Something to disuss or argue about

A forum for sharing views on the art of film, video and AV sequence making as well as on competitions, judging and festivals.
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Peter Stedman
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Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:06 am
Location: Wiltshire

Something to disuss or argue about

Post by Peter Stedman »

Our video club is composed of about a dozen old fogies with the usual few who are the ‘doers’ and the remainder who are the ‘lookers on’. We have the usual internal competitions and interclub competitions. We usually only manage second place in these.

As we know, comedy is a difficult thing and one local club seem to have members with a knack for getting a subject, writing a script and create something good and generally funny. I usually take on the task of creating a comedy item and my liking is for sketchlets in the style of the Two Ronnies such as the Old Codgers especially as we have a couple of members who are quite good at this. The problem is that without a live audience to create genuine laughter, the results are very flat for, as we know, these types of sketches are their best with a studio audience or with dubbed laughter, for such laughter is infectious to viewers.

I have made various endeavours with – hopefully – subtle dubbed laughter but I appreciate this is a skilled art in itself. The finished sketch is usually produced in two versions. One with the added laughter sound and one without. My personal likes are the ones with the laughter whilst others prefer it without.

However, when it comes to competitions the judges, who are generally video makers themselves, they frequently don’t like the ‘canned laughter’. Showing the programme to video club members without the chuckles is so dull as they are looking at all the other techniques involved such as sharpness, steady camera work, editing and all the other factors. Show the programme to lay people and almost without exception they like the version with the added laughter and they laugh themselves.

Would folk like to discuss this please.
Pete
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billyfromConsett
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Location: Consett

Post by billyfromConsett »

It's an example of the fact that we film-makers, and us film-watchers often look for, and focus on very different things in what we want to get of out of movies.
We are hyper-critical, and often look for minutia that make little difference to the general public.

The adding of canned laughter at a film-club is revolutionary I'd say. Certainly I can't remember anybody experimenting with that in my neck of the woods.

But it also gives some people an opportunity to express narrow-mindedness (that they wouldn't do with their favorite sitcoms on telly!) and grounds to verbally butcher the heretic.

I've seen judges watch comedies in competitions- with unflinching stoney faces throughout - but then judges can't enjoy the movies they watch, they've got to be critical.

Are we at our clubs looking for changes to anything? Wobbly cameras, fast and regular zooms (seen Golden Balls on ITV ahh!!), graphically intense scenes, fast fast cutting, there must be loads more examples of modern (passing?) trends in style that the pros' use. And we can question the effect of gentle canned laughter of applause.

Are we set in stone?
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Peter Stedman
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Location: Wiltshire

Post by Peter Stedman »

Thank you Billy . . . . 45 viewings at the moment and only you with any opinions . . . Hey Ho. :o
Pete
ned c
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Location: Dammeron Valley USA

Post by ned c »

The problem faced by most n-c film makers is that our only audience is other n-c film makers and festival judges. There is no general audience that is more interested in the content than the technique.

We made a short film (South by South West)that got absolutely nowhere in the Festival world yet we have given away about 50 copies to people who have heard of it by word of mouth.

Take heart from the fact that TV sitcoms either have a live audience or a laugh track inserted. Make two versions of your comedies, one for the judges and the other for a general audience. Which raieses the point how do we access a general audience?

My first ever introduction to the world of n-c film making was being dragged to a well advertised public showing of films by Colchester Cine Club in about 1964. I was amazed at how good the films were.

ned c
JanW
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Post by JanW »

Which raises the point how do we access a general audience?
ned c
Ned, You must be telepathic. I've just put up an article about Daphne Barbieri's (a Scottish filmmaker) experiences showing her films to other audiences.
http://www.theiac.org.uk/resources/daph ... chive.html
At the moment it is in the section called 'Conversations with' but if I get enough material I want to have a new section called 'Finding new audiences'.
I think the amateur film world should be about more than competitions, and we should be finding lots of ways to keep films alive and being viewed by new people.
Jan
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