So, then why not just moderate content and not the posters. In other words, make the site open to everyone without a permission to post. There'll be a lot more spam for sure but many debates would also be a lot livelier.
What would you like DVXUser to be in the future?
- Thread starter Noel Evans
- Start date
ozmorphasis
Well-known member
I come here primarily for greater knowledge about technique and gear.
I am perhaps most often turned off by really long, page after page discussions that are VERY tangentially related to the original Thread topic. I'm not sure how far I'd want a mod to go toward censoring that type of thing, and I know it's a huge time suck for a Mod to have to be the arbiter of off-topic vs on-topic. Just pointing out that if a thread is titled Lumix S1H and when I arrive I have to sift through 25 pages of philosophical discussions about the industry in general or the politics of the big Japanese manufacturers, etc, it feels a bit more like social media for folks who primarily want to connect with each other and shoot the hay about their views. No problem with that and forums can be a great place for it, but without any self-restraint, it just makes a lot of threads incredibly cluttered with musings that aren't relevant to why I'd want to click on the thread in the first place, and it of course obscures the actual on-topic content buried therein.
That's just one example. There are so many useful threads here too. The recent Sound Kit thread that Alex started is a perfect example of a useful thread. A technique thread about lighting that starts with working contributor who is perhaps a bit green, but then includes the likes of Charles Papert chiming in with lighting solutions is hugely helpful and really hard to find elsewhere.
I guess I just wish that threads that are clearly about a piece of gear or technique, remain a bit cleaner in terms of posts that are on-topic. Personal philosophical musings and hanging out with each other would better live in threads where the title and purpose of the thread is clearly in that direction. I feel like 80% of the posts I see within a thread are actually "Cafe" content.
Sorry if this is coming across as a critique of my colleagues here on the forum in terms of posting style and behavior. No shade. Just adding my two cents about why I do or don't frequent this place in case that it is useful to those making decisions about the shape of the platform.
Lastly, I would LOVE to see more personal examples shared, but I totally agree that the climate is not always welcoming for that type of sharing. That's true everywhere online. Also, obviously this connects to the whole discussion of real names. People don't post examples if they are the ones who are vehemently opposed to requiring real names since it reveals who they are, and of course it's much easier to bash people with an anonymous armchair view. Anonymity is paramount to some. Despite my fake name here, I'm not in that camp. I have posted some of my actual work, though not much. I do wish there was much more of a scene for that type of thing here. Not sure what would help foster that.
I am perhaps most often turned off by really long, page after page discussions that are VERY tangentially related to the original Thread topic. I'm not sure how far I'd want a mod to go toward censoring that type of thing, and I know it's a huge time suck for a Mod to have to be the arbiter of off-topic vs on-topic. Just pointing out that if a thread is titled Lumix S1H and when I arrive I have to sift through 25 pages of philosophical discussions about the industry in general or the politics of the big Japanese manufacturers, etc, it feels a bit more like social media for folks who primarily want to connect with each other and shoot the hay about their views. No problem with that and forums can be a great place for it, but without any self-restraint, it just makes a lot of threads incredibly cluttered with musings that aren't relevant to why I'd want to click on the thread in the first place, and it of course obscures the actual on-topic content buried therein.
That's just one example. There are so many useful threads here too. The recent Sound Kit thread that Alex started is a perfect example of a useful thread. A technique thread about lighting that starts with working contributor who is perhaps a bit green, but then includes the likes of Charles Papert chiming in with lighting solutions is hugely helpful and really hard to find elsewhere.
I guess I just wish that threads that are clearly about a piece of gear or technique, remain a bit cleaner in terms of posts that are on-topic. Personal philosophical musings and hanging out with each other would better live in threads where the title and purpose of the thread is clearly in that direction. I feel like 80% of the posts I see within a thread are actually "Cafe" content.
Sorry if this is coming across as a critique of my colleagues here on the forum in terms of posting style and behavior. No shade. Just adding my two cents about why I do or don't frequent this place in case that it is useful to those making decisions about the shape of the platform.
