I posted this on another thread topic but it should be here as well. This is what I think. Film making is not just a skill but an art. That is why I bought a professional Panasonic PV-DV953 camcorder. You do not need to go to film school to become a film maker. You just need to buy a professional camcorder preferably a black one and study the manual like I did. It is not that difficult. It only took me one weekend to learn how to use it professionally. I understand my silver PV-DV953 can do many things like making pictures but why would you want to use the manual mode when it is an automatic camcorder?. You do not try to drive a car in manual if the gears are automatic? Why then use an automatic professional camcorder in manual? This makes sense. Why would you want to transfer your film making video to film when you can watch it on television? This also makes sense.

<<<-- Originally posted by Fred Garhart : I posted this on another thread topic but it should be here as well. This is what I think. Film making is not just a skill but an art. That is why I bought a professional Panasonic PV-DV953 camcorder. You do not need to go to film school to become a film maker. You just need to buy a professional camcorder preferably a black one and study the manual like I did. It is not that difficult. It only took me one weekend to learn how to use it professionally. I understand my silver PV-DV953 can do many things like making pictures but why would you want to use the manual mode when it is an automatic camcorder?. You do not try to drive a car in manual if the gears are automatic? Why then use an automatic professional camcorder in manual? This makes sense. Why would you want to transfer your film making video to film when you can watch it on television? This also makes sense. -->>>

I am not sure if you are being absolutely serious on this statement or not. I can only think you are joking when you say you can simply buy a black camera and read the manual instead of going to a film school.

Of course you do not need any of that to become a filmmaker, but it may make things harder and take you longer.

By "learning" to use your camera during the weekend you are far, very far from learning how to use it professionally. So this should also be a joke.

Your comparison between an automatic gear on your car and an automatic camera are absolutely wrong, as on your car you control more than you think: steering, acceleration, braking, lights, etc. Another joke.

Professional cameras are hardly used in automatic, particularly because mostly don't have that capability. Most low budget "automatic" DV cameras are home or prosumer cameras. A joke too.

If you want to transfer your video to film is not to watch it on your TV, but to make money or allow other people to see it. Or would you take them all to your living room?

Now if you tell me you are being serious and want do discuss every point you raised, I can probably tell you why.


Carlos E. Martinez