Hi Ryan, I started my video production company a few months ago and I'm already getting some great corporate contracts in Cambridge (and I'm even now doing a super one in Dublin as well!). I'm only an hour away so if you ever need any advice I'd be glad to try and help - when I'm not snowed under with work - like right now!

Its a great little camera. Very good and flexible on colour with unlimited customisation possible. A touch soft at the long end (I'm from a high end stills background, so I am very picky), but excellent (and wide) at the short end.

I'd really like full HD and a tapeless workflow, but guess that is another generation away?

Nick

That's here already with the EX1/EX3.

Paul.

Hi Paul,

Indeed it is, but have been unable to sell the (low use) XH-A1 + the industry is moving so fast that I am no longer sure that EX is the way forward.

I was a hair's breadth from ordering an EX1 in November, but the Canon 5D MkII has changed the landscape so much and more is on the way + Scarlet is also coming soon.

My market is never going to be video only, but stills + video to suit my client base, so I have decided to hold back for a month or two.

best,

Nick.

You've done some very nice work there Andy (shootingimage.co.uk). A collection of very good work, one could be forgiven for thinking you were an old hand pro instead of a new hand pro..

Thanks Andy, your work looks great and Ill definitely be in contact at some stage.

Take care,

Ry

Dave and Ryan, thank you so much for the compliments!!!!! :-)

Canon XHA1 owner in Sussex
 

Another member from the UK, living in East Sussex. I have been lurking for a couple of years while in full time work, completely unrelated to video. And in the meantime learnt a lot from the forum.
Now that I am in semi-retirement, I am returning to a hobby I started many years ago. I would like to improve my work with practical training courses and to that end have considered joining the IOV. Has anyone experience with the IOV that they would like to share?

David

Hi everybody, I'm Andrew...I sound like I'm in a AA meeting ;-D

I finished a 3 year tv and media degree last summer. I've been putting equipment and scripts together for my coming up company.
Based in the newcastle

Andrew

IOV (Institute of Videography)
 

Hi Dave,

I went to the IOV event in Coventry a few months ago with a friend I'm now working with (on corporate video stuff in Dublin) and posted about the IOV back then - as I was not aware of it before at all.

It was actually a VERY good trade show, great range of exhibitors of pro gear and they had many IOV and trade organised seminars on specific subjects (we paid our £10 and sat in on the corporate one). Whllst I learnt nothing "staggeringly new" it was a great "day out", we met some like minded videographers for a chat over gear etc. and we saw and handled (the then) new Sony Z7 & (I think from memory) Z5 etc. My mate and I are EX1/3 freaks so this was more out of curiosity......

I struggled with whether or not I should join the IOV but in the end did not (from memory it's about £120/year - Google them for all the details).

I'm sure I'm wrong (and any replies will no doubt confirm if this is true or not by IOV members and non-members!) but it seemed a lot of wedding videographers are in the IOV. I would certainly consider visiting their next annual convention again this coming year and recommend it to others - even though I'm not interested at all in wedding video work.

That's my personal take on the IOV at the moment from a few brief hours exposure.

'Lo. Another Essex-based person over here, one of approximately 309,345,454,242,878,233 aspiring filmmakers on the planet, XH A1 user, mostly just a lurker in this place (but I might be around a bit more now), and very pleased to make your acquaintance.

IoV Institute of Videography
 

Hi Andy

Thanks for your comments. I've just received their Information Pack, which does not go into a lot of detail, so I'll contact them directly for more details. Also hope that there are more IoV members in this forum who will comment.

David

Hello everyone,

I've just set up a corporate production business; very small scale at the moment - well, I only really started about a week ago, having just been made redundant from ITV, part of their mass cull of regional journalists. Am now spending hours each day firing off emails, making calls etc, trying to get some fingers into some pies...

I've been lurking on this site for a while though and have found it a fantastic source of information and a lovely group of people.

PS Based in Maidstone, Kent.

Regards
Dave

Hi David, welcome.
Hope the new business works out well, good luck.
John

...320....

Welcome David. The crazed collector of dvinfobrits has taken your soul.
Good luck with your business.

Hello all :) Another Brit joins the fold.

Welcome Stephen. You have been added to the Readers's Digest mailing list- sorry, dvinfobrits list.

Greetings from Nottingham (in a few months to be London!).

Just another aspiring film maker, trying to find a way to work myself up the ladder. Have gained a lot of useful information since I found this board and hopefully, when I know more, I can give back a little.

Hail, Joseph and welcome! You're now on the Britlist.

(I'm sorry, I couldn't stop myself - a thousand pardons).