Lastly, I would LOVE to see more personal examples shared, but I totally agree that the climate is not always welcoming for that type of sharing. That's true everywhere online. Also, obviously this connects to the whole discussion of real names. People don't post examples if they are the ones who are vehemently opposed to requiring real names since it reveals who they are, and of course it's much easier to bash people with an anonymous armchair view. Anonymity is paramount to some. Despite my fake name here, I'm not in that camp. I have posted some of my actual work, though not much. I do wish there was much more of a scene for that type of thing here. Not sure what would help foster that.
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ozmorphasis
Well-known member
BTW, I have no way of proving this, but my guess is that social media is a big reason why there is less discussion here than there used to be. Forums are a clunky and old interface. People have dedicated groups and such on social media that they are posting in and reading all the time. That pace and level of interactivity (read: dopamine fix!) is hard to compete with. I don't think it's in any way a 1:1 replacement, but I'm sure it has seriously affected the allure of taking time to browse a site specific forum.
rob norton
Veteran
I think that's a fair assessment of how people respond to tests on YouTube and various other places but overall, I don't think there's too much of that on this forum.
It'd be great to be able to collapse forum categories - the panasonic topics might as well be in wingdings.
Also, bring back JOHN BRAWLEY!!!
rob norton
Veteran
Selfishly, I also like dvxuser because not too many people know about it. I regularly ask people in the film production world if they've heard of dvxuser and the answer is always no.
QuickHitRecord
Veteran
I think that this hits the nail on the head.
I'm on a Facebook group for my specific cameras as well as a group for lighting breakdowns. Posts from each pop up in my feed several times a day. A lot of the time posts are from beginners (nothing wrong with that, and I do try to be helpful when I can) or people who just bought the camera and have a question that has already been answered a dozen times. That being said, I can still usually run a search in those groups and find answers to my specific technical questions at a macro level that I am unlikely to find on these boards.
What keeps me coming to DVXuser every day is my perception that the general active membership here is made up of working and veteran video professionals who can offer insight and depth that are often absent on social media. I've asked for career advice in the past and came away with a totally different perspective. Some of it has literally guided my career and changed my life. DVX offers a unique platform for that kind of discussion that may not be happening for those who often work alone, or for those who may not feel comfortable "showing their cards" to competitors in their own markets. To that end, I've found it to be an invaluable resource.
I have often wondered though what the future of forums in general is. I used to be a regular participant over at Personal-View and EOSHD back when DSLR cameras hit the scene and owning a camera that could create a pleasing image with ease was finally within reach. It used to be so FUN to share ideas and attack this image quality debacle together. But these days, image quality is mostly great across the board and barely anyone is posting anything on those forums. And even though DVX has become my primary forum, I've seen a slowdown here as well. I don't really have an answer to this. I do know that I've greatly enjoyed the times that I've been able to meet other DVXusers in person. So, maybe making it more personal, with everyone including their reel in their signature, monthly Zoom happy hours, and "thank you" points awarded for referrals that work out? Just spitballing and trying to think of ways to leverage the forum platform over social media.
Thank you for your thoughts so far everyone. The fact that many people are prepared to go quite in depth with presenting their views tells me this site has members that really care about it.
combatentropy
Veteran
I think that many agree that if DVXUser tried too hard to be like other, newer sites, then it will die.
If it tries too hard to be like Reddit or Facebook, then it will never be as good as Reddit or Facebook. Those sites have scores of dedicated staff, to make them the most Redditty or Facebooky sites in the world. I don't know if any of the people behind DVXUser are paid, at least not full time, maybe a side gig for the server administrator, on his smoke break. (I could be wrong.)
At the same time, as it tries to become more like other sites, it will lose some of its old, DVXUsefulness.
DVXUser's value is in a distinct character it has. I'm trying to articulate what it is. I believe it must be all you characters. I would hate to start over on some group in Facebook. I'm sure there are some nice people in there, but I don't know any of them on there. But I do know a lot of the names here, and in some way, I like seeing you appear again and again --- even though some of you I haven't agreed with anything you said since that post you wrote 9 months ago.
---
I think I agree with QuickHitRecord that there is some higher quality content here by some of the older industry veterans. (Why they keep coming here, I don't know
That helps distinguish it from the endless September of the sites that appeal to the new kids on the block.
