Taping Direct to a DVD

[Chris Harding]

Hi Stelios

I alway think Don is the real comedian...many of us here have been trying to convince him to write a book about his wedding exploits but so far he has refused...with more than 2000 weddings under his belt he has an enormous amount of experiences to pass on and most of them (the ones he tells us about anyway) are funny.

34 years for a reel to reel is a pretty good run but then again equipment was made to last in those days and not designed to toss in the bin after a few years. I remember I had a Colibri and an Akai reel to reel and they were pretty darn old when I was in my 20's and they were still going too!!

Chris

[Stelios Christofides]

Hi Chris

Yes it will really fantastic for Don to share with us al his experiences. Perhaps another way of doing it is post here one experience every now and then or Chris Hurt allocate him a special section for this.
I also had an AKAI reel to reel and was going strong until I sold it.

stelios

[Chris Harding]

Hi Stelios

Did you know that in the USA the B77 STILL fetches between $500 and $700 on ebay...that's how respected they are!!! I think they have become collector's items amongst audiophiles!!!

Chris

[Don Bloom]

Originally Posted by Stelios Christofides

Hi Chris

Yes it will really fantastic for Don to share with us al his experiences. Perhaps another way of doing it is post here one experience every now and then or Chris Hurt allocate him a special section for this.
I also had an AKAI reel to reel and was going strong until I sold it.

stelios

Hmmm I think we've wandered off topic here and I do apologize so I'll end my remarks here with the following.

I try to keep things light with whatever non sarcastic, non cynical humor I have left. I used to be 150% serious about everything I did and frankly it left me exhausted mentally so over the years I’ve lightened up but I know when I can and when to pull it back.
Since 1971 I’ve been involved in one fashion or another in this business (still photog until 1983 then over to the dark side (video) in 1983 and honestly with rare exception I can’t remember the equipment I owned or operated over the years. I remember my first real still cameras but can for the life of me remember my first real video setup other than it was a 2 piece affair, weighed like 700 pounds (felt like it anyway) and produced what we all thought was amazing footage. I want to say perhaps it was RCA?
While there have been times over the years as both a still photographer doing everything from news and sports to fashion to catalogue stills to public relations head shots to weddings, to a videographer, (yes I still say VIDEOGRAPHER-that’s what I am) doing, for the most part, the same type of work, 95% of the people I have worked for have been ordinary, decent and nice folks and have left really little impression on me, which IMO is a good thing since for the most part we remember the bad things before the good thing, but left me no memories of anything to “write home about”. Doesn’t make them bad people or their event any less memorable to them, but IMO it makes them good people that had a nice event and it nor anything that happened stick in my mind more than perhaps 24 hours if that. Now the other 5%, well that’s a different matter. It might have been the Red wedding dress (it actually worked but you had to be there) or the horse drawn carriage INSIDE the church (again you had to be there) or the bridezilla I told to grow-up and quit acting like a spoiled little baby, in front of her parents, (they later thanked me-hell of a way to earn a referral) or the grandfather that had to be taken out on a stretcher, or the bridesmaids or groomsmen or even the priest that passed out during the ceremony or the fights that took place between factions at the reception, (trust me I grab my camera and find a nice dark place to wait it out-spent enough time in combat don’t need to do it now.) The number of times I’ve been propositioned by the ladies and once in a while by a guy. Hey it takes all kinds. I could go on and on but I won’t.
Do ANY job long enough and you’re bound to see most anything thing. I’ve pretty much been there. I’ve seen AND heard things I wish I hadn’t. I’ve seen and heard things I’m glad I did. I’ve been privileged to be a small part of people lives on what is considered to be the most stressful yet BEST and HAPPIEST day of their lives and been able to eek out a pretty good living doing it. Am I as gung ho as I was 10 or 20 years ago? Nope! Am I looking forward to getting out of the business? Yep! Until that time I am an Event Videographer (there’s that word again) and proud of it. I do my job, I do it well, I earn my pay and feed my family. I don’t lie, I don’t cheat, I don’t steal. What a great way to make a living.
HOWEVER, there will be NO BOOK in the offing! ;-)

[Chris Harding]

Hi Don

I naturally expected a response and you must admit some of us must get some kudos for trying the book angle push!!
I have always been a videographer too and also started as a photographer with stuff as early vintage as twin reflex Yashicamat 124G shooting black and white then onto Mamiya RB67's ... I had a few SLR's too but DSLR's only came onto the scene to shoot a mere 6 frames for the DVD covers and no I have never used one for video so I'm too a true videographer and not a dslrgrapher.

Ok, no book then, I admit defeat BUT an hour documentary on your experiences would be fascinating watching....(I guess that's a BIG no too???)

It is a great industry and I often have people say to me "Gosh, you have a nice job" I know I do ..even though I have to spend 12 hours at a wedding on a Saturday and get home after midnight. Then again, unlike the working masses, I can lie in bed until 8am on Monday morning while the rest have to leave at 6am in the pouring rain and sit on the gridlocked freeway going to work. All things being equal we really do have a nice job!!

OK, I also apologise sincerely for the total thread misdirection. Maybe we need a new thread called "What strange thing has happened to you at weddings" ..that would be almost as good as a book?

Chris

[Stelios Christofides]

Don

Reading your post made me feel proud of what I am doing (videographer) even if it is a part time job at the moment.

stelios