What do you do for a living? - Page 23 at DVinfo.net
DV Info Net

Go Back   DV Info Net > The DV Info Network > These Are the People in Your Neighborhood

These Are the People in Your Neighborhood
Introduce yourself! Who you are, what you're doing & using.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old December 8th, 2006, 10:07 AM   #331
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Odessa, TX
Posts: 93
Director of IT

I work as a director of information technology for a tactical gear manufacturing company in the desert sand of West Texas (Monahans) I live in a city 45 miles away and commute everyday. Currently I am working on getting my MCSE. I enjoy working in the IT field, but I much prefer to be behind my new panasonic HVX200.
__________________
Tim Harry
Bandwagon Media
Odessa, TX
www.bandwagonhd.com
Timothy Harry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 8th, 2006, 02:39 PM   #332
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: San Jose, CA
Posts: 147
DP in SJ

Hi All,

I am a DP (director of photography) for a production company in San Jose, CA. We primarily shoot corporate gigs, but get a fair amount of network shoots. I used to work as a newspaper photojournalist and got into doc film when I went to grad school. I love it!! I am working on a couple of my own docs right now, one in post and one in pre-production. I am so glad DVInfo exists. This is an absolutely amazing resource. How did people communicate before the Web? ha.

Cheers,
David
__________________
www.elkinseye.com
David Elkins is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 21st, 2006, 07:37 AM   #333
New Boot
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lake Placid, Florida
Posts: 6
What do you do for a living?

I think, after reading many of the answers to this topic, I have the Mother of all stories:

When I was young and in Junior High and high school--circa mid and late 1970's--- I told stories via a Canon Super8 film camera, editing bench of my own design and a Yashica projector. When I go older and video was in its infancy, I could not afford to switch to this new medium. When I was in the Navy in the 1980's, I bought a Beaulieu 16mm camera with crystal sync and a Nagra recorder and shot, and edited my own 16mm footage. I also developed all the footage I shot myself. (Alas, the camera and the Nagra were stolen from my car a couple of years after I bought them.)

Here comes the tearful part of my story. I had a month's leave between my "C" schools and my first command, a submarine going through refit. I spent my leave with my brother and his wife, who lived in the San Fernando valley area of California. He was the pastor of a Baptist church at the time, and one of the Deacons at the church was a man named Pat Kennedy. You know the guy? Used to be a pro film editor...edited "Mr. Mom," and the "Space" mini-series, and so on. Steve introduced me to Pat one day while I was on leave, and told Pat, "We call Rick 'Mr. Movie' because he can tell you all the producers, stars, and directors of obscure films." I asked Pat what was the first movie he ever was head editor on. He replied, "You probably don't know this one. It was a Marine Corps movie filmed at the Recruit Training Base in San Diego in the seventies." I quickly said, "Tribes? With Darren McGaven as the DI?" Pat said, "Whoa! You are good!" Well, before I left on leave, Pat called me and said, "Listen, when you get out of the Navy, call me and I can get you a job as an apprentice editor. I get to pick who my apprentices are on films I work on." And you know, I never took him up on it. I am still kicking myself in the butt for that.

Fast-forward to the 1990's. After having gotten out of the Navy in 1988, I worked a string of jobs before settling in the the head of the nursing home department for a small chain of independent pharmacies in January of 1990. I started my own video production business, Big Byte Video Productions in 2000 when I overheard the owner and his son-in-law say they were going to start thinking more in corporate mode. My first reaction was, "Corporate mode? I'm gonna be the first to be downsized, since I'm their highest-paid pharmacy technician!" Sure enough, in September of 2002 I was downsized, laid off.

Fortunately, though, my business was at a level that I found steady work as Head of Production for a local low power television station. I shot alot of commercials, promo's, stingers, bugs and lower thirds and even produced and directed a local golf show with the most respected golf pro in town. Ah, those were heady days indeed!

During the interim, the station owner hired a new manager that I didn't see eye to eye with (had something to due with the amount of hours I was working vs. what I was getting paid). My girlfriend urged me to quit, and we wanted to get married, but could not afford it. One of her missionary friends said, "You just need to step out of the boat!" We prayed about it and flipped a coin...heads, April 30th, tails, May 8th. Well it landed heads up, so April 30th it was. Yikes...8 weeks away! No wedding dress, no suit, no flower arrangements, nothing! I got a call shortly after we decided the date of the wedding from Opfer Communications in Springfield, MO. They wanted to hire me to do all the Florida fishing footage for their new infomercial for Zebco's Rhino Indestructible rod. Wow! I got paid more money for three full days' work than I got paid for a month at the tv station! (Needless to say, I put my letter of resignation in at the tv station the next day after I got the phone call from Opfer.) That money paid for her dress, my suit, wedding rings, and a three day stay for me and her at a four-star hotel in Fort Lauderdale, where I was filming. Plus, our honeymoon! Our church did the wedding for free in their outdoor garden, and friends popped up to supply the wedding cake and the flowers.

