Some thoughts for judges
Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2002 11:42 pm
Having re-entered the amateur competition/festival circuit after a great many
years and having now read a number of judges comments some thoughts for judges
to ponder:
1. Please believe that everything you see is intended, I can accept that
you don't like what you see but please don't write a piece explaining a jump
cut/crossing the line/etc and how it shouldn't be used, if its in there we
meant it to be.
2. Please view modern commercial films/TV/ads across a wide spectrum of genres
and styles so modern camera and editing styles do not come as too much of
a surprise. Years ago John Cassevetes was cutting in the middle of a sentence
or musical phrase, there is very little that is new, please say so if you
don't like it but don't try and apply "rules" of editing or shooting.
3. Linear chronology is not (and never has been) an essential part of film
- see Pulp Fiction for the most disjointed chronology imaginable, yet, if
you pay attention, it is not difficult to follow.
4. I can accept a judge who says "This doesn't work for me because....."
I have a hard time with "You should pay more attention to......."
5. Let your personality come through, we loved the judge who wrote "awsome"
and respect the judge who said that for him the "program needed more than
judicious cutting, rather the attention of a meat ax to get it to an acceptable
length"
Just some thoughts - what do you think?-
re: sheltering in the Central Line (AN) we had a Morrison Shelter, a sort
of steel topped table as we lived on a tram line and sheltering beneath the
trams was discouraged. That's South of the River for you!
Ned Cordery
years and having now read a number of judges comments some thoughts for judges
to ponder:
1. Please believe that everything you see is intended, I can accept that
you don't like what you see but please don't write a piece explaining a jump
cut/crossing the line/etc and how it shouldn't be used, if its in there we
meant it to be.
2. Please view modern commercial films/TV/ads across a wide spectrum of genres
and styles so modern camera and editing styles do not come as too much of
a surprise. Years ago John Cassevetes was cutting in the middle of a sentence
or musical phrase, there is very little that is new, please say so if you
don't like it but don't try and apply "rules" of editing or shooting.
3. Linear chronology is not (and never has been) an essential part of film
- see Pulp Fiction for the most disjointed chronology imaginable, yet, if
you pay attention, it is not difficult to follow.
4. I can accept a judge who says "This doesn't work for me because....."
I have a hard time with "You should pay more attention to......."
5. Let your personality come through, we loved the judge who wrote "awsome"
and respect the judge who said that for him the "program needed more than
judicious cutting, rather the attention of a meat ax to get it to an acceptable
length"
Just some thoughts - what do you think?-
re: sheltering in the Central Line (AN) we had a Morrison Shelter, a sort
of steel topped table as we lived on a tram line and sheltering beneath the
trams was discouraged. That's South of the River for you!
Ned Cordery