Jacob C Ross

I think filmmaking is still a relatively new artform.. what you see popularized on TV is just hollywood trying to use gimmicks (ie: shaky everything, quick cuts, etc) camera tricks/trends come and go, good stories stand the test of time. I think overall what has drained the attention span of folks is convenience culture, quite a disturbing thing.... but this could veer off into philosophy territory so I'll cut it short :P films like Aguirre, the Wrath of God, 400 Blows, Taxi Driver, Stalker.... all would be considered somewhat avant garde/arthouse and pretty far outside the conventional Hollywood techniques at the time, yet all remain classics that have withstood the test of time same can be said for Hollywood films like Citizen Kane, Planet of the Apes, Casablanca.... a good universal story taps into the collective unconscious... this transcends just about everything... now when you have an amazing story COMBINED with innovative techniques, well then my friend, you are sitting on the next instant classic

I think a DVX100/a/b would suit you well. There have been MANY award winning films shot on this camera. If you want to go the HD route then the Canon HV20/HV30 might interest you, although it doesn't have nearly the amount of control that the DVX will have. The Canon XHA1 (if you can find a used one) might be something to look at, as would a used HVX200. But if you are just getting started, a DVX100 would serve you well IMHO. It's the camera most indep. filmmakers cut their teeth on. Check out a documentary called "Iraq In Fragments".. it was an academy award nominated documentary that won a ton of film festival awards, including an award at Sundance for best cinematography. Shot on the DVX100a.

camera = just a tool for telling a story film, HD, DV, stills.... all these have their own aesthetics and you can successfully tell a visual story with all of them.

At this point in your career (early stages) it will be really good experience and you'll learn a lot. The more you progress in your career, the more chances you will have to collaborate with directors/writers. Just my 2 cents. good luck man.

Hey guys, I just added some new stuff to my reel, let me know what you think. Thanks. Jacob Ross Reel