It's a good thing this site doesn't have to make any money. (I mean, I assume it doesn't have to make any money, because I can't see how it has made hardly any money for its owners for the past two decades.) So if all it ever does is provide a meeting place for about 100 diehard members, maybe that's okay?
Like a stereotypical actor, I'm still trying to figure out the motivation, the motivation of anyone on here who works as a moderator. I assume y'all are not paid. Do you owe a favor to the owner or something?
---
I kind of disagree with the idea that old internet forums in general are dead, replaced by newer ways of doing things on the internet. Facebook groups, for example, do keep you hooked with that little red flag at the top right and the endless garden hose of content dumped right in your news feed. And that is why haven't joined any groups on Facebook. It would be too chaotic. I don't like to surf the internet. I like to sit down beside the pond of the internet (which is DVXUser and the like).
I've said this before, but it may surprise you to hear that I am a computer programmer, a web programmer in fact. And the other site I frequent is the hottest tech site on the internet, the most popular and most respected site for people in tech, including especially all the ones making $250,000 deep in the heart of California's Silicon Valley working at companies like Reddit, Google, and Netflix. And it may further surprise you to look at that site, as it looks like a forum site from 2003: Hacker News. In a way it is like Google's home page, in that a simple user interface belies a sophisticated tech stack underneath. In addition to some fancy programming to bring the best threads to the top, and the best comments to the top of the threads, there are also some human moderators, full time, paid. You might go there some time. It's not just about tech, they talk about many subjects, and some of the smartest people in the world, in a number of fields not just computers, post there. I don't think DVXUser should try to be exactly like that site either, nor can it, not without several million dollars (Hacker News was a side project of Paul Graham, who is a multimillionaire. It was originally meant just to drive traffic to his real interest, which is funding tech start-ups, a company called Y Combinator --- but anyway, the News site took on a vibrant life of its own).
Before that, the number-one community for tech people was Slashdot, which is also an old-school forum (albeit also with a super-smart automatic moderating system underneath that you can't duplicate easily on this platform.)
Anyway, rumors of the death of the forum-style website may be slightly exaggerated.
---
So I kind of want to retract even my suggestion of looking into a new forum platform, in my last post. It ain't gonna happen, and it would be just a distraction. I double down on my proposal to radically simplify the forum structure though. As a case in point, there is a subforum for Site Info & Feedback. And yet even a moderator dumped this thread, about site feedback, into good old Cafe a la DVX (which is fine by me and only rams home my point that overcategorization is inhumane).
If it tries too hard to be like Reddit or Facebook, then it will never be as good as Reddit or Facebook. Those sites have scores of dedicated staff, to make them the most Redditty or Facebooky sites in the world. I don't know if any of the people behind DVXUser are paid, at least not full time, maybe a side gig for the server administrator, on his smoke break. (I could be wrong.)
At the same time, as it tries to become more like other sites, it will lose some of its old, DVXUsefulness.
DVXUser's value is in a distinct character it has. I'm trying to articulate what it is. I believe it must be all you characters. I would hate to start over on some group in Facebook. I'm sure there are some nice people in there, but I don't know any of them on there. But I do know a lot of the names here, and in some way, I like seeing you appear again and again --- even though some of you I haven't agreed with anything you said since that post you wrote 9 months ago.
---
I think I agree with QuickHitRecord that there is some higher quality content here by some of the older industry veterans. (Why they keep coming here, I don't know
That helps distinguish it from the endless September of the sites that appeal to the new kids on the block.It's a good thing this site doesn't have to make any money. (I mean, I assume it doesn't have to make any money, because I can't see how it has made hardly any money for its owners for the past two decades.) So if all it ever does is provide a meeting place for about 100 diehard members, maybe that's okay?
Like a stereotypical actor, I'm still trying to figure out the motivation, the motivation of anyone on here who works as a moderator. I assume y'all are not paid. Do you owe a favor to the owner or something?
