So your son wants to do something in filmmaking, huh?  What school does he want to go to New York Film Academy, Full Sail, Universal?  I don't really think that reading a book matters, if he really wants to do something like be in the film industry he would want to have a good plan and know what he's gonna do, I doubt a book would do that, but it would be a neat thing to read.

A book would be a good start.  Beats paying for his tuition in the NYFA, only to have him drop out in two weeks because it's not what he wants.


Phil

Now, I fully understand the urge to say f*** Hollywood, because I tend to shy away from the big (monster machine) business side of everything, and I know full well that many many films are made elsewhere.  I don't live in a vacuum.  However, I'm looking at it just as Mr. Willson said:

Quoted Text To me, Hollywood is not just the location in California where the big movie players tend to be. Hollywood is also a descriptive term for (at least) the American movie industry as a whole.

What I want to illustrate to my son is basically what the industry has to offer as a whole, and what the jobs entail.  He is, after all, only 12 years old, and I don't expect he will be packing off next summer to make his way in the world.  However, I do feel he's old enough to start finding out what it's all about.  I don't know, so you need to find someone who does.  Not too many here in Barbertucky, OH.

What I would want to do in the film industry? Edit. First I would shoot stupid videos with friends, then I shot some videos with friends that had stories and threw them on a computer and played with some free editing software.

Basically, get him a video camera and let him decide what he likes to do best, be behind the camera, in front of it, of work before or after the camera. It might be an investment, but if you already own a camcorder for family plays, vacations, etc... let him play with it (supervised)

I spent last night looking at camcorders.    We have a couple of old video cameras, but they require tapes, so no editing.  I think an HDD camcorder is the way we want to go.  Probably for his birthday in the fall.

Pft, I had no fancy hdd camcorders. I used VHS But that's great. You really only need a DV camcorder with firewire, a computer with firewire and Windows Movie Maker.

Sorry for all the details. I work at a major video editing software company

Quoted from theMADhatter Pft, I had no fancy hdd camcorders. I used VHS But that's great. You really only need a DV camcorder with firewire, a computer with firewire and Windows Movie Maker. Sorry for all the details. I work at a major video editing software company

Shoot, when I was a kid I had to walk 20 miles to school. . .uphill both ways!!    My computer does not have firewire, so that's out.  But we do have windows movie maker, so we got that going!

He has a little webcam-type-thing, and has shot some movies, and made a stop motion movie.  We've added sound track, etc., but not done any frame-by-frame video editing.

Back in 1984/85, I think it was, we talked my dad into getting a VCR.  He got the floor model, because it was the only one left, and when he got it home, we found that they had forgot to remove the copy of 48 Hrs that they were using to demo it.  That was cool.  Funny thing was, it came with a VHS tape telling us how to hook up and set up the machine!  Gotta love that logic.    I think it cost like 400 bucks.  Amazing.

Quoted from steven8 My computer does not have firewire, so that's out.

You can buy a PCI card to add firewire, assuming you have an open expansion slot.  Should be able to get one under $15, I'd think.

I can have an open slot, because I have an Ethernet card in the one slot, which I didn't end up using because I used the onboard Ethernet.

You've got options.

BTW, what's the HDD camcorder's interface to the computer, USB?

Quoted from theMADhatter You've got options. BTW, what's the HDD camcorder's interface to the computer, USB?

That's how mine works.  I have a JVC Everio.

Quoted from Shelton That's how mine works.  I have a JVC Everio.

What did that run you?  I see 'em from 250 to 350.

Quoted from steven8 What did that run you?  I see 'em from 250 to 350.

Sounds about right.  I think I paid three for mine at an after Thanksgiving sale.  List price was 450-500 at the time.

It comes with some editing software, but it's not all that great.

I'm looking at them at the JVC website.  That's what I want.  Now. . . I just have to talk to the Missus about it!

Good luck! Reading is good, doing is a whole lot better... Is there a media club at his school? Maybe they can help him get set up and used to running some of the equipment...

Just a note about the graphic novels; some of those pumpkin OWC's would be fun...Like to see Gordy drawn out...