IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

Over the years I have noticed the influx off amateur videos on YouTube and various forums. Also many younger people go into studying media.
You may ask "SO WHAT". Well, 70% is pure rubbish and when one gives advice one gets knocked down,which I don't mind but something has altered to the days in the 60s. Could it be to modern technology letting them have the freedom to show their work? GOOD or BAD.

Frank, you're an old Grumpy!

Wherever technologies develop to allow the masses to do something that was once the preserve of the few and, in the case of amateur film, generally the idle rich or very serious (read: obsessive), the masses will produce anything and everything. As they can film something on their iPhone and immediately upload it to YouTuube without any thought to content or editing, inevitably some will. Others may try to edit but give up once they realise that it (usually) takes more than a few minutes to produce a watchable film. Contrast this with people who have invested all their disposable income for two years in film equipment, as they might have done in the past - their commitment is bound to be greater. They have already invested a great deal of time and are more likely to invest a good deal more. Similarly now we can all produce and display 100s of photos whereas once every shot would have cost something, photo sharing sites/Facebook and the like are choc-a-block full of blurry images of God knows what.

But is it all bad? I'd suggest not for two reasons:
1. There will be a few people out there who previously would not have had the opportunity to make films, who have the tallent and the application to develop their skills and make truly excellent productions. They are no longer denied the opportunity and we are no longer denied seing the work they could produce.
2. The novice in the "good old days" might easily be put off when showing his film (at a club for example) and realising how much better his peers films are. Now it is a case of: no matter how bad your film is, you can very easily find worse examples!

"Studying media" is a bit general. I think we need to distinguish between people who do "Media Studies" which generally teaches people how to be Barrie Norman or Jonathan Ross (ie they can talk about film, but don't really have a clue how to make a film) and those who study "Film Production" or similar which aims to equip students with an understanding of the capabilities of equipment and the skills to use it, directing and the administration side (locations, release forms etc etc etc).

I think what we are probably seeing is many people simply having fun with their smart phones, taking the movie equivalent of the snap shot and enjoying sharing it with others on social media sites and Youtube. When I started out in the mid 1960's my first cine camera cost £10 and on my fairly meagre salary at the time I could just about afford to buy three or four standard 8 rolls of films a year equating to about 13 minutes of screen time. My audience usually numbered 3! Now we can shoot as much as we like on smart phones, i pads (I've seen a lot of people filming with them recently) digital stills cameras and even camcorders with the potential for thousands if not millions of people to see their work. The hope must be that at least some of these nascent movie makers will think about the potential for making structured films and go on to greater things.

The only time i get "Grumby" when the council tax goes up. I embrace all this new wizardry but i cant get my head around the kamikaze style of videos posted on the internet and most of the people who put it their think it is brilliant.
Even if one gives good advice on the negative side, All hell breaks loose. But i always end with a positive responds.
With this post i rest my case.
GRUMBY.

Frank, people don't want consutructive criticism on YouTube. Even those who ask for constructive criticism only want "likes" or positive comments (you know, meaningful ones like "Totally AWESOME, bro). There are plenty of other forums where critical comment is welcomed, frequented by more serious hobbyists - or at least I believe there are, I spend too much time on one to bother looking for others. You may find Video a bit more to your liking. Personally, when I want a video of mine trashed (or rather when I want a reality check) I post on www.videoforums.co.uk . If you're of a more nervous disposition, i'd recomend here as the "Advice on Films" section moderates posts before publishing them.

Point taken Tim. Better drop the subject, as your views and mine are on a different wave-lenght.

Frank Maxwell wrote:Point taken Tim. Better drop the subject, as your views and mine are on a different wave-lenght.

I guess we are as I don't really understand what led you to that conclusion

(BTW I just realised a typo in my last post: I meant "You might find Vimeo [not video] more to your liking")