---
I kind of disagree with the idea that old internet forums in general are dead, replaced by newer ways of doing things on the internet. Facebook groups, for example, do keep you hooked with that little red flag at the top right and the endless garden hose of content dumped right in your news feed. And that is why haven't joined any groups on Facebook. It would be too chaotic. I don't like to surf the internet. I like to sit down beside the pond of the internet (which is DVXUser and the like).
I've said this before, but it may surprise you to hear that I am a computer programmer, a web programmer in fact. And the other site I frequent is the hottest tech site on the internet, the most popular and most respected site for people in tech, including especially all the ones making $250,000 deep in the heart of California's Silicon Valley working at companies like Reddit, Google, and Netflix. And it may further surprise you to look at that site, as it looks like a forum site from 2003: Hacker News. In a way it is like Google's home page, in that a simple user interface belies a sophisticated tech stack underneath. In addition to some fancy programming to bring the best threads to the top, and the best comments to the top of the threads, there are also some human moderators, full time, paid. You might go there some time. It's not just about tech, they talk about many subjects, and some of the smartest people in the world, in a number of fields not just computers, post there. I don't think DVXUser should try to be exactly like that site either, nor can it, not without several million dollars (Hacker News was a side project of Paul Graham, who is a multimillionaire. It was originally meant just to drive traffic to his real interest, which is funding tech start-ups, a company called Y Combinator --- but anyway, the News site took on a vibrant life of its own).
Before that, the number-one community for tech people was Slashdot, which is also an old-school forum (albeit also with a super-smart automatic moderating system underneath that you can't duplicate easily on this platform.)
Anyway, rumors of the death of the forum-style website may be slightly exaggerated.
---
So I kind of want to retract even my suggestion of looking into a new forum platform, in my last post. It ain't gonna happen, and it would be just a distraction. I double down on my proposal to radically simplify the forum structure though. As a case in point, there is a subforum for Site Info & Feedback. And yet even a moderator dumped this thread, about site feedback, into good old Cafe a la DVX (which is fine by me and only rams home my point that overcategorization is inhumane).
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I won't go into detail and I don't want to be part of the discussion in this thread, however it's my understanding someone has previously reached out to him and his account here is currently active.
Liam Hall
Veteran
I think that many agree that if DVXUser tried too hard to be like other, newer sites, then it will die.
If it tries too hard to be like Reddit or Facebook, then it will never be as good as Reddit or Facebook. Those sites have scores of dedicated staff, to make them the most Redditty or Facebooky sites in the world. I don't know if any of the people behind DVXUser are paid, at least not full time, maybe a side gig for the server administrator, on his smoke break. (I could be wrong.)
At the same time, as it tries to become more like other sites, it will lose some of its old, DVXUsefulness.
DVXUser's value is in a distinct character it has. I'm trying to articulate what it is. I believe it must be all you characters. I would hate to start over on some group in Facebook. I'm sure there are some nice people in there, but I don't know any of them on there. But I do know a lot of the names here, and in some way, I like seeing you appear again and again --- even though some of you I haven't agreed with anything you said since that post you wrote 9 months ago.
---
I think I agree with QuickHitRecord that there is some higher quality content here by some of the older industry veterans. (Why they keep coming here, I don't know
It's a good thing this site doesn't have to make any money. (I mean, I assume it doesn't have to make any money, because I can't see how it has made hardly any money for its owners for the past two decades.) So if all it ever does is provide a meeting place for about 100 diehard members, maybe that's okay?
Like a stereotypical actor, I'm still trying to figure out the motivation, the motivation of anyone on here who works as a moderator. I assume y'all are not paid. Do you owe a favor to the owner or something?
---
I kind of disagree with the idea that old internet forums in general are dead, replaced by newer ways of doing things on the internet. Facebook groups, for example, do keep you hooked with that little red flag at the top right and the endless garden hose of content dumped right in your news feed. And that is why haven't joined any groups on Facebook. It would be too chaotic. I don't like to surf the internet. I like to sit down beside the pond of the internet (which is DVXUser and the like).
