BIAFF 2014

A forum for sharing views on the art of film, video and AV sequence making as well as on competitions, judging and festivals.
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ned c
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by ned c »

I don't wish to appear rude but why do you guys take this so seriously? Judging = criticism and critics have a long history of getting it wrong so whether you are a diamond or one star the results have the same value, they are the result of subjective opinions. Forget the notes at the bottom; these are based on non-existent "rules" of film making and if adhered to there would never be any new and controversial approaches to film making - remember the uproar surrounding Ken Russel's early Monitor documentaries? The main function of a Festival/Contest for the entrant is get a film screened and an audience reaction which is why "Open Screen" nights are so good for film makers - an opportunity for clubs perhaps?

Col - I can't avoid being personal here but you do enjoy having a go at all and sundry and I very much appreciate your technical contributions but I can't find much evidence of your or the Preston club films in BIAFF, I did find a couple of yours on Vimeo; hmmmmm!!!!

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fraught
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by fraught »

I agree to a certain extent Ned... but this is a competition. There are prizes, trophies and the best films are celebrated. Take that aspect away from BIAFF and i'd happily shut up. But as long as there is a competition element to the festival (and long may it continue) you will always get upset film makers. :)

If you don't want to feel let down, but want to feel inspired and driven... come to a Red Carpet Screening Film Festival. :) Bit far for you to come Ned, but all are welcome. No prizes, just films of all shapes and sizes, their makers, and friendly banter. :)
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Michael Slowe
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by Michael Slowe »

Fraught, you are brilliant. Karen's Room is absolutely terrific and I for one would not have been surprised at a Five for it. How on earth can anyone say it's only Three Star standard. The story might be a little fey and of course unbelievable but we don't know that until right at the end. The acting is really first class, so much better than 99% of 'amateur' productions, the girl in particular does not miss a beat, all in close up too, which makes it all the more laudable.

My only slight criticism is that it may be a bit drawn out and the opening titles that I really don't like. The fancy jiggles are unnecessary and distracting and, to make matters worse, are over unsteady visuals, never a good idea with titles of any sort. Also, I wanted to read the end credits which go by too fast - in complete contrast to those awful long dramas that have miles of credits slowly crawling up the screen.

Great stuff Fraught, see you for that drink Sunday lunchtime in Bedford?
col lamb
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by col lamb »

Ned

I only have a go where it is warranted and then it is not personal, if people see it as personal then that is their problem and they should not have put their movie in the public domain.

Or is it that I have previously had a go at your Four Way Stop? Which was a nice movie but the ending........guns fired and two seconds later those standing a few feet away are hit, I could understand if it was a slo mo shot.

My problem is with the BIAFF rating system with too many movies getting higher ratings than they deserve.

Fraught has his Karen's Room linked here, a four star at this year's BIAFF so his head is above the parapet and is asking for comments so here goes.

Sorry I could only manage to watch a couple of minutes as the constant shaking of the camera did absolutely nothing for me and severely detracted from what bit of the movie I could watch. A girl wakes up with a stange man in her room and says who are you...........sorry totally implausible.
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fraught
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by fraught »

No worries Col... the shaky cam experience isn't for everyone. As for being implausible, if you'd stuck with the film to the end you may have thought differently. The film is a rom-com, with a certain twist. :) Thanks for trying though.
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Michael Slowe
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by Michael Slowe »

Col, you really can't be expected to be taken seriously if you haven't even viewed the film. If you read my comments I did refer to the shaky opening but you completely missed the point of the piece. Of course it's not plausible, we don't come up against aliens (at least not yet), but the play between the girl and the man is so well done that the implausibility is irrelevant.
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fraught
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by fraught »

Glad you enjoyed it Michael. I'm not 100% sure i can make the Sunday, but will definitely be there on the Saturday. :)
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Mike Shaw

Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by Mike Shaw »

Hmmm. Interesting. Perhaps I'm expecting too much here.

I see 'story' films as either being factual - a reflection on real life in some way, or fantasy - science fiction perhaps. To me, Fantasy also comes in two flavours ... downright fantasy (as in a Tom and Jerry cartoon, where anything goes), or the kind of fantasy one sees in film like the Wizard of Oz - or maybe Gravity even. In a Tom Jerry type fantasy, where anything goes, I'd expect to see zany things going on. In a sci-fi type movie, I expect the unusual to be imposed on a real or a believable world - OR, the situation so engineered that I would expect the unusual to happen. In Wizard of Oz for example, the fantasy is introduced - credibly - on leaving the 'real world'. In Karen's Room, the situation is being imposed on a real world.

That's just how I see it. Another example - Avatar - total fantasy, but done in a credible/believable - albeit futuristic - way. The situation is imposed on a believable world of the future.

