I take it we are all beginning to understand my reason for asking everyone to shout where they are...

Nice to see the fruits of such a simple thing come to bare..
As we all have professional aspirations if not professional experience and we are using a common piece of equipment it is only fair to assume we are the logical one's to help each other out when extra bods / cams are needed.

Working well...

Am I th'only one up't north in't Lancisheeer!
Peter

I'm all for helping each other out.

Hi Peter, welcome. I expect others are there - just haven't got as much brass as you - so haven't come out of the mist yet.

Like your films Mike, especially the Oyster regattas - really sweet in every aspect.

Following on from the above post:

Bought the 503HDV/525 tripod system from Morris Photography
they have it for £369 incl VAT and delivery - cheapest I could find - say they only have two left
here's the link:
http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/Product...oryid~158.html
hope this helps someone - will also post in the appropriate section

Hi Mike

Sent you a PM/Email :)

Regards

Niall

Hi Guys,

I am a complete newbie to the forum and video. I am based in London and have a Canon XH-A1.

Anyone from nearby?

Colin

Hi Colin............
 

Depending on whereabouts in London you are, I guess I used to be.

As I've now escaped, it doesn't really matter where you are, as I'm still too far away, but hey!

I cannot believe the number of Poms that have joined DVinfo since I left the UK (hmm, wonder if there's more to this than meets the eye?).

Welcome to DVinfo.


CS

PS. Whereabouts actually are you, London is one heck of a big place?

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the welcome.

I live in Hounslow. I plan on doing a lot of travel through the EU this summer with an Aussie mate who is coming over. Since I am only new to video I can currently be seen on most of my days off lurking around Richmond, anywhere along the river, or many of the touristy places in London with my A1, madly practicing my skills (or lack thereof).

Col

Hmm...............
 

some really great places around London to shoot - my favourite was St Catherines dock/ Tower Bridge area, absolutely stunning on a freezing cold, clear winters morning (and I mean sparrow chirp type morning).

If you're completely new to this "moving image" thing, the Polytechnic of North London, at their Trent Park campus, runs (or ran, at any road) a pretty cool, one week "summer school" intro to video production.

I did it about 6 or 7 years ago and found it really usefull.

They've got some pretty decent gear as well. When I was there they had a complete ex - Beeb VCR editing system and both Avid and (I think) FCP systems to boot.

There may be other places in town offering sommat similar, worth checking out "FloodLight", as the situation may well have improved re courses since I escaped.


CS

Colin - there's no better way of getting better at making films. Shoot, shoot, shoot, and come home and critically appraise what you've caught. Video is such a great teacher, patient, accurate, forgiving, repeatable.

I tell people starting out to 'talk to the mics', that way when they're watching their TV screens later they can hear themselves say things such as, 'This shot on manual iris, shutter and gain, auto focus and white balance, OIS on, hand-held, 100% zebras visible in white shirt', that sort of thing. Have 'display' turned on as well, it's a great help on your TV.

tom.

Hello.

I'm in Bristol too, just starting out. Plenty of ideas lined up, though as anxious as I am to get started, I want to do the ideas justice, so I'm holding off until I feel practised enough. Though what's better practice than the real thing, hmm?

I am just making some final purchases...perhaps amusingly, the last* purchase will turn out to be the camera, a Panasonic DVX100BE. The other stuff consists of a Tascan HD-P2 recorder, Rode NTG-2 short shotgun, AKG D230 reporter's mic, and the Oktava MK 012 with the triple capsule package (omni, cardioid, hypercardioid). I've got the Rode 3.2m boom pole and a Beyerdynamic G500 stand to mount them on, though I'd like to get a stand for the longer boom pole to sit on.

Intending on getting the HPRC AMRE 2600W for the camera and a few bits and bobs. Disappointed that there's no equivalent to the Portabrace camera body armour for the DVX100, but I'll at least get a rain cover, though that'll likely only get used in dire emergencies. Oh, and in support matters, I'm about to place an order for the Indicam Pilot sled (I'll get the arm/vest when funds permit, and if gigs seem to require longer steadicam shots), and have pretty much settled on the Vinten Pro-6HDV. I nearly went with the Manfrotto equivalent, but from what I've read, the sticks are better.

So if anyone in Bristol wants to see any of that, they're welcome to. I expect I'll hire it out in certain circumstances, also.

Phil


*Pfff...obviously I mean "last for now".

Hi Phil,nice to hear someone else is from Bristol.
If you wanna get together for any filming then let me know.
Paul.

Hitchin - Herts...
 

Hi there

New film maker based in Hertfordshire here... in the middle of first feature.

Check out: www.myspace.com/shootthedjfilm

Or

www.stage6.com/user/sonichub

Always looking for 2nd camera people... and sound recordists etc..

Enjoy DVinfo.... it's a great place for free advice.

Sean

JVC GY-DV500 with 19 x Aspheric Lens, SONY VX1000, G5 Mac with Final Cut Studio, and a van load of various stuff cobbled together to make a movie...

Hi guys!

Another newbie to the forum - this time from north of the Border. Sunny Dundee! (Well it is today, anyway!) :)

Have been doing videos of all kinds of things for other people for many years and now want to start earning a bit of cash from it. I've got a couple of ideas I'm working on but they're in the early stages so I'll no doubt be back to pick people's brains from time to time.