I've said this before, but it may surprise you to hear that I am a computer programmer, a web programmer in fact. And the other site I frequent is the hottest tech site on the internet, the most popular and most respected site for people in tech, including especially all the ones making $250,000 deep in the heart of California's Silicon Valley working at companies like Reddit, Google, and Netflix. And it may further surprise you to look at that site, as it looks like a forum site from 2003: Hacker News. In a way it is like Google's home page, in that a simple user interface belies a sophisticated tech stack underneath. In addition to some fancy programming to bring the best threads to the top, and the best comments to the top of the threads, there are also some human moderators, full time, paid. You might go there some time. It's not just about tech, they talk about many subjects, and some of the smartest people in the world, in a number of fields not just computers, post there. I don't think DVXUser should try to be exactly like that site either, nor can it, not without several million dollars (Hacker News was a side project of Paul Graham, who is a multimillionaire. It was originally meant just to drive traffic to his real interest, which is funding tech start-ups, a company called Y Combinator --- but anyway, the News site took on a vibrant life of its own).
Before that, the number-one community for tech people was Slashdot, which is also an old-school forum (albeit also with a super-smart automatic moderating system underneath that you can't duplicate easily on this platform.)
Anyway, rumors of the death of the forum-style website may be slightly exaggerated.
---
So I kind of want to retract even my suggestion of looking into a new forum platform, in my last post. It ain't gonna happen, and it would be just a distraction. I double down on my proposal to radically simplify the forum structure though. As a case in point, there is a subforum for Site Info & Feedback. And yet even a moderator dumped this thread, about site feedback, into good old Cafe a la DVX (which is fine by me and only rams home my point that overcategorization is inhumane).
⬆︎⬆︎⬆︎This reminds me, can you introduce a maximum word count on posts?
ahalpert
Major Contributor
I think from reading this thread that different people have different desires for the site. Some want to focus on narrative filmmaking, and some don't work in narrative at all. Some want to focus solely on technical info, and some enjoy more wide-ranging discussions. Some people like talking about new cameras, and some people think that's for the birds.
I think it would be wise to facilitate as many different needs as possible and try to grow the user base as large as possible. And then to have the design/tools/functionality for people to clear away the parts they don't care about.
An improved search function might help with that. I used to use Google for that purpose, but ever since the redesign it doesn't work for me to google site:dvxuser.com followed by search terms. And if there's a way to do it, maybe we can publish it on the homepage for everyone to see.
Re: Liam Hall's request for maximum post length, maybe there would be a way to constrain each post to a certain size ending with an ellipsis, but then you could click to expand it and read the full post? I know we're limited by the forum design tools...
Re: digging through 100 pages of a thread full of tangents and insults looking for the technical answers you need, maybe there would be some way to internally organize the thread, such as by tagging the posts you write as "Technical" or something, so that someone could clear away the excess stuff if they're just looking for specific answers to specific problems
I think it would be wise to facilitate as many different needs as possible and try to grow the user base as large as possible. And then to have the design/tools/functionality for people to clear away the parts they don't care about.
An improved search function might help with that. I used to use Google for that purpose, but ever since the redesign it doesn't work for me to google site:dvxuser.com followed by search terms. And if there's a way to do it, maybe we can publish it on the homepage for everyone to see.
Re: Liam Hall's request for maximum post length, maybe there would be a way to constrain each post to a certain size ending with an ellipsis, but then you could click to expand it and read the full post? I know we're limited by the forum design tools...
Re: digging through 100 pages of a thread full of tangents and insults looking for the technical answers you need, maybe there would be some way to internally organize the thread, such as by tagging the posts you write as "Technical" or something, so that someone could clear away the excess stuff if they're just looking for specific answers to specific problems
paulears
Veteran
I've never made a 'film' in my life. I don't do narrative. I do do technical. I'm good at making things happen. I'll contribute to a process - ignoring the parts I cannot or will not do, and put 100% into 'my bit'. I wouldn't join a real film club (we have one around here) and the cinematic word leave me cold. My video work therefore is quite dull, services a need and people pay me. 99% of it is also private. I don't retain any rights to use it, and much of this is archive material. It might get used next year in an advert, or just a few seconds or even stills might be used for something. Lots of time I never even supply finished product, just components. I don't join movie making forums, but I like video forums and sound forums. The latest fad for content management systems is of no use. I like helping people. Newcomers with problems? I'll chip in if I can. Sometimes with long posts if appropriate to explain properly - so if people have trouble reading long posts - then don;t read them, but short posts mean little depth or breadth. You can't have both and even one is tricky.
