New and need help for son with Autism

[Michael L. Johnson]

Originally Posted by Reed Gidez

This thread proves just what an amazing community we have here.

I think I've read through most of the previous posts here and I realize this is mainly about what gear is appropriate (I find myself struggling with this at times). Lots of great resources in NYC with he big retailers but have you checked into your local public access tv station? You and your son might get some decent hands-on experience/instruction and there will likely be a volunteer or two (or more) willing to mentor your son. You may also have access to try some equipment before buying.

Here's a link to the Waterbury station About | Skye Cable XIII

-Reed

Reed,

Thank you for the reply. I know it would make things a lot easier if I had a mentor. My initial thoughts as I have said was to start with a video club..It appears that there are no video clubs in my immediate area. I believe either Steve or Ed suggested as you have that I should expand my search for a mentor further a field, to include collages, universities, and television stations, which I intend to do.

You are right, this is an amazing community. Thanks again for the reply.

Michael

[Jon Fairhurst]

One thing I've learned is that video is a "people" business. That can be tough for somebody with autism (or Asperger's, which I'm more familiar with.)

Some of the people aspects are:
1) marketing
2) negotiating the deal
3) understanding client requirements
4) getting a team together for audio, lighting, post, and so on.
5) dealing with things that didn't meet expectations

And then there's the issue of making videos with the right emotional connection, mood, message, etc. The difference between an authentic feeling video and something that "off" can be amazingly subtle.

If there are interviews involved, one needs to play therapist sometimes in order to coax a good story and delivery from the subject. This requires a real confidence and mastery to do well.

The filming part is relatively simple. One can bolt a GoPro on a moving object, make sure the battery is charged and the memory formatted, hit REC and go. Technically, that's easy. It's the artistic part that makes the difference.

Quick story: I once met a guy with a music composition degree who made a living baking pizzas. He came across as super depressed. A real downer. For all I know, he was the greatest composer on the planet. But it was clear that he lacked the salesmanship and people skills to get highly competitive film scoring jobs, let alone a commission with a symphony orchestra. Frankly, his instructors had failed him as a career in composing is about far more than just notes.

How about video effects work? Can your son learn some tricks in After Effects?

If you go to the NAB trade show, you'll see that it has a split personality. Central Hall has cameras, lighting, and production equipment and it's bright and full of extroverts. People are roaming, cameras and mics in hand. South Hall, on the other hand, has post production tools. It's dark and introverts sit and watch presentations of experts operating software.

There are video effects jobs like, "remove that telephone poll from the next 1000 frames of video and replace it with a realistic background." It can be mind-numbing, solitary work. Of course, one needs to develop the technical skills to make it happen. That said, something like this would suit my nephews with Asperger's to a tee. They do better with computer screens than with people. And they can obsess for hours on closed tasks. That said, I have no idea if this would suit your son.

In any case, I really respect your efforts and wish you and your son the best success.

[Michael L. Johnson]

Hey Everyone.

I know that I have not decided on a camera yet, but let us assume that it is going to be a fixed lens type. Let us further say that we have progressed to turning it on and used it in "auto" mode. As I teach Mackenzie in this hypothetical, where should I start ? What is the first thing you guys learned ? I need to approach this carefully, and if possible teach things in a sequence, learning one aspect of the camera before moving on to another. I know it all is interactive, and meshes together to form a whole, but at first, given his learning style I probably need to take it a piece at a time. He may surprise me, (he frequently does), but in advance planning for this step, the breaking down of the operation of the camera into small steps seems like where I will start.

Thanks

Michael

[Noa Put]

Just go out and shoot, the questions will start to come after that.

[Michael L. Johnson]

Originally Posted by Jon Fairhurst

One thing I've learned is that video is a "people" business. That can be tough for somebody with autism (or Asperger's, which I'm more familiar with.)

