Shawn S

I want to make a video for a contest I know of. It's a contest to make a video for a music track from a composer. There are a dozen tracks to choose one from for this contest. I myself am a editor/producer and would like to find a creative DP (preferably with camera but if you are artistic and creative then we can get one if needed) to collaborate on ideas and spend a weekend shooting. I can help get some more crew if needed. I want a good quality but artistic piece. As for camera I am thinking nothing less then prosumer 3 chip cameras. So please have experience in such cameras, like the DVX100, XL1/2, and up. Please know what you are doing when it comes to lighting (using natural or lights), camera settings and composition. I don't mind working with someone just out of film school or someone already working. There is NO PAY (unless we win the contest) so I am thinking shooting on a weekend and collaborating over a couple weeks of editing. If I can find the right DP we can go in on this together and split anything if this film is a winner. I would admit that the prizes seem nice but I am also in it for fun and to make new contacts. I'm already working in post production of prime time cable TV shows and DVD's and have some contacts that I can maybe help you with if this all works out. As far as the music we will be creating something for, think acoustic, artsy, Sigur Ros, Coldplay, Death Cab For Cutie. If you are interested please send me a link with your reel if you have one and anything else you want to include. If I think we will work good together I will send you a link to listen to the songs and the contest info. We can then collaborate on ideas. I live in Hollywood so someone the closer the better but it doesn't really matter if you are the right one. I will be taking this seriously but mostly want to have some fun with it. We only have until the end of October. Look forward to hearing from some DP/Camera opps with a creative side. Thanks for checking out this post. -Shawn shawn@filmpost.tv

Nice work. 4min & 38secs is a long time for a reel though. But good stuff.

I'm an editor so not an expert at Cimematography but I didn't see any cinema until 20 seconds into it. In a big fast paced studio setting if they don't like it in 30-60 seconds it's gone. There are some very nice shots in there. But some are too static and seem like filler. Maybe more movement, dolly shots perhaps? Is there quite a bit of hand held shots in there? If so nice job on them. Overall it seems pretty good. Get to the good stuff quicker and maybe shorten it buy a minute. Especially if it's only those what, 4-5 pieces? Those are just my opinions. What do you shoot mostly? Film, HD, video? -Shawn

Agreed with what Chris said. I am an editor (actually assistant right now) in Los Angeles working on national TV shows. If you want to be an "editor" then master the editing programs. You can thrive in the low level editing world with knowing a bit of all those programs like After Effects and such. But once you pass that level of work it's mostly the editing program it self that you will be working with. Look up the Offline & Online processes and you will see the effects and sound is all done later on first the program is edited. I personally know a little bit of the compisting programs, I know the Apple programs (DVD Studio Pro, Motion, etc.) but Avid and Final Cut Pro will get you by for being an editor. I won't get into which one is better then the other but it is important to know Avid to really get ahead in the industry. I am working wtih Media Composer quite a bit but also worked with Adrenaline, Xpress & FCP. There are editors then know many other programs and some do get some good work out of it so if you want to learn them and have them go for it but to really be an editor master the editing programs. If you are assembling your own home editing station then it might be good to have a bit of everything involved so when working on a independent feature or whatever it may be you can do as much as you can at your own station since chances are the producers don't have the budget for a real Online process. I have my own station, mac G5 with FCP & Avid Xpress, the Apple Studio programs, The Adobe suite, etc. but most of my work is working at a Post facility so I only use my own station for little independent side projects. -Shawn

Wow, I was told that if we were careful that 4:1 might cut it. I just finished some work on a non-school related 30 minute 16mm film that did do something like 7:1 ratio so I was wondering what my teacher was talking about with 4:1 being good for students. I will keep all that info in mind. Thanks for bringing that up. The school has sponsors which Kodak is part of but through that deal they don't supply film for the student's own work. Only some here and there for in-class teaching and camera testing. It's really not much. Knowing that I need at least 4400 feet and probably closer to what you were saying at around double that, 20% discount is great but more would be awesome. It doesn't hurt to ask for it for free first, right. I am producing but it was the writer/director's of these films that have ideas of doing it on film. That is just a lot of film and we have acess to some good DV equipment so I have to bring that up to them. But it would be real fun and an awesome experience to do it on 16mm. Thanks for all your suggestions so far. -Shawn

I am producing two 15 minute long films. They are probably about 12-14 minutes each when it?s all said and done but I figure it can't hurt to have a little more. We are students but we are very professional about how we work and what we produce. I am a student at Rockport College which is part of the Maine Film and Video Workshops. The camera we will probably be using is the Panavision Elaine 16mm. Probably half of it will be on location in various locations and the other half in a soundstage. Probably two thirds of what I have will be in highly lit rooms or soundstage. The other third of it will be fairly dark sets. They will later be edited on Avid. I am just producing and editng these films. Someone else wrote them and is directing them, DP, gaff, sound, etc. I went through some numbers and for the two films, saying they will be 15 minutes each, at a 4:1 shooting ratio I am looking at 4400 feet of 16mm film. I think I got that all right. That's saying that a 400 ft roll does about 11 minutes. We will be shooting in late March and most of April. Then editing at the end of April and these will be shown in the beginning of May. For both of these films the goals are eventually the film festival circuit. We are looking for some info on getting the film for free or at least maybe discounted for students. I know that people get film for free all the time. I am just trying to find out exactly how. There are 6 other films that are looking into being shot on film so if we could get a huge discount maybe for all of them together that would be helpful too. Or would it not matter about multiple order discounts? I attend school in Maine but live in Rochester NY when not at school. That is the home of Kodak so I am going to see what I can find there and I should be home for a week before shooting so I can pick anything up in person. I am in the process of contacting some other people and companies too. If anyone has some helpful info for obtaining the film, it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much, -Shawn Swetsky Producer/Editor

Hi everyone. I have been reading this forum and posting once in a while if it is something I can actually add to for the past year. I mostly read though because I find I can learn a lot that way. Anyways, I live in the Rochester NY area but go to school in Rockport Maine. I got to Rockport College also known for their summer workshops. I am starting my last semester there this spring term. I so far have worked with mostly DV and a little bit of 16mm. I am going to be working on someone else's 10 day 16mm shoot in a few days and will be doing some more this semester along with learning a bit about 35mm. My main interest is editing though and the world of Post Production. I will be looking for a job (aren't many people out there) to start this summer or fall. I currently use Avid Express DV and Final Cut Pro. I am trying to learn Adobe After Effects on my own right now. I seem to be coming up with some questions to my self here and there about the process so I might post some soon. I also wanted to say that I think this is a great place with many knowledgeable people here, and also thanks to all those people. I hope one day I can help provide more info to people here but for now I enjoy reading and occasionally chiming in. If anyone is in the Maine area and would like to check out the school I go to just let me know and I can help. Thanks -Shawn

Hi, I currently attend Rockport College in Rockport Maine. They are a film and photo school that is even more known for their summer workshops for film and photo. They have a killer young filmmaker workshop during the summer. It is 4 weeks long I believe and from what I hear it is pretty intense. You learn every aspect of making a film and I think you even work with real film (probably 16mm although there is a lot of 35mm stuff being done while you are there for other workshops anyway). Its a great way to learn quite a bit and meet some great people. www.theworkshops.com You can always learn a lot buy just using a video camera and making your own movies at home. Many towns or countys have film groups and associations for the area that you might be able to help out with too. good luck -Shawn