Group huddle (personal advice)

[Holosynthetic]

Tranquil, Robert (from Dvxusers) posted to NEVER buy equipment at the beginning, being a business owner with a production company, how is your outlook on this notion?

[Phil Becque]

Well I think that depends on how you want to work.

I am completely self taught - so the only way I can learn is to do. And to do I need - the camera - the lighting kit - the actors - the edit system - Adobe CS2 and After Effects and all the other stuff I have 5 cases. In short everything I need to experiment and figure what's going to work and what isn't.

I started a 90 minute project 8 years ago and I just finished it last August. A 'proper' production house would have had this nailed in 6 months maybe a year tops. But I wanted the challenge of learning as I went along.

If you have well defined project - e.g. Script, story boards, well defined artistic style, set design etc etc all costed out you don't need to buy anything.

If you're going to be more like me - a one man band production house - I think you need access to all the main pieces of the flow at all times. That doesn't mean that I never hire stuff. I'd hire a crane for example because I just I don't use one so often.

Also, I should come clean a state that I am bit of a control freak in so far as I like to be in control of what I do next as the mood takes me.

If you want to take a quick look at the new project some of it is here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCmIq4Ln3Ag

Best regards, Phil

[Holosynthetic]

Tranquil, I really appreciate you being honest about how you approach your work ethic. I think in this situation I have a lot in common with how you approach the business. While I certainly qualify for the "one man band" status, I don't want to get in over my head even if my mind whispers into my ear that if I can't commit to buying equipment that perhaps I don't 100% believe in myself (an internal battle of being creative and trying to be financially smart I suppose).

My creative side always seems to win out, which never puts a smile on my financial advisor

[Phil Becque]

The belief thing is interesting - when I started my 8 year project I wasn't convinced that I'd finish it. I knew I wanted to do it that's all. I wrote a 110 page script and asked a friend who makes videos how much to make this? He says 500,000 pounds (~$1,000,000) - whooaaa; I thought that's it I'll never be able to do it. I'm not selling my house and living in a card board box to make this thing. Though hats off to the people who do that.

Then I purchased a VX9000 in 1998 (opps sorry, that's a cheap Sony camera) and started to experiment. I took it up to Yosemite in May 2000 for the weekend, I think I may have had a 'Gibby' moment because, while I was there I got some great shots of the water falls and somehow I knew I was going to finish my project.

I'm certainly not saying that you need to buy equipment to believe in your self, but you do need to take action.

Some questions I would ask myself if I were you would be:

What do I want to achieve ? How do I want to achieve it? And Who do I want to achieve it with? The 'best' way for you to do what you want is for you to find out.

A few Goethe quotes to get you going:

"Thinking is easy, acting is difficult, and to put one's thoughts into action is the most difficult thing in the world."

"Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen."

"Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it!”


For me, I have to do stuff and that's why I'm really thrilled about owning a RED. It's going to get me out and about for some more 'Gibby' moments.

Warm regards, Phil

[Steve Gibby]

You've come full circle and inspired me Phil - this afternoon I'm going to take out one of my cameras and enjoy some more 'Gibby' moments myself!

Just me and my camera...on a beautiful deserted beach...as seabirds float across suntrails on the waves...pure euphoria...and when that can be captured in vibrant 4k with good audio, then others will be able to share in the experience, and know the feeling...

The next day it could be pine covered mountains, by a rushing stream, or in a vast panorama of desert red rocks...it's all good...

I shoot tons of subjects and genres to survive, but there is nothing quite like just disappearing into nature with a camera system and capturing some fresh images. It makes up for all the time spent on busy sets, meetings, and airports...all necessary in this business...but there is a time to just strip it down to yourself and a camera getting images in some primordial setting...

[Phil Becque]

Hey Gibby,

That's it man! Just as you describe it ! Brilliant!

I hope you don't mind but I wanted to share a couple of pics with you. I just can't figure out how to upload them? It asks for a URL when I hit the insert image icon?

Any tips?

Thanks, Phil

[donatello b]

you can link photo that is on your site using URL ...

or use the RED icon ( last one) "files upload center " to up load to REDuser site .. remember to copy each link after you upload and that link you paste into your post ( pic will appear in your post)

[Steve Gibby]

Holosynthetic,

There have been some awesome comments by people on this thread…

Spraying to all fields, let me add some more food for thought that may help you in this business:

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If you can’t do great things, do small things in a great way.

Never explain – Your friends don’t need it, and your enemies won’t believe you anyway!

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt (Chinese Proverb)

Whatever you do, make sure it’s something your heart is in. That way you’ll enjoy each workday, and your work will be much better because you’re doing what you love to do.

Never approach an occupation or a project just simply because it will supposedly make you a lot of money. Have you ever seen a moving van and an armored car following a hearse?

When someone tells you that you can’t do something, just smile and remember that they are doing you a motivational favor by saying so…

No matter what occupation you choose, or in our case, what genres within our occupation you choose, If you do something well enough, for long enough, money usually takes care of itself.

Sometimes dealing with stress is just a one-step program…one-step and a kick!

If you get your health span to match your lifespan, you’ve really won at the game of life (and work).

Success elements in this business are: talent, experience, tenacity, and technology. If you feel you have talent, then tenacity will get you experience. If you have those first three things, then just add in good technology and you’ll probably succeed.

Like any business, there are some scumbags in media production. Set your boundaries. Never contribute to any project that offends your inner nature. Follow your intuition on that…

Happiness and fulfillment in this business is a journey…not a destination.

The more you learn, the more it should remind you how much you still don’t know.

Everything in life is dynamic…nothing is static. Thus, your career in the motion media business will be in constant motion…either forward or backward by your own choosing.

To fail sometimes is quite natural. Don’t find yourself blaming others for your failures. Simply accept them as the result of your poor choices, learn from them, and press on. That way failures will be speed bumps, not mountains…

Broaden your skill sets while you deepen your experience. There’s no reason for you to be limited to being “just a (skill set)”. The more skills sets you have, the better you will understand how this overall business works.

If you’re equal parts artist, techie, manager, and journalist, you will have a hard time failing in this business.

Creativity comes from our right brain. Pragmatism comes from our left-brain. “Mid-brains” can generally use either side at will. It will probably take our whole brain to succeed in this business.

Deadlines don’t mean you’re going to die (nothing is “life or death”, but life or death!)

And finally:

If you can imagine it…you can become it! If you can dream it, you can achieve it!

[Jared VanLeuven]

"I’ve been discouraged by everything I’ve tried to do. And being discouraged inspires me." - Jim Jannard

[Holosynthetic]

You guys are slowly becoming a new family for me. I'm tired of my real family telling me I'm wasting money on expensive "toys". Thanks for just "getting it".

I have to be the biggest tech nerd / actor alive