Competition Entry Forms

[Dave Watterson]

I see many entry forms for amateur film competitions all over the world ...
and they are all different.

Yet the plain fact is that they all want almost the same information. Do
you think we should make an effort to introduce a standard format. Then
even if you don't understand the language concerned you could fill in the
required information.

Maybe that is as crazy as asking everyone to agree a standard format for
tape leaders - e.g. 30 seconds of black, a countdown then the movie and 30
seconds of black after it.

Dave (standards) Watterson

[Willy Van der Linden]

"Dave Watterson" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

I see many entry forms for amateur film competitions all over the world
...
and they are all different.

Yet the plain fact is that they all want almost the same information. Do
you think we should make an effort to introduce a standard format. Then
even if you don't understand the language concerned you could fill in the
required information.

Maybe that is as crazy as asking everyone to agree a standard format for
tape leaders - e.g. 30 seconds of black, a countdown then the movie and
30
seconds of black after it.

Dave (standards) Watterson
A standard format is a good idea. In Europe most entry forms are in English,

French or German. But I have already received entry forms and letters written
in languages I do not understand at all. So I do not want to take part in
those festivals (anymore). For the English everything is much easier than
for us Dutch-speaking people. An interview on the BBC is always in ... English,
even in foreign countries, ... even in France ! French is also an important
international language ! Don't you think so ? Many English think that everybody
should speak and understand English !* (Stop, Willy, because perhaps now
you are skating over thin ice !) Sorry for saying such a thing, but you must
always be honest, I think. Imagine that the language of the international
festival is Dutch and that you are obliged to provide Dutch subtitles and/or
a summary ? ... Imagine that it happened to you. .. that you were born in
a non-English speaking country ! One entry form for all festivals in Esperanto
! What do you think about that ? No, ... I really think it is a good idea,
Dave. It is not so crazy. Even the 30 seconds of black and a countdow would
be a good thing.
Today I watched "Trouping the Colour" on the BBC. I started humming your
national anthem "Gove Save the Queen", but suddenly I realized that I am
a foreigner. (Sorry, I am teasing from time to time, just like Dave.)
* not David Watterson, because he can speak German and perhaps also other
languages.

[Dave Watterson]

Willy - as you are such a devoted enthusiast of the British Isles no one would
take offence at you humming our National Anthem. If you do get a complaint,
tell them more than one country uses that tune as its anthem.

If Esperanto had ever been successful it would have solved a lot of problems.
Alas, I understand that there are more people in the world who can speak
Klingon than Esperanto.

You are also right about the problem of being born in a country where the
language is not an international one. On the other hand, the benefit is that
almost all the young and middle-aged people we have met in such countries
have learned one of the widely used languages. In the Baltic States and
many other parts of the former Soviet Union they can often speak some Russian,
for example.

In Europe - and probably much of the rest of the world - the most common
"foreign" language is English. That is not so much because of Britain but
because of the commercial power of the United States. People know American
songs and films. When UNICA runs a youth workshop the young people never
even discuss which language to use - they use English. This happens even
when the event is in a country like Poland and where none of the young people
attending comes from Britain or America.

There may be some hope for us all in the use of computers.

Computer translation is getting better every year.
Computerübersetzung bekommt, verbessern Sie jedes Jahr.
La traduction de l'ordinateur va mieux chaque année.
Traduzione di elaboratore sta migliorando ogni anno.
Tradução de computador está melhorando todos os anos.
Компьютерный
перевод улучшается
каждый год.
La traducción de computadora se está poniendo mejor todos los años.

These translations are from a program called "Power Translator Pro 8", but
I am sorry, Willy, it does not include Dutch.

Dave (shouts slowly at foreigners) Watterson

[Dave Watterson]

Sorry - the odd looking set of symbols is the Russian translation. It looked
fine when I sent it up to the forum but obviousluy uses characters the system
is not set up to handle.

Dave