Yesterday I was in Bladel. It's a town in Holland not far from the Dutch-Belgian border. I was asked to show some of my films. My films "An Irish Moment", "Together with Yoda" and "Breendonk" were screened. There were many people. Afterwards it appeared that not only the members of Bladel Videoclub were there. Also members of "Lumière Eindhoven", an other Dutch club, had been invited.
Working together
The chairman of the Bladel Videoclub told me that in Holland more and more clubs work together. They are obliged to do so. Every year they lose members because of old age ... and they don't get any new young filmmakers. So it seems to be a probem everywhere. I am very lucky with the youngsters I have in my club, but the generation gap is so wide ! Maybe in a few years they will be gone because they are students at a film school. We have already talked about this problems many times on this forum.
Revolution !
In our region a revolution is taking place. Some young filmmakers would like to change the judging system. Werner and Tim are the advoctes. Some (much) older members like the "Yellow Tulip Man" Tony Jacobs (maybe you know him) and I myself have joined these young men. Unfortunately we can't change our ages.
Fight against the "establishment". Together we fight against the "establishment". They are set in their habits. For many years they have organized the regional competition. They hire a festivity hall with 400 seats. Very expensive ! However, sometimes there are only 15 spectators. That's because they don't want to change the judging system. 75 % of the films are boring.
"Lesser Gods"
You can only change it by changing the selection system and to be more "severe". Some fear that the "lesser gods" don,'t get the opportunity anymore to show their films. That's ridiculous of course. You must also do something to please those hobbyists. At a regional and national level the quality must be good. "Point finale"... and then you can attract more people. I wonder if there are also similar problems in Britain and the USA.[/b]
Time for a Change !
Time for a Change !
Willy Van der Linden
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Ray Williamson
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:08 pm
I think many UK young film-makers have professional ambitions and would not be seen dead in an amateur club.
Next month I am going to a meeting with Jo Nolan, Director of Screen South, the regional branch of the Film Council, and I will try to raise this point.
In many activities you have to serve your time as an amateur before turning professional. It is the accepted way.
In film-making, it does not seem to work like that!
It would be better if it did.
Next month I am going to a meeting with Jo Nolan, Director of Screen South, the regional branch of the Film Council, and I will try to raise this point.
In many activities you have to serve your time as an amateur before turning professional. It is the accepted way.
In film-making, it does not seem to work like that!
It would be better if it did.
Ray Williamson, East Sussex.
Withering Away !
I have just received a letter from Richard Swain. He is the new president of the American Motion Picture Society (AMPS). He says the following thing : ... "In a nutshell the organization is slowly withering away due to lack of new and younger members... I have given a task group 2 or 3 months to come up with a direction and implementation plan. If you have any thoughts or ideas, please amail the group members with your suggestions ( richard@ampsvideo.com ) ...
Everywhere the same problem ! All our organisations are withering away ! What can we do ? What do we have to do to rescue CvB (Belgium), NOVA (Netherlands), IAC (UK), ... UNICA ! Forgive me ... I'm a worrywart ... But knowing that there are already problems in "Cradle of Filmmaking" !
I have just received a letter from Richard Swain. He is the new president of the American Motion Picture Society (AMPS). He says the following thing : ... "In a nutshell the organization is slowly withering away due to lack of new and younger members... I have given a task group 2 or 3 months to come up with a direction and implementation plan. If you have any thoughts or ideas, please amail the group members with your suggestions ( richard@ampsvideo.com ) ...
Everywhere the same problem ! All our organisations are withering away ! What can we do ? What do we have to do to rescue CvB (Belgium), NOVA (Netherlands), IAC (UK), ... UNICA ! Forgive me ... I'm a worrywart ... But knowing that there are already problems in "Cradle of Filmmaking" !
Willy Van der Linden
Find ways of getting into the community!
Approach all the middle and high schools in the area and run film activities. You could make a film or just give lessions on the perfect shots or lighting. How to hold a camera properly, how to walk backwards with a camera.
It takes man hours to do this but you or someone could hold a class after school called Film Club or something.
Just an idea. Some of us (me included) are willing to help new members but any other `out of hours` thing we don`t do. If we really mean to get new members and it`s not just an idea, then we need to put the hours in.