I like the idea of people posting their experiences of UK suppliers.

I'm also amazed that this thread started in 2004 and has only really taken off in the last few days! :)

Anyway, good to have so many brits onboard.

UK South East Coast
 

Hi, St Leonards-on-Sea (Hastings),
Anyone from my area?
I am TV PD, 40 years in the biz.
I used to be in Vancouver BC for decades, CBC and freelance.
I just joined DVInfo and learn a lot from it.
Cheers,
Tony

Hey, West Country guy here, living near Bath. Glad I looked in this thread, I didn't expect to see many Brits (thanks for starting this thread Gavin).
Regards,
John.

And here we are: (sorry if I've missed anyone)

Phil Bambridge
Stuart Burns
Niall Chadwick
Damian Clarke
Alan Dunlop-Walters
Dave Gosley
Tom Hardwick
Vince Hill
Paul Kellett
Rob Lohman
Mike Marriage
Colin McDonald
Peter D. Parker
Colin Reid
Graham Risdon
Ed Smith
Martin D. Smith
Chris Soucy
Gavin Thomas
Sean Vincent
Tony Wade
Andy Wilkinson
John Wyatt

Full time emp / Self emp / part time or leisure only,

What do you do with yours?

Me - part time.

Hi John.
You're near me then.

Paul.

I'm in Pembrokeshire. Full time (overtime) naturalist by profession, and that includes wildlife photography and video when I can fit it in.

Just shot my first Sony EX1 wedding yesterday in the snowy fields of Essex. Oh I do love that camera, but I can feel it in my wrist this morning. Note: use tripod more often, tom. But the Steadyshot is just so damn good, the low light capabilities amazing, the v'finders so goddam sharp. And I was glad of that big deep lens hood out there in the falling snow, keeping my front element dry.

tom.

Hi,

Long time lurker living in London. Just about to buy an XH A1. I've been saving for a while and plan to take July and August off to do some learning/experimenting.

Hope to make the big purchase next week - can't wait - woohoo ;)

Paul

hi guys from sunny? south ayrshire. canon xh-a1

Hi Folks,

just to add my name to the folks from the UK, Inverclyde to be more precise.

cheers John

Hey Paul -- I'm about 10 miles from Bath. Like to meet up some time for a drink and a chat? I usually haunt the Alternative imaging section on DVInfo. I have been experimenting with a Sumix camera head, but my work is not far enough along to use for a project I'm planning this summer, so I'll be shooting that with a Canon HV20. I used to work for a film company when I lived in London, but now my projects are personal no-budget type of things.
John.

Hi John.
I've sent you an email.
Thanks.Paul.

hi guys, just adding myself to the uk list - im from cambridge.

long time forum reader, photographer previously (now accountant..) and trying to do short films in my spare time. by no means expertly prolific camera operator, but i like to think my stills background gives me a boost :D

Add me to the list too please!

I'm in Isleworth, West London.

You can see one of my films here:

www.gooderick.com

Let me know if you want to see more.

Canon XH A1
Sony A1E c/w sports housing
Lowell lighting kit, Lastolites
DPA 4061 stereo mic kit, Sanken CS3-e shotgun, Sennheiser G2 radio mic, Rode shotgun.
Fig Rig, booms, tripods
Fostex FR2 LE sound recorder
HBB minidisc recorder (x2)
HP 6.4 Ghz workstation
Genelec speakers
Dell 24 inch monitor
Avid Liquid NLE

Hi Richard,

I am based in Hounslow so we are not that far apart. I am doing the 48 hour Sci-Fi challenge this weekend. Would you be interested in joining the team?

Regards

Colin

Hi Colin

I've seen this mentioned but I couldn't work out what it was all about. I would be interested but the timing is bad. I am working flat out to finish five short films by the end of next week and my sailing boat gets craned in on Monday (immovable deadline!) so I am a bit under the cosh at the moment. Shouldn't be browsing DV info really!

Does it all get done at the weekend? What's involved? Perhaps we should discuss this off the forum.

Do you want to give me a call?

Richard,

Yes, the whole lot from script to edit in 48 hours from 10.30 Saturday 5th.

I will be in touch.

Colin

I'm in North London and shoot on the XHA1.

Hi Kathy
Welcome. Good to see another Londoner here.
Looking forward to hearing more about what you are up to.
Richard

Hey thanks for the welcome.

The work I do is pretty varied from filming a beauty contest in Ethiopia through to some scientific filming in London. I've worked on lots of corporate stuff as well as some drama. How about yourself?

Good see another British female - there don't seem to be too many of us on this forum!

Tell you what Annie - isn't Premiere Elements 4 amazingly good for the money? I loaded it onto a friend's machine as he wanted to start with something simple and I was very impressed indeed with the simplicity and intuitiveness of the program.

Premiere Elements four is a lot simpler than one and two were - I skipped three and jumped onto four as soon as it came out - that was just after I'd bought the XH A1 and needed something that would cope with HiDef.

I don't find the titles part particularly intuitive to use, but that may be just because I don't have time to use it as much as would like and feel like I'm back to square one each time.

Greetings from the Hants / Sussex border. I'm about half way between Chichester and Portsmouth.

JSW