Now, it's the end of 6 years owning my own video production company. I edit with Sony Vegas on a turnkey Dell system. I mainly do corporated docs and local commercials, but recently worked on an Italian cooking show that was broadcast in Atlantic City, NJ. I performed all the "B" camera duties, shooting all the food closeups with a Sony VX-2100 camera, and also acted as Post Production Supervisor.

So, that's my story. Hope it was interesting to you and not overly long.
---Rick Shorrock
Big Byte Video Productions

Last edited by Rob Lohman; December 24th, 2006 at 09:16 PM.
Rick Shorrock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 21st, 2006, 08:21 AM   #334
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Rochester MN
Posts: 68
Well it sounds like it's all worked out for you. I'm just a pharmacy tech and hoping to do something in film or video soon. I don't even care what. It's got to be more creative than this job. LOL
Kevin Myhre is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 22nd, 2006, 10:35 PM   #335
Inner Circle
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Saskatchewan
Posts: 3,048
I just latched on to this thread and enjoyed all the stories.
here is mine,
In the 60's I tried shooting film with my bolex, could not afford to do it even though I had the editing stuff and all that.
After the military I tried another go at it and couldn'y really afford to do it while I was trying to live off va benifits. I gave up the thought of it all.
About 5 years ago A friend did some videoing of some of our hunts and then I realized my day had come.
bought a digital 8 and headed to africa where it got dunked on day three, ug.

I shoot wildlife mostly but have been doing event vidography from sports to baby dedications and now a wedding..

I am able to retire from my teaching job where I teach graphic Arts, (including vidography), Computers, Industrial arts and a science class.

I am stting up to start my own media business either this summer or next for certain.

Teaching by the way does give one a lot of time to flim!!!
__________________
DATS ALL FOLKS
Dale W. Guthormsen
Dale Guthormsen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 28th, 2006, 03:32 PM   #336
New Boot
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 22
New York to Hollywood!

I left music to pursue filmmaking after working on a commercial (as an actor!). I started PAing in New York City from the ground up. I got a job on a commercial as an "intern" - PAed for free. It was well over 12 hours on the Brooklyn Bridge in subzero winter wind. They worked me to the bone. I was the last to leave. No joy. I promised myself I'd never PA for free again. I didn't.

I got an office PA job on an indie feature for $50/day. I got myself on set when we started shooting for $75/day. Loved it. Wow, 16+ hour days are interesting! Of course it was non-union, so I was also a truck driver! BUT, the 2nd AD was turning union and that's how it happened. Believe me, I was hungry so I worked my butt off. She took me with her to her next job - Analyze This. For the next 3 years I never looked for work again. I was on "the list". I worked every studio feature that came through town. I started ADing on the side, but realized I didn't want to AD. Turned to DV filmmaking. Tried to start a company but failed (I'm bad at sales/marketing). Worked at a streaming video company for a bit until the .com bust/911.

I moved to Hollywood! Concentrating on writing, but the 35mm adapter craze got me back into DV. I bought a Letus 35a and now plan to shoot some music vids, shorts, etc. I love the look of a Letus+DVX. Amazing.

Job-wise, I am a coordinator/jr. producer at a motion graphics company in Hollywood. We did the main titles for Desperate Housewives, 300, The Hulk, The Nativity Story, etc.
www.yuco.com

Keep on shooting everyone! The DV work is amazing. And I learned this from Warhol: "Just produce."
__________________
www.bionicpix.com
Stephen Lee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 29th, 2006, 02:13 AM   #337
RED Code Chef
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Holland
Posts: 12,514
Hey Stephen, sounds like you have been in some interesting places. Cool stuff!
Good luck with all you're doing and enjoy your stay here at DV Info Net
__________________

Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com
DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef

Join the DV Challenge | Lady X

Search DVinfo.net for quick answers | Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors
Rob Lohman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old December 29th, 2006, 10:10 AM   #338
New Boot
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Myersville MD
Posts: 14
Hello Gents
I am in the US Merchant Marine where I sail either as the Captain or chief officer,and my travels took me around the world a few times over. My next trip will send me to McMurdo Antartica. For quite a few years I have been musing with the idea of a camcorder, so with this trip in mind I went a week ago to BB and they had a sale on the HC3, bought one. As a kid I was in love with photography, but now with this tiny toy I took the obligatory kid films to justify the purchase to my wife, but I am going out quite a bit to shoot sceneries, and boy that is a lot of fun. The results are moderate as I am new to this medium, but the learning process is exiting and the day I will outgrow the HC3 there is still the HVX200 looming in my horizon. Darn I love this stuff.
Cheers
Patrick in Maryland
Patrick Benda is offline   Reply With Quote
Old January 5th, 2007, 07:06 PM   #339
New Boot
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Perth Australia
Posts: 13
Chaps,

I hail from Perth in Western Australia.

