New and need help for son with Autism

[Michael L. Johnson]

Originally Posted by Noa Put

Steve is right, alltough I and probably others won't mind answering through a PM you will be much better served if it's discussed on this forum as people you have not reached out to personally will jump in as well to give you advise based on their experience. You will get different opinions but eventually it will be up to you to decide which path to follow.

I think you don't need to explain any further about the challenges your son and yourself will be facing as that is already clear but now you need to be focusing on the tools you will be using and if you want advice you need to give us something to work with, so far we know it has to be a camera that has a good enough all auto functionality but that it must have manual functionality you would expect from a professional video camera and that you are only going to shoot in good light conditions and on a tripod.

You don't need to be very specific about what you are going to shoot but you could say if you are going to shoot interviews, or sports, or wildlife. In your camerachoice their is a difference between fixed lens camera's and camera's you have to buy lenses for. The fixed lens camera's are usually easier to work with and are fully functional after you buy them, camera's with exchangeable lenses need an extra investment on lenses and can need extra accessories (mainly dslr's) to make them production ready, they do give you more creative possibilities ranging from a very shallow dof (depending on sensor size), low light capabilities, lens choices that enable you to shoot macro, fisheye, tele but they are also more difficult to deal with then a regular videocamera with a fixed lens.

Noa,

Once again, thank you for the reply. If you look at the replies that I have made to Steve, Mike and Dave, hopefully the points you have raised have been addressed. As always, I am very thankful for any comments that you or any other member make, as I begin this quest. I know I have taken on a huge challenge, but what is life without a little adversity.

Michael

[Ed Roo]

Hi Michael!
I am slowly working my way through all these replies, so as I see something, I will be adding comments.

For the group, a general overview of autism might be in order. First of all, autism is described as a spectrum of disabilities. Some are more exaggerated than others. While there may be general similarities, each child/adult is different. They have their own "peculiarities". Socialization is difficult for them. They usually have one thing that interests them and they hyperfocus on it.

My own son is now 25. He was diagnosed with Aspergers when he was 12. Aspergers has been described as high functioning autism. In my son's case, he has an IQ of 141 and graduated from college two years ago with an English degree in Creative Writing. He graduated in four years and was able to maintain a 2.5 GPA to keep his scholarships. Along the way there were many challenges. The most difficult of which was organizational skills to effectively study and complete assignments.

I have coached youth soccer for 20 years. Soccer is probably the most studied sport in the world. There are coaches handbooks available that specificly address age appropriate skills. At a national coaches convention one year, I attended a session on psychological training. As I listened to the presenter, my mind related the concepts he was describing to applications that would aid my son educationally.

At the end of the session, I introduced myself to the presenter and related my thoughts. In the course of our discussion, he inquired where my son went to school. I told him, and said so-and-so was the mens soccer coach there and that I should ask him if he would become a non-academic advisor to my son. Backing up, when I attended a college visit with my daughter at the same school, one of the speakers was the athletic director. He was talking about students having different needs and related the story of his daughter. She had been a soccer player and was injured during her sophomore year which ended her playing career. She became depressed and her grades began to suffer. The AD found a tutor for her and she improved her grades. That's when my lightbulb came on! The athletic department knows more about helping students with learning difficulties than any other department in the school and they have access to the tutoring resources to assist the student athlete.

Back to my story. Coaches also have to be great motivators, so they are usually pretty good at applied psychology. Just what my son needed! I sent the coach a letter asking if he would be willing to take on my son as a non-academic advisor and he said yes. This consisted of my son meeting with him once a week for about 15 minutes. The coach would made contact with all my son's instructors, so when my son came in, he knew what his status was. He was someone my son felt comfortable with and the coach was a great influence for the next two years.

Mike, you mentioned difficultly finding a mentor for your son. Think outside the box. One idea, contact the local television stations and give them your contact information. Ask if they would contact any of their retired camera people inquire if any of them would be interested in working with your son. That's where my mentor of the past ten years came from. You may find one or more who would jump at the opportunity. You may find one that has the patience and demeanor that meshes with your sons personality. Another source may be a local college. It may be a retired instructor or even a current student who is studying video production or another class that incorporates use of audio and video equipment.