Stingman
Approach all the middle and high schools in the area and run film activities. You could make a film or just give lessions on the perfect shots or lighting. How to hold a camera properly, how to walk backwards with a camera.
It takes man hours to do this but you or someone could hold a class after school called Film Club or something.
Just an idea. Some of us (me included) are willing to help new members but any other `out of hours` thing we don`t do. If we really mean to get new members and it`s not just an idea, then we need to put the hours in.
Stingman
Ian Gardner
Film Maker
Film Maker
Thanks for the suggestions Ian. All ideas welcome. One of the problems is finding people to carry out the administrative and teaching activities that are an essential if unglamorous part of running an organisation.
AMPS is more like the IAC than a local club, it povides a central organisation for n-c film makers, runs the annual American Intl Film & Video Festival assists with the Ten Best of the West and publishes a bi-monthly newsletter. Sadly many local clubs in the USA are suffering a serious decline to the extant that some have closed their doors.
I know we have had this discussion a number of times before and finding an answer is very difficult. YouTube (and similar sites) has no doubt siphoned off many potential amateur film makers. Your film can be viewed by 1,000s, you can get feedback, and there is no doubt the image quality will improve.
The single biggest problem I think our organisations all face is that of visibility in the film making community and the community at large. We need to be known, to be providers of access to Festivals and shared experience, to send out DVDs of the winning films to anyone who is interested, to take in film students and aspiring professionals as part of our community.
About 90% of students/aspiring professional film makers fail to make a living out of film, this must be the biggest potential membership source because film making is an addiction, and most film makers have a day job and make their films on their own time and money, a pretty good definition of an "amateur" in the best sense of the word.
We need all the help we can get at AMPS so let us know what you think, I am one of the members of Richard's committee, thanks,
ned c
AMPS is more like the IAC than a local club, it povides a central organisation for n-c film makers, runs the annual American Intl Film & Video Festival assists with the Ten Best of the West and publishes a bi-monthly newsletter. Sadly many local clubs in the USA are suffering a serious decline to the extant that some have closed their doors.
I know we have had this discussion a number of times before and finding an answer is very difficult. YouTube (and similar sites) has no doubt siphoned off many potential amateur film makers. Your film can be viewed by 1,000s, you can get feedback, and there is no doubt the image quality will improve.
The single biggest problem I think our organisations all face is that of visibility in the film making community and the community at large. We need to be known, to be providers of access to Festivals and shared experience, to send out DVDs of the winning films to anyone who is interested, to take in film students and aspiring professionals as part of our community.
About 90% of students/aspiring professional film makers fail to make a living out of film, this must be the biggest potential membership source because film making is an addiction, and most film makers have a day job and make their films on their own time and money, a pretty good definition of an "amateur" in the best sense of the word.
We need all the help we can get at AMPS so let us know what you think, I am one of the members of Richard's committee, thanks,
ned c
Seperate teams under same umbrella organization.
What we could try, Ned, is to find young people who are willing to work as seperate teams but under the umbrella of our organizations like AMPS, IAC, CvB, NOVA, etc... They have their own chairman and secretary ... but they are all members of the same umbrella organization.
Festivals only for young people
The generation gap has become too wide. Young people make different films. These should be evaluated by other young people. We are all growing old and for most of us it is difficult to accept the rhythm of films made by youngsters. That's a pity, but we must admit that it's also a reality. We should try to accept that young people organize their own festivals and take initiatives themselves.
Juniors and seniors
About 20 years ago we had "juniors" and "seniors". I wonder if it would not be better to make two seperate groups again but under the patronage of seniors. Gradually the youngest members can be involved in administrative and other organizing jobs.
Technical assistance
I am the chairman of a filmclub with some youngsters who feel at ease in my group. This is very exceptional. The young members are very happy when they are helped by the older ones. We should try to tell the whole world that our clubs are always willing to help young people who would like to make films. About 7-8 years ago I lent my camera to young Douglas in my club. The older ones said that it was stupid. Now I'm very happy. Douglas has a diploma of film director. He's become a professional but he's still in touch with my club. Sammy is only 23. I bought a new casablanca some years ago. Sammy could borrow my old one. Now he is a student at the filmschool. He has edited his last film with a machine that belongs to the school, but he still asks the members of my club to help him. He made the film "Valentine". His filmcrew was a mixture of old and young people. I worked with the microphone.
