At what age did you get into filmmaking? at DVinfo.net

Sam Fisher · February 22nd, 2003, 02:15 PM

I don't know how to put this, but at what age did you get into filmmaking?

Jeff Donald · February 22nd, 2003, 07:02 PM

I started in still photography in my late teens and video production in my mid twenties. I'm 46 years old.

Alex Taylor · February 22nd, 2003, 07:16 PM

I'm 17 right now, I started still photography when I was 14 and got really into video at 15.

Richard Alvarez · February 22nd, 2003, 08:57 PM

Define "Filmmaking"...

I started in still Photography at 15, First job in TV as cameraman at 18, have worked professionaly in various aspects of the media including Radio, Theatre, Film ever since. I am 47

Neil Fisher · February 22nd, 2003, 11:12 PM

Yeah, I'm 18 now and have had my PD150 for a year. I did a bit of still photo, I got two of my pictures in McLeans, some crappy Canadian magazine.

Mark Moore · February 23rd, 2003, 12:55 AM

My father was chief photographer for a local CBS affiliate in the 50s and 60s, so we always had cameras around the house. He did freelance for Walter Cronkite, Reasoner, etc., and was the first news photographer allowed on the Nautilus (first atomic sub). When I was 13 (in Junior High School), some of my friends had 35mm cameras (nice ones, with meters, etc.), so I told my dad I wanted to learn photography.

He bought me an Argus C-3 (an old range-finder camera), and a hand-held meter, gave me some basics and said to go out and shoot pictures - and that was the best way to learn. At the time, I got mad, because my friends had new and expensive cameras, and I had this WWII 'antique'. However, I'll have to say, it taught me a lot about still photography.

Later that year, when one of my friends was having trouble with his camera, he asked to borrow my light meter, so he could set his camera. Instead, without looking at the meter, I told him what setting he needed to use. He didn't believe me, so when I lent him the meter, I had estimated correctly!

I guess my dad was pretty smart! As for video, I'm now 45 and just started with that last year. Sorry for the long story! Oh, and I found an old C-3 camera, a complete kit, in the box a couple of years ago and bought for 'posterity'!

Frank Granovski · February 23rd, 2003, 04:03 AM

I started taking stills when I was about 6, and found that I took some good ones. I always took my camera with me on any trip---whether a day trip or full length holiday. When I was about 9, I got my first movie film cam. As I got older, I bought more cams and lenses. In my teens, I did a lot of macro photography and scenery, then I switched over to capture mainly cheeks, faces. I've used 8mm, 16mm and super8; VHS, SVHS, Hi8 and miniDV. All this is just a hobby though. I'm no "film maker." I'll be turning 49 in about 8 days. Tonight, I was at a large party, and shot a roll of B&W. I prefer B&W for stills, and shooting with miniDV----and lately a bit of super8 and SVHS. I shoot the odd wedding, usually at least 1 funeral per week; and in the past have shot many instructional videos. But, I sometimes shoot video at a picnic or something, and make a little story out of it. I have also shot bird videos for my mother and her group of friends. Basically, I enjoy shooting---that's the bottom line. Oh, and I've also done studio work with stills. That's fun too.

Rob Lohman · February 23rd, 2003, 06:48 AM

I've started video filming when I was 24... am 25 now!

Alex Ratson · February 23rd, 2003, 04:47 PM

I started taking stills when I was 10, and then got in to Video when I was 14. I am 17 now, and my life revolves around cameras (still, and Video)

Alex

Steve Clodfelter · February 23rd, 2003, 06:14 PM

I got my first video camera three weeks ago with the intention of shooting documentaries and shorts. I am 50 years old. I hope I'm not starting out too young! :-)

David Hurdon · February 23rd, 2003, 06:41 PM

I shot some VHS camcorder stuff through the mid-eighties, then nothing until I bought my first of two Sony camcorders in December of 2000. I use a VX2000 now. I'm 53.

