, 2009, 12:04 PM

You can try homemoviedepot.com. They do that type of thing.

Lori Starfelt · February 25th, 2009, 02:29 PM

My grandfather was a professional photographer, and we have wonderful 16mm home movies. Some of them are just gloriously beautiful. Yale did a superb and speedy job for us. They are, however, "christian" and will not work on footage with any nudity to it. Assuming your mother-in-law's friend isn't shooting any pagan rituals, you should fine

Video Transfers

The above link is to their pricing page.

Blake Cavett · February 25th, 2009, 03:21 PM

Thanks for your help! I'll be sending her the links and tell her to not be sending off her wild party films! :)

Tristan Howard · February 26th, 2009, 12:52 AM

Hi Everyone,

I’ll be graduating from college this May and am searching for a possible part-time job or internship for this summer. I’m currently located in Arcata in northwestern California, but am embracing a “Have Camcorder – Will Travel” mentality for my post-graduation years. Nevertheless, I’d prefer to limit my travels to the western U.S.

I have years of experience with wildlife documentary production and feel most confident with cinematography, video editing, and writing. One of my documentaries was broadcast on local PBS stations and I’ve had several public screenings.

I want a wildlife filmmaking-related job that will allow me to learn new skills and strengthen my résumé. I recently decided not to go to film school and figured I should further educate myself by directly engaging with what I want to do. I attached my résumé to this post as a Word document. Portfolio samples and more information can be found here: Tristan Howard Productions.

Most of my experience is with a Canon XL1S and Vegas 6.0. I’ll have a Canon XLH1A by March and I’ll be available to work in June. If any of you are offering a job or have any tips for how I could acquire one, feel free to comment.

One of my main strategies for career acquisition is to e-mail people and organizations for whom I’d like to work. I plan on sending them a brief biography/inquiry statement, my résumé, and my web address. Still, I try to keep in mind something Piers Warren wrote in “Careers in Wildlife Film-making”: “Networking when you are young, unknown, and unsure of yourself is far from easy. It’s often a fine line between making a good impression and being a pain in the neck!”

Like many videographers, I eventually want to do freelance work, but I know professionals don’t start at the top. Thus, I want some official work experience. Nonetheless, I’d welcome advice if anyone has suggestions for how to get started as a freelancer. I got books to cover some of the business basics, like equipment, grant writing, and funding. But, I know many forum readers have knowledge that’s not in books and that I haven’t learned yet. I also know some things can only be learned by personal experience. Thanks for reading.

Regards,
Tristan Howard

Tristan Howard · February 28th, 2009, 07:19 PM

I finally got a showreel put together. Feel free to check it out:Tristan Howard Productions: Showreel Video. As expected, there are a lot of quick wildlife shots with nice music. But, I have some rare material you might want to check out, regardless of whether you could employ me. My reel has intense Canada goose combat, a ferocious mule deer buck fight, an egret eating a fish, federally endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep climbing rocks, desert bighorn lambs vigorously frolicking, and a fleeting glimpse of a California condor gliding over the Grand Canyon.

Jonathan Ramsey · March 2nd, 2009, 10:53 AM

Triston,

You have a great start on a career in this field. You clearly have a lot of drive and have spent some good, quality time working with wildlife shooting. Further, and even more important, you are wise enough to be looking to others to better your work and your chances of making it. Kudos to you!

That said, I would encourage you to remember that there is no one path to success in wildlife filmmaking. And, there are many different levels and approaches to shooting nature that all come under the guise of wildlife filmmaking, but are markedly different in how you get there and what your product is at the end of the day.

First and foremost, pursue this with a love of what you are doing and be open to constantly learn from the subjects you are shooting (yes, even from a sunset). Sounds romantic? Well, ask anyone in their waxing years and they will tell you that more romance and less pragmatism leads to a much more content life. And, I suggest this because the cliche is very true, it's a tough, tough field to make a living in. So, if your first goal is to love and learn and grow in doing this, you have already succeeded!

