What do you do for a living?

[Jim Andrada]

Hi Mark, welcome to what I think is one of the greatest forums around.

Your real job sounds like mine used to be - I worked for IBM Japan for 6 plus years in the late 80's and the first three years I was flogging storage products all around the Asia/Pacific territory - same countries you've mentioned. I was in a plane about 4 days a week traveling to "nearby" places like Singapore (7 hour flight) New Zealand (somewhere around 20 to 30 hours each way if you counted the stopovers in Sydney and Auckland en route to Wellington), Jakarta, etc etc.

By the time the second three year stint came along I was speaking Japanese well enough that I was really "embedded" in the Japanese operation. Also got married (home language still Japanese even though we live in Tucson) and got a Great Dane while in Tokyo. Oh yeah - I had a Sony videocam that I dragged all over Japan.

[Boudewijn de Kemp]

I am a editor, and I mainly edit tv-commercials.
Now switching towards filming and directing documentaries, while I will keep editing on a freelance basis.

[Mark Schlicher]

I've been freelancing for about 10 years now, I mainly shoot video and HD, but fairly often edit. Mostly documentary-type stuff for direct-to DVD and for cable networks. I also get called to storyboard music videos and commercials, and I do voiceovers.

Livin' the dream in Nashville, TN.

[Juan Todoli]

I assist persons with dissabilities.

Paraplejical, hemiplejical, medular diseases. Most of them cause of traffic crashes.

Since my brother had a serious motorcicle crash and resulted several affected by medular injury (got in wheelchair) this was my intro to this "job" 9 years so far. Slowly started to stay in touch with persons with the same problems and become a job just picking up them with my adapted-elevator van and here I am.

Officially I'm electronic technician but not practiced since 15 long years (teached in sound & image quite all analogic) but... life is a roulette and his avatars toke me at this point.

Well. I work in home due to this circumstances and tought "why not?" commencing in this beautiful art that mix light, views & electronic togheter.

And here I am! Just pushed for a good photographer friend that insisted me in practice a year with my humble and loved gear I choosed to start: a JVC GY HD110, an iMac 24" and Final Cut Express awaiting to learn as well as I can with all you. And if I improove properly this months in advance, why not... upgrade to better cams, codecs & computers.

Cheers!

...& If you ride a motorbike, please please... never forget a good helmet.

Juan.

[Dave Burckhard]

Originally Posted by Juan Todoli

...Just pushed for a good photographer friend that insisted me in practice a year with my humble and loved gear I choosed to start: a JVC GY HD110, an iMac 24" and Final Cut Express awaiting to learn as well as I can with all you. And if I improove properly this months in advance, why not... upgrade to better cams, codecs & computers...& If you ride a motorbike, please please... never forget a good helmet.

Juan.

Juan,

I'm a long time still photographer who thinks that more than the camera, the prospect of adding music and sound, and I mean really good sound, to presentations is what makes video such a compelling medium. It's the reason why I'm just starting out.

Your JVC is a great starter and, some would say, only camera you might need for projects. Feature films have been shot with it. Get up on the audio skills. Great sound will make even consumer-camera captured video sound like a million bucks.

BTW, my head is covered with a helmet regardless of what two-wheeled conveyance I'm riding. Also experimenting with shooting from the back of a tandem bicycle and from the passenger position of a motorcycle.

Dave

[George Thompson]

I’ve been in the radio/tv/film business all my life. I used to do air shifts in major market radio along with VO for film and commercial work. Every aspect of in front and behind a camera and mike. Built and owned part of radio and tv stations along with Director of Engineering for major group owners. Did a stint as adjunct professor at several Universities while heading up television departments. For the past ~27 years worked for Major TV network in NYC in engineering design work.
Putting together my own production package and I am just now getting into producing my own work along with guiding my teenage son as an actor. Just a busy Dad in Westchester…..
Nice to see an active forum.

[Kevin Zibart]

I'm a computer programmer. IBM mainframe assembler, to be specific. We're a dying breed. I think the required attention to detail helps me significantly with my photography and videography, especially during the editting process. But programmers aren't typically known for their outgoing personalities, which holds very true for me as well. So I'm worried I'm missing shots because I'm too shy to get up close and personal with my subjects. Luckily it's just a hobby so far, and most of my work has been isolated to my daughter's dancing. But her dance instructor has asked me to video her wedding, so the pressure's on now. That's one reason I joined the forum, to learn what I can about wedding videography before the big date. Wish me luck!

[Eelco Romeijn]

Good luck Kevin!

[Scott Nelson]

I am a Shift Supervisor for a coffee shop. And as of this moment, I am not sure I am going to go back tomorrow... (If you can, never work at a coffee shop... Too much stress in the management area)

I have also worked at a Camera store selling cameras, Digital and Video (Only had like 5 kinds of video cameras... But I was the Video guy!)

