Michael Owens

Other

Wichita, Honolulu, New York and Philadelphia

Bolex H16 (several various models), Krasnogorsk 3, old Kodak 8mm gear also.

My father taught me how to shoot and edit 8mm and 16mm films when I was about 7 or 8 years old. He gave me the passion for cinematography and film making that I still have with me today. I took cinematography courses in high school (Wichita North High) working with one inch open reel to reel video where you "edited" with a razor blade and prayed each time an edit passed over the machine heads, and then in college (Wichita State University) where, oddly enough, we were limited to 8mm and Super 8mm film. Most of the time, through my association with my father and his friends in the "Wichita Movie Club", I usually knew more about the intricacies and subtle nuances of film and cinematography than my instructors did.

I have recently stepped back into the wonderful world of 16mm movie making and am loving every minute of it! I am currently unemployed. I last served as a Video Teleconference facilitator/engineer for the US Army, as a contractor, at Schofield Barracks in Honolulu, HI conducting military command and control secure VTCs, as well as non-secure family oriented VTCs connecting families with their loved ones at Army posts all over the world.

Before that gig, I was a giant screen computer and video projection engineer for large scale Rock and Roll concerts - Stevie Wonder, Natalie Cole, a bunch of other famous acts - and events like the then unknown "Ultimate Fighting Championship" or "Ultimate Fighting Challenge", I forget what name they used. Dana White's outfit that later became crazy famous in Vegas and on Spike TV. I did all of their giant screen projection at the Trump Taj Mahal and other venues in Atlantic City and up and down the I-95 corridor on the east coast. Same thing at the Meadowlands just outside New York, oh excuse me, the "Continental Airlines Arena". Technically I was an employee of Showorks Audio/Visual out of Delaware. But I was asked for by name for most of the big shows that happened on the east coast in the early 2000s.

In the early 1990s. for about 6 years, I was the Chief Engineer, and then the Executive Director, of a television station responsible for three channels and a city-wide fiber optic network used for data and, when needed, remote fiber transmission of live video programming to the cable company's head end for cablecast of live election results, local sport match-ups, graduations, etc. - Basically, I'm the guy who gets things done when it comes to images and signal distribution and presentation. Currently looking for work, or an excuse to begin my own business again, (I ran a successful video production company with a close friend for 6 years) before the television engineer job landed in my lap. I am confidant and genuinely sure of my skills, which might come off as arrogant, but I don't mean to be. I have loads of experience and wisdom which comes from walking the walk. I can't honestly say which I would prefer - a job or running my own business again. I guess I have decisions to make, but then, don't we all? In the mean time, I willconcentrate on selling a film or three at a festival like Sundance, get somewhat famous and start my dream work of editing honest to goodness Hollywood movies! After all, the best editor's work is never really noticed by most people, it is only recognized or even noticed by other film makers.

Aloha! - Flying O

~~O~~

UPDATE! - July 21, 2015 - I just bought a Krasnogorsk-3 (K-3) and am SUPER excited to shoot with it! I might even change to a Super 16mm gate soon..! (So jazzed!!)

http://www.flyingo.com