I've always liked to entertain people, so here I am in LA as a video game programmer. Working on next gen console titles.

My other big interest is in film/video, and I've made a few shorts and a feature with mostly non-professionals. I'm hoping to meet new people out here to work with since I moved away from all my old friends.

I've posted most of my work online at http://www.talenos.com and it's all on youtube too by searching for "talenos".

I just spent the last four and half years on Spider-Man 2 and 3, mainly creating 3D animatics which served as guides for live action shooting and the creation of visual effects. Towards the end of both productions, I did a number of fairly simple final FX shots which mostly involved basic tracking, roto work and compositing, with a little 3D modeling thrown in here and there.

In the middle of production on Spidey 3, I was fortunate enough to join the DGA after shooting 2nd Unit. I worked in animation for ten years before all of this, spending about half that time in tv, half at DreamWorks Features Animation, and a year or so doing freelance vfx work.

Now, I'm concentrating on writing and shooting as much of my own material as I can before going back to work. The great thing about digital video and and the average home computer today is the power they give to aspiring filmmakers. Budgetary differences aside, I truly believe the biggest difference between the pros and those of us trying to break in is practice, persistence and attitude, which is great news for us all.

I'm a stills photographer and a sound recordist/mixer(mainly I record sounds for films and computer games)

Grew up with a big family in small town Illinois...

...I taught myself to high jump while mainly practicing at the events themselves, and eventually set several records and won a gold medal at state....

...after growing up on a PC game lan we built in our home, I saw the potential for technology, teamwork, competitiveness and the power of the internet. I taught myself how to use 3d studio max and photoshop landing my first job as a character artist in the video games industry. I've worked on next gen consoles (Xbox 360, Wii) as well as the PSP... as a concept and 3d artist...

I have a beautiful wife and three perfect kids, and I'm 26 years old. I've moved from Illinois, to Virginia and now reside in San Francisco, CA.

I've always set goals for myself, and taught myself to reach them. My next sights are on illustrating a children's book and creating a short/mini feature film I've been preparing for the last 4 years.

I love this forum, it's the greatest resource I've found for hands on information and inspiration when starting out learning the technical side of creative filmmaking. I hope to purchase a Canon HV20 (or similar) within a couple months to start practicing. I'm going to have some fun reading through all these stories, damn there's enough here! Cheers :)

For the past 16 years, I've been designing brake systems for passenger cars/light trucks. Heavy use of CATIA and other 3D modeling programs. It's a great job and rarely takes up more than 40 hours of my week.

On the side, I've made a fair amount of money shooting wedding videos and doing VHS to DVD transfers. My first wedding video was a freebie and was given as a gift. The prices have gone up ever since.

I'm a real gadget freak, so when I decided to start making some real money with videos, I settled on getting an XH-A1. Based on what I've read on these boards, if I take the time to really learn how to use the camera, I'll get great videos. Hey, geeks like me live to learn new stuff like that. Here's how bad I am: I don't even have the camera yet, but I downloaded the instruction manual and have been studying it for days!

Doing some ink-over animations (also known as archive vandalism) on some old Super8 reels that were kicking around the school art dept was probably the start of it.

Quite a few years in club, theatre and music venues as a lighting engineer/jock. Latterly, I've been doing some animation and projection stuff. Still dip in and out of lighting work if I'm convinced the band is fun to be with.

Have been working with digital video since 2000. Wrote and produced a couple of interactive video CDROMs that were sold commercially across the UK into secondary schools. Would love to get back to interactive video but it's a complicated workflow and heavy on production - full DV drama production setup PLUS code geeks, designers, uncle Tom Cobley n' all. Hard to find the cash but the results are always worth it.

Now that my writing and editing work (mostly devising content for government health campaigns on the internet) is a bit more stable, I've got myself some kit and am making local documentaries. Self-sufficiency is a must out here in the sticks. That said, I just met a guy in the next county with a crane jib I can play with!

Busy finishing shooting one docu on the community around a nuclear power station in decommissioning, half-way through one on the demise of traditional salmon fisheries and about to start a commission on the installation of a wind farm.

Forward!

I must say that I am quite intimidated by all of your guys qualifications and experience, so I am hesitant to post anything here. I am going to throw caution to the wind however, here goes.

