Pattaya

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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Willy
Posts: 711
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:42 pm
Location: Antwerp Belgium

Pattaya

Post by Willy »

Regional Channel TV
Some time ago I told you about the problems I had with my own club, "Focus Vaartland". We lost our clubhouse. A decision taken by the Mayor. We didn't get the opportunity to make a film about his town. It was the first time that this happened after more than 25 years. "I want quality !" the Mayor told me and he asked the Regional TV-Channel to make that film for only 8,500 euros. We, "Focus Vaartland", would have done it, only to get the free and exclusive use of our clubhouse for a few years. The clubhouse was a room in the local cultural centre. But the Mayor (sorry the "mayor" with a small letter) is also chairman of the "Board of Governors" of the Regional TV-Channel you know... !

"Annus Horribilis"
Unfortunately I also lost my best clubmate, Ludo, who was only 51. Lung cancer ! One week later Andrew passed away. He played the role of US-President in my Charles Dickens film five-six years ago. Three weeks later a very kind lady who was in her early sixties. She was also in Haywards Heath Film Club in September last year. And so was Theo. He is now in hospital and will never be able to make films again. 2010 has been an "Annus Horribilis" ! In a meeting we decided to stop our club and we gave the rest of our money (3,500 euros) to "Clini Clowns", a group of clowns. They go from one hospital to another to do funny things for children.

My new club
Luckily I joined Videoclub Deurne in Antwerp about 4 years ago. It was my second club. Now it's my first. I also found a second one for my Friday evenings. The atmosphere is totally different. They are younger and make reportage films for their Mayor. Sometimes with 5-6 cameras from different angles ! I find this fantastic, but as I don't film with a high definition camera yet. So I cannot join their film crew on these occasions. Also because I prefer to make my own films and to be creative in filmmaking.
The members of that filmclub also have different intentions.

Pattaya
One said last week : "Of course it is very pleasant that you can show your films at local, regional, national and international festivals. They offer the opportunity to talk to other enthusiasts, but on the other hand internet offers so many other advantages. Via internet hundreds even thousands of people can see your films. That's very important, isn't it ! Take Chris for instance. He visited Pattaya last year. He interviewed a prostitute. He made a film about her and about other prostitutes in Pattaya in Thailand. Thousands of men google with the word "Pataya" and thanks to this they have found Chris's film on internet. That's wonderful, isn't it ?"

On the website of my second and new club you can find the titles of the films made by these clubmates. Between brackets the number of people in the world who have seen these films. Perhaps most of them are people who attended these events. To be honest I am not against it, but I don't feel very happy with this. Maybe you can also find one of my own films on U-Tube : "On the Road to Passchendaele". The president of the group of volunteers who try to promote "The Passchendaele Memorial" asked me the permission to do this. To be clear : I didn't ask one euro to make this film. It was just a fantastic opportunity to do this. It gives a good feeling to know that my film "On the Road to Passchendaele" can be seen even all over the world, even in New Zealand", but I still prefer competitions and festivals.

That new clubmate said to me : "We only have our clubs, our regional and national umbrella organisations that organise shows and also a few festivals abroad and we know that the number of people attending these shows is getting lower and lower. How long will it last ?

There were more people than ever before !
Yesterday I attended our national film festival CvB. There were more people than ever before. More than 300 people I think. They showed the best films of the festival. The winner of the bronze Unica-medal had to appear on the podium. A pity that I already had dinner befor the festival. The reception was fantastic ! Rolls with cheese or ham. Wine and soft drinks ! Long live the festivals ! I don't like Pattaya, but I enjoyed the film made by Chris you know !
Willy Van der Linden
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Willy
Posts: 711
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:42 pm
Location: Antwerp Belgium

Re: Pattaya

Post by Willy »

I don't like Pattaya, but I enjoyed the film made by Chris you know ![/quote]

I forgot to tell you that the film about Pattaya is not a shabby one at all. It is an emotional one. One moment the prostitute is even crying. She hates horny men who come from the West, who are always drunk and who ... . In this film you can even see a young lady who is pulling an old man out of the gutter. It's in some way an "under cover film" or what do you call this in English ? Maybe a reality film ? Anyway Chris took some risks. The lady is divorced. As a prostitute she can earn enough money to support herself and her son. She has no other alternative. The story is very sad. In our club some one of our friends wonder why Chris has not interviewed the lady from different angles. That would have been stupid I think. How can you express your feelings with more than one camera focused on you ?
Willy Van der Linden
Michael Slowe
Posts: 807
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:24 pm

Re: Pattaya

Post by Michael Slowe »

Hello to my good friend Willy, we only seem to meet on the forum nowadays.

I was incensed to read about the mayor who denied the film makers. First of all he forgot that his first obligation was to the local community (and that especially includes artists) and secondly he would probably have got a better film AND saved 8,500 euros. A local TV channel isn't necessarily better than a dedicated (and in your case, talented) group of film makers. You see now that there is prejudice against 'amateurs' that is often totally unjustified, and your country's amateurs are, we know from BIAFF, the best in Europe.

Your liking for U Tube puzzles me. You, (and I hope I also,) go to great trouble to make good images. Then if they are on the internet people will only see them on a tiny computer screen in a lit and possibly noisy room. Also, isn't there a time limit of 11 minutes? Both of us generally tend to make long films so surely there's a problem? I do have some of my earlier films and videos on U Tube but I don't think anyone watches them.

By the way, the Sky TV channel that showed my alpaca film last month now wants one I made about dogs for transmission in January. They tried to lay down all sorts of delivery regulations but as they aren't paying anything I told them that they will get what they had before - a DVCAM tape master! The film was shot in HD and is in the 16:9 anamorphic aspect so they'll accept that.

The prostitute documentary sounds good, just the sort of subject for a film maker to really use their imagination on, will we see it eventually?

Forgive this personal mail to Willy but I'm sure others will join in!
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