I once went on a charter game/sports fishing trip out of Kiama in NSW (the Signacharter – highly recommend it!) and one of the paying passengers – I was in charge of videoing the day – spent the entire day sharpening hooks, cleaning reels, re-spooling line, putting new hooks on lures and generally faffing about.

In fact he spent so much time faffing about, he never actually caught any fish on one of the best trips I have ever been on – both for the fun it offered and productivity in terms of quantity and quality of fish caught. And yes we were mainly tag and release.

I know a lot of photographers and video people like that too. They are more gadget-y people than shooters. They have the best bags, heaps of filters, specialist clamps, lights for all occasions, remote releases, and adaptors for everything from microscopes to Mt Stromlo. They’re equipment is polished within a micron of dazzling brilliance and not a speck of dust in place and in the carry bag, everything has its own spot and is just so.

From the title of Anthony Q. Artis’ book “Just Shut Up and Shoot Freelance Video Guide” I assumed this tome was aimed at that very person. In other words, stop stuffing around with your gear and DO something, anything!

Close, but in effect it is a crash course in all things video covering all those little details the pros (I hate that term) know from experience but a beginner still has to pick up.

And it’s not just about video per se either. It covers dealing with clients, planning, marketing strategies and much more. Full information and ideas for shooting the various genres of video – weddings, music, marketing, corporate, live events etc – are all covered with 700 full colour images and step-by-step visuals

In all there are 351 pages plus an extensive index of all things video. The review unit had a cover price of US$34.95 which in my view is a bargain for so much information.

Distributor: Elsevier Books

Publisher: Focal Press

ISBN: 9780240814872

By David Hague

David is the owner and publisher of AusCam Online. He has a background in media dating back to 1979 when he first got involved with photojournalism in motorsport, and went from there into technology via a 5 year stint with Tandy Computers. Following that, he ran a software distribution company on the Gold Coast and was one of the first to recognise the potential of Microsoft Windows.

Moving back to WA, David wrote scripts for Computer Television for video training for the just released Windows and Office 95 among others, and was then lured to Sydney to create web sites for the newly commercial Internet in 1995, building hundreds of sites under contract to OzEmail including Coates Hire, Hertz Queensland, John Williamson, the NSW Board of Studies and many, many more.

He went back into full time journalism as the Managing Editor for Channel 7's 'Gadget Guy', Peter Blasina's publications VideoCamera and Pixelmag, before starting Australasian Camcorder magazine when these publications were shelved. He lives at Sydney's Avalon Beaches nearly on the ocean front with dog Budweiser and in his spare time is a nut for motor sport, road safety, fishing, science fiction - especially Dr Who - and technology.

David can be contacted via david@auscamonline.com