Vietnamese New Beginner

[Trung Dau]

Hi guys,

 

I'm from Vietnam. Im studying Multimedia design in the NEtherlands. My major is about digital filmming in this study. Í'm going to finish it this SEptember.

The first time i saw a steadicam was3 years ago. From that time still now, Im addicted to steadicam, day and night watching pictures, and your guys' discussion. While sleeping, i often dream that i own 1 rig :lol:

 

I can't loan for a long term in Vietnam. But i can't stand anymore this feeling hurts me day by day, i need a steadicam rig now!!!!So i ask help from my mom, i can loan her. But the problem is that i also want to study in a Film school in USA. My mom only have enough money for me to to do 2-3 years for film school. So i might only can take about 20 grants from that budget. I will take 1 or 2 years for studying English in US. During that time , i need to do partime job for earning nearly 20 grants which i took out from film school budget.

 

And my questions and things need to advice are:

 

which secondhand rig (20 grants to 25 grants) can do the low budget job? I might to work for Vietnam community music show in US. So it would be great the rig can handle big camera as the betacam or HDcam. And cheap focus and iris remote system is need.

 

Can u advice me some good film school in US? especially in Cali. I'm wondering about Fulsail in Florida; you guys know anything about it?

 

Thanks in Advance,

TRUNG DAU

Edited July 31, 2007 by Trung Dau

[Erwin Landau]

Hi,

 

You are in the netherlands... contact Chris Fawcett or Job Scholtze or some of the local ops. That would be a good start.

 

I did the UCLA extension program here in LA as a foreign student. In my personal opinion was a waste of time and money. Also they are not telling you that you can't work initially as a student. Then you are only allowed to work on campus for the first 9 months... later you can only legally work off campus once you are done with your program and apply for a "practical year" at what point you can't take classes and you can work... but only for one year and then you have to leave the country... Not sure if it's still like that it has been a couple of years since.

 

About the rig... read the archives. Take a workshop which will give an idea where to go from there... No where else in the industry it's more true then here... you get what you pay for. Buy something used and the money will last you way longer...

 

This is just my personal opinion...

 

Hope it makes any sense to you.

 

Good Luck,

 

 

Erwin

[chris fawcett]

Sure,

 

Email me off forum, and we can meet up for a chat anytime.

 

Chris

[Gus Trivino]

Time ago Job was offering his Steadi.

Ask him about.

[Trung Dau]

Thanks for your advice about UCLA school, i will inorge it. And i will keep in mind the legal working problem. Thanks for everything. I'm looking for a cheap secondhand rig, but i already miss 2 good deals from Patrick in Germany and Andrew in Canada. I will wait, then still dream. Dream be true. :rolleyes:

 

i already contact JOb but he's too busy.

 

i will call Chirs and we maybe meet eact other next week.

 

Anybody know about FulSail in Florida? Or any real good school in Cali?

[David Shawl SOC]

I bought that from Job, unless he has another one to sell :)

 

Time ago Job was offering his Steadi.

Ask him about.

[Brad Grimmett]

Anybody know about FulSail in Florida? Or any real good school in Cali?

I'm from FL and worked with a handful of people who went to Fullsail while I was working in FL. Most of the people that I knew that went to Fullsail wished they hadn't. It's very expensive and they spend very little time actually shooting. As far as I know they don't deal with Steadicam at all. From what I've heard, they market the school very well, but don't run it very well. But all of this is hearsay, so try to talk to people who've gone there yourself for more information.

[Trung Dau]

Anybody know about FulSail in Florida? Or any real good school in Cali?

I'm from FL and worked with a handful of people who went to Fullsail while I was working in FL. Most of the people that I knew that went to Fullsail wished they hadn't. It's very expensive and they spend very little time actually shooting. As far as I know they don't deal with Steadicam at all. From what I've heard, they market the school very well, but don't run it very well. But all of this is hearsay, so try to talk to people who've gone there yourself for more information.

 

Thanks Brad

 

I also heard about that, but i was confused. Now i gonna irgnore that school. Dealing with steadicam i need to take some workshop and self practice.

I want to continue my study for being a camera operator and cinematographer in the future. there r many school in Cali, that makes me really confused.

[Elliott Yancey]

Definitely do not go to Fullsail! I thought about it myself and even applied and was accepted, but after talking to several people, I found out that those who graduated from there were still working their way up from PA in the real world. The other thing is; the two year program would cost you about $65,000! My advice (and other's advice to me) take your $65,000 and spend $15,000 on a small used rig like an EFP or model 2, put the other $40,000 in the bank (or stock market) and use that later to buy a sweet rig after you get a couple years experience.

 

That is my two cents worth, but I hope my two cents saves some people out there $65,000. And then I hope some of those people give me some of their $65,000!

 

 

...seriously.

