Howdy from Texas!

[Tyler H. Smith]

So I was checking out info on DIY stuff and I found this forum.

It is amazing. Thank you Chris and anyone else affiliated with the site.

Ok well, I live in Houston as of now, but later this year I'll live in Arlington. I'll be there for college at UT Arlington and may transfer to UT Austin. I have been interested in movies since I was very young and have used super8, Hi-8, and DV cameras. I have yet to check out the HDV cameras, but hope to get one for school with the money from work and graduation.

As of now, the FX1 is the only feasible HD option for me. I really want to try out the M2 micro35 adapter; if James could maybe hook me up with a student discount or maybe an in-state discount.

Check out some videos at http://rockbottomproductions.googlepages.com/

Thanks,
Tyler

[Rob Lohman]

Hi Tyler, welcome aboard (H)DV Info Net, good to have you with us!

[Daniel Wang]

Houston (Bay Area/Clear Lake) down here! I know that there are a bunch of cowboys (ha ha...pixel wrangler?) round' these parts.

[Tyler H. Smith]

Ya, there seem to be quite a few Texans on the forum.

After saying all that about the FX1, I think Im going to go with standard def. I just won't have the money for everything needed. Im looking into DVX's as of now.

Thank you all for the replies,
Tyler

[John Dawson]

I live about 300 miles south of Waco. I am trying to do some Weddings I use a Cannon GL2 with a FS-4 recorder.

[Nathan Stout]

Hi all,

Just got my XL2 in day before yesterday. It's gonna take a lot of learning to master this baby.

I work in IT and have a public access tv show that ran in Fort Worth but runs online for the most part now a days. www.accordingtowhim.com

I am hoping to put this camera to good use!

[Rob Lohman]

Hi Nathan, welcome aboard DV Info Net, good to have you with us!

Congratulations on the purchase!

[C.K. Thurber]

Hey, my name is C.K. Thurber and I have been a filmmaker for over 10 years now. My specialty is in videography, but I have played with every role on a film set. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in Radio-TV-Film.

I found I had skills in producing, the business side, so I am now getting my MBA in digital media management at St. Edward's in Austin. Now with the new tax incentives in Texas, I hoping to be working a lot more.

Currently, though, I am working at b-side entertainment, an online niche indie film distributor that catches those festival gems that are not lucky enough to receive studio distribution.

Anyways, it is great to be here. Nice to meet you all!

[Greg Boston]

Welcome aboard, C. K. Please be sure to review our posting policy. This board runs a lot differently than what you'll find elsewhere on the internet. We keep it clean and neutral, with lots of info, and little or no garbage. I'm just north of Dallas.

regards,

Greg Boston
Moderator (Wrangler in Texas talk)

[Chris Hurd]

It's always nice to see the state-standard "Howdy from Texas!" greeting. It was my regular salutation when I posted online elsewhere on the web, and I used it for the very first public post here at DV Info Net: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=7

Great to see a fellow Longhorn too. I graduated from the U.T. Austin film school back in 1990. Spent many a long hour in the OLE bays up in the Box Car. Burgers and Shiner Bock across the street on the Drag at Hole In The Wall... sometimes I really miss those days! Dang, I just made myself hungry...

Welcome aboard,

[Trey Dillen]

I'm about to go into my senior year of high school and I need to narrow down my choices for college. I live in Pittsburgh, PA but Texas is one of the top schools on my list right now. How was your experience at UT? Do you recommend it? ...just trying to narrow down my choices and any comments would help..thanks

[C.K. Thurber]

First of all: any film school is only as good as you make it. If you don't volunteer for projects or try on every role on the set, you will not get the best education.

With that said, I think UT has a great film and video program. They are one of the few state schools (i.e. cheap) that actually focuses more on film production than television (and since television is becoming more like film, it's highly important to know one camera shooting versus three style).

They are a little loosy goosy on allowing you to take nearly any class you want. This is great because you can take cinematography and sound classes one semester and editing and production design classes another. It's can be bad, though, as many students do not take requirement courses in the mean time or take too many RTF courses and end up there 8 years (so if you are sensible about planning courses, you'll be fine).

If you are looking for producing, John Pierson (Clerks, Reel Paradise) teaches. If you are looking for screenwriting, Bob Foshko and Richard Lewis teach. If you want to get your shorts festival ready, Scott Rice is your guy. While not all the faculty is great, the majority are working filmmakers who know their craft.

Austin is a great town, and there is a new studio being built here (and tax incentives just got passed), so there should be a lot of work here. However, UT is just a training facility. They will not do anything to help you get a job. It's not like USC and UCLA that has apprenticeships in place. There is a film "studio" attached to UT, burnt orange productions, but most of the key spots go to grad students or who the outside directors hire.

UT will give you a lot of the great experience and resume builders you need, but you will have to learn to shop yourself around afterwards... there's no free meal here. A lot of my peers are working, but many are also not. It is, however, the best bang for your buck and when you get done with the program, you will have a bachelor's degree so you can at least get A job when you get out (as opposed to the film intensives).

I'm sure you already know the site, but it's http://rtf.utexas.edu . Be sure you do your research and visit the school (you may not be able to stand the August heat here!). IMDB has a fairly extensive list of film school sites (http://www.imdb.com/filmschools).

If you have any other questions about UT, do not hesitate to contact me ckthurber@bside.com .

[Jeff Anselmo]

Welcome C.K., and a big howdy to y'all from The Pass (although I think I'm the only El Pasoan using that term).

This site is a wonderful font of knowledge, effervescing with helpful, critical, honest, and oft times humorous people. Chris certainly runs a nice show!

Trey--

I went to a "small" film school in Southern Calif. (Chapman Univ) for three years and found it a very great experience. Like C.K. said utilize your time well, get on a set as soon as possible and learn every position as much as possible, help out your fellow classmates (but be humble and nice about it :), establish friendships and connections for now and in the future, and last but not least, have fun! (Cause you'll be paying those school loans soon enough!)

Best,

--JA

[Trey Dillen]

Thanks a lot for the responses CK and Jeff...I have already visited UT but we did a general UT tour, not the RTF tour so we really didnt get any questions answered pertaining to the film school, just the overall stuff. Thanks again!

[Rik Sanchez]

Hey C.K. welcome to the boards. You are gonna like it here, lots of info and some of the best people around.

Jeff, glad to see another El Pasoan on here, I'm also from there, what I wouldn't give for some Chico's Tacos. First time I have heard someone refer to ELP as The Pass.

With so many Texans on this forum the little icon next to the website address at the top of the browser ought to be a Texas flag:-)