DV Info Net - Hi from Columbia, Maryland

My name is Myles Williams. I am a racer, instructor and motorsport business owner. About 17 years ago my neighbor( who was a network news camera guy) let me play with his then new CCD camera. I used to go on news runs with him in the field and help with set up etc. I did this for close to a year, while playing around with a Sony consumer camera and doing small docs and goofing off in the house. So when I got divorced I lost touch with him and as I got more and more into racing my financial focus changed also. It wasnt until I covered the JGTC event/ media day in California, October 2004, that I borrowed a friends JVC 720 HD consumer camera and felt that old feeling again and while it was short lived, it stayed with me up until recently.

While driving for a marketing company that hires pro drivers for automotive launches, I took the last 2 days of the BMW X5 tour to film more or less what a day of the tour is like. I shot that with my Sony HC3 and a Sony wa lense. I took the footage and had it edited by my local editing guy.

While talking to a crew chief for a Speed GT team, I mentioned that I had shot some footage of the X5 tour and he said he needed someone to shoot an up and coming event. I being modest and not knowing alot and very green, advised he should review my work and THEN decide if he wanted me to do this. After reviewing my tape, he explained that he was a new member of the SPEEDTV family and said he could use my help at the 12hrs of Sebring and said to bring my rig with me and we would cover the event for Speedtv.com. So the HC3 went on e-bay and I sold some used car parts sitting around the shop and a FX1 made its way into my life !!

Knowing that I had this event coming up I started shooting everything. Probably about an hour a day( with my busy schedule thats alot) and I shot my sons basketball games, I shot my wife making dinner, you know all the goofy things you can shoot in real time and try to make it "something". I also picked up a Century Optics WA lense and a Sennheiser MK300 mic.

The new wife and I went to Bermuda and I shot over 2hrs of footage there just for sake of shooting. We are editing that now and adding some narration to it also.

Sebring came fast and I didnt feel as prepared as I wish, but things went over fine. My producer asked to see some things I shot after the first day and was impressed. For me it was a surreal feeling since this was kinda a dream come true in many ways. I also had just raced there the month prior and had 2 podium finishes, so it was good to see some of the guys I had raced against. Being a racer helped alot when in the pits. The highlight of the weekend was our interview with Lawson Aschenbach of the Cadillac Speed GT team. This interview will air very soon. I am stoked and looking forward to covering more races this year.

I have added a XLR adaptor and Frezzi light to my rig as well as a Varizoom shoulder mount for my FX1.

One thing is for certain, I could not have made these advances without the help of Ken Jan at CTL video in Silver Spring Maryland. Great place and great prices. I always feel like the only DV guy in there, as its always broadcast guys in there when I am there.

So we have some car shows coming up, Sema, and alot more racing.

I am looking to take some classes and learn more technical things. I feel like I have an "eye" for things, but I want to "know" more about why this and why that. I watch TV now ( as I always have) from a different view point and my wife covers my mouth when we watch movies.

Anyway, that was long, but I love this forum !! TONS of information and alot of knowledgable people here.

Myles Williams