LOL do i get the chance to win a million? ;)

I'm not a serious videographer btw, just enjoy recording life as I see it...... a bit warped to be honest he he, fascinated by people and what drives their existence.

Only today at the bus station I captured a bus-spotter photographing the new pink 'park and ride' buses in Ipswich. He seemed a little uncomfortable being filmed but I considered it hypocritical so continued regardless.

Still photography is my real passion :)

yet another!
 

another britess here from LONDON yeehaaaaa

Hi Em........
 

Where abouts in London, that's my old stomping ground?


CS

DVinfo Brits updated (again): 351 now
 

And I've probably missed a few as I don't spend all my time here (though it may look like it sometimes). If there are any other Brits active on this list, feel free to reply and added you shall be. I can subtract as well, though I'm trying not to multiply any more these days.

Latest DVinfo Brits update

Silly me - 353
 

Had left out a couple of folks on this thread and could no longer edit previous post.

Hello from Salford University, Manchester UK, look forward to speaking to you all!

..361
 

Craigslisted. Welcome, fellow DVinfoBrit!

Representing Buckinghamshire!
 

Hi there - what an interesting thread - greetings from sunny Chesham! Good to see plenty of UK folk here.

Cheers, Martin

Greetings Martin - your name is now on the Great List too.

Colin, wot's 'appened to Jersey?
 

...although we're not part of the UK, we are still part of the British Isles you know! ;-)

Just downloaded the list and I'm not on it... boo hooo....

Come in, number 364.
 

Now if you had been from Cardigan, I wouldn't have hesitated!

Sorry about missing you out, Steve. I assure you it wasn't deliberate. I remember adding in someone from the Isle of Man and also a request to be included from Ireland. It was probably because we tend not to frequent the same forums that I hadn't noticed your posts. Anyway, you are now added although I'll have to rejig the database as it is set up with "England" as the default country in the absence of Scotland, Wales etc. I'll need to include the Channel islands in the formula.

Well, my mum's from Blaenrhondda - does that help? ;-)

No probs. Ever since our leader Bill conquered you guys in 1066, it's never been the same... ;-)

New Guy New Waltham nr Grimsby
 

Hi Everyone
im new to video so lots to learn and most likely lots to ask too .
i use a 7d with quite a few lenses and just bought a canon HF 200 that im trying to understand lol
im more into still photography mostly birds and fast jets but the way i look at it is IF im going to spend time out then why not make the most of it and take stills and video after all i will have made the effort to go out in the first place.
Rob

One a day
 

Welcome Robert. You make it 365 Brits listed now as active on DVinfo.

One for each day of the year. I'll take St Thomas' day.

I'll take my birthday, St Swithun's Day. The patron saint of rain, for which I always carry bin bags in my camera bag!

Next one in only gets to work on the 29th of February and the one after that gets to do the weddings in Brigadoon. (Plenty of time to do the edit between gigs).

Please note that was Brigadoon not Brig o' Doon, there's too many good guys working there already!

Hello from an Aussie in Glasgow
 

Hello All,

I have been on these forums for two years and never introduced myself. How rude.

A 47 year old Chief Information Officer working in Glasgow. Originally from Perth, Western Australia I am up here to enjoy the cold. I make home movies to record my family history. My father created a 3 hour video spanning from 1950 (before my time) with an old 8mm movie camera through to the 2000's he called it Childhood Days and it basically records the upbringing my six brothers and sisters enjoyed. It really comes to life when my nieces and nephews laugh loudly seeing their parents in their teens or as babies.

It inspired me to do the same for my three girls. The challenge is making home movies with universal appeal. I haven't cracked that one yet so suggestions are welcome.

My videos are at jeffmurray on Vimeo

I shoot all our holidays and birthdays and major events. Edit them for Vimeo, and also put them on the PS3 to watch. Technology is wonderful and I love that I no longer play with tapes and DVD's. The web is to share and the PS3 stores them for us to enjoy.

I have shot a few small projects for Church and the kids various schools. I must put more of these on Vimeo. I once shot a 30 minute story the grade five kids wrote acted and directed - edited it and burnt to DVD for them.


My latest project is to get onto a 5D Mark II and am selling my Z1P to fund the purchase, (please see my posting in the auctions forum - hope that little plug is acceptable). My father bought me the Z1 when I expressed a love of travel videography and a desire to get the Canon XL1 and a few lenses. He thought that the XL1 was too heavy too expensive and I don't think it did HD at the time. So the Z1 it was. I found for home movies it's just too big and conspicuous to use. Imagine if I had got the XL1. My girls complain enough about my current Sony SR10e coming out at every event. So hopefully if Canon get the 25p for the 5D2 out soon - I can edit the footage on my Avid Xpress Pro Studio PC then all will be well.

