February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

IAC General Discussions
Post Reply
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Peter Copestake »

A moving picture a million, perhaps.
If you were at all interested in what I had to say in this article the Lake District section of the 9.5 mm film in question is now on YouTube:




For a modern professional equivalent see BBC 4 at 9.pm tonight
Peter Copestake
User avatar
Willy
Posts: 711
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:42 pm
Location: Antwerp Belgium

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Willy »

Many thanks for showing this old film, Peter!

I have just started to prepare a documentary called "The Kentish Countryside Remembered". Maybe I will change the title later on. It would be great to find an extract of an old film to call up some powerful memories. Hop picking, shearing sheep, shire horses, etc... I have already found some very old pictures. If anyone could help me I would be very grateful. In recent years there has been a significant drop in agriculture in Kent.

Joy Prosser is willing to say something in my documentary. She remembers the time of seasonal work. The hoppickers had to stay in huts. Only about 10 years ago there were hopfields all around the village of Goudhurst in Kent. The view on the landscape from the church tower was breathtaking.

When I was in Kent some months ago all the hopfields were gone. Most of them are now meadows. That is very sad. I was baffled when I saw a famous hopfarm near Paddock Wood. About ten years ago it was called the Whitbread Hopfarm. It was a museum. Now it is a playground for little children. Only a very small part is still a museum.

That's the theme of my new film (2017?) Preparing a documentary takes some time, but I love research work.

Mind: the "Garden of England" is still very very very beautiful. I will also try to show this in my film. I have already bought a season ticket for the shuttle. Now I must go to England at least 5 times this year. My wife is willing to follow me. I love Vera for many reasons.
Willy Van der Linden
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Peter Copestake »

Your energy astounds me, Willy. That is just the sort of thing I should be doing but doubt if I'll ever get round to doing it. This year I have to edit loads of stuff we (Pendle MM) have been collecting since the millenium with a little from mid fifties, of the changes in the local town, Nelson, since the club made a film of a year there 50+ years ago
Peter Copestake
Michael Slowe
Posts: 807
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:24 pm

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Michael Slowe »

Peter, yes, I did watch last night's documentary on BBC 4 as I'm a great fan of the Lake District and, in particular, the featured mountain, Skafell Pike. It was wonderfully well done with some stunning pictures, probably shot in 4K, the benefit of which you didn't have for the old 9.5mm film that you posted. The film was made by an independent producer and really got to the heart of that area of England. I know the featured Wastwater and Wasdale Head so well from hill walking in my youth and it was good to see the care being taken by the National Trust to avoid it being spoilt. I don't recall ever seeing the wooden stairway shown in your film, do you know exactly where it was?

Willy, your love of England is quite touching, would that more occupants of mainland Europe felt as you do. it's good to see that you are once more 'on the warpath', Vera has obviously done a great job in getting you back on your feet. Are you heading for BIAFF this year? I haven't yet booked but could be persuaded if you are planning to attend.

Happy New Year to all our readers!
User avatar
Dave Watterson
Posts: 1872
Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:11 pm
Location: Bath, England
Contact:

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Dave Watterson »

Michael! Book for BIAFF now!

Not only are Willy and Vera planning to come, so are Ned and Mary Cordery. We also hope to have a quick gathering of forum readers/writers on Saturday afternoon after the last film session and before you get changed / perfumed / polished / primped and primed for the gala dinner :D
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Peter Copestake »

Michael, the wooden stairway is up the Bowder Stone in Borrowdale. Look it up on the web; it's been there since the 19th century, perhaps having been renewed from time to time!! It's a wonder health & Safety haven't closed it but it was still there last time we looked.
In about 1949 a school friend of mine and I climbed Scafell Pike from a scout camp in Borrowdale and having reached the top were advised by a prize idiot to return by what he called 'the Guide's Path'. Compared with the popular route this was not easy to see, even in the days when hobnailed boots were the typical footware, and we soon realised we were not on any path. The mist came down and darkness began to fall and we couldn't tell which way was which (no compass!) and we were very lucky, I think, to reach a farmhouse at Wasdale Head where the family called Mountain Rescue who roped us to them and took us back to Borrowdale.
We had learnt our lesson and the Scoutmaster got a telling off. Just think, you might never have heard of me!!
When my wife and I went up in 1957 it was thick mist at the top and no view. We are trying to remember if we've tried since.
We look forward to watching the documentary (recorded it) and will be glad to see it secondhand.
Peter Copestake
Mike Shaw