The move amongst younger people is away from forums into immediate help, then they clear off. On here we frequently get side tracked, go off topic and often this starts whole new discussion. That is where forums spawn communities.
What's the problem with long posts? Are people on dial up and paying for long text downloads? The click 'more' solution would be best - when people get to my posts, they just don't click on more. Fine with me, but short posts means dumbed down content, and Google is very good at spotting reading age and deciding not to include sites where long words are discouraged. Technical processes on sites get recognised and when people ask technical questions on google, it seems to work. Dumbing down, but post quality and length should be discouraged. It's very important on say a camera section to have access to all the technical details on the specs and standards - we get asked them all the time.
With camera sections, people do use them as information sources, but they need to be kept in makes and then sub divisions. If this doesn't cause server issues with quantity of sections, it could be expanded, not reduced.
If some people want more cinematic sections for film making, lets create them, but still add to the craft rather than art sections. For example - questions on dealing with actors, makeup, costume and even sets might be useful if we expand more into cinema, but I'd also like sections on studio work. As an example, whenever you work in broadcast you have people doing racks - the folk who do the lineup and work the CCUs - we never brush this area at all, but every studio camera op has somebody doing racks. We don't cover very much camera radio systems or grip equipment. We do odds and ends, and squeeze them into other sections. Maybe new sections could be created to see if anyone finds them and posts there. We rarely get jib questions I've noticed, but people use them.
We all want different things - so any future changes could maybe be flexible ones to test the water and find the holes in our coverage.
The move amongst younger people is away from forums into immediate help, then they clear off. On here we frequently get side tracked, go off topic and often this starts whole new discussion. That is where forums spawn communities.
What's the problem with long posts? Are people on dial up and paying for long text downloads? The click 'more' solution would be best - when people get to my posts, they just don't click on more. Fine with me, but short posts means dumbed down content, and Google is very good at spotting reading age and deciding not to include sites where long words are discouraged. Technical processes on sites get recognised and when people ask technical questions on google, it seems to work. Dumbing down, but post quality and length should be discouraged. It's very important on say a camera section to have access to all the technical details on the specs and standards - we get asked them all the time.
With camera sections, people do use them as information sources, but they need to be kept in makes and then sub divisions. If this doesn't cause server issues with quantity of sections, it could be expanded, not reduced.
If some people want more cinematic sections for film making, lets create them, but still add to the craft rather than art sections. For example - questions on dealing with actors, makeup, costume and even sets might be useful if we expand more into cinema, but I'd also like sections on studio work. As an example, whenever you work in broadcast you have people doing racks - the folk who do the lineup and work the CCUs - we never brush this area at all, but every studio camera op has somebody doing racks. We don't cover very much camera radio systems or grip equipment. We do odds and ends, and squeeze them into other sections. Maybe new sections could be created to see if anyone finds them and posts there. We rarely get jib questions I've noticed, but people use them.
We all want different things - so any future changes could maybe be flexible ones to test the water and find the holes in our coverage.
Bassman2003
Veteran
I like Paul's direction. Since forums are open, it is tough to make people do anything. But I think the design and focus can direct behavior in a certain direction. I am guilty of being more focused on cameras than examples. It is nice to discuss this equipment with others that are knowledgeable. The site already has a lot of sections but somehow, they are not as active as the camera sections. I guess that is kind of a sign of the times.
A hard but pertinent question: Is there a sense of community here or just a bunch of posters? If one reads the tea leaves I think that is what is important. A place where folks don't tear into each other and might have a sense of knowing everyone. My overall impression in the past few years is that there are about 10-20 people who do most of the posting/replying.
I am also guilty of coming here kind of to just hang out in between renders or whenever. The key is trying to get me to be more productive rather than just have me hang around shooting the breeze. Something that has really helped another forum I go to for homebrewing is a Zoom call once a week. It is amazing how people change once they meet each other in person.