Youngsters don't always feel the value of money.
A bad experience : a young man joined our club. He was very interested in filmmaking, but also in playing the guitar. I did everything I could to spoil him. We bought things he wanted to have. A surround system for instance. But then he wanted to have more and more. He didn't realize that we always have to do efforts to get enough money or funds. He wanted the most expensive projectors and other machines but we couldn't afford it. Now he's gone. He plays the guitar again. Young people don't always realize the value of money. Anyway that was a good lesson for us. We must try to attract as many youngsters as possible without being naive.
Working together with secondary schools
A very good idea, Ian. Practically : we should contact teachers in secondary schools. In Belgium pupils don't have to go to school on Wednesday afternoon. We could organize workshops for them and teach them how to make films : camera work, editing, etc... Not everybody has teaching qualities. Anyhow the ones who studied at filmschools and who are on the dole could act as teachers on Wednesday afternoons or at other times in other countries. They could ask the pupils who are interested in it to give some money and so to buy the necessary machines and editing programmes.
Making a film at school
I was a teacher myself in a secondary school. The ones who are retired still come together and reunite with the new teachers. So I know that one of my former students who is a teacher of English now made a film. All her 17 and 18 year old pupils played a role in that film. Maybe it would be good to contact her again and to offer her some assistance for a new project. The only problem is that I am a very very very busy man who enjoys making films and who has no time left to do other things. People who are retired seem to have less time than people who still work. Is it also like that in the UK and in the USA ?
What we could try, Ned, is to find young people who are willing to work as seperate teams but under the umbrella of our organizations like AMPS, IAC, CvB, NOVA, etc... They have their own chairman and secretary ... but they are all members of the same umbrella organization.
Festivals only for young people
The generation gap has become too wide. Young people make different films. These should be evaluated by other young people. We are all growing old and for most of us it is difficult to accept the rhythm of films made by youngsters. That's a pity, but we must admit that it's also a reality. We should try to accept that young people organize their own festivals and take initiatives themselves.
Juniors and seniors
About 20 years ago we had "juniors" and "seniors". I wonder if it would not be better to make two seperate groups again but under the patronage of seniors. Gradually the youngest members can be involved in administrative and other organizing jobs.
Technical assistance
I am the chairman of a filmclub with some youngsters who feel at ease in my group. This is very exceptional. The young members are very happy when they are helped by the older ones. We should try to tell the whole world that our clubs are always willing to help young people who would like to make films. About 7-8 years ago I lent my camera to young Douglas in my club. The older ones said that it was stupid. Now I'm very happy. Douglas has a diploma of film director. He's become a professional but he's still in touch with my club. Sammy is only 23. I bought a new casablanca some years ago. Sammy could borrow my old one. Now he is a student at the filmschool. He has edited his last film with a machine that belongs to the school, but he still asks the members of my club to help him. He made the film "Valentine". His filmcrew was a mixture of old and young people. I worked with the microphone.
Youngsters don't always feel the value of money.
A bad experience : a young man joined our club. He was very interested in filmmaking, but also in playing the guitar. I did everything I could to spoil him. We bought things he wanted to have. A surround system for instance. But then he wanted to have more and more. He didn't realize that we always have to do efforts to get enough money or funds. He wanted the most expensive projectors and other machines but we couldn't afford it. Now he's gone. He plays the guitar again. Young people don't always realize the value of money. Anyway that was a good lesson for us. We must try to attract as many youngsters as possible without being naive.
Working together with secondary schools
A very good idea, Ian. Practically : we should contact teachers in secondary schools. In Belgium pupils don't have to go to school on Wednesday afternoon. We could organize workshops for them and teach them how to make films : camera work, editing, etc... Not everybody has teaching qualities. Anyhow the ones who studied at filmschools and who are on the dole could act as teachers on Wednesday afternoons or at other times in other countries. They could ask the pupils who are interested in it to give some money and so to buy the necessary machines and editing programmes.
Making a film at school
I was a teacher myself in a secondary school. The ones who are retired still come together and reunite with the new teachers. So I know that one of my former students who is a teacher of English now made a film. All her 17 and 18 year old pupils played a role in that film. Maybe it would be good to contact her again and to offer her some assistance for a new project. The only problem is that I am a very very very busy man who enjoys making films and who has no time left to do other things. People who are retired seem to have less time than people who still work. Is it also like that in the UK and in the USA ?
