sangiro 4 #1 August 5, 2006 Heya all, Joe has agreed to write us a few articles on flying a camera and some of the cool things he's done. Check out the first one in the series called 'Flying for Food' on the home page. http://www.dropzone.com/Safe swoops Sangiro Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #2 August 5, 2006 this is a terrific article, and exceptionally informative. Many of the things discussed are topics that are "taboo" outside the union. Thanks, Joe! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeJ 0 #3 August 5, 2006 My pleasure! I was surprised myself how many things came to mind as I wrote the article. I'm glad you liked it! Joe Jennings http://www.skydive.com http://www.skydive.tv Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lewmonst 0 #4 August 5, 2006 Thank you Joe for the article. I fly camera for a living too, but not in the big screan realm like you. It's always interesting to hear what really goes into the shoots. Sounds like too much ground time :) I'm sure you have a long list of other camerafliers to call on, but if you ever need one more, I'm in Perris just about every day. I'll be looking forward to any other articles you write. Peace Lew aka Karen Lewishttp://www.exitshot.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MB38 0 #5 August 5, 2006 Fantastic article, Joe. I'm really looking forward to more in the future! ~BrookI really don't know what I'm talking about. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freefalle 0 #6 August 6, 2006 good stuff, thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newshooter12 0 #7 August 6, 2006 what parts do you mean are "taboo"? i'm in a union, but not THAT union... so i'm just a bit curious where the double edged blade cuts this subject. understanding where things are is great... though hard when you're dealing with finesse or 'taboo' matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeJ 0 #8 August 6, 2006 no doubt, i'll keep them coming as long as skydivers enjoy reading my stuff. in a way, writing is like filming. The positive feedback makes it worth the effort, so thanks!! And thanks for the offer to fly camera. I may take you up on it one day..... :-) Joe Jennings http://www.skydive.com http://www.skydive.tv[/url] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhreeZone 15 #9 August 6, 2006 Joe, keep on writing. I personally thought the article was very interesting, but a Question I have is what is the difference between SAG and non-SAG for treatment?Yesterday is history And tomorrow is a mystery Parachutemanuals.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
freeflydrew 0 #10 August 6, 2006 From the SAG FAQ page: http://www.sag.org/sagWebApp/application?origin=hnav_bar.jsp&event=bea.portal.framework.internal.refresh&pageid=FAQs 2. What is the Screen Actors Guild? The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) is a labor union founded in 1933 to protect performers. Primarily concerned with wages and working conditions, SAG negotiates and enforces collective bargaining agreements that establish equitable levels of compensation, benefits and working conditions for performers. SAG is affiliated with The American Federation of Labor-Congress ofIndustrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) through the Associated Actors and Artists of America. You can review SAG’s Mission Statement under Inside SAG. (1000th post woo hoo) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeJ 0 #11 August 6, 2006 I think freeflydrew answered the SAG question better than I would have. i'll add also that the kind of representation that applies to performers doesn't include camera flyers. Drivers and pilots, for example, are represented by SAG as performers whether or not they are seen on-screen as long as some part of their vehicle appears on screen. Their collective bargaining power assured this a long time ago. There aren't enough of us flying for movies to push the same sort of change through SAG, so we're on our own. But the argument that we are performing along with the jumpers on camera is pretty straight forward, so most of the time we're able to work out fair SAG terms. Joe Jennings http://www.skydive.com http://www.skydive.tv Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DSE 3 #12 August 7, 2006 Quotewhat parts do you mean are "taboo"? i'm in a union, but not THAT union... so i'm just a bit curious where the double edged blade cuts this subject. understanding where things are is great... though hard when you're dealing with finesse or 'taboo' matt I don't think I can add anything to what Drew and Joe said, but suffice it to say that union or no...it's a good plan and practice to demand equity for camera flyers. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
