Alpha Video Production is a video production company specializing in commercial, legal, sports and event videography, digital video editing and DVD creation.
And, no, I don't do weddings. I have far too many friends and acquaintances in the area who are in that field and I don't want to "poach" on their territory. Besides, I'm trying to create my own niche here.
I'm a fifty-something Hoosier (born and bred) who first learned photography in the Boy Scouts (Photography Merit Badge) and went on to being a school photographer for R. Nelson Snider High School and Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, Indiana. I was introduced to video in high school, when the school got a B&W video camera with a 2" video tape recorder. Being naturally curious and quite clever with electronics, I quickly learned how to operate it, and wound up being the videographer for a class production because no one else was capable of handling it.
Fast forward thirty years. I graduated with a degree in Computer Science and spent twenty years in the computer programming field, working in the engineering sector both as a direct employee and contract. I had specialized in DEC platforms, most especially VAXen. However, at the end of my last contract, it was quickly apparent that DEC equipment was being eclipsed by high-end PCs and there wasn't much of a demand for my skill sets any longer. What skills I had in other computer fields, particularly website design (which are pretty good), were about the equivalent to a skilled college graduate, so trying to get a job designing web sites was not an option, as they cost less.
That was about when a friend of mine, Boe Powell, wanted me to assist with a cable access TV show he was developing. I had the camera skills needed, and with a little training on studio camera operation from the cable access station, I was on my way to volunteering 12 hours a month as a studio camera operator and audio board operator. Plus, its starting to develop some business contacts.
That training enabled me to consider starting my own video production company.
I use strictly digital equipment with a strong preference to Sony equipment.
For many, many years I trusted my wonderful Minolta SRT-101 35mm camera. This was the camera I used in high school and college and ever since, and this was the camera I got from my brother, who brought it back from his tour in 'Nam. Over the years I accumulated a macro-zoon lens and a zoom lens for it and it has given me many years of good service and excellent photography. I still use it for situations where I want film quality pictures.
However, I finally entered the digital age om 2008 with my Olympus E-510 digital camera. I went to Sunny Shick, a local photography store which is a fixture for local photographers, and asked their advice, given the price range I was seeking. They recommended the E-510. I was able to find a good package deal at B&H Photography with two lenses and carrying bag, and I added a compatible flash unit. So far, I am very impressed with it: all of my footage at HypnotiCon in 2007 was shot with this camera, which I got just a couple of weeks before the convention.
My experience with the Sony PD-150 with Access Fort Wayne led me to select its newer cousin, the Sony PD-170, as my primary camera. I love its small size, its capability and its low light sensitivity. I also like its twin XLR microphone inputs.
A good camera can provide only as good an image as the support it is resting on. I've seen too many videos (and edited more than a few) where the image looked good, but would look a lot better if it wasn't so wobbly.
That's why I use Bogen/Manfrotto tripods, specifically the 3221WN Wilderness Tripod Legs with 3460 (503) Pro Video Head. The pan and tilt action is very smooth, something I demand because I see jerky videos as a sign of a less-than-professional operation. I also added a Bogen 3502 Ball Leveller, because nothing annoys me more than off-center and off-balance videos. And because I love the way studio cameras allow the camera operator to control focus and zoom from with a remote control, I add a Bogen/Manfrotto 522 remote control handle to the tripod.
I use a couple of pieces of equipment to make camera operation easier. For one, the Sony MDR-7506 Circumaural Closed-Back Professional Monitor Headphone is handy to hear what the microphones and camera are hearing, to monitor the camera sound levels. And since the Sony Pd-170 monitor is a little small for convenient viewing at a small distance, I have a Century Optics LCD Magnifier, as otherwise I'd need reading glasses. I also a Sony 58mm telescopic lens for one camera. Everything for each camera is packed into a Kata CCC-3333 carrying case.
A video image is only as good as the light the image is painted with. Although I haven't had much chance to use it, as I've mostly videotaped under natural light conditions, I have a Lowell DV55 Light kit. It has an assortment of lights and comes in a hard-shell case. Actually, it comes packed in a hard shell case, which makes it very difficult to add any other items to it.
For close situations and also for the live action camera look, I have a Sony 30DW2 camera light.
In much the same way good light is essential for a good video image, sound and good sound equipment is equally important. Not many people, including some videographers, seem to appreciate that. The microphones that come with the Sony cameras are pretty adequate for most jobs, but they can be improved upon.
I have a mix of microphones, in order to be flexible and respond to multiple conditions. The primary microphone I use is the Sennheiser ME66K6 shotgun microphone, mounted on one camera with a shockmount. For interviews, I can choose from a pair of Audio-Technica clip-on microphones, a lone Shure Lavalier Microphone, or a pair or Audio-Technica Boundry microphones.
The Behringer 1204X Mixer is my answer to situations involving more than one or two microphones (as the PD-170 has two XLR inputs, it can handle two separate microphones without problems.) I got used to slider "pots" for sound levels and would not go with a mixer that used knobs instead.
I have a Sony DSR-11 DVCam VTR to save on camera wear and tear, and to have something that can handle both the miniDV and the larger DVCam tapes. I also use it on location when I know I'm going to be taping longer than the 42 or 60 minutes that are available on the miniDV tapes.
I use a Primera Signature Z1 thermal CD/DVD printer to label all of my production DVDs. This gives hem a distinctly professional look at a relatively low price.
I use the Adobe Video suite of programs: Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, Adobe Encore, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects. I am learning United Media's Multicam plug-in for Adobe Premiere.
The first major project I produced is a DVD of the 2005 Nebula Awards® Ceremony on April 30th in Chicago. The Nebula Award is awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and is the industry equivalent to an Oscar or an Emmy Award. You can read more about it on my Releases page.