Willy Van der Linden
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Ray Williamson
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:08 pm
In the UK there are few film schools teaching proper techniques. How many are taught how to solder a plug onto a cable, or make up a bass cut filter, I wonder? Not many, I guess, or perhaps none!
Many students do "media studies" and the like, which are time-filling courses. -- Mickey-Mouse courses, one politician called them! -- They are not taught technique because those teaching are academics and know nothing of technique!
Now, the question is this: is the IAC or its clubs in a position to fill this gap?
I am a firm believer in technique. Even if you break the rules of film-making, if you know the rules you can break them more effectively!
In Hastings many local young film-makers have been to university and done an "arty" style of film-making. Well, OK, but the trouble is that it is not stuff you want to watch more than once, if you know what I mean!
All right -- not stuff I want to watch, that is!
Can the IAC -- are they willing to -- work closer with the Film Council`s regional boards to help this come to fruition? They do have some money to spend, and they want to encourage (I believe) a more commercial style of film-making, that will bring exports and prestige to the UK for the benefit of the taxpayer.
Many students do "media studies" and the like, which are time-filling courses. -- Mickey-Mouse courses, one politician called them! -- They are not taught technique because those teaching are academics and know nothing of technique!
Now, the question is this: is the IAC or its clubs in a position to fill this gap?
I am a firm believer in technique. Even if you break the rules of film-making, if you know the rules you can break them more effectively!
In Hastings many local young film-makers have been to university and done an "arty" style of film-making. Well, OK, but the trouble is that it is not stuff you want to watch more than once, if you know what I mean!
All right -- not stuff I want to watch, that is!
Can the IAC -- are they willing to -- work closer with the Film Council`s regional boards to help this come to fruition? They do have some money to spend, and they want to encourage (I believe) a more commercial style of film-making, that will bring exports and prestige to the UK for the benefit of the taxpayer.
Ray Williamson, East Sussex.
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Ray Williamson
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:08 pm
First we have to be careful not to fall into the trap of aging superiority. I can remember my parents reaction to my enthusiasm for the Goon Show and jazz, arty rubbish in their opinion, both sure signs of a younger generation with neither sense nor functioning critical faculties.
Film technique can be learnt in about a month of reading, watching movies and experimenting with a camera and a simple edit system, applying it successfully is something else.
I got my first introduction to film making at Wansfell in the days of Sidney Mannaseh et al on two courses that had waiting lists. This is history as I believe that more recent courses have not been well supported.
I believe that Willy has an important point in that the generation gap is such that the two "schools" of film making are incompatible in competition but the two groups should get together to understand and learn from each other. Under no circumstances should this be "old experienced film makers teaching youg upstarts."
You don't have to solder plugs or make up a bass cut filter these days. Media Studies are better than no studies.
ned c
Film technique can be learnt in about a month of reading, watching movies and experimenting with a camera and a simple edit system, applying it successfully is something else.
I got my first introduction to film making at Wansfell in the days of Sidney Mannaseh et al on two courses that had waiting lists. This is history as I believe that more recent courses have not been well supported.
I believe that Willy has an important point in that the generation gap is such that the two "schools" of film making are incompatible in competition but the two groups should get together to understand and learn from each other. Under no circumstances should this be "old experienced film makers teaching youg upstarts."
You don't have to solder plugs or make up a bass cut filter these days. Media Studies are better than no studies.
ned c
Today I received the AMPS-magazine. In it a photograph of an Oklahoma Group of young filmmakers. This is it, I thought. Why don't we give extra room for young cineasts in our magazines and even on this website ? A special "corner" for the ones who are still in their twenties, thirties, forties... Now our magazines look like media for and about old people like me. Imagine that you are 25 and that you get a magazine with pictures of aged men and women ? How would you feel ?
No superiority of the older generations ! That's right. Working together. Yes ! But we must also give the younger generations some independancy. I think that's difficult to accept for the older ones.
Some weeks ago I told Sammy that he was allowed to form a seperate group of young people and that he could even use our clubhouse on an other evening. Now we come together on Tuesday evening. Why not the younger ones on Thursday evening for instance ?