I have spent the last 10 years working with special needs kids in a variety of settings. I have worked in residential homes, done foster care, adopted 4 of my foster kids and currently I work in special education at a high school.

Istarted my Audio Video business 10 years ago as well. I didn't actually start out to make money, I was just completely obsessed with sound and video and could not control my spending habits. Less than a year after starting, I was working 20-25 hours a week with absolutely no advertising, so I decided to run with it. Next year it looks like I will be taking it full time!

Mark

I'm an information systems specialist. Basically I troubleshoot/upgrade/build PC's . I'm also a salesman and I troubleshoot networks for homes and businesses. In my spare time of course I am a filmmaker and I also do design work for my friends band. I've done merch and promotional design along with their album artwork. I am thinking of getting into the business of independent music promotion and working with local artists on merch and album design along with music video production of course. I think that musicians should focus on their music mainly and leave the design aspect mostly up to someone else....and thats where my team would come in.

Wow, so many talented people here! I feel so out of my depth! haha

I enrolled at Newcastle Uni with the intent of emerging a hard bitten journalist and took up Film 101 cos it looked cool back in '03 and wouldn't mind learning a few tricks that go on behind the camera. One year later I realised I HATE journalism and my major becomes Film Studies. Whilst theory did get somewhat boring after a while I always found it very interesting.

I graduated from my BA last year and now I'm doing a MA at UTS. I bought a JVC HD Everio camera and I absolutely love it. Made a couple of shorts done very much guerilla style so for my next one I want to actually sit down and work it all out properly. But hey, at the end of the day its all just a big learning experience.

Edit - I unfortunately don't work in film as a job, instead selling suits etc at a menswear store. Its cool, it pays the rent but hell no I don't want to keep on doing that heh.

I might as well add my two cents worth.

After 15 years working as a research chemist for various oil companies, I changed careers and now I’ve been working as a software engineer (That’s a fancy name for computer programmer) for about 14 years. Would you believe I started working when I was 10? I’d hate to give away my age.

I’ve been videoing weddings and nature documentaries for about 3 years. I got my first prosumer camera last November (Sony HVR-A1U). It’s been a real joy learning the ins and outs of HDV. I’ve been slowly building my video business, so I can do what I love full time when I retire.

It's an odd duck, but essentially, I'm a journalist who happens to be working as a pro blogger in the marketing deparment of a medium-sized company as the editor of their house organ.

While alot of pro-bloggers get a lot of flack, everything here at my job is pretty much on the up-and-up, I get to report on industry news, I follow a strict code of ethics, always disclose our biases and our conflicts of interest, etc.

And we've broken some big stories too - got on Slashdot a number of times, etc...

I got into DV partially because we wanted to put together YouTube videos for the blog at work. I stayed with DV because I kinda... sorta... in a long story kind of way, ended up the producer of a feature-length film that I'm flying to NZ while I'm on vacation to shoot.

I'm -really- glad I learn -fast.-

Student for now.
Looking at film for later. Big hobby now.

I'm a webmaster. I run a popular (www.nairaland.com) web forum. I'm trying to become a writer/director, but why does writing have to be so hard?

What a long, strange, fun trip it's been. I have over 30 years experience as a theatre artist, five years as a film editor and for the last 13 years I've been a Media Producer for the Oregon Legislature. There's a more lot to tell about the years in between, but I don't know any of you that well ... yet.

Broadcast video consultant - this places has saved my ass on a number of occasions ;)

I'm a holistic physician and have developed a healing system using sound. I've been a filmmaker since I was 12....stop motion animations and stuff with my parent's brownie movie camera in 1960...on to Bolex cameras and art school in the 60's in Boston..on to Chiropractic college in 1977...into video production in 3-D with liquid crystal eye frames in 1989 and Canon XL2 recently.

My plans for now:

I have 60 CD's on the market using something called "Brainwave Entrainment"...sound pulses in the soundtrack pulsing at a brainwave speed cause one's brainwaves to time themselves to the pulse and change consciousness. I developed a system in 1990 to do the same thing visually embedded in the visual images for relaxation, hypnosis, meditation, etc.

I film exotic nature scenes in various parts of the world and manipulate the images to effect brainwave function on EEG for medical purposes, but the experience is like a Shamanic Journey for the eyes and ears.