 

 

-Elliott

[JobScholtze]

i already contact JOb but he's too busy.

 

i will call Chirs and we maybe meet eact other next week.

Yes, like i sayd, you can come over and have a go on my rig. The only thing is i have only 2 days off in this hole freaking month. Not that i am complaining :rolleyes:

 

We will get togheter some time. If you see chris, then bring your notebook. Lots of info to wright down. Otherwise your head will spin after that meeting :P

 

Sup Chris

[Elliott Yancey]

I just realized my math was wrong! I meant to say put the other $50,000 in the bank. Or put $40,000 in the bank and keep $10,000 aside for repairs to the older equipment, random equipment rentals and for those months that go by with no phone calls and no work!

 

 

-Elliott

[Trung Dau]

heheh thanks JOB. Wee will see than, i would take ur advice. :P

 

hi Eliot, thanks for ur advice. 65grants fro 2 years of studying is really expensive. I'm still get no solution about the school. U know what i want to work for making film, then experience will bring me up. BUt how can i get work? That's a big question. If i don't get a degree in a cinemagraphy school, how dare somebody want to hire me? I'm going to finish school of multimedia design , that degree's a bit different than my wish career. Why do i want to go to US? I want to learn, to get knowledge, experience,... then i will come back to my country to give a help. Have anyone seen Vietnamese movies? You can get asleep after half of hour. Korean filming is developing a lot and very fast, there're many people get back to their country from US.

 

Whatever i will get a cheap asss rig first :rolleyes:

[Rob Vuona SOC]

heheh thanks JOB. Wee will see than, i would take ur advice. :P

 

hi Eliot, thanks for ur advice. 65grants fro 2 years of studying is really expensive. I'm still get no solution about the school. U know what i want to work for making film, then experience will bring me up. BUt how can i get work? That's a big question. If i don't get a degree in a cinemagraphy school, how dare somebody want to hire me? I'm going to finish school of multimedia design , that degree's a bit different than my wish career. Why do i want to go to US? I want to learn, to get knowledge, experience,... then i will come back to my country to give a help. Have anyone seen Vietnamese movies? You can get asleep after half of hour. Korean filming is developing a lot and very fast, there're many people get back to their country from US.

 

Whatever i will get a cheap asss rig first :rolleyes:

------------------------

Trung,

School/University here is all about learning the theories and making you a more well rounded person, the only way your going to learn all about making movies and more specifically, steadicam is hands on! I definitely think you should attend university if for no other reason for yourself. If you do come over and decide to try to get some work just offer up your two hands and work your way up all the while shooting on the side and learning steadicam.

 

It's all good and stick to it!

 

All the best

[Trung Dau]

------------------------

Trung,

School/University here is all about learning the theories and making you a more well rounded person, the only way your going to learn all about making movies and more specifically, steadicam is hands on! I definitely think you should attend university if for no other reason for yourself. If you do come over and decide to try to get some work just offer up your two hands and work your way up all the while shooting on the side and learning steadicam.

 

It's all good and stick to it!

 

All the best

 

hi Rob,

Thanks for ur advice. I will find a school/university in US. That's the only reason i can get visa to US and that's the only way i can learn how to make movies faster. beside that training steadicam and try to find any projects to work with it, maybe Vietnamese community in Cali can hire me sometimes. They has music shows and making video clips every years.

[Alfeo Dixon SOC]

hi Eliot, thanks for ur advice. 65grants fro 2 years of studying is really expensive. I'm still get no solution about the school. U know what i want to work for making film, then experience will bring me up. BUt how can i get work? That's a big question. If i don't get a degree in a cinemagraphy school, how dare somebody want to hire me? I'm going to finish school of multimedia design , that degree's a bit different than my wish career. Why do i want to go to US? I want to learn, to get knowledge, experience,... then i will come back to my country to give a help. Have anyone seen Vietnamese movies? You can get asleep after half of hour. Korean filming is developing a lot and very fast, there're many people get back to their country from US.

 

Whatever i will get a cheap asss rig first :rolleyes:

 

Trung,

 

The biggest question you need to answer Trung, is do you want to DP or operate steadicam. If it is steadicam, then a great workshop will help a lot more than film school. If your answer is to DP, then film school may be a better solution for you. While in film school, you will meet and make relationships which will eventually help you to nurture jobs down the road.

 

I watch alot of Korean (dubbed to Japanese) and Japanese films / mini series and I am very impressed with many of them. Once you understand how to move the camera, which the workshops are great for, then the world becomes your classroom by renting movies and reading publications and communicating with others such as here.

 

Myself, I did the workshops, but not film school. I think if I had done the filmschool route that I might be possibly be closer to being a breakthrough DP, than rather a breakthrough operator.

 

Best of luck to you.

 

-Alfeo