FUTURE - regions and festivals

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Brian Saberton
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Brian Saberton »

I would like to say a few words in defence of the IAC's AGM weekends. As well as attending BIAFF I have also supported the AGM weekends regularly since the 1980's and can say quite honestly that I have always had a thoroughly good time. There have always been films to see in the evenings, plus the Mermaid competitions on the Sunday morning, and often a guest speaker discussing some aspect of film making. I also enjoy the opportunity to have more time to chat to fellow enthusiasts and discuss their latest projects.

As we all know the IAC is obliged to hold an AGM and since this usually only takes about half an hour, plus a similar time for members voices, it is highly unlikely that members would make the journey for that alone and this is why, many years ago, it became a full weekend. I understand why this might not appeal to everyone but nevertheless I've always felt that the social side of film-making is important, all the AGM's that I have attended seem to me to have been successful and I am very much looking forward to the next one in Norwich.
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Dave Watterson
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Dave Watterson »

Thanks for the balancing view, Brian. I know you are not alone ... I was with several IAC people today at the funeral of Alice Dunckley and the Norwich Weekend came up in conversation. Many of them look forward to it as you do.
Lee Prescott
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Lee Prescott »

'Lo I A C--ers:

Reference to Dave's reply to Brian Saberton.

First I would convey my sympathies with regard to the death of Alice Dunkerly.

Regarding Brian's Posting: chatting, talking and socialising is nice, no doubt essential...it's called "communicating"
I believe!

Let us then hope that on this forthcoming occasion and onwards, it results in the much needed apparent
improvements within the IAC. Maybe I am critical from time to time, (I'm far from being the only one), but I remain a Member and in support,
as I would not like to see it "go to the wall"!

One major thing I think is that a way forward must be found to move fully into the technology of the 21st. Century but without loosing any of
the art of film making.
Further, the methods of judging people's work in the IAC needs to be carefully examined and completely re thought
through. I'll leave it at this.

e.g. In other words make the socialising, chatting and talking Productive for the IAC and its future.

Lee. :)
Lee Prescott
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Lee Prescott »

I apologise, I have just belatedly realised that I spelt Alice Dunckley's name incorrectly.

LEE.
Michael Slowe
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Michael Slowe »

Lee, what do you mean by suggesting that the IAC moves "fully into the technology of the 21st century"? I think that too much attention is paid nowadays to the technology at the expense of the art. Inevitably film makers gradually upgrade their kit as things develop but usually we have little choice (Apple constantly fiddling about with new software updates creating compatibility problems), but the art is the thing. Content is all and that does get neglected, particularly by the youngsters.

I was recently sent a link to a fund raising appeal by a group of young, ambitious and talented film makers. They propose embarking on another production and their kit list was extraordinary. You'd think they were doing a re make of Lawrence of Arabia! The latest Red camera, a selection of expensive lenses etc etc, all to be hired for the shoot. I honestly don't think that they would gain much advantage with all that over the use of (say), a Sony EX or it's successor, the FS7.

Lee, what technology? Projection from files maybe, instead of discs (already happening?), judging on line? Not keen on that as viewing a film on a computer screen is not the same as a decent TV screen. I see nothing wrong with the IAC methods, just that their profile in the film world needs raising and maybe more should be made of BIAFF in that sphere as well, using a proper cinema type presentation venue might help in that regard.

Comments anyone? Particularly our esteemed moderator, who I hope, agrees with me.
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TimStannard
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by TimStannard »

The question was asked by Dave in the opening post "Are we on our last legs?" From which I inferred the sub-textual question "What can we do to replace members?"

Brian,
The fact that I posted that I do not enjoy social event (by which I mean trips out sightseeing, rather than socialising with filmmakers and discussing films) should not be taken to mean that I think such events do not have a place. Clearly plenty of people do enjoy them and we need to cater for all. There was no suggestion that we should kill them off (the events, that is) all the time there is a demand , just that we ought to consider whether such events are likely to appeal to potential new members - or even existing members.

