SoCo Regional Awards Show

[fraught]

Well... the SoCo Regional Awards show was held on Tuesday this week... did anyone go? Anyone know what was shown?

I entered a film, paid my £5, and haven't heard a dickey bird! Which is a little disappointing! I would have made the effort to travel to the event if i knew my film was being shown or something... but alas... nothing.

[fraught]

Well... i got a letter through the post today from the organisers of the 2011 Regional SoCo awards... and i'm a bit stumped.

There are no judges comments, other than an anonymous comment of "the film was well made". Apart from that, apparently the President of the club that did the judging was Outraged at my film. My film was Offensive and Pornographic. Apparently.
The film also caused "real embarrassment to some members with Ladies present"! (I find that comment a little old fashioned and perhaps just slightly sexist?)

ANYWAY... the crux of the issue is, that i didn't put a warning up before the film started. Should i have? Should i have written something in the Synopsis box on the entry form? Should the entry form have a section asking about the content being suitable? None of our films are subjected to the BBFC, but we could take a wild stab in the dark at what we reckon it would receive.. good idea?

I know that my film contains adult material like bad language and nudity... but nothing more than what you would see on the TV after the watershed... Ok maybe a little later.

I feel that my film has been treated badly by the competition and the judging panel... i paid my entry fee, and the film is a valid piece of work, so whether they liked it or loathed it... surely i should get a critique? Everyone has differing opinions on content, and i can understand it if people dislike what's on show... but at the very least talk about the technical aspect? The film has already won a Silver Diana Award at the Golden Diana Festival in Austria this year... so at the very least, it's technically competent?

Let me know what you think? And if you want to see the film... it's here : http://vimeo.com/26369316 BUT BE WARNED! IT CONTAINS BAD LANGUAGE AND NUDITY!

[ned c]

Hi Fraught, I watched your film and enjoyed it. Well made both technically and in terms of the quality of the acting and directing. It met my basic criteria for watching a film "do I want to know what happens next", answer yes. However; I feel that you should have warned your potential audience as you do on your Vimeo site. Now a question to SoCo; did they just show the films at an open viewing without previewing them? If so then they are setting themselves up for potential problems.

The SoCo reaction is one of the reasons the current amateur world is in decline and headed to oblivion and why in anther thread the future direction of the IAC is discussed.

ned c

[ned c]

Some more thoughts.

1. The ending is very obscure; but doesn't matter.
2. On further thought didn't you realise that this subject would touch some nerves at SoCo? In other words did you do this intentionally to stir things up?

Currently in Pocatello idaho

ned c

[fraught]

Cheers for your comments Ned, you have infact given me more more feedback than the festival!

To answer your questions;

1) the ending is meant to be that way... some people get it straight away... some take a little longer. When the film was shown at the Red Carpet Screening festival to an audience of about 200, the ripple of laughter and revulsion at the end was music to my ears. I want an ending for people to talk about.
2) i never intended to 'stir things up'... i know my film is adult in its theme, and i know i haven't warned people at the start. This is a good point for the future though... should i warn people? Do other film makers who shoot films that are violent, contain bad language, etc do they do the same? If the film just had some violence in it, would the judges had criticised the film still? I guess it's just about a matter of taste.

The film is an adult film, and i assume that i'm entering a festival run by adults?

I agree with you about this sort of reaction is proof of the old fashioned attitude that exists within the IAC and is aiding its demise. Things need mixing up a bit!

[Brian Saberton]

Hi Fraught

Having watched your film I can understand why there might have been a problem with some members of the audience at the SOCO show. I think the point to consider is that at regional events and festivals you are going to be showing films to a very mixed audience and, whether we like it or not, some people find bad language, nudity and sexual content to be offensive. This is a fact of life and will apply to any mixed audience (which might also include children) so I think it's a bit unfair to suggest that this is somehow peculiar to the IAC. You have alerted potential viewers on your vimeo site to the content so I think it would have been better also to have informed the organisers at SOCO. After all, the TV companies now tend to advise audiences of bad language, sexual references and nudity - even after the watershed.

[Dave Watterson]

Just as an aside, IAC National Chairman - Ron Prosser - attended the Soco event and presented the prizes. We talked about it briefly during the weekend in Stirling and he did not mention your film, so presumably it did not shock or disgust him!