[Michael L. Johnson]

Ed,

Thank you for the reply, and the very helpful suggestions about looking for a mentor. I began, and thought that a local video club would be a good place to start, but apparently there are none in my immediate area. I will expand my search beyond my immediate area, and also see what I am able to cultivate via colleges, universities, and the television stations.

Congratulations on the success your son has had to date, and good job with the effort, I have no doubt you expended, in helping him over the years to get him to to the place he is now.

Keep up the good work, and thank you for sharing a little bit of your story.

Mike

[Steven Digges]

Michael,

No apology necessary for anything. You caused no distress. My posts are sometimes blunt, but I never mean to be rude. I was simply trying to figure out how to help out the best I can. As I said, your endeavor is admirable.

I love to see anyone pursue a dream or work towards a difficult success. If I was not a risk taker myself I would be in a different profession :-)

Now that I have a direction I will try to provide some positive input as time permits.

Kind Regards,

Steve

[Karl Walter Keirstead]

I would suggest a niche business that has a moderate tech dimension without a complex marketing dimension.

The business model you pick is much more important than selection of any camera.

One example that might be worth looking into is live data broadcast of events in theaters that have limited seating.

If you build a proposal kit that makes it easy for show producers to get one-time distribution rights, it should be fairly easy to get clients on board with the notion that with local blackout, a live data broadcast offers a non-competing means of multiplying box office sales (e.g. 3 times more subscribers). Some hosting agents do the marketing, collect the ticket revenue, and remit something like 66% of the revenue to the producers.

Live performance recordings (especially opera) require a lot of concentration, tracking actors as they come on stage in crowds and then at times go down to solo/duet/small groups then back to full cast - your son might b able to do a very good job here.

Once you get a theater on board, there can be a lot of repeat business.

A good cam for this is a fixed lens - long zoom cam as recordings typically have to be done from the back of halls oftentimes at a distance of 60 -75 feet. I use a Panasonic AG-AC160A for this type of work.

I own a software company that builds and sells software to mental health clinics/hospitals - we have a customer (USA midwest) that is a center of excellence in Autism, they use a world wide knowledge base on Autism that we built for their ongoing use - they might be able to provide advice/assistance at a distance.

If you want to have a brief chat, call me at 450 458 5601 (east coast time zone).

[Michael L. Johnson]

Originally Posted by Steven Digges

Michael,

No apology necessary for anything. You caused no distress. My posts are sometimes blunt, but I never mean to be rude. I was simply trying to figure out how to help out the best I can. As I said, your endeavor is admirable.

I love to see anyone pursue a dream or work towards a difficult success. If I was not a risk taker myself I would be in a different profession :-)

Now that I have a direction I will try to provide some positive input as time permits.

Kind Regards,

Steve

Steve,

Thank you for the reply. That is good to hear (that I did not offend you, nor hopefully, anyone else), as I really am relying on the members here to fill in for the knowledge and experience that I do not have. I look forward to any further input that you (and others) may have.

Thanks,

Mike

[Michael L. Johnson]

Originally Posted by Karl Walter Keirstead

I would suggest a niche business that has a moderate tech dimension without a complex marketing dimension.

The business model you pick is much more important than selection of any camera.

One example that might be worth looking into is live data broadcast of events in theaters that have limited seating.

If you build a proposal kit that makes it easy for show producers to get one-time distribution rights, it should be fairly easy to get clients on board with the notion that with local blackout, a live data broadcast offers a non-competing means of multiplying box office sales (e.g. 3 times more subscribers). Some hosting agents do the marketing, collect the ticket revenue, and remit something like 66% of the revenue to the producers.

Live performance recordings (especially opera) require a lot of concentration, tracking actors as they come on stage in crowds and then at times go down to solo/duet/small groups then back to full cast - your son might b able to do a very good job here.

