Film and DV creator in Calgary, AB, Canada

[Duane Martin]

I note with a sense of irony that I am one of those people living the "dream" of making moving pictures for a living. With the turmoil in the Canadian Television industry right now (a statement that will probably ring true if this is still posted five years from now) and economic uncertainty making most corporate wallets harder to open than an Alberta Conservatives mind (sorry for the in joke), somehow "dream" does not seem the right word. Nor, might I add, does "making a living" seem appropriate. Would I give it up? Not even if I won the lottery (though it would be less stressful with the financial security of a lottery win).

Our company creates film, television, and recently, award winning motivational videos. I am an Apple Certified Trainer for Final Cut Pro (at least until the release of FCP 4) and an advocate for the use of FCP in the cutting of Film and Television (FCP 4 will make this advocacy even easier) in addition to its broad acceptance in the world of video creation.

For our corporate video work I am a huge fan of the Canon XL-1s, Canon GL-2 and my old, but trusty, Canon Optura (a wonderfully overengineered camera that was highly undervalued). Their cost allows us to use multiple camera set-ups all of the time to ensure we get a great selection of footage to choose from.

We are currently considering shooting the hockey action sequences of an upcoming MFT in DV to differentiate the look and feel from the Super 16 footage of the rest of the movie. We are also developing a science fiction "reality" series to be shot entirely in DV.

Having recently returned from NAB 2003 I am looking forward to sharing my impressions of FCP 4 on this site. As well, I am seeking an even greater understanding of what the XL-1s is capable of. I know I have just scratched the surface, and the horizen seems enormous.

I truly hope everyone participating on this forum gets the opportunity to live out their dream as I have! Well, just as long as we are not competing for the same funds.

[Dale C. Elliott]

Welcome aboard Duane,

I am just starting out full time in my own production business, but I had worked in the television and video industry for over 8 years.

I use to work at the tv stations in Loydminster Alberta, over 10 years ago.

You will find lots of great info, here.

[Ken Tanaka]

Glad to see you. Your area is one of my favorite places on the planet. I've visited Banff nearly every year (in winter) for the past decade.

Working professionals, such as yourself, are an important part of our little community and we're fortunate to have many among our membership. They keep the enthusiasts, such as myself, in line. <g>

I certainly agree on the Optura, as do many others here. I bought, and still own, the original Optura which was modeled like a 35mm still camera. It takes very good footage for its class of camera and at that early stage of development. Since it looks like a still camera it didn't put folks on-edge quite as much as a more conentional video camera often does. The fixed-size battery compartment (BP-915 sized batteries only) represented a significant limitation, though.

[Joe Lloyd]

Welcome Duane,

A question for both you and Dale. I am looking at getting into the film business as it is what I tryly love doing. My question is, what do owners of production studios look for in an FCP editor?

Thanks in advance and again welcome to the forums.

[Keith Loh]

//We are currently considering shooting the hockey action sequences of an upcoming MFT in DV to differentiate the look and feel from the Super 16 footage of the rest of the movie. We are also developing a science fiction "reality" series to be shot entirely in DV.//

Sounds really interesting. Is there more information on these projects anywhere?