More interesting and somehow worthwhile to me than getting a digital still camera is getting a Digital Video camera. In the case of Digital Video cameras, the professional level cameras (at upwards of us$150,000 apiece, (see George Lucas for details)) do match the quality level necessary to produce quality prints. While I cannot afford to work with professional-level equipment, there are several pro-sumer level MiniDV cameras that record DVD-quality video, and I would be glad to work on that level until I can break into the industry and get some real financial backing. I’ve already begun work on putting together some ideas for story and some people for the beginnings of a movie production company, and I’ve set myself dates I’d like to get certain goals related to that completed by. Reasonable dates based on an understanding of the personal expenses involved.
Because I know there are people out there making independant movies, and I know that they’ve got much bigger budgets than I do, and more manpower and more experience, but they’re doing it, and some of them are successful. And even the ones who aren’t financially successful are at least getting things done that they care about, and I’ve got these creative drives that I’ve just got to let out, and just getting something completed is success.
So, even if I can only afford to start with one camera and one mic and I can’t afford to pay my actors or buy fancy tailored costumes or build huge, elaborate sets, I bet I can still tell a story, I bet I can still entertain. I bet it’s more than I can do with a digital still camera, and I bet it leads to a life possibly more interesting than the one I’ve been leading. I figure worst case I can sell my movies online, and offer some video content for free, and best case I can hone my skills and make an excellent product down the road that I can sell to a studio and get contracted to do bigger, better projects.
Or maybe I’ll get into it and get a couple of projects done and decide I don’t want to do it anymore, or I don’t want to make a business or a career out of it at all. Who knows? I’m just saying. This is my next big thing. This digital video. This new vista of production. I wonder if I’ll get flak for not being classically trained. I wonder if I’ll get praise for doing well without going to film school. I wonder if I can bring this all together. It’s months and years away from me though, so I’m trying not to wonder too much.