Once you get a theater on board, there can be a lot of repeat business.

A good cam for this is a fixed lens - long zoom cam as recordings typically have to be done from the back of halls oftentimes at a distance of 60 -75 feet. I use a Panasonic AG-AC160A for this type of work.

I own a software company that builds and sells software to mental health clinics/hospitals - we have a customer (USA midwest) that is a center of excellence in Autism, they use a world wide knowledge base on Autism that we built for their ongoing use - they might be able to provide advice/assistance at a distance.

If you want to have a brief chat, call me at 450 458 5601 (east coast time zone).

Karl,

Thank you for the reply, and the information it contained. I agree that the business model is important, at least as important as any equipment, and I have given it a lot of thought. I have a rough idea on how I hope to proceed,though that can and probably will change as I gain more knowledge, and get advice from my new friends here.

Thank you,

Michael

[Michael L. Johnson]

Hey Everyone:

Yesterday was a "Mackenzie Day" as Saturdays have been for years in which we get out and try to do things which are fun and or interesting. The day ended at Texas Roadhouse-he loves steak, and as we were having dinner, a few questions came to mind.

What kind of insurance should I look into ? Will my regular home owner's policy or car insurance take care of the business needs,, especially when and if we go on site for filming ? Will I need some type of permit or license to do this ?

Another question that came to mind, assuming that I end up with a camera that was on my list or one similar, will a shotgun directional microphone be adequate, and if so, from how far away will it pick up sound ?
As I understand it, a directional mic picks up sound from whatever direction it is pointed to, hopefully that is the case, as I am sure from time to time I will be giving verbal directions to my son, and I probably will not want those to be included in the video, just the sounds of the trucks that he is filming..

Thanks,

Michael

[Mike Watson]

Your idea of shooting big machinery is a good one. It is a true niche market in that there are little boys (and apparently older boys with autism!) who really enjoy watching this kind of thing.

My suggestion to you is that you spend ~$300 on a videocamera and < $50 on a tripod and go out and shoot some. You will want to teach the basics of the idea that the rocker switch zooms in and out and that the red button records. Most of this stuff will be the same between all cameras. Start a youtube channel, "Mackenzie's Big Trucks", and start uploading clips. Edit in the editing interface on YouTube, or maybe before you upload on whatever comes with your computer, iMovie or Windows Movie Maker. Don't overthink it.

In a week or two (or a month or two), step back and look at what is working and what isn't working. My gut feel is that the stuff you're worried about (what kind of camera should I buy, how much insurance do I need) won't be a problem.

Monetize the YouTube channel and promote it. Once you have a bunch of subscribers and a bunch of clips, you could (maybe) release and sell a DVD or something. I think in the short term (a couple of years) you could make enough to clear the cost of the equipment, and in the long term you could maybe bring in a few bucks here and there. I think you could possibly sell stock video and make a few more bucks there.

But I think as a hobby that might make a few bucks, it's a solid idea.

Follow up with questions if you have them.

[Michael L. Johnson]

Mike,

Thank you for the reply and the information it contained. Perhaps I could use your idea(s) concurrently with my original main goal. I am intending to set up a web site for my son's business, and I could interlace your idea(s) to drive traffic to the site..

The type of camera you suggest may ultimately be the fall back position, however for now I think we are still going to pursue a production type camera for the reasons I have listed. This venture may turn out to be just a hobby, but we are going into this intending it to be an occupation and hopefully a years spanning career for my son.

Again, thank you for the reply and the great ideas.

Michael

[Michael L. Johnson]

Hey Everyone:

I have some more questions in a business sense. Can travel expenses mileage, lodging, meals, be written off ? Can equipment purchases be written off in the year they are made, or do they have to be depreciated over several years ?

I am almost certainly going to be purchasing a monitor/recorder no matter which camera I end up buying. I think it will greatly aid Mackenzie's task. Does anyone have any thoughts ?

