[Hannah W]

Hello! Me and some of my friends would like to make a movie when we go on holiday. We thought it would be cool to kind of capture our fun, while we're still young.

One of the reasons I bought my iMac was because I heard how easy they were to use with videos and photos. What do we need to buy to make our movie?

I already have a video camera, but it's a bit old. Will that plug into my computer? I saw the program iMovie, is that all I need to chop the movie up a bit and add music?

Thank you!

[Mark E]

if your camera is up to 2 or 3 years old it may be miniDV. look for some writing on the casing somewhere saying "miniDV".. if you can see that somewhere, you're in luck. all you need to do is record like you normally would with the camera, then rewind the tape and you can then transfer the tape to your mac by connecting the camera up to it with a firewire cable.

the import can be done with imovie - which you can also use to edit the video and add music, etc.

if your camera isn't a miniDV type, you'll need to use some sort of analog-to-DV converter.. the general consensus is, the canopus advc-100 is the best one to use.

-Mark

[Cory Bauer]

Originally posted by Mark E:
if your camera isn't a miniDV type, you'll need to use some sort of analog-to-DV converter.. the general consensus is, the canopus advc-100 is the best one to use.

And if your camera isn't MiniDV, it'd make much more sense investing as little as $400 into a MiniDV camera than to purchase all kinds of analog converting hardware to try and make analog video technology work with your computer. Trust me, and don't make the same mistakes I did!

[k_munic]

how to make a movie, hmmm?

film it.
edit it.
show it.

--------

no, for real:
get a camera with mini-dv and firewire/iLink port, as mentioned before...

use it as often you can (btw: buy additonal accus)!! mini-dv cassettes are cheap, don't loose a single moment of your fun! don't worry, we cut out the bad stuff later.

take pics (very short scenes), take sequences (we start here, it ends there) AND take some fill-ins and establishing shots (if you don't like to use a tripod, keep the camera still!!)

editing:
tell a story? ok, go chronical from a to z.
just "fun" - make it short!! use your favorite music and forget the original sound (eccept the typical "oh, my god!" & "He's dead, Jim!"s).

did i mention to make it short? 3min best-of is much better then 30min the whole stuff!

so, lern how to use your equipment BEFORE shooting, have in mind, what kind of movie you want to do (dokumentation or just PARTY!), make lots of raw footage.

and make it short.

ahh, you did know that�?

ok,make a movie!

a short one

[Hannah W]

I had a look on my camera for a miniDV plug, but there didn't seem to be one. Browsing through the manual (are you impressesed? I used a manual!) didn't mention it at all. It's from around 1995 or so.

So you guys think I would be better off getting a whole new camera? Or is it worht investing in one of those converters to make my old camera work with my computer?

Perhaps we won't make the movie just yet if it means shelling out a lot more money.

[Axo1ot1]

Originally posted by Hannah W:
It's from around 1995 or so.

So you guys think I would be better off getting a whole new camera? Or is it worht investing in one of those converters to make my old camera work with my computer?

I doubt the converter is worth it. You probably have a Hi-8 camera or something like that. That means it's going to be tough to get it to work with your computer, and even then the color will look bad and your results will probably end up disappointing. Get a new/used DV camera if you are going to do it at all. You can get them for very little money these days.

[k_munic]

Originally posted by Hannah W:
I had a look on my camera for a miniDV plug, but there didn't seem to be one. Browsing through the manual (are you impressesed? I used a manual!) didn't mention it at all. It's from around 1995 or so.

So you guys think I would be better off getting a whole new camera? Or is it worht investing in one of those converters to make my old camera work with my computer?

Perhaps we won't make the movie just yet if it means shelling out a lot more money.

forget the converter.-
buy a new camera with dv-out/dv-in.
you need the dv-out to get your material into your iMac, the dv-in is for playing back the final movie from your computer onto a cassette (later, you play the cassette in your camera, connect it to a vhs and make dozends of copies for your friends).

plan B (not from outer space): has your iMac a superdrive? make dvds!

your read manuals? i'm impressed, young skywalker, most impressive�-

did i mention to make your final movie short? � ahh, i did, sorry, don't want to bother you�-

[Hannah W]

Sounds like the converter is a lot of hassle compared to having a real digital video camera. We've decided that we probably won't record our holiday this year, maybe neext year! By then I plan on having my very own new video camera.

[DeathMan]

You are 100% right about the converter. Its a pain in the rear. The miniDV cameras are designed to work with macs using firewire. Its why firewire was invented in the first place. Digital Video Editing = Easy. Analogue Video Editing = a pain in the butt.

Good luck. There is a website called http://www.camcorderinfo.com that is a pretty good source of info about different digital cameras.

[Mark E]

why are there so many replies saying that analogue-to-DV converters are a waste of time?

all you do is connect the video and audio output cables of your camera to the inputs on the converter, then connect the converter to your mac with a firewire cable. the mac then recognises the converter as a firewire camera. the only functions that aren't available are the rewind/fast-forward functions. it's not rocket science.

the reason i suggested using a converter:

a) she can use her existing camera to shoot the footage on (which she already has)

2) converters are still about $150-200 cheaper than DV cameras

D) sure, the picture quality on an analogue cam isn't as good as a DV one, but at least there's some footage to use. rather shoot it now on analogue tape and be able to do something with it later (with a converter or by passing it thru to a new DV cam) , than wait a year or whatever - and miss out on shooting some footage of stuff that probably won't happen again?

do you see my point?

[tr]

Mark E makes good points. there's nothing 'pain in the ass' about DV converters. you plug it in, you press play on your camera, you capture to computer. you would do the EXACT same thing when connecting a miniDV cam to your mac (only you'd be able to control camera functions through iMovie).

and i love how people are so quick to recommend a new camera. "investing as little as $400 into a MiniDV camera"...as LITTLE as $400? you know, maybe you think $400 is a little sum of money, but there's a lot of people, including myself, that think that is a rather large sum of money. and if i was in Hannah W's shoes, why should i get a whole new camera, when i have one that still works fine? i mean, if i can spend $200 or less (DV converter), and still get the same results (being able to edit video on the mac), then why not?

remember, it's not the fact that you're making the movie and editing the movie on your mac that makes it important to you, it's the footage on the movie. we record stuff to preserve memories.

Hannah W, i hope you brought your camera anyway, you shouldn't pass up preserverving memories this year because you may have better technology to do it next year.

tr

[scottiB]

Originally posted by tr:
[BHannah W, i hope you brought your camera anyway, you shouldn't pass up preserverving memories this year because you may have better technology to do it next year.

tr [/B]

Exactly. The memories are what's important.

[JacobyO]

Record this years madness, then when you buy that shiny new DV cam, run the footage from your old camera thru the DV cam and your all set. Then next year you will be able to shoot with your DV cam.

Plus, you will now have 2 cameras for next year. That means more angles to edit with.

That is if you plan on doing this more than once. Why waste money on a converter when the camera you would inevitably get, (because you have become addicted to editing) works as a converter anyway.

And yes, $400 is a lot to me.

I did this same thing.

WARNING! - Your friends will hate you until they see the videos and laugh their asses off.