A hard but pertinent question: Is there a sense of community here or just a bunch of posters? If one reads the tea leaves I think that is what is important. A place where folks don't tear into each other and might have a sense of knowing everyone. My overall impression in the past few years is that there are about 10-20 people who do most of the posting/replying.
I am also guilty of coming here kind of to just hang out in between renders or whenever. The key is trying to get me to be more productive rather than just have me hang around shooting the breeze. Something that has really helped another forum I go to for homebrewing is a Zoom call once a week. It is amazing how people change once they meet each other in person.
Thanks Noel - for asking. It's always nice when folks ask for genuine input and feedback.
Mitch has said a few things which I totally agree with & so I'll quote them here:
"One of the great values DVXUSER has had in the past and should attempt to rebuild (in my humble opinion) is a greater mix of the high and low. There is absolutely nothing to look down on for the person in a smaller market who has a van full of gear that encompasses camera, audio, lighting & grip, and who works regionally shooting commercials, interviews, and corporate work. THat's great and it can be both fulfilling and financially rewarding. But there's a lot to learn and value from people who work with a crew of 20 or more...."
Couldn't agree more with this. I'm in that smaller market category - but love to learn from people like Mitch or Charles or others whose work environment is quite different than my own. I find a mix of the high & low is a valuable resource to have. There have been DP's on this forum who I don't necessarily creatively agree with... but even if I don't agree all the time - it's often a nice reminder of why I prefer to work differently.
"My guess is most new members joining DVXuser arrive because they find a forum specifically discussing the camera they are interested in." (quoting Mitch again here)
This is true with me. I had been working professionally for over 25 years but had never joined a forum before purchasing my first camera that shot S-Log (at the end of 2014). Members here were quite helpful in getting me up to speed rather quickly. So I do think sometimes that technical info can be important but also would love if there were more discussions on the more creative aspects. I'm not sure how you foster that... but just my wish.
As for the comments about social media... I don't do Facebook or much SM at all... mostly because I find it either an annoying feedback loop - or a junior high school macho shouting match. I come here regularly, and while there's still plenty of both of those here... there is the occasional gem of a post that keeps me coming back. Cheers to the maybe dozen or so members who's contributions keep me interested. (and to be clear - it's not just the DP's with film credits that I'm referring to)
Mitch has said a few things which I totally agree with & so I'll quote them here:
"One of the great values DVXUSER has had in the past and should attempt to rebuild (in my humble opinion) is a greater mix of the high and low. There is absolutely nothing to look down on for the person in a smaller market who has a van full of gear that encompasses camera, audio, lighting & grip, and who works regionally shooting commercials, interviews, and corporate work. THat's great and it can be both fulfilling and financially rewarding. But there's a lot to learn and value from people who work with a crew of 20 or more...."
Couldn't agree more with this. I'm in that smaller market category - but love to learn from people like Mitch or Charles or others whose work environment is quite different than my own. I find a mix of the high & low is a valuable resource to have. There have been DP's on this forum who I don't necessarily creatively agree with... but even if I don't agree all the time - it's often a nice reminder of why I prefer to work differently.
"My guess is most new members joining DVXuser arrive because they find a forum specifically discussing the camera they are interested in." (quoting Mitch again here)
This is true with me. I had been working professionally for over 25 years but had never joined a forum before purchasing my first camera that shot S-Log (at the end of 2014). Members here were quite helpful in getting me up to speed rather quickly. So I do think sometimes that technical info can be important but also would love if there were more discussions on the more creative aspects. I'm not sure how you foster that... but just my wish.
As for the comments about social media... I don't do Facebook or much SM at all... mostly because I find it either an annoying feedback loop - or a junior high school macho shouting match. I come here regularly, and while there's still plenty of both of those here... there is the occasional gem of a post that keeps me coming back. Cheers to the maybe dozen or so members who's contributions keep me interested. (and to be clear - it's not just the DP's with film credits that I'm referring to)
It seems when DVXuser started it was largely about the DVX100, sharing each others films and discussing film making. I discovered it in 2008 after we bought a DVX100B and did a search.
Not too many share their work anymore, whether it's narrative, doc, commercial or whatever. Maybe because people have become harsh critics?? Maybe not too many doing low budget films anymore? So we talk about gear a lot, and industry news.
