Videography

Here are some examples of some of the videography work I have done since about 1990. Most of my work was freelance news gathering, or ENG (Electronic News Gathering). I worked mainly for WISN channel 12 in Milwaukee, but I have had video one each station. I was a large contributor to WISN Newshawk program, but their web page does not say they pay $100 anymore. Maybe after I moved they changed the amount. I had my best year in 1996, when I sold about 28 videos.

There were two stringers in the Milwaukee market, I was the top guy. I had many exclusives for WISN to help with their ratings. I was even called a few times to go out for a news story, this is no different then me going out on my own. They just called me to see if I could get there before their cameraman. I was also once interviewed by Milwaukee Area Technical School students on what I did gathering news. They asked me how I got started, what I did and other questions. I never did see the finished video, because this was in the fall of 1997 and I moved to Texas in January 1998.

I also video taped some weddings, live concerts and training videos. I had a small side business that I was starting up, but my move to Texas made it a hobby again. I had lots of fun working in video productions, if I did not take a career in Information Technology I would be in video. I still dabble in video, but not as extensive as I did in the 90s.

One of my projects to complete in the next year is to archive all my news stringer video tapes, about 100, onto DVD. The times on each tape vary from 10-30 minutes. So I have my work cut out for me. This is to ensure that my footage will not degrade over time being on video tape. Now that I have my home DVD records, I can start this project. I do have a PC DVD burner but it is more efficient to use a home DVD recorder.
Videos
On 2/2/04 President Bush announced funding for 11 new units. I shot this at my house on 1/29/04, do not know how related this is to the announcement. But the only other location I have seen a V-22 was in Amarillo back in 2001.

Bell V22 Osprey flying over my house 1/29/04
This is a capture of on-board video recorded used in police vehicles. This shows a BMW losing control in normal driving conditions, no bad weather. Might be a good idea to change that CD at a stop light next time buddy!

Drive Safely, BMW 3 series loses control
Music video I created back in 1995 for a few friends on the Waukesha Fire Department. This was originally done all linear (A/B roll system), recently I added some special effects with Abode Premier. The transitions between scenes where a cut was done, I just added a special effect. I created this on a Panasonic AG-1970 by insert editing the video on a black video track with the music already recorded on a stereo audio track. My source desk was a Sony EVS-3000 Hi8 PCM VCR & EVS-5000 Hi8 VCR. I did take a few dissolve A/B roll transition trough my Panasonic WJMX30 mixer. I also took the song into my then Amiga 500 computer and cut out a section of the song. The section was just a little too strong for this fun video, you barley notice the cut out. I took radio cut recorded from my Amiga onto the PCM track on my Hi8 EVS-3000. Then I dubbed the audio with black video from the MJMX30 mixer onto AG-1970 linear L/R track. 

Footage is all from past news stringer work and is all Waukesha Fire Department. I have a lot more Waukesha footage, these were the best of the best.

Music Video Waukesha Fire Dept 9 meg
Soon to come, my Annual Banquet video I made for my fire department. This was done the same way as the Waukesha Video. I had a really good system back in the day.

Training video for the fire department and some other miscellaneous videos.

Example of some of my past news stringer work

Here is an example of what a freelance news stringer does. I shot both of these videos in the same night around 1995 in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. I was at the apartment complex first and heard the call for the house fire and left. They used both as you can see for the news cast. This was two videos and thus a paycheck for $200. I have only had one other time when I sold two videos in one night. The last fire in the Waukesha FD music video is one of them. The other was a car accident about 2 hours earlier. I used to deliver Pizza in Waukesha, so that night I caught the car accident while working, and the fire was just after I got done. So I was literally 1/2 mile away when that fire call came in.

In 1996 I did so well that I was able to buy a 3 CCD Professional Hi8 Sony video camera, Sony EVW-300. Then in November 1997 I was asked to move to Texas and sold this camera with no loss a few months after I moved to Texas. The market was too competitive and they wanted Betacam or Pro DV, which I did not own. I did later buy a Sony Betacam but sold it to buy my house, that was more important at the time (See some of my old gear here).

So anyways, click the screen shot below to see some of my work. This was a VERY cold night in Wisconsin, I think it was bout 20 degrees outside that night.

1.5 meg Windows ASF
 

These are just a few screen shots of other videos I have shot.
Milwaukee Flight For Life, this is the smaller German/Japanese built Kawasaki BK 117.  Taken during our annual open house at my fire station; Town of Brookfield.
City of Brookfield accident, River Road and Barker. Vehicle accident near railroad tracks, but train did not hit vehicle. This is a close boarder between Town and City of Brookfield. Both departments were called. Taken in or around 1992.
Town of Brookfield (Yes my former fire department, but shot before I joined the department, this was taken in 1993). Brookfield Road, south of Bluemound.
Town of Pewaukee taken at Waukesha Area Technical College (Were I took my fire fighting and EMT classes). The accident was near here, on Pewaukee Road and this was the closest location for Flight For Life to land. Taken in 1995 I believe.
I did happen to shot one of about a dozen videos here in Texas that did end up on the news (Never got paid by Channel 8). It was a accident in Carrollton with Care Flight. This was taken in 2003 near my past home in Carrollton. The market is too competitive in DFW, and unlike Milwaukee I received a check of $100 for each video. So when I moved to Texas I sold my equipment. I just use a Sony Digital DV Handycam if I tape anything.