Secondly, you DO want to make it and that can't be ignored. Equipment, in my opinion, is very important. Some people will disagree and I respect that. They will say that you can get great shots with less gear if you know what you are doing. To some extent, that is certainly true. I would argue, however, that you will get far more great shots and stand out far more by having a smart arsenal of very good equipment that you know INSIDE OUT. Yes, we would all agree, I think, that you have to know your tech stuff very well to be successful. When something happens in nature, you don't have time to sit in the camera menu. When you're being paid to edit something with wildlife footage, you generally have armloads of footage and don't have the time then either to be looking up the key commands for your NLE. So, before you get good, paying gigs, be glad to have this time to experiment, to practice, and to find processes that work for you. Then, when you land a good job you will more readily excel.

There is a lot more to cover about equipment and financing/upgrading/etc. if you were to be an entrepreneur and create your own production company. I won't get into that now as I'm not sure that's the avenue your pursuing.

Most cliches in this industry (see above) are pretty true. It's a lot of who you know and being in the right place... etc. That can be hard to swallow when you're starting off. But it's not as bad as you think. Knowing people and being in the right spot go hand-in-hand. Make yourself available to meet folks. Go to conferences, environmental film fests, schools, make cold calls and ask to swing by a studio, etc. Then, if you can, be ready to spend a few years working for established companies and individuals as an intern. Most of those positions are low or no pay. That can be very hard. But I strongly believe it is useful to essentially apprentice with people while you're getting established. What happens is you end up spending that time meeting the community, getting established, and using someone else's reputation and equipment to gain credibility yourself. In exchange, you're helping them out with your labor and, hopefully, glowing personality ;)

Hope that is a good help to start. Keep posting and let us know how you're faring.

- Ramsey

Nicole Hankerson · March 2nd, 2009, 11:23 PM

I know this is old but I do audio/sound work. Check out my websites.

www.freewebs.com/ccproductions803
www.myspace.com/misscc803

Thanks
Nicole

February 21st, 2009, 08:24 PM	#76
Alain Lumina Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Fort Dick California ( Far North) Posts: 59	How much to use a track for a no-budget feature Really fun songs!! How much do you want to use them in a no-budget feature? (Making it myself with friends, my HD camera.)

February 23rd, 2009, 03:17 PM	#77
Jeff Kellam Major Player Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 656	Assuming this is not a scam of some type, you can get all of that as stock footage from almost anywhere. __________________ Panasonic HMC150/Canon A1/JVC HD1/Sony Vegas 8.0c

February 23rd, 2009, 04:39 PM	#80
Aanarav Sareen Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: NJ, US Posts: 183	DP needed: Las Vegas, March 18 - 20 We need a DP in Las Vegas from March 18th to the 20th. The DP must have his/her own equipment. The event is the MIX conference. Please email me no later than Friday if you're interested or know of anyone that's interested: as@magnetmediafilms.com Thanks, Aanarav __________________ http://www.sareen.tv

February 25th, 2009, 10:48 AM	#83
Blake Cavett Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Madison Posts: 330	16mm to DVD A close friend of my mother in law needs some footage on 16mm put to a DVD. Can anyone help? jck_dmc12@yahoo.com

February 25th, 2009, 02:29 PM	#85
Lori Starfelt Major Player Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Los Angeles, california Posts: 228	We've used Yale Video in Burbank for your 16mm films. My grandfather was a professional photographer, and we have wonderful 16mm home movies. Some of them are just gloriously beautiful. Yale did a superb and speedy job for us. They are, however, "christian" and will not work on footage with any nudity to it. Assuming your mother-in-law's friend isn't shooting any pagan rituals, you should fine Video Transfers The above link is to their pricing page.

February 23rd, 2009, 03:28 PM	#79
Josh Mellicker DV Creators Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hollywood Posts: 91	Stock footage is not an option for a lot of the shots because we have a very specific shotlist that would be extremely unlikely to find as stock. More about us here: about us at DVcreators.net for anyone who hasn't heard of us.

