As at least a few of you know, I spent a lot of time doing video production work while earning my Communication degree at the University of Portland. This was during the late ’80s and early ’90s, and though I became reasonably well-versed on the technology of the time, we live in a different age today. Apple’s Final Cut Studio along with Shake can, for the amateur auteur, bring a stunningly professional film into being, qualitatively far beyond anything we could have done at UP with our 3-chip 1/2″ Beta cameras.
After it became clear that I would be the biggest fool on the planet if I went off to graduate school and left Erin behind at UP, I hung out in Portland for a few years while Erin finished up her undergrad and graduate work. In November of 1995, I took Amtrak across the country to look at graduate schools, and the following year I was accepted into the video production graduate program of a school in Boston.
Unfortunately, Erin received a job offer in California literally the next day. Spend $40,000 so I could get an MA in video production or go to California and make money? Well, we picked the money, and though I’ve looked back on the decision from time to time, I don’t really regret the choice we made.
It did, however, effectively curtail my movie-making pursuits, but I always planned to pick them up again later in life.
Well, later begins now. I won’t be shooting major movie stuff for a few years yet, but it’s very clear (especially if you hop those Apple Final Cut Studio and Shake links above) that I need to reacquaint myself with video technology. So I’ve ordered a relatively inexpensive Canon ZR800 miniDV video camera and Apple’s Shake. I’ll be using these tools plus Apple’s iMovie and Final Cut Express to pop out a few low-budget films.
In few years, I’ll upgrade the computer hardware and grab a few higher end HD cameras and off we go. I’ve even got a few scripts started.
Meanwhile, if you’re interested in serving on the production crew or appearing as onscreen talent, don’t be a stranger.