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is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:24 am
by Roy1
I have just returned from a holiday abroad and have been videoing in a highly popular area and was suprised to see the lack of people using camcorders. There was no shortage of people using still cameras and even more using cellphones to video. I assume they were videoing as most of them were waving their cellphones about as if panning in a wild manner. During my whole trip I think I saw no more than six people using camcorders, and they didn't seem to know what they were doing. No wonder video clubs are struggling.

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 11:08 am
by TimStannard
I think this has been commented on before, Roy, so it's definitely a sign of the times. However I'm not sure this relates to video clubs struggling. How many of the people who waved camcorders about in the past belonged to clubs? Very few! I suspect the percentage of camcorder users who actually bother to edit their footage - ie the more serious users - is much higher than when every man and his dog waved one around. What's more, I bet a lot of those people you saw with DSLRs were recording video - and they would be more "serious" users as well.

What I'm saying is that I suspect the total number of potential club members has not changed (indeeed it has probably increased). What we are all lousy at is promoting the benefits of belonging to a club to these people. And a large part of that problem is that the benefits are not really appreciated until one has been to a number of meetings. (And this is where Reading are doing a great job - but that's another story)

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 1:06 pm
by Peter B
I think what you're seeing is the difference between 'tourist photographers' and 'serious photographers'.
The tourist photographers are just out to capture memories of their visit and I suspect that the word 'edit' isn't in their vocabulary, they video with their phones because that's a quick way of sharing their memories with their friends as a series of short video clips in a way that they just can't do with a camcorder.
The serious photographers go looking to create a record of their holiday that they intend to edit and upload to YouTube or Vimeo, but that sort of photography takes more planning and thought about what and where you film and people who do that are much thinner on the ground.

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 3:36 pm
by col lamb
With mobile phone you take images and video and within minutes they are posted on Youtube, Facebook etc.

On holiday take the images upload and away your family and friends go to see what you are up to

The other night a friend received images his son sent of his flight to LA within minutes of him landing in LA

My Wife has a small pocket Panny still camera that takes pretty good 720p video and 12Meg stills so she can take whatever she wants at the flick of a switch

My mobile itself is a Samsung Galaxy S3 and that takes pretty good video and still images

As for editing holiday footage, I do not know about you good folks but I have video on the PC that I shot 20 years ago that is still awaiting editing. To give an example I went to Hawaii in 2000 and out of 6 MiniDV tapes filled I have managed to make a 4 minute music video and a 10 minute documentary about one specific location (Pearl Harbour)

It took me 2 years to edit my Wedding video

Times change

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 3:52 pm
by tom hardwick
Hi Col, I hope you've written Pearl Harbor correctly on your 2000 video edit :)

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 7:24 pm
by john ingham
personally..and this is just me....I would never take a video camera on holiday..a still camera yes,

I can understand that some like to make holiday videos...not my cup of tea though...if i really thought something was worth filming...i would use the phone

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 8:14 pm
by FredD
Hey guys....

I am a bit 'hazy' on this whole 'Holiday' concept !
Dare I say, that for me, everyday is a 'holiday' ?

And Colin, in case it is necassary to comment on Toms' post above :

"A popular misconception is in the spelling of Pearl Harbor. It is a place that now lies in the 50th state of the United States, and as such is a proper noun subject to American spelling. It was not then, and is not now Pearl Harbour. All reasonably sophisticated publications on either side of the Pond spell each other's place names in a manner that respects the national preference of the place. And never mind that the movie PEARL HARBOR was spelled PEARL HARBOUR in Britain and the Commonwealth: that was a cynical attempt to persuade non-Yanks to spend their money at the box office !"

Kind regards,
Fred D

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 9:16 pm
by Roy1
JOHN,just in case there is any mistake, I have to say that I do not make holiday films. I make documentary travelogues of the area that I am visiting whilst my partner enjoys her holiday pursuits. Among the comments I have received is one from a Pro in Spain who said on YouTube that I have some great stuff and that I make holiday videos that are very interesting.That among other comments tells me that I am doing something right.

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 12:36 pm
by john ingham
ROY.. thats great mate, and I am honestly pleased for you.... if we all filmed the same thing..life would be boring.... We must all do what we get the most pleasure out of
and without doubt i would watch certain films that i would not want to film.....

keep up the good work

john

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 9:54 pm
by Michael Slowe
An old saying amongst film makers "You either make a film or have a holiday". How true. I've made films on holiday very occasionally but it sure was not a holiday!

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2012 10:16 pm
by Roy1
Michael. How right you are. I don't think of myself on holiday rather that I am on location, whilst my partner has her holiday at the same place. I see what she sees but I see it through the viewfinder. I would be restless if I wasn't making a video. It wouldn't be natural for us all to be the same. We have wandered somewhat from my original post but I do think that if people had not got cellphones that videod, some of them would have camcorders and would want to know the basic rules of how to make a watchable video and maybe join a club.

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Mon Nov 19, 2012 12:02 am
by TimStannard
That may be true for you retired types, but for those of us who still have a day job, taking time out to make a film IS a holiday.

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Tue Nov 20, 2012 10:55 pm
by Peter B
Michael Slowe wrote:An old saying amongst film makers "You either make a film or have a holiday". How true. I've made films on holiday very occasionally but it sure was not a holiday!
I know what you mean Michael. Some years ago I went on holiday with the intention of making and AV sequence, as I recall I didn't really enjoy the holiday because I was too busy trying to find shots for my AV.
These days I go on holiday and take lots of pictures of where I visit. Then when I get home I look at what I've got and see if I can make something out of it. If I can, that's good, if I can't, well that's is it and I move on.

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2012 8:16 pm
by john ingham
PS...whats a holiday :lol: its only been 4 years since i had one

Re: is this the sign of the times

Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:46 am
by fraught
TimStannard wrote:That may be true for you retired types, but for those of us who still have a day job, taking time out to make a film IS a holiday.
So true Tim! I had to take a weekend away from the Family to shoot a film and my other half considered it me having a Jolly... she now wants a weekend to relax where i look after the kids! The things us young-uns do to get our films made! ;-)