Have been working in broadcast television this last seventeen years. Started as a sound recordist in News & Current Affairs, sidestepped into NewsCaff Camera then Outside Broadcast Camera (sporting events, concerts etc). Later moved into NewsCaff edit working in SP-based systems, then into Production edit on computer controlled (ACE 25) linear suites. Went back into NewsCaff edit in time for the changeover from linear to Avid non-linear. Am senior editor and supervisor, Newscaff.

I am currently employed in the industry I had dreamed of working since I first became aware of the picture box in the living room. As a young boy and teenager, I used to bus past a certain television station nearly every day of the week and wish I worked there. Now here I am working for that very same television station and it's every bit as fulfilling as I always imagined it would be.

Hope you are all as happy in your bread & butter jobs as I am in mine.

cheers.
Lester Marston is offline   Reply With Quote
Old February 17th, 2007, 12:37 PM   #340
Major Player
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Ransomville NY
Posts: 239
Meh...couldn't hurt to post in here even among the great stories people have. I basically started with one of those VHS JVC Cams filming w/e I could get my hands on, even threw my expensive model car down the stairs and shot it for fun (parents were thrilled...um yea). The camera eventually died because it was already pretty old by then so I tried to find a substitue. Along comes a webcam that I got and I couldn't really do much with that so what did I grab to shoot? Lego figures (yea I know lol) but you'd be suprised how much a kid can do with Windows 95, a webcam, and some legos. I basically after that realized I should learn some software. I ended up getting Photoshop 5.0, Premiere 6.0, 3dsmax 5.0, etc. and just started learning.

Many hours spent for many years until the 2000's when I finally had the money to buy my own camera, the Gs400. I used that and my software knowledge to create a few things but always felt I could do more. Never having a camera previously I had 3d to do what I wanted and put it on screen. Basically now its 2007 and in Aug. of 2006 I got a fulltime job as Media Director at my local church. All those hours spent in After Effects, Premiere, etc. paid off because here I was with no schooling and getting paid more then I thought I would ever at my age and also as early as it was. So since then ive just been building my skills further, bought an XL2 but sold it quickly and now im looking at the A1. I've burned packaged, and sold about 1500 DVD's since April 06 (I did the job for months before Aug when I got paid) and love what im doing. Making things a professional as possible, DVD intros and menus, Series Intros, motion graphics, etc. while trying to get going on making some films in my own spare time.

I also have stuff going on Tv with that job which is kinda nice, and this summer I'll be going to Canada to shoot a TV host to do the narration and intros to our Marriage series to be broadcast in Canada so that should be great. Things are looking up, and if this job grows more Ill be able to keep it for a long time, if not its off to Biola University in CA to go to film school which im currently taking transfer coarses for just in case.

All in all I think in about 8 years ive gotten pretty far and acquired some awesome skills above many my age. I'm 18, in college, and have a job I love in a field I never went to school for, is there anything sweeter then that?

- Kyle, life is good.
__________________
Online Portfolio | Feature Film on XHA1
Kyle Prohaska is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 6th, 2007, 01:56 PM   #341
Tourist
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Willow Creek, MT
Posts: 4
My turn

Hi all
Sounds like we have a wonderfully varied group here. Its this variety that makes sites like this great.

Ok, my story

Grew up in the Hollywood Hills. John Ford's log house was right next to the house I grew up in. Everyone I knew as a child worked in the industry. For a while, even my father worked at Warner Bros.

I was a regular on the "Keith Wegeman Ski Show" when I was 2 (1953). My godfather staked Warren Miller so he could get the film developed to make his first movie (Wine, Women and Skis).

In the late 60's, after high school (John Ritter was our student body pres) I moved to Silverton Colorado and worked in the gold and silver mines. After a near fatal mining accident, I returned to Hollyweird and a friend got me a job with the Peterson Company, making tv commercials and movies. I was a production assistant, then production manager.

Moved on to be an AD with KTLA, working mainly with Bill Rainbolt and Bob Robb. From there I moved into still photography. I managed Color Labs in Hollyweird and worked as a freelance photographer/art director doing album covers for rock groups such as Arrowsmith, Alice Cooper, Canned Heat, Lou Reed and Black Sabbath.