In addition I teach and give national presentations, so I will be filming my presentations and some of my classes for online courses.

In addition....my old artists filmmaker part will be heading out into the big, bad world to make art films whose purpose is nothing other than to please me and have fun.



Dr Jeff

In my real life, I start and run commercial banks. I was asked to help out a friend's commercial production business one weekend, and was bitten by the potential and creativity. I will likely never be a pro (too old, too occupied by banking involvement) but I am a type A and whatever I do, I like to do it the best I am capable of. So, I am very gratefull to those of you who are experienced and creative, and I look forward to learning here. Thank you.

Documentary filmmaker, videomaker, producer, journalist...
(and I also translate docs from E/F/D/CH-D into Italian)

Rocket scientist by day..songwriter/composer/producer by night. Was an audio engineer and PC analyst in my previous life...but looking to gain new ground in filming (videography) so as to quit my day job....sigh....and they call me a dreamer. Maybe I could hook up with some investment banker somewhere...hmmm....now let's see....where do I look ...lol

These hobbies are getting expensive.

IT Support and Project Management

Based in Chelmsford in Essex.

Just bought my camera and equipment, so full speed ahead captain!

Having trouble finding ppl I know to work with, but it will come with time. For now, write write write!

Software Consultant / Developer by day (actually, by night too)

student right now, but I still operate my production business out of Victoria & Waco, TX. Do shorts here & there, & I have a mokumentary on the way.

We all come to DVInfo to

Some DVi members actually live the film making* dream every day. Others like myself have to keep trodding along in our 9-5 jobs hoping one day we too can turn a passion into a career.

I'd like to hear from everyone, exactly what it is you do for a living. To you guys who are in the film industry, how did you end up there?

I'm an IT/network tech for the Canadian government. Save me.


* - I know, technically DV = video, but leave me alone :)

I shamelessly push wide angle lenses and high quality filters on internet forums.

:)

Ryan Avery
Schneider Optics

A couple of years back I started feeling the urge to get back into image making, and have been playing with 3D computer graphics and animation using Cinema 4D, and am now working on a (personal) project that will involve integrating animation with video.

Hi Jim, I was just reading your post (from April) and I thought I'd send you a link to a short film I did. I also use Cinema 4D and wanted to mix animation with live action. Check it out when you have time:
http://www.sanczel.com/bluvid5point.htm
The little pencil in the film is the star of a lot of my 3D animations. Love the Cinema 4D...

Sean

I worked for Win98 tech support, good money. Hated life , went to community college to get into radio. That year they shut down the radio broadcasting program. Did some plays, 7 years since previous one in HS, ended up getting paid techie work at the only local AEA playhouse. Played techie for another year, decided to focus on acting. 8 years later, after becoming one of the few regularly paid talent, got a loan for 60k to start a small studio.

Ive got 15 years of production experience, and great working relationships with darn near everyone Ive crossed paths with. Theres allot of talent int this town, true artist in their chosen areas who are working hell day jobs, and I intend to change that.

Sean,

Very nice!

I'm still trying to get time to work on my not quite magnum opus. A lot of ideas, not much forward progress. Real life (work etc) keeps getting in the way of doing personal stuff. One of these days (months? years?) I'll get it done and post it.

I am a student at Ohio University in telecommunications. But on the side, I run a little production gig and shoot/edit/produce music videos, weddings/events, and corporate work.

Over the summer I worked for a design firm in Columbus, OH doing video for their web. The company owner had the idea to do video driving directions from all over columbus to the office, so I strapped my camera to the top of a truck and drove. they turned out pretty well and the boss was happy.(http://www.prioritydesigns.com/contact.html)

The idea is brilliant, I've never seen it before. But you (or the owner) might want to re-thing posting quicktime directions... virtually all work computers are PCs and with tightened security most of them won't allow installing additional software - in plain English you're loosing out on most of the potential viewers.

So think about offering WinMedia as an alternative; as an added bonus, it's quite a bit better quality too at the same bitrate/file size.

Hi DVi Crew:

I've started in the industy in 1987.
Initially as an allround nono. Done a few workshops. Learned most by doing and making mistakes.

