I'm just starting out in the world of cinematography and video editing, but I plan to move forward with it... can anyone give me a few pointers on where to start?

What I am most curious about is what the features on my camera (Sony VX2000) are for and when & why to use them.. white balance, shutter speed, aperture, ND filters, Zebra pattern, etc.

any good online tutorials?
websites?
books?
youtube videos?

You should google it, see some examples and read the foruns .
Also try to learn unless you already know it what (shutter speed is,iris,exposure,how to use lights in your footage,and a lot more.

Off course you can ask here but there is million of information about that with some good examples that i don't think we could do better in explain it .
Shutter Speed Tips
Howstuffworks "How Video Formatting Works"
Mastering Videography
These are some sites to get you going but there are thousands of them .

the best place to start is by reading the maunual that came with your camera - then just experement with the settings and it will be obvious what all the different settings do..

for example I often shoot with an overley high level of light going into the camera, with a dark filter on the lens...

its all trail and error - just read the maunal and have fun expermenting..

I think the first thing to do is figure how to do things 'by the book' - with regard to white balance etc... then with this new found knoladge you will learn how to put your own touch with uniqe fottage..

i would suggest that you get "Single Camera Video Production" from Focal Press, which will give you a grounding in the basic technology of camerawork. Probably the best book for getting the information you need in a readable and understandable format.

Seconded, I read that book years ago and still use it.

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JVC DV5001e (big cam), Sony PC6E (tiny cam), Vinten pro5, PAG light, SM58, Sony ECM50, Sony C-76, 0.5x convertors for sony, Rode video mic, Vegas 7.

I know I didn't start this thread, but I've been wondering about where to read about the basics for ages!
I'm gonna pick this book up as soon as possible, so thanks for mentioning it!

Couldn't help but reply to this one...great question!

A few ways that I have learned over the years:

One thing that is very helpful for me was hooking up with other people who had been doing video production longer than me. Somewhat like a mentor, but just going with them when they needed an extra hand on a shoot, or asking them questions via email. I found mine in school and at local TV Stations. But also some companies/organizations have media producers who are a good source for this as well. That has been the best and quickest way for growth for me.

For particular video software, I use Learning @ Your Own Pace® - lynda.com. Its like 25 bucks to access all their tutorials for a month. This has been the most helpful for learning anything i didn't know in terms of software. A mentor showed me this site as well.

Also, take a college class if you can. If there are not cinematography classes (like in my old city) take a photography class. I did and found it very helpful for stuff like aperature and shutter speeds.

Finally, I'd recommend just getting out there and shooting and using your camera. If you get stuck, read the manual. But try to connect the manual with actually touching the camera. You be as good as you know your camera

Hope that helps.

Austin
MakingBetterVideos.com

try askjeeves, i think you can find some info there!

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