newshooter12 0 #13 August 7, 2006 sure... but what's so 'taboo' about talking about equity? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cj1150gs 0 #14 August 7, 2006 Great article! Thanks for taking the time to write for us! Carlos Martins Portugal www.cj.smugmug.com Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Brains 2 #15 August 7, 2006 Great article Joe. I really appreciate you putting stuff like that out there for the rest of us to read. Never look down on someone, unless they are going down on you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyMan 7 #16 August 7, 2006 A great article, and thanks for writing it. One more question, though. How would a videographer skilled in 4way and freeflying make the transition to working in the industry? Ever take interns? _Am__ You put the fun in "funnel" - craichead. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #17 August 7, 2006 Thanks for the article. A question I would like you to answer here in another article is "how did you get into the professional(film making) videography?" I.E. how did you go from Joe from the Dropzone to "Joe Jennings" that we know today btw- its pretty bad ass that you married the woman who got you addicted. Is she still jumping with you?My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeJ 0 #18 August 8, 2006 Quote "how did you get into the professional(film making) videography?" I.E. how did you go from Joe from the Dropzone to "Joe Jennings" that we know today btw- its pretty bad ass that you married the woman who got you addicted. Is she still jumping with you?my dad is an exceptional photographer. he films mostly nature and for the last 25 years the Missouri Botanical Garden has made their calendars from the photos he takes there year around. i remember when i picked up a video camera in highschool, back when it took two people to go around with one camera, one guy with the camera, the other hauling around this huge deck, cables dragging along between us. Something clicked - i really felt something special and shooting for me was a rush like hunting, only without having to kill anything. so of course when i got into skydiving, i started jumping camera at about 50 jumps and it didn't go over very well at the DZ. they gave me the boot, more or less, cause i didn't have enough experience. cameras were still pretty cumbersome at the time so i don't entirely blame the folks who thought i was black death, but having flown camera, i knew it was the only thing for me. over time i filmed students at different dropzones and became proficient. after a while, i started to burn out and almost sold my gear. then by chance i met Rob Harris who was just learning to skysurf and i followed him on a few jumps. chasing him around the sky felt like being a human jet - just trying to keep up. i was hooked all over again. to my great fortune, rob was extremely talented, a rare bird. i watched him go from flailing to becoming a world class jumper in about a year. i think competing with him opened doors for me as a cinematographer. when we won the world meet and then the extreme games, we got some great offers to film for commercials and tv shows. i was already into production work and film, so the transition wasn't too difficult, other than managing the additional weight of the film cameras. Rob opened doors for us both and working with him was wonderful. most skydivers know that he died on a project we were filming in Canada. God gives, and god takes away. i'm not religious, but i found myself thinking it again and again. but the doors he opened for me were still open. super talented skydivers like Patrick De Gayardon and Dale Stewart, Greg Gasson, Airspeed, Dave Barlia, the flyboyz, Omar Alhegelan and so many others contacted me about filming things together, and all that energy i put into training with Rob went to making Good Stuff. At the same time, i promoted my cinematography pretty heavily in productions guides. i got on a roll - sorry. long answer to a short question, but i really mean it about not being able to recreate the things that took me from filming students into filming movies. i hustled as much as anyone, but most of my success at this came from things i had no control over. still, there are some basics. film still beats video, so its worth learning to operate a film camera and to expose film. also, whatever special skills you have as a camera flyer, if you can put them on film and begin to build a demo reel of filmed stuff, you'll join a pretty small group. obviously you'd want to market yourself, and having a filmed reel is key to getting the attention of a director who uses mostly film. again, if there is something you can film better than us other cinema guys, you could find yourself selected for a project. none of us are good at everything. time and persistence helps too, and luck, but its do-able. i'm 44 now and not getting any younger. its true for me and most of us who do this. i'm working to build skydive.com partly because i know i won't be able to throw my body out of airplanes forever. if i get skydive.com rolling like i hope, it'll become my day job. so what i'm saying is that there will be a changing of the guard at some point. Joe Jennings http://www.skydive.com http://www.skydive.tv Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blitzkrieg 0 #19 August 8, 2006 really great stuff. a new definition to the word inspirational. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Icon134 0 #20 August 8, 2006 Wow that was an excellent answer... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites jtval 0 #21 August 8, 2006 WOW. I expected a few lines of text to sum up some stuff. thanks for taking the time to answer in such detail. I know what you mean about burning out. I am fighting that point that right now. I LOVE FILMING students but I love fun jumping with friends, too. If there is a balance I am happy, If I do nothing but work, I start getting frustrated and wanna play. I don't skydive for food at this time. My real job pays the bills and my filming pays for skydiving and throwing bbq's at the dz and all that fun shit. So when I get to a point where there's a million students and I'm the only camera in the place I'm cool...for a few weekends, but after 3 months I cant think str8, I just wanna goof off in the sky. I gotta play or it becomes work. So I found a remedy.Rather than letting myself burn out I just bought a second rig. Man, That is so fun to say. Now I can double up. Back to back jumps-- one for me one for the dz. I have already gotten some frustation out this weekend (1st weekend with both rigs) once the boogie season hits SD Mesquite, I'll be back to getting 20 jumps on busy weekends. all the while getting some fun jumps andprety good footage. Thanks for the insight and indepth answer.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Vectracide 0 #22 August 8, 2006 Joe, I have thought on many occasion on how to say to you how thankful I am for all that you do. If it wasn't for you, I don't imagine I would be a skydiver today. You see, by brother started jumping and when he came out to visit me, he brought along the DVD "Good Stuff". We didn't watch it until we got home after he did some jumps as a local DZ. I went with, but wasn't all that impresses. How could I, I was on the ground. Well, what you did for me, was show me what it was like in the air. I couldn't have imagined in any way that it was possible to capture the feeling like you do in your videos. To be specific, in Good Stuff, there is a BASE shot of the Kjerag of a guy snowboarding off the edge. It was so peaceful, so beautiful....... That exact point in your video, all of the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I have a feeling like no other. I looked at my bro and said....I have to do this. Lets go tomorrow. So just like that, I was at a local DZ going thru my AFF the next day. That was 2001, and now 750 jumps later, I recall that specific moment in time very often, the moment that I became a skydiver and hadn't really felt the peacefulness of a 4-way flower that leaves the plane without movement...or a connection with another jumper that is so strong that you know exactly what they are going to do in the sky.... In part, I owe this to you and your ability thru art to allow at viewer to share in the experience that so very few of us are privileged to be a part of. That is truly special. I hope to meet you someday and buy you a beer, or share the sky with you. You and my brother are the reason I am here. Thank you. ------------------------------ Controlled and Deliberate..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zeek- 0 #23 August 8, 2006 Great article, Joe. I've daydreamed a lot about how cool it would be to turn my (our) addiction into something I could actually call my day job. Won't be holding my breath for that just yet, but getting a peek at how it all worked out for you sure is interesting. By the way, FWIW, Good Stuff and skydive.tv are actually what started my little obsession a few years back. After seeing those photos, that was it...and my wife has been cursing your name ever since (just kidding...hehe). Anyway, I'm definitely looking forward to your other articles. Also, if you're ever looking for future extra crash-test dummies, I'm up for a bus ride or two - and will be on the next plane out there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zeek- 0 #24 August 8, 2006 Yeah - what you said. I'm pretty much in that same boat exactly, and it's hard for a sport like this to *not* change your life. Anyway, let's be honest. You've got to be a little touched in the head to be jumping off of cliffs, out of perfectly good airplanes, etc., and that's part of the magic of all of this for me. It's hard to find the kind of comraderie that we get in this gig. The allure of that is almost as big as the flying itself...for me, anyway. So I'll buy you both a beer, and tear it up upstairs with you, too. And I don't even like beer. (I know, I know....) -Z Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JoeJ 0 #25 August 8, 2006 QuoteWOW. I expected a few lines of text to sum up some stuff. thanks for taking the time to answer in such detail. I know what you mean about burning out. I am fighting that point that right now.sometimes i get on a roll with this stuff and my fingers race along about as fast as i can think. i almost started another article! if jumping with your friends helps you keep from burning, perfect. two rigs help too (long as somebody else is packing for you!). i'm entirely spoiled in the packing dept. these days, if i have to pack, i stand there with the lines over my shoulder trying to remember the next step! Joe Jennings http://www.skydive.com http://www.skydive.tv Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