Used a lot of machines.
Umatic VO 4800, Umatic Type 5's, DXC M3, DXC 3000, DXC 325, Highband Umatic, 1 inch C format, Paltex Abner, M2, BVE 900, BVE 910, BVE 2000, Abekas Solo, Betacam Sp, Digibeta, Beta SX, DVS 2000, DVS 8000, DVS 9000, Ampex ADO, Dme 3000, etc. etc.

Specialised to (lineair) editing from 1991.

Nowadays i use Matrox RTX2 edit (2 sets) with Adobe Premiere Pro, Sony Vegas, DXC D30 with DSR 1P, and XDcamHD F330.

Started working 5 years for corporate producers, 10 years in commercial television and since 1999 as an independant freelance director and editor.

I'm a partner in PictureThis.tv, a production company specialised in streaming media, both live and on demand.

I like being allround again. Use the cam a lot. Like to write, shoot, make music and give people advise on creative and technical stuff. Still hooked to the profession.

Happy shooting!

Eelco.

Work in a factory and hate it

Also run two buisnesses and starting a third...LOL

Value Sports & Entertainment Tickets
http://www.vsetickets.com

And Stera-Clean C.S.C.

I'm opening up a marketing group with a high school friend called
D.S. Marketing Group

Scott,

I work the overnight shift as a tape deck operator at NBC in Rockfeller Center. We back up all the feeds that come in off of the news wire into our servers, and that's where the tape deck operators come in. I stand in front of a wall of 36 betamax tape decks and switch them, label them and cart them all night. It is exciting to be part of a big company here in NYC, in a company with so much production constantly. Hope to ask questions of some cameramen and other production crew.

I edit off of FCP and own a Canon XH-A1 HDV camcorder. I have done some jobs on my own, as well as interned on a Brett Morgen (think "The Kid Stays In the Picture") film. I also was an assistant to an independent filmmaker here in New York City for close to a year. I hope to be able to support myself with a job within the film/video industry, whether it be PA on a shoot, working with a television station, and/or build up a client base and do some video work on my own. We'll see where the road leads!

I am a Partner of Inside Streetball, a one stop shop for the Summer Basketball Tournaments in New York City. Our business evolved over the years from writing proposals and taking pictures to shooting over 100 games a summer. Along with shooting, we had to learn editing. Being the idiot that I am I never looked online for a forum such as this. I am overwhelmed by the knowledge shared here. We've been shooting on 2 Canon GL2's but just bought an A1. I can tell I'm going to be on the forums all the time. I look forward to sitting at the feet of the masters and learning from you guys.

Been working as a Network Administrator for the last 22 years and it's getting pretty old. Would love to finally make the jump to writing novels (which I am in the process of writing a couple now), freelancing for several publications on a regular basis (which I did about 13 years ago, almost leaving the IT world behind) or making movies and films (which is something I have enjoyed doing these last few months that I've got back into digital video).

Still work in the outdoors shooting photos and video for piece meal stuff. Still working in education, though most of the work goes to the web anymore. Aside from that I freelance every so often for various gigs.

Transitioning to HD all around, which is exciting.

Full time I produce short for shows for web pertaining to action sports, music and lifestyle. www.steelroots.com. I also do consulting work, but only the Mac/Final Cut side of it.

Part time I'm a semi-pro grape peeler

Hi Everyone,

My background is a mixed bag. Career began as a scientist (marine biology - 15 years), then pres of the Canadian Museum of Nature (13 years), then started a consulting company (7 active years) based on fun but helpful things including environmental and sustainable development projects, defending and promoting traditional knowledge of aboriginal people in sensitive negotiations with resource development companies, photography, writing, and television documentaries (mostly as a subject or resource person, but have written about a hundred scripts for underwater docs), then got sidetracked into being CEO of a manufacturing company to help my terminally ill brother (5 years) -- did a couple of corporate documentaries using employees as hosts, slowly extracting myself from that so I am now back at the door of opportunity to do something different.

My idea is pretty simple. I would like to combine the science and business experiences and skills, as well as my familiarity (although certainly no expert) with TV and documentaries to a mini-career in independent film making.

I look forward to being a part of this group as well as asking for advice as my newest career develops. Starting from nearly ground zero again should be fun.