February 25th, 2009, 12:04 PM	#84
Philip Gioja Major Player Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Piper City, IL Posts: 350	You can try homemoviedepot.com. They do that type of thing.

February 25th, 2009, 03:21 PM	#86
Blake Cavett Major Player Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Madison Posts: 330	Thanks for your help! I'll be sending her the links and tell her to not be sending off her wild party films! :)

February 28th, 2009, 07:19 PM	#88
Tristan Howard Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: McArthur, CA Posts: 119	Showreel now posted I finally got a showreel put together. Feel free to check it out:Tristan Howard Productions: Showreel Video. As expected, there are a lot of quick wildlife shots with nice music. But, I have some rare material you might want to check out, regardless of whether you could employ me. My reel has intense Canada goose combat, a ferocious mule deer buck fight, an egret eating a fish, federally endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep climbing rocks, desert bighorn lambs vigorously frolicking, and a fleeting glimpse of a California condor gliding over the Grand Canyon. __________________ www.tristanhowardproductions.com Presenting North American wildlife videos and Western landscape photos.

March 2nd, 2009, 10:53 AM	#89
Jonathan Ramsey Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 32	Right direction Triston, You have a great start on a career in this field. You clearly have a lot of drive and have spent some good, quality time working with wildlife shooting. Further, and even more important, you are wise enough to be looking to others to better your work and your chances of making it. Kudos to you! That said, I would encourage you to remember that there is no one path to success in wildlife filmmaking. And, there are many different levels and approaches to shooting nature that all come under the guise of wildlife filmmaking, but are markedly different in how you get there and what your product is at the end of the day. First and foremost, pursue this with a love of what you are doing and be open to constantly learn from the subjects you are shooting (yes, even from a sunset). Sounds romantic? Well, ask anyone in their waxing years and they will tell you that more romance and less pragmatism leads to a much more content life. And, I suggest this because the cliche is very true, it's a tough, tough field to make a living in. So, if your first goal is to love and learn and grow in doing this, you have already succeeded! Secondly, you DO want to make it and that can't be ignored. Equipment, in my opinion, is very important. Some people will disagree and I respect that. They will say that you can get great shots with less gear if you know what you are doing. To some extent, that is certainly true. I would argue, however, that you will get far more great shots and stand out far more by having a smart arsenal of very good equipment that you know INSIDE OUT. Yes, we would all agree, I think, that you have to know your tech stuff very well to be successful. When something happens in nature, you don't have time to sit in the camera menu. When you're being paid to edit something with wildlife footage, you generally have armloads of footage and don't have the time then either to be looking up the key commands for your NLE. So, before you get good, paying gigs, be glad to have this time to experiment, to practice, and to find processes that work for you. Then, when you land a good job you will more readily excel. There is a lot more to cover about equipment and financing/upgrading/etc. if you were to be an entrepreneur and create your own production company. I won't get into that now as I'm not sure that's the avenue your pursuing. Most cliches in this industry (see above) are pretty true. It's a lot of who you know and being in the right place... etc. That can be hard to swallow when you're starting off. But it's not as bad as you think. Knowing people and being in the right spot go hand-in-hand. Make yourself available to meet folks. Go to conferences, environmental film fests, schools, make cold calls and ask to swing by a studio, etc. Then, if you can, be ready to spend a few years working for established companies and individuals as an intern. Most of those positions are low or no pay. That can be very hard. But I strongly believe it is useful to essentially apprentice with people while you're getting established. What happens is you end up spending that time meeting the community, getting established, and using someone else's reputation and equipment to gain credibility yourself. In exchange, you're helping them out with your labor and, hopefully, glowing personality ;) Hope that is a good help to start. Keep posting and let us know how you're faring. - Ramsey __________________ Jonathan Ramsey director/producer treeline film company colorado

March 2nd, 2009, 11:23 PM	#90
Nicole Hankerson Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norcross, GA Posts: 143	I know this is old but I do audio/sound work. Check out my websites. www.freewebs.com/ccproductions803 www.myspace.com/misscc803 Thanks Nicole