Tim, who is a young man of about 30, told me that I am an old bloke with a young heart. My heart is not strong enough to climb the Ben Nevis a second time just like 40 years ago, but to be honest I felt flattered by what he said. We are all responsible for the future of our organisations. In 10-20 years perhaps we don't exist anymore. It would be a pity if also our organisations would not exist anymore. That's reality !
No superiority of the older generations ! That's right. Working together. Yes ! But we must also give the younger generations some independancy. I think that's difficult to accept for the older ones.
Some weeks ago I told Sammy that he was allowed to form a seperate group of young people and that he could even use our clubhouse on an other evening. Now we come together on Tuesday evening. Why not the younger ones on Thursday evening for instance ?
Tim, who is a young man of about 30, told me that I am an old bloke with a young heart. My heart is not strong enough to climb the Ben Nevis a second time just like 40 years ago, but to be honest I felt flattered by what he said. We are all responsible for the future of our organisations. In 10-20 years perhaps we don't exist anymore. It would be a pity if also our organisations would not exist anymore. That's reality !
Willy Van der Linden
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Dave Watterson
- Posts: 1913
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:11 pm
- Location: Bath, England
- Contact:
Can I just inject a thought ... are we too worried about attracting young people? Should our target be people in their 50s?
(a) young people do not like joining any club / society
(b) their interests may change as they grow
(c) their education and career moves often keep them from setting down roots
(d) as they start families and build careers they have very little time, energy or money for hobbies
BUT
people in their 50's
(a) are more settled in family, career and home
(b) they may have a bit more time and money to spend on hobbies
(c) they start to wonder if they should have been doing something creative with their lives
(d) they often seek acceptance in their community which can include working for a club or group
Am I missing something?
Of course the energy and enthusiasm of youth is wonderful but to survive as the clubs and organisations we know the more important qualities are staying power and diplomacy.
Dave
(a) young people do not like joining any club / society
(b) their interests may change as they grow
(c) their education and career moves often keep them from setting down roots
(d) as they start families and build careers they have very little time, energy or money for hobbies
BUT
people in their 50's
(a) are more settled in family, career and home
(b) they may have a bit more time and money to spend on hobbies
(c) they start to wonder if they should have been doing something creative with their lives
(d) they often seek acceptance in their community which can include working for a club or group
Am I missing something?
Of course the energy and enthusiasm of youth is wonderful but to survive as the clubs and organisations we know the more important qualities are staying power and diplomacy.
Dave
people in their 50's
(a) are more settled in family, career and home
...
Maybe you are right, Dave. In some way I agree with you. I have a new secretary in my Willebroek club. He celebrated his birthday some weeks ago. He was 58 when he joined our club. Now he is 60. I am a very lucky chairman now. He is very consistent. He works very hard. He takes initiatives. He is very helpful. He knows the value of money. From time to time I praise him for all the work he does. If he would not have come I would have resigned. I think that we form a good duo.
I think it is difficult to find all these qualities in young members. Their mentality is different. We grew up in the "Golden Sixties". Our parents had to work hard and so did we. We could see progress in social life.
Maybe we ourselves have spoilt our children and we are spoiling our grandchildren now. That's not good.
Anyway I also think that we must do our utmost to attract younger filmmakers. When there is an event in a school then we always see many young parents having a camera in their hands to film their children. They can afford a camera and a computer. Nowadays everybody has a computer. These daddies are potential new members.
Every normal creature has a hobby. Also the younger ones. They play football, snooker, tennis, etc... etc... They are in clubs and they can spend money on their hobbies. Why not on filmmaking ?
(a) are more settled in family, career and home
...
Maybe you are right, Dave. In some way I agree with you. I have a new secretary in my Willebroek club. He celebrated his birthday some weeks ago. He was 58 when he joined our club. Now he is 60. I am a very lucky chairman now. He is very consistent. He works very hard. He takes initiatives. He is very helpful. He knows the value of money. From time to time I praise him for all the work he does. If he would not have come I would have resigned. I think that we form a good duo.
I think it is difficult to find all these qualities in young members. Their mentality is different. We grew up in the "Golden Sixties". Our parents had to work hard and so did we. We could see progress in social life.
Maybe we ourselves have spoilt our children and we are spoiling our grandchildren now. That's not good.
