What percentage of people actually know how to use their own gear?

MattinSTL

MattinSTL

Sound Modulator
My guess is 20% have a pretty good idea... to get acceptable results most of the time... and at the most, the upper 5% of those actually know how to BEST use that gear... to maximize it's potential.

So... 80% of people that buy this stuff don't really know how to use it? Even for basic functionality? I say "yes, unfortunately, yes"... Probably 80% of the people buy a cam, set it to auto, and then never learn another thing about it.

What's your experience? How often are you encountering stuff like simply showing somebody how to WB their cam, change a setting, etc?

(I wonder if this is as common in LA as it is out here?)
 
The more appropriate question is how fully you are utilizing your gear's features. I bet almost a 100% of us don't take our gear to it maximum potential...especially now when gadgets are so loaded.
 
I was mixing a stage production, a benefit show that I do every year that includes local groups - choirs, soloists, dance schools, etc. - for 5 days, and one of the dance schools had a guy there (a parent, most likely) with them to shoot video. He had an XL-2s (a new camera at the time). He walked up to me and asked if I could have my lighting guy "put more white light on the stage, 'cause all my video looks too orange." I had to bite my tongue, though I really wanted to let loose and lecture him on the importance of knowing his camera's features, and how the stage lights are tungsten.

It happens too often.
 
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I had no idea whatsoever how to use a camera and knew nothing about filming until I bought my 7D.

I've still got lots to learn, but if I hadn't bought it, I still wouldn't know a thing.
 
Every time I get a new cam I read through the settings and see what the deal is. Helps to read the manual too sometime. LOL.

-Nate
 
HJB Productions said:
The more appropriate question is how fully you are utilizing your gear's features. I bet almost a 100% of us don't take our gear to it maximum potential...especially now when gadgets are so loaded.
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That might be a BETTER question, but I'm talking about people that don't even have a RUDIMENTARY understanding of how to use their camera (or other gear)... I'm talking about the guy who holds the tines of a rake as they scratch around on him... while dragging the handle through the leaves wondering what's wrong.

I've shot with a few people who don't have the slightest idea how to do things that are just standard operation.

The real irony is... a lot of these guys want to tell you how to shoot... or what you're doing wrong. Nobody at the lower end of things ever talks a big game unless they don't know what they're doing.

I'm working on an edit like that right now... multi-cam with plenty of extra work to compensate for changing WB... and other wacky, assorted bullsh*t...

It's way better... way better... to say "I don't know" then to throw out a few industry buzz-words to pretend like you really do know everything. Once they invent a time machine this won't be as big of a deal... but for now, pretending like you know a piece of gear and hoping nobody will notice in the edit is a bad idea.
 
HJB Productions said:
The more appropriate question is how fully you are utilizing your gear's features. I bet almost a 100% of us don't take our gear to it maximum potential...especially now when gadgets are so loaded.
Click to expand...

Actually, I think that is exactly what Matt was talking about. New features don't mean jack unless you know what you're doing.

And, most of the time, the new features on consumer/prosumer cameras do MORE of the thinking for you...which is precisely the issue at hand.
 
When I wanted to learn how to play the guitar, I borrowed my sister's dad's old acoustic, looked up tips, tricks, terminology, guides, tabs, chords, and live unplugged performances, cut my fingers open on the strings before the calluses had time to form, and after two years finally got to where I could play something without failing.

When I found I wanted to be a screenwriter, I read all the books and scripts I could find.

When I wanted to learn how to actually shoot a script, I bought a 7D and spent the entire summer educating myself. (I owe a great deal to the people on this forum.)


In short, you are not alone, Matt. There are people who passionately seek neither a requisite grasp of terms, nor a feigned knowledge of concepts, but rather full mastery of the tools in the shed.

And "I don't know" is one of the hardest things to say, especially when people first see you with a muscular camera. They expect you to represent the capability of a work of fine machinery.

All too often I see other film students at school with such a laissez-faire attitude towards mastering their equipment, and thus their education and future. It sickens me.
 
...seems to me, a lot of people jump from camera to camera so fast these days (to keep up with technology), I don't how anyone would have time to really get to know a piece of gear inside & out.

