Terry Hsieh

I'm looking for a pretty much, working condition of a DVX100a or B used, scratches, unless they damage the performance of the camera, i don't care about. Superficial stuff i don't care about, just as long as the camera does what it's meant to do without problem. As a student, I'm looking in the below $1000 range... Terry

so how does the continuity work out in a dialogue scene? If you cut back and forth between several takes from different angles, doesn't that affect the continuity? Would you overlap monologue from one guy while you change shots? Terry

Okay, So this may sound like a sophomoric and infantile question to any experienced director/camera operator/film-maker but seeing as i'm still a first year in the film program, I'm wondering- In cinema, we usually get multiple shots of, say a dialogue scene. How do camera-operators get multiple shots of said dialogue scene? Do they do 4 takes of the scene from different angles with one camera, or do they get 4 cameras on one scene? If the latter's the case, how does one "erase" the other camera out of the background when you see opposing angles of a shot? Thanks, Confused Terry

what they told me was that you'd have a seperate mixer, going into a computer, where you'd patch all your mikes through. You'd probably want a boom mike, a couple of wireless lavalier mikes to put on your actors, to catch dialogue and you should probably keep the sound going on the camera so that you can mix the other patches in and out as you wish later in the editing process. Of course, syncing the whole thing in the end is kind of tricky....and that I don't know, since i'm not an editor. Just thoughts from a noob that might help.

Hey all, So i posted my script up in the Please Critique My Work part and I was wondering if anyone could give me advice? Thanks, Terry

Hey all, I'll post the script up. I put it on the Critique My Work area on this forum but i'll post it here also. Give me some feedback, i know it's not in perfect format but i'm working to get a bunch of rewrites in and this is one of my first for-real scripts. Thanks, Terry

Hey all, I was wondering if you'd like to give me some feedback about my script. I know it's not exactly in the proper form but I'll get it there once I finish a rewrite. Please don't steal it....i put a lot of work into writing and would hate it if some did. Terry SayMyNameText1003.txt

right. And the more i think about, the more ideas i get to keep adding. I feel like at some point, it's going to look reallllly slap-on at some point with so many writes and rewrites. I feel like i'm making it better everytime i do a rewrite but at some point, i'm going to lose the original idea and end up making it a useless bunch of twists and turns. Meh...also what do you do about organization? I mean...how do you guys run a set that has more people that i'm used to dealing with. Do you crack the whip or do you just let each guy do his own thing and hope it works out? I'm thinking about letting the creative juices flow. for example...and this is going to be really awkward when this has to come down to it, and might even be awkward for you to explain but like...say you have a kiss on camera. And you just don't feel like they're doing it right....i have this notion that stage kissing and real kissing are totally different...do you say HEY THAT WAS A BAD KISS LETS DO IT AGAIN or do you let it slide....? I dunno some weird sides to the directors seat that i never really thought about until i got myscript together and thought it over..... Terry

Alright so my film has less talking and more showing with the pictures...at least that's what i had in mind when i wrote the script....is this something impossible for an amateur movie maker?

So... I just realized that there's alot of stuff I had to do in order to get my film together and I thought i'd ask you peoples. So first off....i've got my grubby hands on a DVX100a.....i have a lighting specialist etc. but I'm not sure organization-wise what I should be doing. How should I run the set? How does one go about organizing a shooting session with 30-40 people at a time and what should I be doing if i'm also a part of the cast? What kind of pre-shooting work should I be doing before we get together and what should I get the rest of my crew and cast to be doing as well to make things run smoothly? Terry

Okay, how big is too big for a first time project? I'm not sure I know my limits yet, in terms of size....what can you all recommend in terms of length and scope for a first-timer? Terry

what would you price the DVX100 as? What range? I've got an idea from one person and i'd like a second opinion. As a student filmmaker, anything above 2000 is pushing it :( ...so I'm gonna do a LOT of research before i actually get one... Terry

would a dvx100 be better for artsy kind of stuff? I was thinking of cinema/artsy...don't have any examples off the top of my head. Terry

i'd....have to say I think that some of the worst stuff i've seen and heard in terms of dialogue and destroyed storyline has to be the last 3 star wars movies. I felt that those last 3 were pretty bad......if they had better actors and better dialogue the rest of the movie might have caught up to the epic proportions of the cinematography and the story.

Hmmmm...that's a really good point. I guess that really makes a lot of sense. So, if i'm going to use standard DV or non-HD, are there any lower priced, cameras that are around? Maybe under $2000 that could possibly do the trick? I'm willing to sacrifice all the artificial things like nightshot and all that other jazz that I never really use anyways, and I don't think normal filmmakers use. Basically, a decent shot quality. Are there any around? Terry

hmmmm....so am I screwed if i'm looking to do some more artsy shotwork? Terry

Does this mean I'll have problems with green-screening? Not that I'm doing any, but if I WAS to do green screening, would that affect it? IS there are 24P/25P camcorder that is under $3000? Please tell me, because I'd DEFINITELY buy it. If I was to film, say a thirty minute movie- nothing fancy, like a melodrama, would a HDR-SR1 make it look terrible? Thanks, Terry

Ok thanks. I'm gonna go for the cheapest one I can get so that I can spend the rest on the film itself- which is the HDR-SR1. Many thanks and merry belated christmas! Terry

Sony HDR-FX7 anyone? It doesn't have to be in GREAT shape, just useable. however, I'm assuming anyone that has one of those babies probably doesn't want to give it up so I understand if you think otherwise. Terry P.S. I figure it's worth a shot.... pps email me at tahsieh@gmail.com if you have one or know where i can get one.

Thanks, Mr. Mullen. What about cameras? I'm looking between the Sony HDR-FX7, Sony HDR-SR1, and the JVC GR-HD1, although the last one may be pushing it. Those are the upper bounds of my camera budget. If I had to pick any of those, what would you recommend, and if there are any that fit within the $2000 budget that I don't know of yet but might work better for my filming situation, please tell me. Terry

thanks alot. Here's my next question- for sound- I know on sets, there are multiple microphones- usually a boom mike, and individual mikes that would be hidden in an actors hair, etc. How does one go about patching these in? Does it all go to the camera through a patch system or would I record each channel individually on a computer and then put it all in when I do the editing? Also, what's the difference of digitally editing HD and non-HD? Do i need specific programs to edit HD? What kinds of HD cameras would you recommend if I have a limited budget? Say....no more than $2300? (that's my own money) Terry

Hey all, How does one clip out a part of a video? For example, how would you get rid of wires and things like buildings? Is this is a specific program-related feature or is it something you actually have to do by hand using programming, etc.? Terry

I'm also still a little confused about script format? Someone told my to do 1 minute of screentime per page but for me, that's impossible because i'll never know how much in my head is a "minute"? What are the conventions for writing a script? Terry

Not a huge campus. Like maybe 800+ people? Not that big Terry

hey all, Thanks for the very helpful tips and locations where i can download material. I'll be sure to post the results of my first real "project" up somewhere to let you all critique. Also, what should i do about a crew? If i don't have a budget should i just run with friends or is this not recommended? Terry