IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

I help out running a film club for secondary students at a small school and this term we're getting the students to script and make a number of micro-shorts. Next Friday we'd like to show the some example and I though - who better to recommend some one minute (or similarly short) films than my friends at the IAC?

Suggestions, please.

PS If anyone has a link to James Webber's "Pants", I'm sure they'd love that.

[EDIT] Now found "Pants" but would still love your suggestions for other 1 minute films.

Take a visit to www.unica-web.com and at the bottom right of the home page are links to films from various years. On most annual groups there you can find a selection of WMMC film - which took part in the World Minute Movie Cup.

https://filmschoolrejects.com/10-fantas ... 42a8e00dd/ has some good ones.

http://1-minutefilmcompetition.org/2018 ... finalists/ is relevant for school students.

Have fun!

Thanks Dave, I will.

On the subject of One Minute Films: I feel this is a sometimes overlooked format, and yet it is also a format which could do well at this years BIAFF. It seems harder to compete against a long complex film, when a One Minute film can be one simple idea made with just a few shots, Thinking especially of 2020 winner "Technophobe" . As it is often said "Less is More". I see there are various One Minute film Festivals, What would it be like watching an hour and a half of One Minute films? Exhausting? Confusing? Disorientating? Has any of you forum people been to one?

We have a One Minute film challenge evening coming up At Bournmouth, with about 10 members, it is going to be over very quickly! But I'm sure we will find something else to fill out the evening.

The short answer is, yes it does. Jan and I have attended the Croatian Minute Movie Cup several times. Each good one-minute film feels like a complete story - a complete film. So ten, twenty or more feel like a marathon of watching ... but without the exhaustion that would require. I found the same thing during sessions of short films and animations.

That is why I am glad BIAFF does not run longer ...

But beware: it is MUCH easier to make a decent 5 minute film than a decent 1-minute film. There are always exceptions, but generally it pays to treat the project like a feature film, using as many cuts and angles as you require.

We had a one minute film challenge at Bournmouth Movie Makers last week, there were 10 of us there and about 5 films, one of the nice things about it was there was plenty of time for conversation, getting to know each other more. There was one person there who I had seen at another film club for over 3 years, and I said I never saw any of your films at the other film club, and he said they were very critical! That was a real pity because his films were good and he was my sort of person, and I never knew.

One of the side effects of asking for comments from the floor is - you receive comments from the floor! Unfortunately there are a few who like to show off their "knowledge" of film making by seeking out as many faults as they can and concentrating on those. There are also those who love to express a dislike for the style or the content.

Even well-meaning comments can come across as overly critical or hurtful to some people or if not phrased well.

[One of the side effects of asking for comments from the floor is - you receive comments from the floor! Unfortunately there are a few who like to show off their "knowledge" of film making by seeking out as many faults as they can and concentrating on those. There are also those who love to express a dislike for the style or the content.

Even well-meaning comments can come across as overly critical or hurtful to some people or if not phrased well.

As you say even well meaning comments can come across as over critical - I have had people tell me about unfair judges comments they've had from more than 10 years previous, they still feel hurt.

Yes there are all sorts of group dynamics going on in film clubs. And the group also takes on a spirit of its own. With the rise of film festivals rather than movie making clubs perhaps there is very little discussion about films with contemporaries, and any comments just may be generated by the judging panel.

If the film-maker puts the film online. I have noticed that film reviews can be very scathing and don't pull any punches - that must be hard to take. Most of the films which come on TV don't seem worth watching and I wonder if there is anyone who likes them and who they were made for? It would be interesting making a list of films which average very low star ratings on the Rotten Tomatoes website and suchlike, and see how much money the films cost to make.

Perhaps there needs to be more peer review before attempting a serious film. But every film is not serious, and they were/are the beating heart of film clubs.