Some of the people aspects are:
1) marketing
2) negotiating the deal
3) understanding client requirements
4) getting a team together for audio, lighting, post, and so on.
5) dealing with things that didn't meet expectations

And then there's the issue of making videos with the right emotional connection, mood, message, etc. The difference between an authentic feeling video and something that "off" can be amazingly subtle.

If there are interviews involved, one needs to play therapist sometimes in order to coax a good story and delivery from the subject. This requires a real confidence and mastery to do well.

The filming part is relatively simple. One can bolt a GoPro on a moving object, make sure the battery is charged and the memory formatted, hit REC and go. Technically, that's easy. It's the artistic part that makes the difference.

Quick story: I once met a guy with a music composition degree who made a living baking pizzas. He came across as super depressed. A real downer. For all I know, he was the greatest composer on the planet. But it was clear that he lacked the salesmanship and people skills to get highly competitive film scoring jobs, let alone a commission with a symphony orchestra. Frankly, his instructors had failed him as a career in composing is about far more than just notes.

How about video effects work? Can your son learn some tricks in After Effects?

If you go to the NAB trade show, you'll see that it has a split personality. Central Hall has cameras, lighting, and production equipment and it's bright and full of extroverts. People are roaming, cameras and mics in hand. South Hall, on the other hand, has post production tools. It's dark and introverts sit and watch presentations of experts operating software.

There are video effects jobs like, "remove that telephone poll from the next 1000 frames of video and replace it with a realistic background." It can be mind-numbing, solitary work. Of course, one needs to develop the technical skills to make it happen. That said, something like this would suit my nephews with Asperger's to a tee. They do better with computer screens than with people. And they can obsess for hours on closed tasks. That said, I have no idea if this would suit your son.

In any case, I really respect your efforts and wish you and your son the best success.

Jon,

Thanks for the reply. Mackenzie is not a people person. That is why (beyond the interest that he has), we will be filming things like trucks, construction equipment, ships, planes, trains, etc. not really much of a story there except for filming them doing what they do.

Once he learns the technical details of editing, the work itself will appeal to him. As with your nephew, tedious, repetitive, computer work is something Mackenzie could do all day long.

Once again, thank you for the reply.

Michael

[Noa Put]

This is what I do when I am not getting payed to shoot: https://vimeo.com/album/2256730, I just pick a random subject, go out and just have fun and shoot and usually edit it the same day. Films like this have been my learningschool for all these years, I can experiment as much as I want and more important, make mistakes which I can use to learn from (or in your case, post work here and ask for constructive feedback), that experience I take with me on my payed shoots.

[Michael L. Johnson]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Just go out and shoot, the questions will start to come after that.

Thanks Noa, I am sure that is sound advice, but with Mackenzie, I need to lesson plan and provide structure. I know I am asking you, and everyone else to think outside the box, but everything has to be broken up into small steps to be effectively taught and mastered, and the goal here is to learn a camera and it's use. It has been that way with tooth brushing, shower taking, etc, the difference this time is learning a camera. Think of it this way, in order to learn to add and subtract, and more, one has to learn the numbers on a number line first. Then addition is taught, followed by subtraction, then multiplication, finally division. After that come fractions, those terrible word problems, algebra and so on.

Mackenzie learning and using a camera in "auto" mode is the number line. I am asking what is the "addition" step, to be followed by "subtraction", "multiplication", "division" etc.

Michael

[Jon Fairhurst]

Originally Posted by Michael L. Johnson

...we will be filming things like trucks, construction equipment, ships, planes, trains, etc. not really much of a story there except for filming them doing what they do.

Once he learns the technical details of editing, the work itself will appeal to him. As with your nephew, tedious, repetitive, computer work is something Mackenzie could do all day long.

An additional possibility is timelapse and hyperlapse photography. This can be more technical than straight videography, but it also has an obsessive appeal. And it's a natural fit with construction sites, ships, and other large, slow-moving objects. Sometimes, it needs detailed post work to take out flicker and other unwanted variations.