Bill Pryor · February 23rd, 2003, 07:21 PM

I shot stills, B&W, around the age of 12 with a Boy Scout Brownie camera, majored in film production in college, worked on a newspaper shooting stills and reporting, did some free lance documentary writing, shot B&W Tri-X in college with the old Bell & Howell cameras that you could fall out of a tree with and not hurt anything (except your own body...I did). Worked in educational films awhile, went to work for a big non-theatrical production house back in the 16mm film days as a writer/director, went on my own shooting 16mm in the '70's, switched to video in the mid-80's and still doing it...moved form 2" to 1" to 3/4" to Betacam...bought first Avid in the mid-90's...moved from Betacam to DVCAM a couple of years ago. So by most people's standards I've been doing this forever. Which means I've made most of the mistakes there are to make but on occasion still manage to find new ones. The one thing about the biz I know well is that you can't get comfortable and complacent. Just when you think you know all that you need to know, everything changes and you have to learn new stuff all over again. The basics don't change, only the technology and the definition of an acceptable image on the screen.

Richard Alvarez · February 23rd, 2003, 07:42 PM

"The basics don't change, only the technology and the definition of an acceptable image on the screen"

Absolute Gospel!

Along with "Everything old is new again..."

Dylan Couper · February 23rd, 2003, 09:05 PM

Started in video when I was 18 or so. 27 now.

Ivan Hedley Enger · February 24th, 2003, 08:50 AM

I started out, as many others, with a still camera. I was very interested in wildlife and particularly birds , and wanted to take pictures of all the beautiful things I saw. In my early teens I got me a job after school, and saved the money so I could buy me a camera. My little brother and I also got us equipment so we could do the whole process ourselves. That was from the picture was taken and until it was developed and a ready black and white paper-copy.

Later I got the opportunity to try out an 8 mm film camera, and in 1987 I got the first VHS camcorder (big and clumsy). Since then I have tried the analog Hi8 and the small 1 chip DV camcorders, and finally I got my self an XL1s last year. I am now 42 years young ;-).

Ivan

February 22nd, 2003, 02:15 PM	#1
Sam Fisher Tourist Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: PA Posts: 4	At what age did you get into filmmaking? I don't know how to put this, but at what age did you get into filmmaking?

February 22nd, 2003, 07:02 PM	#2
Jeff Donald Warden Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 8,287	I started in still photography in my late teens and video production in my mid twenties. I'm 46 years old. __________________ Jeff Donald Carpe Diem Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Where to Buy? From the best in the business: DVinfo.net sponsors

February 22nd, 2003, 07:16 PM	#3
Alex Taylor Major Player Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Vancouver, BC Posts: 390	I'm 17 right now, I started still photography when I was 14 and got really into video at 15. __________________ alextaylor.org

February 23rd, 2003, 12:55 AM	#6
Mark Moore Major Player Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: North Carolina Posts: 301	My father was chief photographer for a local CBS affiliate in the 50s and 60s, so we always had cameras around the house. He did freelance for Walter Cronkite, Reasoner, etc., and was the first news photographer allowed on the Nautilus (first atomic sub). When I was 13 (in Junior High School), some of my friends had 35mm cameras (nice ones, with meters, etc.), so I told my dad I wanted to learn photography. He bought me an Argus C-3 (an old range-finder camera), and a hand-held meter, gave me some basics and said to go out and shoot pictures - and that was the best way to learn. At the time, I got mad, because my friends had new and expensive cameras, and I had this WWII 'antique'. However, I'll have to say, it taught me a lot about still photography. Later that year, when one of my friends was having trouble with his camera, he asked to borrow my light meter, so he could set his camera. Instead, without looking at the meter, I told him what setting he needed to use. He didn't believe me, so when I lent him the meter, I had estimated correctly! I guess my dad was pretty smart! As for video, I'm now 45 and just started with that last year. Sorry for the long story! Oh, and I found an old C-3 camera, a complete kit, in the box a couple of years ago and bought for 'posterity'! __________________ Mark Moore Sugar Free Productions

February 23rd, 2003, 06:48 AM	#8
Rob Lohman RED Code Chef Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Holland Posts: 12,514	I've started video filming when I was 24... am 25 now! __________________ Rob Lohman, visuar@iname.com DV Info Wrangler & RED Code Chef Join the DV Challenge \| Lady X Search DVinfo.net for quick answers \| Buy from the best: DVinfo.net sponsors

February 22nd, 2003, 08:57 PM	#4
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	Define "Filmmaking"... I started in still Photography at 15, First job in TV as cameraman at 18, have worked professionaly in various aspects of the media including Radio, Theatre, Film ever since. I am 47

February 22nd, 2003, 11:12 PM	#5
Neil Fisher Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Saskatoon SK Canada Posts: 136	Yeah, I'm 18 now and have had my PD150 for a year. I did a bit of still photo, I got two of my pictures in McLeans, some crappy Canadian magazine.