Michael,
New technology. Absolutely we must embrace it. Whilst i wholeheartedly agree that whether a film is shot on a Red Epic or a Sony EX (both of which are way beyond my budget) will make little difference to the quality of the film, organizations such as the IAC is meant to know about such things. New film makers, perhaps erroneously, want to know what the best equipment is for their project. It might take them a while to understand there's a lot more to film making than equipment, but they are not going to hang around to have that discussion if all they see is a bunch of people using (perfectly serviceable) technology from five years ago and no-one with the latest whizz-bang gizmos. It's superficial - like all marketing.

However it's more about the technologies of playback. Several times I've heard (and sympathized with) you, Bob Lorrimer and several others who make exceptionally high quality visual and audio presentations complain about the poor reproduction even at BIAFF on occasions, but regularly at clubs.

As for judging films on-line. It is quite possible to stream high quality film in HD to a 65" home TV with good surround sound. A far better environment than most clubs (in terms of reproduction, though obviously not audience atmosphere). It's true that with on-line viewing you have no control over what the judges will view on but there again, you have no control over what your BIAFF entry is going to be viewed on. Obviously you don't want your masterpiece projected to an audience on a 12ft screen from a low bit rate YouTube download, but that's not what we're talking about. I posit that most judges would be able to tell the technical quality of a film irrespective of what it's viewed on.

The objective, surely, is to get more people to enter competitions and for that we need to make it easier. Online entry IS easier. I submitted "Greece is the Word" to the Nottingham Film Festival simply by submitting a YouTube link. That's all, they wanted. When it was shortlisted, they contacted me and requested a DVD/BluRay or other higher quality source. As it happens I simply uploaded an original high bit-rate MP4 for them to download. Higher quality than BluRay. All done on-line. No hassle with producing a disc. No problems of discs missing in the post. Had it not been so easy to enter, I probably wouldn't have bothered.

Most youngsters don't even know what making a DVD or BluRay involves and don't need to. So creating a disc is a barrier to them. There really should be no need for discs among ourselves either. Producing event videso like concerts, plays and weddings is, of course, a totally different kettle of fish where people like to have the "physical" copy, and all it's wrappings)

THAT's what we mean by embracing new technologies.
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
Michael Slowe
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Michael Slowe »

Thanks Tim, I thought it would be all about files on line rather than discs. I've been sending films to festivals through Withoutabox, I'm never quite sure about what compression or codec to use. I encode a H264 and hope for the best but I'm old fashioned enough to prefer a disc, or, better still, a can of 16mm film!
Lee Prescott
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Lee Prescott »

Michael:
In response:

If you re read my posting you will see that I stated "Without loosing any of the ART OF FILM MAKING "! oddly I suppose I agree with the way you've put it...but...individuals upgrading their gear is only one point. What I am referring to is that the IAC needs to do so also. It always appears to me that it doesn't.

Your comments about those Young Guys: I agree with your quite amusing assessment. "The Art of Film Making" - takes me back many years, almost
to when young Hitchcock started and later young David Lean and many others --- on the studio floor running about and making cups of tea etc. for everyone BUT learning at the same time! We've seen the superb results of their "apprenticeships"! .... However, can you tell me where the IAC organises and runs "The Art of Film Making"? - Maybe I've missed it!

Of course we do read in FVM the odd articles about, Not The Art but about P B Ps!

Quite frankly, Tim puts it far more eloquently!....... :roll:
Brian Saberton
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Brian Saberton »

I've been involved in this hobby since the 1960's and during all that time it seems we have been involved in ever changing technology with most of us usually playing catch up due either to financial constraints or reluctance to ditch perfectly serviceable equipment that has suddenly been deemed obsolete. Today we have a multitude of ways of shooting editing and exhibiting films and yet another format (4k) to come to terms with!