And that's where I had the problem - the film opens apparently in the 'real world' and so the girl's reaction at the start just didn't gel for me: subsequent dialog was OK - and would still have worked equally well with a more believable reaction from the girl at the beginning, followed by an equally calming but forceful reaction from the man. I don't see a more credible action/reaction 'spoiling' the plot in any way.

Just me perhaps. Or, maybe my 'training' as an ad copywriter has something to do with it. Ads have (had!) to be credible, so maybe that's it.

But interesting to see the different viewpoints here.

Incidentally, the 'second' gawking assistant stole the film acting-wise for me. All acting was good - but he gave an excellent portrayal.
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TimStannard
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by TimStannard »

What works for me with Karen's Room is the almost tangible sexual chemistry. This is down to a combination of the script, the direction and the acting. The plot is almost irrelevant. When I first saw this (Red Carpet Screenings, so on a big screen in a room full of people) I was astounded that I could feel so much sexual tension in what was, after all, a short comedy. I don't particularly care that it received four stars - it works for me. I can understand Geoff thinking it's worth more: I'd have given it more, but films sometimes work on a level that is very personal and it would be a dull world indeed if we were all affected in the same way.
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Michael Slowe
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by Michael Slowe »

That's what I wanted to say about Karen's Room, the sexual chemistry between the two. It didn't bother me that she wasn't hysterical, as you might expect (The Queen wasn't either when she found that guy sitting on her bed, but then she's had years of training). The girl was a hard nut, and she decided straight away to play the game, very convincingly I thought.
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Howard-Smith
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by Howard-Smith »

It's not often that the subject of ONE STAR FILMS is discussed. I have two issues to raise on this matter. Firstly, somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect that every entrant to BIAFF is awarded at least one star. In my opinion there should be some kind of basic competence shown in the work to merit even one star. Secondly, I've watched a one star film on YouTube entitled LONELY PEOPLE by Neil O'Neil and despite its weaknesses (eg. choppy music editing and the gravestone is too old) it's my belief that a two star award would have been more appropriate as there is evidence of basic filmmaking skills here.
Last edited by Howard-Smith on Sun Mar 23, 2014 7:52 am, edited 2 times in total.
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fraught
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by fraught »

Cheers guys. Really enjoying these mixed reviews. :)

If we had Karen screaming from the start, i think the cat and mouse romance theme would not have worked. We couldn't get these two to fall for each other if she had started out from the moment she wakes up being scared out of her wits. We had to take a different tack, and choose a different sort of mindset. We didn't want to depict a stereotypical person in that situation. For me, Karen was a woman who knew her own mind, and was probably a bit of a flirt. So when she wakes up in the morning after a nights drinking... seeing the guy at the end of the bed (who is rather handsome), she probably thinks "Doh! I pulled again last night! Why is he still here?". I wanted her attraction to the guy to kind of guide her actions.
Lauren and Andrew really nailed their performances, goes to show what a lot of rehearsal time does for you. :)
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fraught
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by fraught »

Hey Howard, i just watched LONELY PEOPLE too, and I also think a 1 Star is too harsh. It does show some basic skills in film making. I actually found it quite creepy in places! The sequence where the spirit takes the flowers was unexpected and eerie, also the final frame of the film shows the girl standing there with black eyes. No idea why... but it was creepy!
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Bob Lorrimer
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by Bob Lorrimer »

"KAREN's ROOM"

To my mind it is the TITLES and the INCIDENTAL music of KAREN's ROOM which indicate, at once, to the audience the type of genre which the viewer is about to watch. If the ambient music or audio had been of a threatening nature then likely as not her reaction to the stranger would have been quite different in cinematic terms. We, the audience, are primed for 'quirky' at the outset. The 'success' of the film lies in the edit, delivery and timing of the quick witted dialogue - together with sustained and flawless performances.

The use of Steadicam or shoulder mounted cameras in fiction is now so common place it is perfectly 'normal'. It creates a more fluid environment for the action within the frame. However, for me, it should not draw attention to itself and this point may or may not become more apparent when KAREN's ROOM is viewed on a larger screen.

***

I am not so convinced by Geoff Harmer's 'trailer' for 'Addict'.

A 'trailer' is not only to stimulate the viewer into wanting to watch the film but also to convince the would-be customer to make that 'investment in time'. As amateurs we watch the films which are made by others....so that they, in turn, will watch ours. We are to some extent a 'captive' audience. At the cinema We 'choose' to watch that which we want to watch...in exchange for a ticket price.

I am, therefore, somewhat biased against the 'feature length' or rather 'the long' amateur film. Do I choose to watch ADDICT at 90 minutes or fifteen 6 minute films of others?
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Re: BIAFF 2014

Post by Mike Shaw »

I shall stand in the corner, head bowed, suitably admonished .... :-(

Sadly, the three who did judge Karen's Room must either have had similar thoughts to mine, or other reasons for their miserable grading.

Well, this room has four corners... and three of them are still vacant!
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