Any tips and advice greatly appreciated.

Also most of the forums are for pro's what does everyone think about a family movie forum? I would really like to share ideas on how to make family videos more interesting and appealing. Weddings and corporate videos are on topic - the event or the corporate material (the content can be interesting to more than just the peope in the video) - making your child's 3,4,5,6,7,8,9th, etc birthday intersting to more than just the family is a challenge.

Does anyone know of sites with ideas for the home videographer in need of inspiration?

Take care all and happy film making.

Regards

Jeff

Welcome, honorary Glaswegian. Consider yourself added to the dvinfoBrits list.

Actually although I understand the point you are making here, I am not sure we really need a separate forum for family videos, because nearly all the issues are covered here already, albeit not in the one place.

The different types and makes of camera are well covered in the forums here, as are matters to do with audio, lighting, editing systems and so on. After all, the challenges for the family video maker are basically the same as for anyone else - best choice of suitable equipment within a budget, striving for improvement in one's technique of planning and executing choice/composition/framing of shots, acquiring high quality audio, developing an eye for the most effective image and being sensitive to the subject so as not unwittingly to affect or influence the action by being present as an observer. As you note, there are elements of cinematic, documentary, event and even ENG styles and techniques which are appropriate to the subject.

Sometimes very basic questions need to be asked on family occasions - like "am I here to enjoy a day at the seaside with my family or to make a film" because you are likely to be asked that bluntly unless you think it through. One solution to that common problem is to involve everyone in the filming, taking turns to operate the camera even if it's only by pointing the remote control. But I am wittering on here and others may not agree with me.

You could make a post on advice on "how to make family videos more interesting and appealing?" in the Open DV Discussion forum and see what results that brings.

Anyway, here's a couple of links off the top of my head which touch on matters that may come up in family videos:

Using radiomics in Disneyland Paris http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-thin...ee-france.html
Filming on a plane journey http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/home-awa...d-flights.html
Filming outside on a windy day http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/all-thin...ppy-sound.html
Filming in the UK and the law http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/taking-c...rights-uk.html

Thank you Colin
 

Hello Colin

Thanks for the welcome and the links. All are useful and one in particular really pleased me. The one on UK filming rights.

I have to say I was shocked coming from Australia with our relative freedoms (ignore gun laws - which incidentally I support) to a land where filming your children at the local swimming pool or in their Ballet concert, is well if not impossible - not worth the effort.

Sadly, I have footage of the older two merrily doing their ballet concerts and swimming lessons in Aussie pools and theatres. However the third who has learned to swim and dance in the UK will just have to imagine what it was like when she is older. I can understand both sides of this and know there are some out there who are spoiling it for the rest of us. Anyway when recounting this to a new Scottish friend he became very heated about it and said that filming in the Uk is illegal. Since I have been a little paraniod so it was very reassuring to read the fourth link. Thanks for sharing this once again.

I will go post in the open forum as I may find more people than me interested in making their footage universally interesting. I agree with all your points on kit and technique. I guess the part I am most interested may, or may not be taught at film school and may not be covered in most forums. Someone once said to me 'you need to tell a story'. And I once read a post about a guy who went on world tour with a rock band and filmed it with no particular goal in mind. He had hours of video and no particlar angle he wanted to take. The article (which I wish I could remember where it is) was very helpful on how to create a storyboard. However as it was Avid-centric it focussed on cataloguing metadata-ing all your footage. Something the amateur may not have the time or inclination to do.

There is a story in all family videos, as there is in a wedding or a corporate event. However it may not be interesting to anyone other than the subjects in the video. Like others I want to be able to make videos appealing to a wider audience and I am sure lots of people have suggestions on this.

Thanks also for the wind noise link I know my vids are full of wind noise. I hope to get a Sennheiser external mike for the new 5D2 when it arrives and if I can afford it. Also need a fluid head as my pans are way to fast and choppy.

Regards

Jeff

'Anyway when recounting this to a new Scottish friend he became very heated about it and said that filming in the Uk is illegal.'

Bit of a nonsense statement Jeff as I'm sure you'll agree. There hasn't been a mobile phone sold in the last 5 years that won't record movies, and as helmet cams and button-hole cams proliferate, how the hell will such a ban be policed?

I've been told 'no video of this wedding in church', but I see no frisking of the 120 family and guests in the congregation. All the ban means is, 'no decent video to be filmed. We allow grainy wobbles with poor sound'. If paedophiles want film of kids, they're not going to prance around the playground or Nativity play with a Z5, they're going to shoot it on a Flip or Nokia.

Keep filming the kids school play. There's a young Sir Lawrence Olivier just starting out there.

tom.