Icon134 0 #20 August 8, 2006 Wow that was an excellent answer... Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtval 0 #21 August 8, 2006 WOW. I expected a few lines of text to sum up some stuff. thanks for taking the time to answer in such detail. I know what you mean about burning out. I am fighting that point that right now. I LOVE FILMING students but I love fun jumping with friends, too. If there is a balance I am happy, If I do nothing but work, I start getting frustrated and wanna play. I don't skydive for food at this time. My real job pays the bills and my filming pays for skydiving and throwing bbq's at the dz and all that fun shit. So when I get to a point where there's a million students and I'm the only camera in the place I'm cool...for a few weekends, but after 3 months I cant think str8, I just wanna goof off in the sky. I gotta play or it becomes work. So I found a remedy.Rather than letting myself burn out I just bought a second rig. Man, That is so fun to say. Now I can double up. Back to back jumps-- one for me one for the dz. I have already gotten some frustation out this weekend (1st weekend with both rigs) once the boogie season hits SD Mesquite, I'll be back to getting 20 jumps on busy weekends. all the while getting some fun jumps andprety good footage. Thanks for the insight and indepth answer.My photos My Videos Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vectracide 0 #22 August 8, 2006 Joe, I have thought on many occasion on how to say to you how thankful I am for all that you do. If it wasn't for you, I don't imagine I would be a skydiver today. You see, by brother started jumping and when he came out to visit me, he brought along the DVD "Good Stuff". We didn't watch it until we got home after he did some jumps as a local DZ. I went with, but wasn't all that impresses. How could I, I was on the ground. Well, what you did for me, was show me what it was like in the air. I couldn't have imagined in any way that it was possible to capture the feeling like you do in your videos. To be specific, in Good Stuff, there is a BASE shot of the Kjerag of a guy snowboarding off the edge. It was so peaceful, so beautiful....... That exact point in your video, all of the hair on the back of my neck stood on end and I have a feeling like no other. I looked at my bro and said....I have to do this. Lets go tomorrow. So just like that, I was at a local DZ going thru my AFF the next day. That was 2001, and now 750 jumps later, I recall that specific moment in time very often, the moment that I became a skydiver and hadn't really felt the peacefulness of a 4-way flower that leaves the plane without movement...or a connection with another jumper that is so strong that you know exactly what they are going to do in the sky.... In part, I owe this to you and your ability thru art to allow at viewer to share in the experience that so very few of us are privileged to be a part of. That is truly special. I hope to meet you someday and buy you a beer, or share the sky with you. You and my brother are the reason I am here. Thank you. ------------------------------ Controlled and Deliberate..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeek- 0 #23 August 8, 2006 Great article, Joe. I've daydreamed a lot about how cool it would be to turn my (our) addiction into something I could actually call my day job. Won't be holding my breath for that just yet, but getting a peek at how it all worked out for you sure is interesting. By the way, FWIW, Good Stuff and skydive.tv are actually what started my little obsession a few years back. After seeing those photos, that was it...and my wife has been cursing your name ever since (just kidding...hehe). Anyway, I'm definitely looking forward to your other articles. Also, if you're ever looking for future extra crash-test dummies, I'm up for a bus ride or two - and will be on the next plane out there. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zeek- 0 #24 August 8, 2006 Yeah - what you said. I'm pretty much in that same boat exactly, and it's hard for a sport like this to *not* change your life. Anyway, let's be honest. You've got to be a little touched in the head to be jumping off of cliffs, out of perfectly good airplanes, etc., and that's part of the magic of all of this for me. It's hard to find the kind of comraderie that we get in this gig. The allure of that is almost as big as the flying itself...for me, anyway. So I'll buy you both a beer, and tear it up upstairs with you, too. And I don't even like beer. (I know, I know....) -Z Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JoeJ 0 #25 August 8, 2006 QuoteWOW. I expected a few lines of text to sum up some stuff. thanks for taking the time to answer in such detail. I know what you mean about burning out. I am fighting that point that right now.sometimes i get on a roll with this stuff and my fingers race along about as fast as i can think. i almost started another article! if jumping with your friends helps you keep from burning, perfect. two rigs help too (long as somebody else is packing for you!). i'm entirely spoiled in the packing dept. these days, if i have to pack, i stand there with the lines over my shoulder trying to remember the next step! Joe Jennings http://www.skydive.com http://www.skydive.tv Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