When I went on holiday in August I took with me my Nikon D7100 SLR which has two SD card slots so I was able to shoot both stills and HD movies quite easily.During the two weeks I was away I saw people shooting moving images on iPads, smart phones, compact digital cameras, CSC cameras, DSLR's and (rarely) actual camcorders. I've seen student groups filming on DSLR's with added monitors, microphones and shoulder mounts that seem to wind up being bigger than the average semi pro camcorder.

Quite where all this takes us is a conundrum to which I don't have the answer I'm afraid but it must be a challenge for clubs to keep up to date with it all. At least now there is access to lottery funding to purchase modern projectors, lap tops or players but such is the rate of technological progress that they quickly become out of date so it all becomes an unending process where the whole point of what we do i.e. make films runs the risk of being overwhelmed by too much emphasis on the technology. I'm now going to lie down in a darkened room for a while!!
Brian Saberton
ned c
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by ned c »

Catching up. The central question is

"What can the IAC provide to the hundreds (thousands?) of n-c film makers that will serve their needs?"

The essential question to be answered is what are their needs that a central organisation can provide? Here is an opportunity for collecting information from every film maker we meet. Talking with local film makers here there is interest is in an extended network for sharing information; accessing real experience with specific problems, equipment and technologies; connection to other film makers; availability of actors and additional crew members; source of scripts and script ideas; distribution of short films with audience feedback; funding and entry into Festivals with a hope of screening.

Theoretically much of this would be served by a club membership,but with the demise of the traditional club and its replacement by a much looser structure then a more focused central organisation may meet the needs.

ned c
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Willy
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Re: FUTURE - regions and festivals

Post by Willy »

Hello everybody. It's been a long time since I contributed to this forum. I must confess. I am very active on Facebook now. Is it wrong? Maybe it is. It's also because of the things that have happened in the UK the last few months. I am interested in politics. On Facebook I also meet British (IAC-)friends from time to time. But this is a forum to talk about filmmaking only. And that's very good.

I didn't have the time to read all articles on this thread, but it seems that the situation has not changed. But it is not better overseas, you know! Our umbrella organisation CVB (a bit like the IAC, but run by the Government of Culture) has decided not to support our regions anymore. Our regions that support amateur film makers or makers of non-commercial films. They only want to support real professionals or filmschools. About fifteen years ago our umbrella organisation, called NAB at that time, was a charity just like the IAC, but our national politicians wanted to create a new institute with new jobs to please their political supporters... Now they don't have enough money. They don't have enough money for the regions anymore. It means that the old hobbyists are left to fend for themselves. Some clubs have already disappeared, also because most members are now in their seventies or eighties or nineties. One region even disappeared, the one run by Urbain Appeltans, who won the Daily Mail Trophy about ten years ago...

I myself still feel very comfortable in a very creative club. Five members are still in their fifties. That's very exceptional. The second club has become a computer club. Last year I was the only one over there who had made a film (for 2017) That's a pity. Every Friday we come together and criticise the movies that we are making in a very constructive way. I mean in the real film club. However I must be honest to say that I have entered my seventies and that I don't have the courage anymore to create epic stories. It's sometimes nerve-racking. My backache is also a serious obstacle. For my last film (for 2018) I have already crossed the Channel 7 times! Luckily some Hayward Heath Movie Makers could help me quite a lot. But I am enjoying it immensely.
My newest film will be one with a story: people cutting trees in my filming location on a Sunday, getting into a traffic jam for 24 hours on the M20... Now I have even become a member of the new Romney Marsh Morris dancing club, this to please my English narrator... But of course I have a story to tell now. Making a film is always an adventure. Some years ago I crept through the eye of a needle, my doctor often says. I couldn't move my left arm for half a year and I was almost blind. It was difficult to read and make subtitles. Now I feel much better. Enjoy filmmaking, my friends! As long as you can. Yes, we can!
Willy Van der Linden
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