Video editing questions?

Well, I used to edit videos alot a while back and I want to get back into it, and I was thinking about in the future going to film school for video editing, (can someone tell me about professional video editing?). But for now I don't have a video camera, is there anywhere where I can find some decently priced video cameras, or is there anywhere I can download videos made for the intent of editing.

Video editing questions?myspace.com picture

FCP Express is @300.00 - best bet if if your on a budget.

an iMac for @1000 bucks should easily be able to handle basic videos.

Camerawise - I would say get one as many people won't want to give you professional raw footage - and the best way to learn every trick of the trade is documentary/event coverage - this makes you more creative and has a more auteur role for the editor whereas narrative etc. is mainly adhering to a director's storyboard.

And get a decent mic - and a wireless - they start as little as 100 - and I would recommened just finding friends / family with cool events, performances, etc - and do a few mini docs - make it short and never boring, practice narration over flash (a video should never just be all music or all effects) and make a few of those and see what others think.

It's a different recommendation - but IMO is the fastest and most proactive - no one is giving you their raw footage as most filmmakers/videographers are deathly afraid of theft/copyright etc (people passing off other's footage as their own is RAMPANT).

So that's why I recommend buying a camera - editing other's footage is a great learning tool as you'll be much more objective, but it takes a while to find people that'll let you edit for them plus any weakness in their footage and direction they give you etc. impairs your learning, so keep that in mind when shopping for other's footage if you find anyone.

Camerawise - you can find decent cameras for learning for $1000 - although the pickings are slim - Panasonic makes a very primitave shoulder mount camera for this price range, Canon has a 24p 1980/1080 HDV handicam - but handicams will have limited sound inputs etc. Used VX2000s/1000s can be had for under 1000.

For film school - I'm going to take a lot of heat for this - NARRATIVE/HOLLYWOOD film schools are mostly BS - Not saying it's a waste, just 95-99 percent of them are ...yeah...and I've been through it - that film market's elite are definitely not teaching in Universities for the most part and I've found one flake after another that I've found out after the fact, years after graduation, never really made a damn thing, or have tried to and it turns out being considerably worse than their students work - just be carefull what college you pick. I recommend BFA programs that teach all aspects of film from experimental/doc/narrative EQUALLY or with a slant towards documentary/experimental - a good film school will have at least one or two classes that deal with the mental breakdown of how film communicates thought to the viewer by visuals/sound alone (sans script/dialogue) Eisenstein/Vertov heavy. For narrative classes - I'll aslo take heat for this - the classical directors are just better and built the language - Wells/Lang/Hitchcock should be heard around campus - not Tarantino/Rodriguez etc. There's a difference between storytellers and filmmakers.

Also - if you want a job - DOCUMENTARY/CORPORATE videos will get you work so long as you're serious and have half a brain LOL - narrative could have you waitin' tables for years.

Ok, my rant is over LOL.

Video editing questions?layouts for myspace myspace.com

The best way is to take some of your samples and then go visit all the editors in your area.

Buying a video camera will make you a shooter not an editor. I am sure there are plenty of shooters who will let you "practice" with their raw footage.

I don't think you have the $40,000 to buy a video editing system so you can get down to it and start editing. Perhaps you need to spend some time finding an editing booth and work with established editors as a starting point.

If you are going to SC or UCLA you will get connected to editors in Hollywood if you get any good.
fhotoace was right on saying that buying a video camera will make you a shooter, not an editor. Though there's nothing wrong with fiddling with both.

For decently priced video cameras, go to Best Buy or to shop.yahoo.com.

But he was way off about getting your own editing system. I make a living selling editing systems in Hollywood, and $40k is wayy off the scale. You can get yourself a professional editing system for under $3,000 (Adobe Premiere + PC), or a top-of-the-line FCP Studio 2 system on a Mac Pro for another $1,000 or so. Heck, you can get a budget system for half that price.

How about you try and connect with young filmmakers in your area (through small festivals or online) or students, and offer to try and edit what they shot? There's nothing for them to loose, and you get interesting footage to try to see how you can turn mud into gold ;-)