Alan

In my life time I have been a store man, a counter salesman, a sales representative .I worked for a company doing interior decorating in banks across South Africa for a year. I have repaired air brakes on underground locomotives in Gold mines for about 10 years. I have built and repaired rock drill machines, I once owned a business selling and repairing Golf carts. I was a professional Disk jockey for a while. I was fortunate enough to act in a movie. I owned a computer repair shop for many years. I have designed and maintained Web Sites. I have sold millions of Rand’s worth of property on the east coast. I have raced motorcycles against world champions. I was an infantryman in a war zone for a year. I have been married to my soul mate for more than 22 years. I have 2 children that I love and am very proud of. I have had articles published in a motorcycle magazine. I ran a motocross race track for 2 years. I have been a motorcycle mechanic. I am a manager at one of the oldest and most respected motorcycle dealers in South Africa. I have filmed produced and sold videos. I have broken my back and got up and carried on with life. I failed at some things. Most of the above I was and still am very good at. All of the above have helped shape me into the person I am.

I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up.

Retired at 28. Then I got bored and started a band.

I am happy to say that I get the opportunity everyday to work in the video industry. I have been an audio engineer for over 23 years and I produce a few artists on a regular basis. Since video is a major vehicle for up and coming artists I got into video production to help promote them. It turned into something so much more over the past 3 years. I now do industrial video, commercials, and documentaries along with my music video production. I also started goodintentionsinc.org to help families with cancer by using video and audio production to benefit and educate them. If you are interested, you can check out some of my work at http://youtube.com/user/eddietomecko. God bless all you talented video, filmmakers out there! Eddie T.

I work as a freelance camera op. Not quite sure I'm making a living as yet, though I'm certainly having fun trying. With my work I've traveled to Ghana, Ethiopia and China as well as various places in Europe. I do a lot of corporate stuff and some TV, most the stuff I do seems to end up on the web. I'm looking to build up with more clients and regular work in the London area.

Well I took the long route. Shortly after a years break from college I had just been accepted by Montana State to finish my major in photography when a 22 year career as a submariner intervened. Following that my own computer business and I've been working for a major consulting firm for 10 years. My wife started doing rather upscale video/photo slide shows for people, knew about my photo interests and suggested I get back into it to help her out. So that started the Canon 30D, next thing I know were starting to shoot a few weddings and now someone booked us to video a wedding so there is the XH-A1. Now I'm seeing if I can work a 3 year plan to move into this full time. The last two days we've been researching various stabilizers and looks like I'll be ordering a flowpod in the morning. The forums here have been a huge source of help and inspiration - but this is my first post.

Regards,
Fred

19 yrs old here. I'm the CTO of a small business. I'm 2 months away from my BA, and I plan on going to Grad School for a Ph.D. in Psychology. I've just started testing the video making waters.... and I'm FASCINATED! I'm working on my second project now and I'm loving every second of it. It's a biographical documentary of a very interesting man. With my psychological leanings, I will be focusing in his psychological struggle (he had plenty of demons). Maybe I can combine my talents/interests.. hmm.. Gotta speak with my parents about this, i wonder what they will say..

Whats going on!

I remember the first day I got my Million Dollar idea. I just got off of my $7.00 an hour job and was anticipating the premier of a music video of my favorite song with a few of my friends.

I’ll never forget how excited I was. I was thinking about it all day. “This is gonna be hot!”

So it finally aired and we watched the whole thing. It turns out I got all excited for no reason. It was horrible. I left that music video premier only to be left saying, “HUH?!” by the end of the video.

I was shocked to see how sloppy the
video was put together!

The director totally missed the mark. I couldn't believe it. There was even a part where the video was off sync with the audio. And this same video even aired on national TV!

And if that wasn’t bad enough, the director got paid lots of money to make that video….We’re talking thousands of dollars.

At this point I found myself saying, “I need to get a camera and start shooting videos for money because this guy sucks and I know I can do better!” That’s when I made the decision to do just that. I started my music video business on the spot.

When I made the decision to start filming music videos, I realized I lived in an area where lots of unsigned artists needed a hot video to launch their careers. I already had a starving market; I just had to let them know I could be their ticket to success. I had a strategy.

A week later I had my first paying client! I was so excited, and even though I’d never filmed a music video before, I knew I could do it. Not long after that, I went from local customers to celebrity clients who paid me thousands of dollars per video.