Anyway I also think that we must do our utmost to attract younger filmmakers. When there is an event in a school then we always see many young parents having a camera in their hands to film their children. They can afford a camera and a computer. Nowadays everybody has a computer. These daddies are potential new members.
Every normal creature has a hobby. Also the younger ones. They play football, snooker, tennis, etc... etc... They are in clubs and they can spend money on their hobbies. Why not on filmmaking ?
Willy Van der Linden
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Ray Williamson
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Fri Nov 30, 2007 3:08 pm
I went to a meeting last night of the Baird Initiative.
A lot of young people there, all keen to make films.
I spoke to some of them. They had, without exception, never heard of the IAC.
So there`s your starting point (difficult as it may be to get the necessary outreach -- for want of a better term)!
Of course, they all want "funds" to make their film.
(Well, don`t we all?)
A lot of young people there, all keen to make films.
I spoke to some of them. They had, without exception, never heard of the IAC.
So there`s your starting point (difficult as it may be to get the necessary outreach -- for want of a better term)!
Of course, they all want "funds" to make their film.
(Well, don`t we all?)
Ray Williamson, East Sussex.
The IAC is a good starting point. May be it`s secretary should work better with the committee. He/She needs to email and send out letters to all the middle and high schools, telling them of th IAC and offer a one year membership (call it trial membership or something) without the free mag. Think of something to put in the letters and emails on how fantastic film-making is and how they could edit there dads films or make there own on skateboarding or something. It`s not an old codges club and tell them so. It is a great organisation in linking anything to do with film-making. May be change the film-making bit an make it more exciting. Film-making does sound hard to start with.Ray Williamson wrote:I went to a meeting last night of the Baird Initiative.
A lot of young people there, all keen to make films.
I spoke to some of them. They had, without exception, never heard of the IAC.
I`m sure it would get more members. If a school is interested then offer to send the a beginners pack that mentiones the MS moviemaker in XP, and how easy it is to use. In the pack would be info and leaflets on the basic equipment needed and how to set it up. May be a national schools competition with a prise for the school. Once you get the schools on side the rest is easy.
Come on you bods at the IAC. Pull your finger out and get out and get some ideas going. If not it will die a slow death like our clubs if we don`t watch it.
May be put me on the IAC, i`m only 41, so i`m still young
May be i`m not hip enougth or suck up to the wrong people. May be the IA has run out of ideas and need new blood at the top. If young people see that an organisation has a youngist person running or is involved with it and it is publisised then they may think again about joining or getting involved. If it`s just grey hair people then they think it`s just an old boys club. In my church, we have just had a new pastor who is 24 years old. Things have just started to move. The young people love him. All the other pastors have been older. Then young people just didn`t click with him.
Don`t get me wrong. I`m not bashing the older people. They have the expience to teach us younge men a thing or two. But new blood and young ideas will get the IAC out there!
Stingman
Ian Gardner
Film Maker
Film Maker
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Michael Slowe
- Posts: 824
- Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:24 pm
Time For A Change
Why are we all getting so uptight about age? A film maker is a film maker of whatever age. How do the pros do it? The Coen brothers came on the scene with immediate success and they were probably fifty years younger than some of the old greats still making films. Spielberg was in the same category. The young people who have ambitions in the industry DO join clubs, I have seen plenty and many of them go on to be well established editors, cameramen and even directors. If they are keen enough any youngster grabs any opportunity to talk and practice film making.
It's the low profile of the IAC that's a problem. I have recently made representations to the Guardian newspaper because in their splendid supplement Guide to Videomaking they covered a lot of ground, including a section on what to do with your video and how to get it seen without a mention of the IAC.
Willy's suggestion of young people's competitions would only show up the huge gap in tastes and styles and would probably extinguish the old stodgy films that we make. No bad thing you might say! If you have a mixed age judging panel for existing competitions you might get a good balance and in any case good films of whatever genre will win through in the end.
It's the low profile of the IAC that's a problem. I have recently made representations to the Guardian newspaper because in their splendid supplement Guide to Videomaking they covered a lot of ground, including a section on what to do with your video and how to get it seen without a mention of the IAC.
Willy's suggestion of young people's competitions would only show up the huge gap in tastes and styles and would probably extinguish the old stodgy films that we make. No bad thing you might say! If you have a mixed age judging panel for existing competitions you might get a good balance and in any case good films of whatever genre will win through in the end.