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cameras & scholarships/grants.

post #1 of 9
2/19/03 at 2:12am
Thread Starter 
It's great to have a place like CHUD around to ask questions like this.

I'm taking the plunge and am going to get a bachelor of arts.(not sure of specifics yet) I'm going to start at the local community college for my associate in arts taking all the english comp, script writing, fiction writing, play writing, acting, stage combat classes, etc. then transfer to Columbia downtown Chicago to finish with the filmmaking courses and such. I want to have a horror short filmed by the time I enroll at Columbia so it's still a few years off but I thought I'd start now with the Q&A. Sorry for the little rant there.

What cameras are best used for what purposes, i.e. shot composition, cost, ease of use, availibility, etc.

What type of handheld digital camera is best to just start experimenting with any specific models?

Are there any scholarships and/or grants out there for the budding filmmaker?

Thanks!!!!!!!!
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post #2 of 9
2/20/03 at 5:05am
I can't really offer much advice on digital cameras. Most of the stuff I know is about super-8 film.

The best camera to experiment with is any digital camera you can get your hands on. Make a simple short film with a digital camera without using any effects shots or anything like that. Do this so that when you start to make your horror short you know all the basic stuff about what framing looks good in the shot and what kind of editing styles work.

I garentee you that making a short teaches you more about how to make and shoot a cohesive story than any book can. This is usefull because once you are filming your horror short you can concentrate more on the details.
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post #3 of 9
2/20/03 at 5:46am
Again good advice form sleepless.

For DV cameras or more precisely MiniDV Cameras i prefer the Canon XL1s but the Sony DSR PD150P is also a very good camera.
The main problem area with DV is light, so try and learn as much as you can about making the most of light when using DV.
If you can afford it take a DV specific lighting course or failing that just play around with light when shooting.
Always have a black/white reflector on hand as this is extremely useful for Medium Close-ups and Close-ups (unless of course you require a shadowed face).
But most of all just get out there and have fun.

As for grants i know we have Film Coincil grants over here we can apply for but im afraid i dont know about the US. Your best bet would be to contact your local council directly as im sure they would be able to help you out.

Good luck

Dave
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post #4 of 9
2/20/03 at 11:54am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, great info. I can't wait to finally pick up a digital and start experimenting. Are there any affordable video editing programs out there that work well?
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post #5 of 9
2/20/03 at 1:53pm
Quote:
Floydian Trip:
Thanks, great info. I can't wait to finally pick up a digital and start experimenting. Are there any affordable video editing programs out there that work well?
Have you got a PC or a Mac.?
As im sure i can get you a link to a free copy of Adobe Premier but dont have one for Final Cut Pro for the Mac.
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post #6 of 9
2/20/03 at 3:41pm
Thread Starter 
I have a PC but I'm considering investing in a mac as well due to it being better with the video and audio editing programs. I'd love to set up a reasonable mixing studio with the mac so I can mix my own soundtrack possibly in 5.1 if I have time to learn how. What trent Reznor did with a mac and digital cameras to create his live DVD was jaw dropping. Anyway a free copy would be sweet. Thanks.
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post #7 of 9
2/20/03 at 7:34pm
Quote:
The WickerMan:
Again good advice form sleepless.

For DV cameras or more precisely MiniDV Cameras i prefer the Canon XL1s but the Sony DSR PD150P is also a very good camera.
The main problem area with DV is light, so try and learn as much as you can about making the most of light when using DV.
QUESTION:
How can I shoot night images with my XL1s. Not really, night scenes, cause I can fake that pretty good.

What I want is to know how to shoot a moonlit sky. No matter what I change f-stop and shutter wise, i can not get it to come in clearly and look nearly good enough. Any advice?
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post #8 of 9
2/21/03 at 2:20pm
I wish you the best of luck. I went to Columbia in Chicago for 2 semesters and ended up HATING it. My boyfriend is graduating from Columbia in June with a film degree...he doesn't think too highly of it either, and most people think of Columbia as a second-rate film school...I've heard people refer to it as a "trade school". I don't know...I ended up majorly in debt, that's one reason I am so bitter. And I got really sick of the people who go to Columbia...pseudo-bohemian, pseudo-punk pretentious wannabe "artists". I think it's a rule that you have to have brightly dyed multi-color hair to attend. I DEFINITELY recommend going to Community College first, like you said, because General Education classes at Columbia are a fucking joke. And expensive. Sorry for the rant.
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post #9 of 9
2/21/03 at 5:02pm
Thread Starter 
Damn southern belle, thanks......I guess. eek!
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