My Home - A time lapse of Singapore (2015) - YouTube

To do this, one needs to do planning, be a perfectionist (get it right the first time!), be very patient, and essentially act as security guard for the equipment. And then they need to handle all that data. It's not the place to start, but might be a good target down the road.

[Chris Hurd]

Originally Posted by Michael L. Johnson

What is the first thing you guys learned ?

Framing and composition.

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Michael L. Johnson

Mackenzie is not a people person. That is why (beyond the interest that he has), we will be filming things like trucks, construction equipment, ships, planes, trains, etc. not really much of a story there except for filming them doing what they do.

This does not instill hope in me that you have a viable model for building a career (i.e. something that can bring in enough money to allow an individual to support himself economically). Who do you expect to pay money for this kind of footage? Are you planning a YouTube channel? Sell to networks? Is this going to be iStock/Getty/Shutterstock after all?

It is a good idea for a hobby, something to be passionate about, but this will not make even enough money to recoup a basic gear package purchase. I would recommend the most decent sub-$1000 camera you can find, unless you have no problem with spending more if you knew for a fact it would not lead to any income generation.

[Michael L. Johnson]

Chris

Thanks for the reply ! I know my questions are and will be often a pain in the rear,but I have to take the best practice knowledge from my friends here, which far exceeds my own rudimentary knowledge of the field and then try to modify it to fit Mackenzie's learning style.

Thanks,

Michael

[Michael L. Johnson]

Originally Posted by Gary Huff

This does not instill hope in me that you have a viable model for building a career (i.e. something that can bring in enough money to allow an individual to support himself economically). Who do you expect to pay money for this kind of footage? Are you planning a YouTube channel? Sell to networks? Is this going to be iStock/Getty/Shutterstock after all?

It is a good idea for a hobby, something to be passionate about, but this will not make even enough money to recoup a basic gear package purchase. I would recommend the most decent sub-$1000 camera you can find, unless you have no problem with spending more if you knew for a fact it would not lead to any income generation.

Gary

Thanks for the post. Are your comments speculation, or have you done the research that explains your suppositions ? I have done research ( lots of it) and one vendor, as an example,( there are others) doing nothing but what I have described Mackenzie will be doing makes a very comfortable living, well beyond basic equipment costs. That business is just one sub niche of the effort that Mackenzie will be making. These facts are out there, you just have to do the research to get beyond your own preconceived notions. I assure you, I am not making things up, and I can read a financial statement, and I have read several from different entities basically doing this "simple" thing with filming that for whatever reason, you are so dismissive of..

Mackenzie will never make a "Gone With The Wind", but if he is able to do this, for him it will be a big accomplishment, and yes, if I set this up properly, teach him adequately, and then support him when needed, then yes he can make a career of this. Thank you for your support.

Michael

[Gary Huff]

Originally Posted by Michael L. Johnson

I have done research ( lots of it) and one vendor, as an example,( there are others) doing nothing but what I have described Mackenzie will be doing makes a very comfortable living, well beyond basic equipment costs.

Which vendor/vendors are you referring to explicitly?

[Michael L. Johnson]

Don't you mean specifically ?

Michael

[Michael L. Johnson]

Gary

I get your points, kinda, but to me, at this juncture you are beating a dead horse. The first task is to teach my son how to use and then successfully operate a camera. If he can do that, then we will move on to the next step. If he can not do that, then anything else that may follow will not matter anyway. I have made clear, I think, that I would spend what it took, expend every effort, move any mountain, to make this a success. I am sorry if that offends you, I am just doing what I thought a father is supposed to do.

By the way, if I buy a $3000,$5000, or more camera, all the eqipment that goes with it like a tripod, etc, a new computer and software to do editing, and anything else Mackenzie may need to do this, and in the end it does not work, and he can not make a career of this, it will not bother me in the least. I at least tried. If this fails, i will just go on to the next thing. As I have said I have never wanted to look back and say "I wish I would have done this" or" I should have done that". When it comes to my son no effort is too much.

Now if you wish to help me in my goal of teaching my son to learn and operate a camera, that would be great.