February 23rd, 2003, 04:03 AM	#7
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	I started taking stills when I was about 6, and found that I took some good ones. I always took my camera with me on any trip---whether a day trip or full length holiday. When I was about 9, I got my first movie film cam. As I got older, I bought more cams and lenses. In my teens, I did a lot of macro photography and scenery, then I switched over to capture mainly cheeks, faces. I've used 8mm, 16mm and super8; VHS, SVHS, Hi8 and miniDV. All this is just a hobby though. I'm no "film maker." I'll be turning 49 in about 8 days. Tonight, I was at a large party, and shot a roll of B&W. I prefer B&W for stills, and shooting with miniDV----and lately a bit of super8 and SVHS. I shoot the odd wedding, usually at least 1 funeral per week; and in the past have shot many instructional videos. But, I sometimes shoot video at a picnic or something, and make a little story out of it. I have also shot bird videos for my mother and her group of friends. Basically, I enjoy shooting---that's the bottom line. Oh, and I've also done studio work with stills. That's fun too.

February 23rd, 2003, 04:47 PM	#9
Alex Ratson Regular Crew Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Squamish, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 149	I started taking stills when I was 10, and then got in to Video when I was 14. I am 17 now, and my life revolves around cameras (still, and Video) Alex

February 23rd, 2003, 06:14 PM	#10
Steve Clodfelter Regular Crew Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Golden, CO Posts: 43	I got my first video camera three weeks ago with the intention of shooting documentaries and shorts. I am 50 years old. I hope I'm not starting out too young! :-) __________________ Steve

February 23rd, 2003, 06:41 PM	#11
David Hurdon Major Player Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 484	At what age did you get into filmmaking? I shot some VHS camcorder stuff through the mid-eighties, then nothing until I bought my first of two Sony camcorders in December of 2000. I use a VX2000 now. I'm 53. __________________ Site:http://www.faceliftmarketing.ca Blog:http://www.websitevideo.blogspot.com

February 23rd, 2003, 07:21 PM	#12
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	I shot stills, B&W, around the age of 12 with a Boy Scout Brownie camera, majored in film production in college, worked on a newspaper shooting stills and reporting, did some free lance documentary writing, shot B&W Tri-X in college with the old Bell & Howell cameras that you could fall out of a tree with and not hurt anything (except your own body...I did). Worked in educational films awhile, went to work for a big non-theatrical production house back in the 16mm film days as a writer/director, went on my own shooting 16mm in the '70's, switched to video in the mid-80's and still doing it...moved form 2" to 1" to 3/4" to Betacam...bought first Avid in the mid-90's...moved from Betacam to DVCAM a couple of years ago. So by most people's standards I've been doing this forever. Which means I've made most of the mistakes there are to make but on occasion still manage to find new ones. The one thing about the biz I know well is that you can't get comfortable and complacent. Just when you think you know all that you need to know, everything changes and you have to learn new stuff all over again. The basics don't change, only the technology and the definition of an acceptable image on the screen.

February 23rd, 2003, 07:42 PM	#13
Richard Alvarez Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Mateo, CA Posts: 3,840	"The basics don't change, only the technology and the definition of an acceptable image on the screen" Absolute Gospel! Along with "Everything old is new again..."

February 23rd, 2003, 09:05 PM	#14
Dylan Couper Wrangler Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Vancouver, British Columbia Posts: 8,314	Started in video when I was 18 or so. 27 now. __________________ Need to rent camera gear in Vancouver BC? Check me out at camerarentalsvancouver.com

February 24th, 2003, 08:50 AM	#15
Ivan Hedley Enger Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Vestfold in Norway Posts: 103	I started out, as many others, with a still camera. I was very interested in wildlife and particularly birds , and wanted to take pictures of all the beautiful things I saw. In my early teens I got me a job after school, and saved the money so I could buy me a camera. My little brother and I also got us equipment so we could do the whole process ourselves. That was from the picture was taken and until it was developed and a ready black and white paper-copy. Later I got the opportunity to try out an 8 mm film camera, and in 1987 I got the first VHS camcorder (big and clumsy). Since then I have tried the analog Hi8 and the small 1 chip DV camcorders, and finally I got my self an XL1s last year. I am now 42 years young ;-). Ivan