I like the forum for what it is. We can discuss a variety of things from lighting, sound, cameras, lenses, technique, films and more.
Some on here are seasoned pros and others are amateurs with a camera. But we all have something in common in that we like to capture images and make something.
I find it tremendously helpful to get input here since people on here do a wide range of work and have a wide range of experience.
I work almost every day and night each year and DVXuser is like a break I look forward to. I detest fakebook and others so DVXuser is my favorite place to visit with others, share and learn.
Not too many share their work anymore, whether it's narrative, doc, commercial or whatever. Maybe because people have become harsh critics?? Maybe not too many doing low budget films anymore? So we talk about gear a lot, and industry news.
I like the forum for what it is. We can discuss a variety of things from lighting, sound, cameras, lenses, technique, films and more.
Some on here are seasoned pros and others are amateurs with a camera. But we all have something in common in that we like to capture images and make something.
I find it tremendously helpful to get input here since people on here do a wide range of work and have a wide range of experience.
I work almost every day and night each year and DVXuser is like a break I look forward to. I detest fakebook and others so DVXuser is my favorite place to visit with others, share and learn.
Mitch Gross
Veteran
Do you really think there is some vast multinational conglomerate behind the DVXUser empire? Or perhaps could it be a handful of people holding it together with string?
Liam Hall
Veteran
Here's a thought...
Critic corner: A part of the forum where people post private links to current work-in-progress in the hope of getting useful feedback.
Today, I was editing a job I shot in Switzerland last week and really needed a second or third opinion. My wife isn't speaking to me and my kids have buggered off so I was left with a cat and three elderly chickens - not great to debate if I could get away with the dodgy sequence I'd put together. Luckily, my wife decided to start speaking to me again so I got the feedback I needed (yes, the sequence is crap...).
Each post could be labelled "pro", "beginner", enthusiast" or even "American" allowing members to respond accordingly, so as not to offend (yes, I'm looking at you Karen). Maybe we vote up and down responses, so if a member acts like a dick he (because you know it will be a he) is banned from posting for a bit.
One of the biggest lessons I learned (a thousand years ago) was to stop treating your latest film like your newborn child. People are too easily offended by comments about their work and given 90% of newborns are ugly I believe we can move past this and actually help people improve their art.
Furthermore, one issue I've always had on here is not knowing how to respond when someone posts some work, particularly if it's rubbish. Do they want constructive criticism or do they want their back rubbed and told how brilliant they are? I tend to like straight-up, honest feedback and often (not always) give that type of critique to others too but realise it's not always what is wanted.
There you go, that's all I've got for now, I'm a bottle of wine down and have been working like a dog. And as I tell my clients; feedback always appreciated; good, bad or indifferent.
Critic corner: A part of the forum where people post private links to current work-in-progress in the hope of getting useful feedback.
Today, I was editing a job I shot in Switzerland last week and really needed a second or third opinion. My wife isn't speaking to me and my kids have buggered off so I was left with a cat and three elderly chickens - not great to debate if I could get away with the dodgy sequence I'd put together. Luckily, my wife decided to start speaking to me again so I got the feedback I needed (yes, the sequence is crap...).
Each post could be labelled "pro", "beginner", enthusiast" or even "American" allowing members to respond accordingly, so as not to offend (yes, I'm looking at you Karen). Maybe we vote up and down responses, so if a member acts like a dick he (because you know it will be a he) is banned from posting for a bit.
One of the biggest lessons I learned (a thousand years ago) was to stop treating your latest film like your newborn child. People are too easily offended by comments about their work and given 90% of newborns are ugly I believe we can move past this and actually help people improve their art.
Furthermore, one issue I've always had on here is not knowing how to respond when someone posts some work, particularly if it's rubbish. Do they want constructive criticism or do they want their back rubbed and told how brilliant they are? I tend to like straight-up, honest feedback and often (not always) give that type of critique to others too but realise it's not always what is wanted.
There you go, that's all I've got for now, I'm a bottle of wine down and have been working like a dog. And as I tell my clients; feedback always appreciated; good, bad or indifferent.