From there I was offered 1/4 ownership of a small motion picture film lab. It had been in existence for over 40 years and was full of antiquated equipment. When I got there I realized that we could not compete with places like CFI, Movie Lab and Technicolor, so I utilized our old equipment and started bringing in B&W work. We were the only B&W lab on the left coast and the ONLY lab in the US that was rated to work with nitrate films (think BIG BOOM-nitro glycerin) and we started doing restoration work for AFI, Paramount, Warner Bros and Universal.

While there I got into the Contract Services cinematographer training program. After that I worked mainly filming, processing, editing and timing Indy car races for car owners and sponsors. I have also worked on Mean Streets with Martin Scorscesse and a couple of other minor works.

I love film making. I just don't love the lifestyle.

I got out of the business, moved up here and work at the University in an administrative capacity.

I am currently fleshing out two projects that I hope to start filming in late spring. I don't care if anyone ever sees this stuff. I just want to make it for my own sake.

I have a fairly good technical understanding of how to make movies, from beginning to end. And now I just want to have fun.

You guys are great! I have learned a lot about tape and equipment from your posts. Keep it up!
Keith Pickering is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 21st, 2007, 08:55 PM   #342
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 39
What do I do?

That's a great question, one my brothers, sisters, in law's, and relatives continually ask me: What is it exactly that you do?

After finishing grad school (MA Documentary Production/Theory) I got a job working full time on a camcorder review site. I wrote non stop about all things related to camcorders and the DV industry, which was great, but after a year I was feeling burned out and the cost of Boston was killing me, so I up and moved to Vegas after my brother offered me a job writing for his startup.

I continue to write for small businesses, mostly copy for their sites, press releases, etc. I'm a consulting partner in several businesses based out of Salt Lake City, all of which are marketing or real estate based - I'm the "media" go to guy, which I really enjoy. Currently I'm looking to transform my consulting business into a full fledged documentary production company. I'm tired of saying that I studied how to make documentary films, but I don't do that full time for a living. It's a bit nerve wracking, but exciting none-the-less.

Does anyone read these pages? :)
__________________
Nathaniel Hansen
www.salmonrunmedia.com | www.nathanielhansen.com
Nathaniel Hansen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 22nd, 2007, 01:12 AM   #343
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 37
After studying music composition in school, and studying screenwriting, I prompty got work doing...digital imaging, where I stayed for over a decade, until recently getting downsized. I'm now giving a go at venturing out on my own, having worked some in this crazy biz off and on, and have written a business plan and am giving it a go. Wish me luck. I think 2007 is going to be my year.
Phil Anderson is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 27th, 2007, 09:01 PM   #344
Trustee
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Saint Cloud, Florida
Posts: 1,043
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco Wagner View Post
I am an Enrollment Counselor for the University of Phoenix Online. Anyone wanting to get their BA or MBA online CONTACT me. We are the largest school in the WORLD and are fully accredited. We are not a diploma mill, this is a serious school.
This is funny seeing now that I'm back in the IT field at a totally different and better place, LOL
__________________
www.facebook.com/projectspecto
Marco Wagner is offline   Reply With Quote
Old March 27th, 2007, 09:48 PM   #345
Regular Crew
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Fargo
Posts: 108
Day job: LCMSMS http://waters.com/watersdivision/Con...Z6EDB&WT.svl=1 operator in analytical chemistry research lab, mostly agriculture chemicals, some proteomics. Love my job. I'm also a self-proclaimed IT geek.

Weekend job: Owner/operator of a small multimedia company specializing in weddings and event videography, tape to DVD transfer, digital slide shows. Love that too, but no immediate plans to make it full time. Started company about 6 years ago.

TRV-840 (x2), brand new VX2100 owner, Intel iMac, FCS 5.1

Very glad I found DV Info to continue building my video career.

Last edited by Grant Harrington; March 28th, 2007 at 05:10 AM.
Grant Harrington is offline   Reply
Reply

DV Info Net refers all where-to-buy and where-to-rent questions exclusively to these trusted full line dealers and rental houses...

B&H Photo Video
(866) 521-7381
New York, NY USA

Scan Computers Int. Ltd.
+44 0871-472-4747
Bolton, Lancashire UK


DV Info Net also encourages you to support local businesses and buy from an authorized dealer in your neighborhood.
  You are here: DV Info Net > The DV Info Network > These Are the People in Your Neighborhood

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

 



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:27 AM.


DV Info Net -- Real Names, Real People, Real Info!
1998-2024 The Digital Video Information Network