Government Expo

Spot|DSE wrote on 10/8/2004, 7:53 PM
Wow...what a fun and exciting show and training track. We saw several hundred people over the course of the 4 day event with subjects as diverse as wirelesses to surround, lighting to camera composition.
Vic Milt and Jeffrey Fisher came in with us for the event, and damned if Vic Milt isn't an amazing lighting talent. The audience threw out obtuse lighting scenarios, and Vic not only explained EVERY ONE of them in 2 minutes or less, he also set up the scenario when possible with the lighting kits we had on hand. (tons of stuff from Photoflex, and a couple peppers and redheads. Jeffrey did wonderful classes on surround and on audio editing, and of course, the Vegas classes were very popular. Users from California to Canada, Texas to NYC were there.
Got to spend a few minutes with members of the Baltimore Users Group, a great bunch of guys!
Sony gave some folks a sneak peek at the new Sony professional HDV cam. Start saving your pennies, kids.....this is the next biggest thing in cameras. Can't say more about it other than it was displayed on an HD monitor, it was simply amazing, comparable to the VariCam at many levels.
For those that wanted to attend but missed out, we've also got a technical track/summit coming up at CES in Las Vegas this coming January.

Comments

RalphM wrote on 10/9/2004, 6:52 AM
It was a pretty good show. I got to wonder around for about 5 hours on Thursday. (Sony must have hidden the HDV camera when they saw me coming).

I did get to meet Jeffrey Fisher at one of the demos. Sorry I did not cross paths with you or Victor. I transferred some old film for Victor recently and would like to have met him in person.

Gov DV Expo had a lot of systems integrators exhibiting their offerings such as video over IP, which was important to the government types looking more to apply video technologies to solve needs. However, there were enough companies exhibiting equipment and software products to make it interesting to most of the people who visit this forum.

The DC area is pretty bare when it comes to being able to walk into a dealer and put your hands on a prosumer level cameras such as a Sony VX2100/PD-170, or see a demo of new editing software. Glad to have seen those types of products at the Gov Expo.

I'll definitely attend next year.
Spot|DSE wrote on 10/9/2004, 7:39 AM
Would have been good to meet you, Ralph! I'm sure Victor would have enjoyed meeting you too. He's a terrific person.
Sony had the HDV cam hidden in a private room, invitation-only to see it. We considered ourselves pretty lucky.
vicmilt wrote on 10/9/2004, 2:28 PM
Thanks for the kind words Spot - I had a great time.
I've been shooting since I was 10 and a working pro since the age of 20 ( I got lucky, I guess).
I hope I taught those (very attentive) folks some "good stuff", but more, I hope I inspired some people to "play" with the lights and just have some fun. After more than 45 years in the business, I still do (have fun, that is). And to everyone in DC who were so kind to me - a great big THANKS.
v
apit34356 wrote on 10/9/2004, 8:23 PM
Spot, did you guys record your presentations? Maybe you could setup some clips that could be downloaded.
Spot|DSE wrote on 10/9/2004, 9:12 PM
Nope. We're not permitted to. Aside from that, all the lighting, Chromakey, and composition classes would be too dark to lend themselves to a single camera shoot. During the Chromakey and lighting sessions, all the room lights were out except for the Photoflex boxes and Vic's fresnels.
Come see us at CES! Or NAB...or...on one of the VASST Power Production tours.
cosmo wrote on 10/9/2004, 10:54 PM
I was present for the lighting sessions plus some in DC....wow, I'm still catching my breath. What Spot said about Vic demonstrating every lighting scenario we threw at him in less than two minutes is absolutely right. Not only that - but they showed us how to do these things with all kinds of equipment from expensive to homeade. Vic even set up a great interview shot on a gray wall with mixed lights coming in from everywhere.

To Vic and Spot - you've completely changed the way I do everything with my lights. Thank you so much!

To all others - make the trip to wherever these are guys are talking because it'll impact your work for sure.

*cosmo
epirb wrote on 10/10/2004, 6:50 AM
Damn! so sorry I missed it, feel like I'm left in the dark now missing Vic's lighting tips.
Let me know if your ever doin somthing like that here in Fl. Vic.
Eric
Trichome wrote on 10/10/2004, 10:35 AM
vic-
any of your lighting tips and tricks available online?

Gary
vicmilt wrote on 10/10/2004, 5:33 PM
Not yet, but I'm in the end game of completing a rewrite of a popular book I wrote "too long ago", called Director's Notebook - you will all love it. It's full of all the zillions of little tricks that I picked up over 30+ years of shooting and directing. I'm hoping that I can convince the VASST team to publish and release it... they are the "real thing", great guys and totally on target in their knowledge.

Meanwhile be sure to check out my (OT - NOT FILM) book, QuitWhining..., it's about life itself.... :>)
see Amazon or www.quitwhining.net
PeterWright wrote on 10/10/2004, 6:15 PM
Vic - if you have the time and inclination, I reckon a DVD on lighting techniques would sell heaps - and you wouldn't be limited to Vegas users for your market.

- and it would be faster to produce than a book!
vicmilt wrote on 10/11/2004, 8:49 AM
actually, I wrote and released the book, way back in the early '80s. It was compiled from 2 years of a column that I wrote for Backstage (major trade weekly), called, Director's Notebook, which I'd write based on whatever was happening in my life (technically) at the time. It was a best-seller in the industry, since it took an inside look at the problems of production.
Most of the stuff is still relevant ( lighting, lenses, crew, production tips, etc., but I "think" the section comparing 16mm, 35mm (film) and U-Matic 3/4" videotape, no longer applies :)
I've been writing about digital technology in my spare time, to fill in this area, and contingent on how busy my clients keep me (busy), I'll eventually get around to finishing it up. At the time I wrote the original, there were'nt too many people that really cared - compared to today, where so many college kids come out of school, trying to make a living in video/film.

I'll consider a DVD.
v