[fraught]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the comments, although i wasn't suggesting that only the IAC are like this... i'm sure other organisations have their moments.
What i'm annoyed about mostly... and it's not completely the reaction of the judging audience as they are well within their right to feel that way about my film. But their reaction has mean't that i have not received a judges critique. I understand that it would be best to add a warning on the film... but do you think if judges are going to be so sensitive to films with this content... maybe they should add an extra field on their form asking for some idea of the content?

I've raised this situation with fellow film makers on another forum, and they said, and i quote : "Sorry to hear about the feedback you got - people who get that offended at a bit of nudity and an adult theme shouldn't be judging films." Do you think that person is right?

Ps... Brian, it was the President of the Lowestoft Club that was Outraged. I don't think the film was shown at the SoCo event.

[Dave Watterson]

I don't know who judged the Soco Awards so this is NOT a comment aimed at them.

In general I firmly believe that judges have to be willing to watch and hear whatever comes their way, even if it is something that in other circumstances would disgust, enrage or upset them.

[TimStannard]

Assuming SoCo judges send out judges comments/critiques to entries in general (and that is one of the main reasons we submit films to festivals, isn't it?) then I think fraught is right to feel peeved that he recieved barely a comment.

I agree (and doubt anyone here would disagree) that judges should be able and willing to judge films irrespective of whether it offends them and indeed whether they agree with any "message" the film is conveying,

As to the "warning", I would agree that prior to a public performance, some sort of warning about offensive language, drug taking, nudity, sex, violence, etc should be made .... however i'm not so sure this should be the case when a film is submitted for judging.

Sometimes these elements are introduced into the film for their shock value (or humour value). Prior warning may therefore dilute the effect to some extent, thus compromising the creative decision to include it in the first place. I know that if I were judging a piece, I'd want to now as little about it as possible on the first time viewing s that the film can be seen with no preconceptions.

[fraught]

Tim... i whole heartedly agree.

[Brian Saberton]

If I am judging a film I try to set aside any personal preferences, likes or dislikes re subject matter and assess each film on merit based on how well the author has achieved his/her objectives. For me what counts is what is on the screen and in fiction films I am looking at how well the story has been told. If it is s comedy does it make you laugh, if it is a drama does it explore some aspect of the human condition, if it is a thriller does it create suspense? Would the audience empathise with some or all of the characters? I consider the quality of the writing in terms of story telling, characterisation and dialogue and assess how well the film makers have constructed their material. I'm not worried about what format the film has been shot on, what camera might have been used or what editing programme might have been employed but I would look for creativity in editing, camerawork and lighting. (I should add here that I'm taking a break from judging this season before anyone thinks about inviting me at the moment!).

If I could make a couple of points about your film I thought that the characters were well defined with distinctive personalities and the three main characters came across as genuine friends with believable dialogue. I felt though that we spent quite a long time on the couch at the beginning and although you had made this more interesting by having them play the video game, for me I'd like to have seen a bit more variety in this sequence. I liked the way the scene at the brothel was shot when the "madam" came to the door. The technique kind of reminded me of some of the scenes in the flat in "Shallow Grave". I thought that the lap dancing sequence was overlong in the context of the situation. Given that the couple would have to get to room 4 relatively quickly to catch their friend in the act, so to speak, it did seem to take quite some time before they made a move.

I hope this is helpful.

[fraught]

Thanks for your comments Brian, i appreciate you taking the time to watch the film and write to me about it.

I do kind of agree about the opening act being a little too long, but i felt i needed to establish the friendship/relationship between them all. I did try and trim it down a little... but couldn't do it enough.

The film is what it is now... and i've moved on. My latest film '8-Ball' has recently been completed and i'm now in production on something else. No rest for the wicked!

On another note, my film '8-Ball' was entered into the SoCo Weekender which was last week... never heard a peep from the organisers, so i don't know if that film was shown or not. As before, if i knew if it was being shown... i would have put the effort in to turning up.

I have to say that both these SoCo festivals have been poorly managed. I doubt i'll bother entering anything next year.

[Dave Watterson]

Although I live in the SOCO area, I have to agree with you Fraught.

Sadly it is becoming commonplace for competitions and festivals not to acknowledge receipt of entries or keep entrants posted about whether their work will be shown or not. With email these should be quick, easy and cheap to do.

Dave

[fraught]

You can call me Geoff, Dave.

I checked the SoCo website in the hope they may have uploaded some info about their Competition and the Weekender.... but alas no.

Like you said... it's quick, cheap and POLITE to let all entrants know what's going on via a quick email.

I do hope they get it together for BIAFF 2012!