My dream is to either work for a film company and shoot on Film. or start my own independent studio and have many people working for me on many projects... everything from commercials, to weddings, Sports, to Concerts.... Anything! I love doing all of it!

[Mark Savage]

Originally Posted by Redgumtv

I first picked up an 8mm movie camera in 1959 (I was 14). This created a life long passion with an industry that I have passed through, over, and beneath. After finishing college I entered the world of finance and stayed there for twenty years but never far from film and television.
When I was twenty one I made a series of four 1/2 hour doco's on 16mm with my trusty Bell & Howell. Well, they were promotional films for the navy reserve but good enough for our national broadcaster to televise. I got $200 for all four.
Until I turned 40 I made a stack of short films and videos (amateur) until I got the guts to follow my passion. I turned in my career and with a friend, started a production company. That was 17 years ago. I've now produced nearly 3000 doco's or short films (corporate, event, commercial & broadcast), six have been aired in Australia and many more in the US and Asia.
I downsized my company to one (me) and independently produce only documentaries and corporates now. But you never lose your skill or passion. This year I won 3 out of 5 catagories at an international film festival and best film at festival.
The moral of this story is - for those with the true passion - You never fail until you stop trying. Go to it and succeed.

Wise and profound words.

Great littlep otted history, too, Redgum.

[Michael Harvey]

Just joined ...

Still photography has been a lifelong passion of mine since childhood - newspaper and yearbook photographer in HS and College. Involved with developing the theater department in HS and experimented with the first bulky Sony Video systems when they first came out. Worked summers during college as a professional sound and lighting engineer from the mid to late 70's. I then shifted my careeer into work in mental health and have been a doctoral-level psychologist with expertise in rehabilitation, neuropsychological assessment and psychoanalysis. I developed and managed several community-based brain injury programs and also worked with individuals with developmental disabilities. This past January I moved to the Twin Cities to work as a professor in a doctoral training program in clinical psychology.

I am a previous DVX-100B owner - sold my equipment just before my move. I have just put in my order for the Canon HFS-100 and look forward into my move into the HD world.

My impression so far (and I am a DVX forum member) is this is a great site!

Best,

Mike

[Paul R Johnson]

I do theatre. Everything I do is linked to it, so most of my video work is theatre based. I'm a theatrical lighting designer, and rent out audio, video and lighting equipment to mainly performing arts based clients. When I'm not being 'technical' I work as a production manager - mainly light entertainment - so that means here in the UK, comedians, music (mostly older bands) Anyone in the US heard of Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Searchers - oh and we had the current line-up of the Drifters a few weeks ago. I did notice not all had US accents, so probably just one of the many 'official' Drifters on the circuit.

Don't like modern stuff - I did a Morrisey show in May and I hated it!

My problem is I spread myself wider and wider all the time, spending my profits on new kit, I really don't actually need!

I took time out and trained to be a teacher - working with 16-21 year olds in a college for 10 years, but gave it up again in 2004 to go back to working for myself. I reckon I've got another 10 years in me at least!

[Sam Meredith]

Im Sam

Im 18, Finished High School last year and have just been chilling pretty much doing the odd labouring job here and there. I now have a job at Mcdonalds which provides a tiny bit of money i suppose. I shoot drift "music" videos I have a Sony FX7 that i use, but I only shoot SD seeing as my computer cant handle editing HD. I really want to become a Music Clip Director but im not too sure how to go about it ( what courses to do etc.)

My videos can be seen here
MeZ Productions's videos on Vimeo

[Simon Bampfield]

I am a sports editor at the local paper here in Portland, Victoria, Australia.
I guess I got into sports journalism because sports was/is my life and I love analysing and chatting about different aspects of it.
That is why I have gotten into video, to put shows together for sporting organisations, chatting about the weekly events etc. I just see a market here in Australia for regional centres that don't get any coverage at all in TV so I thought why not make a show on DVD and go from there, if it grows then great, if not I will have a heap of fun doing something that I love and give something back to my sporting clubs and/or associations.

[Matt Austin]

Currently unemployed.

Finished my MBA degree in December 2008, at which point my company promptly laid me off only a few months later. Six months into looking for work, I'm starting to wonder why I got the degree at such a young age. All the MBA level jobs want more experience than I have, and all the entry-level stuff assumes I'm overqualified; catch 22.

But I'm making do with savings and the help of family; I never thought I'd be living back at home at the ripe old age of 25. *sighs*

Prior to the layoff earlier this year I was a marketing assistant and web administrator at an herbal medicine distributor. The job wasn't glorious, and mostly involved a lot of product photography in a studio that I designed from some duct tape, clamp lights, CFL bulbs and a couple of trash bags; This when i wasn't busy babysitting the SQL server doing manual imports and exports of product data. Never thought I'd miss that crappy job, but here I am. Grass is always greener, right?