S. Thomson

I think first of all you need to decide whether you want to shoot tape or film, as both offer their own challenges. As a student myself I found that an investment in a decent prosumer camera ($1500-$3000) gives you the flexibility to work with more professionally motivated features, without having to drop a ridiculous amount of money off the bat. A big consideration, if you are going the digital route, will be what format you want to shoot in (ie. DV, HDV etc), as well as the tape format itself (or hard drive). If you're looking to learn and not necessarily showcase the work you create on a big scale, then standard definition on MiniDV is a good bet as you can get a better camera for your money (particularly if you buy used). However, given the direction most video work seems to be heading, HD or HDV could be a sound investment towards more professional or artistic work ahead. But if these prices seem a little high, then just look for something that satisfies what controls you would want over an image, but generally as many manual features as possible is good. (Just don't buy a little camcorder that fits into the palm of your hand). Some general suggestions would be a Canon GL1, GL2, XL1, XL2, A1 (HDV), Panasonic DVX100A, DVX100B, as well as some comparable Sony models which I can't recall at the moment. Ultimately, I've found that having a digital cam with a decent lens on it was a great way to learn, and learn cheaply too, given how much a miniDV tape can cost. But if you want to go the film route then the suggestions above by Toby seem appropriate. Film offers a whole new range of challenges not found with video, but can be a very rewarding experience to work with. But it can also be very pricey, especially if you are looking to learn and experiment. But if you do, then definitely go 16mm, and look for camera kits in the under a $500 range. At this price you will only find used stuff, which is generally a fantastic resource as long as the equipment has been moderately cared for, and try to look for a camera that has a reflex viewing system versus something like a parralex (SP?). Also a few different lenses is always an asset.

As a student currently studying film in Toronto, with a focus on cinematography, I was wondering is anyone could give me some advice on getting work in the industry. Obviously my preference would be to work somewhere in the camera department (ie. some low level assistant), but even work as a PA would be experience. Any thoughts? Craigslist, and mandy.com have been suggested to me before, (as well as networking), but I was recently told that to seek out an experienced cinematographer and offer to work as a intern (sort of a mentor situation) is a viable option. My desire is to gain experience in a real world set environment, but I would not be completely opposed to being paid as well. Any thoughts on this subject would be great, particularly from those who are currently working in Toronto. Sam

Just a quick question, how do you shoot with either the 100A or 100B equivalent frame rates of say 48fps or 64fps. There is probably an obvious answer I'm missing, but I hope someone could help me out here. The particular task I'm curious about is shooting images for smooth slow motion playback without having to repeat frames to achieve the slowdown. Thanks.