It's been history ever since. My first music video I ever shot for a local artists ended up on B.E.T so I was lovin that.

Now I teach people (along with still doing music videos) how they can make money shooting music videos whether they have experience or not.

I was in a 9 to 5 for a while but keep pressin and youll get it

Much luck and success!

Jamal "Jag" Johnson
Http://www.MusicVideoTrainingCenter.com

I am lucky enough to be making a living with my video cameras. I work for a Wisconsin State agency that produces all forms of educational, teacher staff development and documentary productions. We are a small office, and for the most part I'm a one man shop with some help from college interns and stringer. The most interesting work has been documentaries for local historical groups.I have been shooting on small remote great lakes islands, state parks, maritime museums and currently in the Teton Mountains /Jackson Hole valley in Wyoming.

I fill in that work with wedding and event videos and some shooting for a couple of independent film companies.
www.replayvideo.net

I am a web developer and shall be attending university next year for my degree in computer science.

How long ago it seems, that day I took the first step to joining the film & tv business....OK, sorry folks, this will NOT be a drone-a-thon! But you DID ask. Mid '60s. Had made a couple of 8mm movies at school, but had just left Tech College and had no idea of what to do. Saw an ad in a London paper for a tea boy and post room op in a documentary film company. Got job. Saw editing, camera and sound departments at work and chose sound. Joined union, absolutely essential in those days as you could not work unless in the union; yet could not join union unless in work. I guess that it's easier to get in the business now in that respect, but of course there are few (or no?) training schemes, as the BBC used to have for its entrants. How is a person supposed to learn or train now? Are experienced technicians suppose to leap forth, fully formed? No, yet again it's who you know that is important. If you can persuade a crew chief to take you on as an inexperienced dogs body, then you can absorb experience and eventually make contacts and branch out on your own. You ask how to get into the game? That's it: persistence, luck, contacts. Plus...be NICE to people, it really does work. OK, you'll be ripped off and exploited from time to time, but that's life,isn't it? People will remember that you were helpful and supportive and ask you along again.
I'm now in my 60s but still working in broadcast tv and corporates. If I'm approached by someone who needs help to start up in this game I feel that it is not only my privilege but my obligation to pass on the torch. If they get me regular cups of tea, that is!

Good post, Nick

im a taxi driver :-(
I changed my dads rank into an internet coffee shop and had fully intended doin video work in a back room that i spent £500 on soundproofing! Unfortunatley the staff have left and have not been replaced. I have struggled to pay my half of the rent drove taxis every night.. and been in coffee shop all of the time... its only little n was never meant to be stand alone...i even moved the video editing stuff into main shop so could get on.. but i find stopping and starting is just no good with video work... people wanting to have a chat etc can have advantages when you need a second opinion..... but generally i think for video work youneed to be locked away for a few hours... with a good supply of coffee!
So as yet i have not made much of a sucess of anything. I have done a little bit baby work with local youth centres... and few little jobs... but i countinue to dream on....
I have had stupid computer problems too..... using edius 4.6 ... and am finding in general organising and storing clips etc really difficult. I have loads of fantastic ideas... fantastic software... some good shots.. but hey its just bringing it all together... and doent it always seem like.. if i just had another camera... or that tripod... or that latest processor... or another hard drive...! :(

I'm 19 years old. I am involved in three different businesses: a web design firm (chief designer), a real estate market data analysis company (VP) and a media company (writer, gopher, and technology head). I also work at a local grocery store, just to meet some interesting people.

While I am fairly new in the film making world, I can easily see it becoming a central part of my life. In the next several years, I can see myself filming full time. I love it!

I spend my 9 to 6 hours working as an Assistant to the Manager, or Assistant Manager, depending on the shoes I'm filling, at an Apple Authorized Service Center.

It's not video editing, but it is working on Macs all day, so that's some solace. But the first time I get enough gigs lined up I'm quitting this job and cutting out on my own.

The job does have a perk of a discount on hardware once a year, so I have enough recurring gigs lined up in the next year that I recently justified a purchase of a Mac Pro (early 2008, 8core 2.8ghz) to edit on, which replaced my aging 1.5ghz 17" Powerbook.

So that's nice. But yeah, using the Mac for creation far beats spending time around crashed hard drives in Macbooks and customers who are currently hating Apple for not being perfect.