How did you get into this business?
 

I'd be interested in seeing how eveyone fell into this business...for me at least, it wasn't a conscious choice as much as it just happened:

Dec. '02: bought Pioneer 105 with intentions of bootlegging dvd's

Feb. '03: started selling illegal prono boots to coworkers for $10ea

Aug. '03: my conscious caught up with me and I quit bootlegging

Aug. '03: got busted at work for selling prono at work...oops.

Sept. '03: moved to Central California...someone should have told me about the 20% unemployment rate.

Jan. '04: bought a cheap single chip JVC to video the kids.

Feb. '04: still can't find a job and I tape myself giving an airbrush lesson and edit it up as entertainment for myself.

Mar. '04: Put a couple copies on ebay to entertain myself while looking for a job.

April '04: Sold 40 copies my first month and decided this could be lucrative.

Aug. '04: became a power seller

Sep. '04: decided to try doing weddings between instructional videos.

Jan. '05: bought a Panasonic GS400 and finished first wedding...quit looking for a job!

March '05: bought first VX2100

April '05: producing 1 instructional dvd a month, doing weddings...

So did your conscious catch up with you because you were busted? I have always wanted to make films since I was a child; thanks exclusively to the Star Wars films and Raiders of the Lost Ark; and specifically to television specials:

SPFX THE MAKING OF THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and THE MAKING OF RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. IT was then that first realized there was someone called a DIRECTOR. GOt a Chino SUPER8 for my 14th B-DAY and made a bunch of films edited in camera mostly starring my brother and friends.

Went on an HBO film called The Heist as a so called "Featured Extra' (Whatever that means) and ended of meeting a 'girl whose fiance was the stand in for Tom Atkins' and from there was allowed to be 'On Set' and stay 'Behind the Scenes' and was even invited to the wrap party where I shared a beer with Pierce Brosnan; for a 19 year old it was pretty cool at the time. GOt my first check from Columbia Pictures for $400.00

Worked on a handful of lo/no's over the next 3 to 5 years; mainly Super16 stuff doing Grip/PA work. Got me no where profssionally; it's okay, I was more concerned with surfing and partying anyway.

Bought my first 'film camera' in 1995; a BOLEX (NR) 16mm. Discovered how much it cost to buy and develop 16mm film per minute/foot and went into shock.

Worked on a couple more lo/no's that went no where (from crews of Corman)

Gave up on filmmaking dream.

Saw an ad for the DVX100 and it's "24-Progressive". Got excited and then gave up again after seeing price; I had just had my son born; money was not free flowing.

Saw 28 Days Later and it's touted "SHOT ON CANON MINI DV!" hype; realized that "Damn it. Now is the time. Now I need to make films! I'm dying here!" This is the meltdown speech to my wife.

Almost bought the XL1 but (sounds of Angels and clouds parting)
went with the DVX100. NOw, in my sparest of moments, I am giving it that 'shot' to become a filmmaker.

I have a ton to learn with many years 'wasted'; stints in art school, stint in the USCG, stint partying and doing nothing...

http://outlandpictures.com/index.cfm?link=reel

I'm not in the BIZ per se; but damnit if I am not trying to learn and become a filmmaker now.

Okay, thats my story.

I took a graphics course, wanting to learn more HTML, and do webdesign. I ended up having to help the teacher, in order for the lesson projects to work. Go figure. I picked up a little page design, some 3D, Photoshop, and of course, a crash course in Premiere... some pun intended. I also picked up a healthy dislike for Macs ;)

After finishing, my HTML skills weren't much better than when I went in, and ended up using my Illustrater skills to land a job making silk screens. I hated that place, and bummed around for a bit.

I found a local web entertainment group called SurfGuru.com, and liked them. I applied as a graphic artist, but found they had little use for someone who wanted pay. So, I started doing banner placement for them, but I hate sales. Since they were always shooting video- surf, skateboards, bikinis, etc.- I told them I would be happy to edit the videos. I soon ended up training their videographers, so that they could get better material.

Then, I took a loan from the city, and started my own video biz... Until I ended up having to sell my money maker to get our house. After the XL1 went, work became almost non existant. But, I still have my GL1, and occasionally do freelance camera work. Occasionally, but not often.

Saw the movies of Steven Spielberg when I was a very little kid (watched ET every day)... Well, since then...
His movies just give me that enthousiastic feeling of: Cinema rules! Cinema is my dreams!

I never gave up on that... (btw: I'm 18 now, so it's not like I'm a serious filmmaker now, but just trying to realise my dreams...)