http://cannonsgreatescapes.com/books&videos.html

Thank you, Jay Leslie. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!

My first convention. I can't wait to see the footage.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!!!

Doc

I'll have my order in as soon as I can!

I ordered my copy this morning. Oh boy, can't wait to see it all over again.

Joe

Wow! The 4th Annual Escape Artist Convention DVD arrived in my mail box yesterday. Mark and Sheila, thanks for rushing it out to me. Talk about fast service!!

Watching the DVD brought back some great memories of that weekend spent with friends. Actually, I felt a little 'home sick' after watching it, if that makes sense to anyone. I miss being with everyone again. Watching the DVD reminded me of the fun times we all had together... learning, talking with old and new friends, sharing stories and tips, admiring private collections, and just the general feeling of 'family'. Getting together with all of you for the weekend is something I look forward to each year. It just gets better and better. A big Thank You to Mark and Sheila Cannon for their hard work and dedication to make each convention a success.

Get the DVD.
Watch the DVD.
Enjoy the DVD.

Those who attended the convention will be reminded of the adventure they had that weekend. Those who could not attend the convention will enjoy seeing the highlights and be motivated to attend the next one.

Joe
P.S. I won't spoil the surprise, but keep watching after the end credits to see Elliot Cutler's adlib! Jay Leslie, thanks for not letting that clip hit the edit room floor.

My copy of the DVD came yesterday. Jay has really done a nice job. All aspects of the convention are well covered. Not an easy job, because so much was happening all the time. Those of you who did attend will all want one. Those of you who did not attend, may not know it, but you should want one too.

Here is a picture of Jay taking the video.

http://www.handcuffs.org/images/jay.jpg

Joe

Hmmm... How is the quality of the video ? is it possible to see a preview or something ? Because the camera looks very cheap, maybe next time they can hire a professional cameraman (with a professional camera)

Xargo, I think they will next time and as it's in California, they will be substituting the escape artist and other conventioneers with paid actors. The hotel will not be shot on location but in a film studio and any outside shots will be a matt.

All conversations will be scripted and edited as the actually real life interaction of all involved wouldn’t want to be too real and authentic.

As time goes on the whole convention might become a virtual reality domain so no-one ever leaves their house.

The camera ( professional type) they were going to use was the dated style that wheeled around on a flat studio floor, unfortunately it got stuck in the carpet and needed to be carried by twenty people up stairs.

So what you are left with is a video of the convention. Genuine people in real circumstances of having fun and enjoying themselves.

I look forward to my copy as I missed last year’s convention but I do hope it has a label on the DVD so it does look like a clear plastic disc with shiny stuff inside…..

Ian

What a sarcastic Aussie you can be Ian

Looking forward to seeing the DVD myself, maybe one year I can make it over for the convention.

Xargos

The video quality is first rate. Jay is a real professional. THis is not his first video.

He used more than one camera and more than one camera man. Jay was responsible for the lights at the show. So the acts on stage were lit and photographed by the same people.

Joe

You can see a preview of the video at:

http://www.cannonsgreatescapes.com/Video/2006Conv.mov

Joe

Hi David, "who me?"

you might posted that the statement " camera looks very cheap, maybe next time they can hire a professional cameraman (with a professional camera) ' was condescending and unneccessary.

I personally will be just very happy to see anything of the convention even if it was in black and white, I'd be thrilled.


Ian

My camera looks like that one. It is a megapixel 3CCD semi pro Sony. Looks small and unassuming. that's the great thing about the newer digitals. They can pass for cheap ones that don't intimidate people. While at the same time getting outside broadcast quality shots.

Hi Xargos, I'm letting people preview it at my house between 5 and 9PM in the evenings. Stop by if you can. Jay and company did a very nice job and I wasn't disappointed with the DVD. Well worth the price!

Hi Ian, good to hear from you. You were sorely missed at the convention. I hope to see you next year!

Joe

Xargos....why the negativity? Here's a guy who has taken the time and trouble to spend almost the whole convention looking thru his camera so that us unfortunate ones who couldn't make it there, get a chance to get the flavor of what I know was a great time.

As far as professionalism is concerned, how can you tell what kind of camera he has from Joe's picture? All you can see is the wrist strap. As David mentioned, there are some excellent quality cameras out there that are very discreet. In fact my brother uses such a camera for weddings and uses the fact that the camera is hardly seen in his advertising.

Jay Leslie has a proven track record, and he should be praised for coming up with the goods.

Maybe you should buy a copy, and if you're not happy with the quality, send it to me here in England. As Ian said, I would be pleased to see it no matter how it looked.

I am sorry I didn't intent to be that negative...

But I am a cameraman/cinematographer and I know the quality differences between a handheld camera and a bigger "shoulder" pro one (beta SP or whatever).
Sorry but there is no way a cheap camera like this (or even my HDR FX1) can get to the level of a Betacam .

I was just wondering about the quality of the video, you tell me it's good then I might buy it, I have been very disapointed by some magic videos and I don't want to buy crap again.

Is the DVD of 'major motion picture quality' or even up to your personal standard of quality? Maybe not. But if you can bear to watch something of lesser quality than a major motion picture, then you will look past the 'production' aspect and really enjoy the meaning and purpose of the DVD; enjoy the subject of the film instead of attacking the production of it.

Jay's DVD is not crap. Like Mick offered, if you are disappointed after watching it, send it to him or someone else who may appreciate it.

In friendship,

Joe

No. Those camera's are not going to be at the standard of pro Betacams. But as someone who has worked on quite a few TV shows, I know that they will often use semi-pro camera's for 'video diary' type stuff. Footage from these camera's is broadcast to millions.

Nope, its not full broadcast standard, it is good enough for primetime in many cases though. It certainly good enough for this!

One could have said "what's the quality of the video?" and left it at that.

Joe, how long are you going to have the previews at your house? I'll fly out there, watch the dvd, fly back home, then decide if I want to spend the money on purchasing one!

Margarette

Now THAT'S funny, Margarette!

I have been away for a week and just got back to find my copy of the Cannon's escape convention 2006 by Jay Leslie. TOP MARKS to Jay. To whittled the many hours of the convention down to a size for the DVD must have been a mammoth task but I didn't feel that I had missed anything. Although I didn't attend this years convention but know the lay out of the hotel, I could envision myself being there and seeing everything as it took place. My compliments to Margarette for picking the padlock on the blue box first and having a great picking technique. To Joe Marotta for his speed in opening the handcuffs ( which appeared to surprise even him). Matt Darcy for a funny routine with a watch, blender and handcuffs ( not words normally associated with escapes) and my best friends John Bushey and 'the Boss man' Joe Fox and all the others who made the convention a highlight and were solely missed by me not being there in person.

Ian