There was quite a flurry... the D90... then the GH1...the 5D...7D....T2i....all within months it seems.


***EDIT
Being a geek, I LIVE to read manuals so I know all my gear and learn a bit more everyday.
I date back to razorblade editing and aligning analog multitrack heads, selling gear retail and as a manufacturers rep
working trade shows, so I HAD to know the gear. I swear, as I think about it, I've probably forgotten half of what I've
learned over the years because of the advancement of technology. It has really reshaped our world in SO many way.
 
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ZaZa - you read manuals, oh you are one of my McDreamy's for sure. I have to know what I'm doing to I lay everything out and then just read. I never jump in before really knowing.
 
Well like I've said before, the more you know the more you realize you don't know. I know I'm a recent film student graduate, but I've read a lot of books, learned a lot here and from others, and I've worked on as many sets outside of school as I could, mine and others.

I see a lot of student filmmakers coming out of film school (or even entering) believing they know everything there is to know. I recently did an internship on a tv show in the camera department. I met another intern that just started and she graduated from a technical one year program. I asked her what type of things she learned and she seemed to almost snap at me, saying she learned 'everything'. I asked, so "a bit of lighting, camera? What did you shoot with?" and she seemed to take offence to this and insisted to me that she learned 'everything' as if she didn't need to learn anything more.

I knew that was bullshit, there's always things to learn, but I said nothing.

I think people feel they can just pick up a piece of gear and know exactly how to work it. It's more about ignorance I think. If they don't know about the features, they don't think it's there and they don't bother to think about it... like WB.

Coincidentally the DP I worked under for this internship I became good friends with. I would also ask him a buttload of questions to learn and he was usually on the ball with things. But there were one or two times where he looked at me and said 'you know what, I don't know,' and immediately pulled out his iphone to look it up. I'd love to work with this guy again.
 
Charli said:
ZaZa - you read manuals, oh you are one of my McDreamy's for sure. I have to know what I'm doing to I lay everything out and then just read. I never jump in before really knowing.
Click to expand...

And, now.....I'm Jealous! My McName was Sausage McMuffin. (Long story, from my "Three Rivers" days)


LOL, but I hear you on the knowing your equipment thing.

Most of you know I work heavily in Indie/Student stuff. And I find there's a lot of new film-makers just learning the gear they have. And I am cool with that.

Usually, I will let them figure out what they want to do, and if they still can't figure it out, I will ask if I can assist. That's the benefit I have over other armorer's. I used to be a shooter (HVX, and several other cameras) too. And my degree is in audio engineering, so there is no piece of audio gear I don't know or can't figure out.

It is kind of a funny feeling when these students look at me and........go "Whoa!".
 
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Jon Starr said:
I see a lot of student filmmakers coming out of film school (or even entering) believing they know everything there is to know.

I think people feel they can just pick up a piece of gear and know exactly how to work it. It's more about ignorance I think. If they don't know about the features, they don't think it's there and they don't bother to think about it... like WB.
Click to expand...

This is what I'm talking about. NOT "do you get the MOST out of your gear"...

There are a ton of people that have decent gear... that don't have even a basic grasp of how to get a consistently good shot... because they don't know how to use their camera, even at the base level.

I'm not talking higher-education stuff... I am talking about stuff like the post above featuring another "know everything" type... that may very well know a lot... or may know NOTHING... and you won't find out until the edit, but they'll have some good excuses ready, don't you worry.

I'm tired of dealing with arrogant types like this... and then when you see the quality of their work... all you can say is "you gotta' be kidding me".
 
I think I can turn on a go pro hd and get good results.
With the T2i I'm pretty useless, but trying.
 
I used to work with a chick who wanted to get into photography as a semi-professional hobby. She insisted on dropping about $800 on a DSLR, only to leave it on AUTO with the kit lens. I'm sure it's still in that condition.

She wanted to be a photographer, but she didn't want to learn the craft.
 
"She wanted to be a photographer, but she didn't want to learn the craft."
What's your point? We all tell stories differently. I've written a feature to be shot on a go pro hd. This story would not work with a red or an ex1 or a host of other cameras. I have no desire to be a great dp just to tell effective stories with the tools I have available. Anything wrong with that?
 
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