Thanks,

Mike

[Mike Watson]

You should consult a licensed tax advisor with your tax questions. In a legitimate business environment, business expenses can be written off. You can depreciate assets instead of writing them off.

You are really putting the cart ahead of the horse here. Start small. Grow.

The same advice I give to indy filmmakers applies to you. Take whatever you have - your cell phone, your point & shoot camera, your DSLR - and go out and make a film. Make 10. Make 100. When you cannot possibly move forward without a tool, buy it. Do not buy everything you need up front. First, you never get to the end of the list if things you "need", and second, you have no idea what you'll need until you make 1 or 10 or 100 films. I would gladly tell you what you need, except I need vastly different things than you. If you buy everything I need, you'll have all the wrong stuff.

Tomorrow, take your cell phone and your kid and go out and take video of a construction site. Take it home and edit it. Do not shoot for 8 hours or 12 hours, shoot for 15 or 30 minutes. Do this every day, or several times a week. In a month, show us what you've got and come back with a list of complaints about your footage. We'll help you move forward.

[Karl Walter Keirstead]

Good advice . . . .

I took one year to decide what equipment to buy.

I had been in/out of photography since the 1970s but did not have any experience in video.

I started with a small JVC mini-camcorder and followed your suggested approach (every day, 15/30 mins) - I spent as much time learning about recording as editing.

I bought the AC-AG160A after one year of research.

Originally Posted by Mike Watson

You should consult a licensed tax advisor with your tax questions. In a legitimate business environment, business expenses can be written off. You can depreciate assets instead of writing them off.

You are really putting the cart ahead of the horse here. Start small. Grow.

The same advice I give to indy filmmakers applies to you. Take whatever you have - your cell phone, your point & shoot camera, your DSLR - and go out and make a film. Make 10. Make 100. When you cannot possibly move forward without a tool, buy it. Do not buy everything you need up front. First, you never get to the end of the list if things you "need", and second, you have no idea what you'll need until you make 1 or 10 or 100 films. I would gladly tell you what you need, except I need vastly different things than you. If you buy everything I need, you'll have all the wrong stuff.

Tomorrow, take your cell phone and your kid and go out and take video of a construction site. Take it home and edit it. Do not shoot for 8 hours or 12 hours, shoot for 15 or 30 minutes. Do this every day, or several times a week. In a month, show us what you've got and come back with a list of complaints about your footage. We'll help you move forward.

[Ed Roo]

I will echo a couple of the items Mike and Karl have posted.

I, too, took a year to research cameras, mics and lights before I made my purchases. I spent about $10,000 before I even shot a minute of tape. One year later, I realized I could do everything I was doing with less expensive equipment and spent less than $1,000 doing it. Lessons learned.

After ten years, I purchased a new flash memory based camera to replace my old tape based camera. That was $4,000. Why? because over the ten years, I have expanded the types of things I shoot, and I now need the camera with more bells and whistles.

Having said that, along the way, a couple years ago, I purchased a Canon HF R300 for $250. It is a small handheld, consumer camcorder, but most importantly, it has a microphone input and a headphone output as well as a 50x optical zoom. This is my "travel cam". Combined with small LED lights on monopods, a tripod for the camcorder and a small shotgun and battery powered lavelier mic, I have a setup that I can take on location and set up in a matter of minutes. I used it two weeks ago for two interviews. The first included shots lakeside and in a motor boat. The second was in a museum. The quality is excellent!

As has been said, the movie The Blair Witch Project proved that audio is more important than video. Spend you money on a good microphone! If you cannot hear the sounds you want to hear, all the high definition video is useless.

I still use the bigger camcorder, but it is better suited for studio use when I have multiple interviews.

[Ed Roo]

Another portable that I am using is an iPad Mini 3 with the Filmic Pro application.

This is an excellent starter kit if you already have an iPhone or iPad. The application provides full control of aperature, shutter speed, white balance and zoom. Rode makes several excellent microphones for iDevices and provides a free app to control the audio.

You can get started for less than $75! And it is fast to set up and record!