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Mike Shaw »

Willy - we (the small group I have - Footprint Productions) have a number of film clips of various places in Kent from the 1930s that we had digitised from 16mm film found languishing in Bromley Library Archives. Having spent some years getting the right to use the material, we are now in the process of reshooting the locations depicted for a 'then and now' type movie: the places shown are more beauty spots and very little known heritage sites (like Kits Coty etc) than sheep shearing shots though. Maybe we should chat at BIAFF ...
ned c
Posts: 910
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:39 pm
Location: Dammeron Valley USA

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by ned c »

Hello Willy, I look forward to meeting with you at BIAFF. I grew up in London and somehow became a keen rock climber and the nearest rock climbing area is in Kent on the Weald sandstone. The outcrops are small may be 20 metres at the most, but very popular. There is Harrison Rocks near Groombridge and High Rocks near Tunbridge Wells. I have assorted stills/video and film which I will be happy to share for your Kent film.

best wishes

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

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Willy »

I look forward to meeting you in Sittingbourne. Kent is not so far from us I said somewhere else on this forum.

I am not the only Belgian who loves England, Michael. There are quite a lot of people on the continent who suffer from Anglophilia. An encyclopedia says that it is an unusual admiration or partiality for England, English ways or things. I love Scotland most, but then comes the "Garden of England", and the Lake District. It is Scotland in miniature. When I was 18 I climbed the Ben Nevis. I am very proud. I also climbed Scafell Pike. I think it is the highest mountain in England. And I went to the top of the Snowdon in Wales. By train that time.

I was in the Lake District twice. Vera and I stayed in Windermere. We visited Dove Cottage in Grasmere. We walked round Buttermere. We drove up a very steep mountain road (25%!). Vera was panicking. And we climbed Scafell Pike, just like you, Peter. And we, too, ... after a few hours we returned because it was difficult to follow the steep footpath... In the eighties it was not better. One moment we were not sure that we were going to the top. Luckily we could find back the car park... I remember there was a ticket on my window screen! It was my fault.

Many thanks for your suggestion, Mike. That's fantastic news. I hope we will have enough time to talk about it at BIAFF.

I am obliged to cross the Channel at least 5 times this year. I am going to buy a season ticket for the Shuttle. I will visit the "Garden of England" a few times, also to capture some beautiful things in Kent.

Who was the poet who wrote: "Oh, to be in England now that April is there!"? I love Wordsworth's daffodils. Maybe they will be gone when we are at BIAFF.
Willy Van der Linden
Michael Slowe
Posts: 807
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:24 pm

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Michael Slowe »

OK Dave, I'll try and book, I hope there's not another 'mix up'.

They should have a BIAFF in Keswick, then all us hill walkers / mountaineers can spend our time going up those lovely hills, rather than watching films! Peter, when I was at school there was a tradition that the climbing club saw the New Year in at the top of Great Gable and I did that a few times. It meant going up in the dark of course and we sung the school song at the summit, all in Latin. Happy days long ago, the early 50's for me, I'm obviously younger.
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Peter Copestake »

My hills were the Mendips, Michael, school, caving & honeymoon but work took us to Lancashire/Yorkshire border 58 years ago and got stuck.
Peter Copestake
Peter Copestake
Posts: 340
Joined: Sun Feb 11, 2007 2:23 am
Location: Colne, Lancashire

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Peter Copestake »

To get back to the original subject, although I recommended the Scafell film on the basis of the write-up in the Radio Times to which a colleague had drawn my attention, when I watched it I have to say I was a little disappointed with it as a whole.
The pictures were mostly stunning; amongst people I noticed one example of auto-focus (well, why not if you cut out mistakes) but I found the sound quite unpleasant sometimes. I was using Sennheiser radio-linked headphones so didn't expect to miss much and assume that they give an experience as near to what the director wants as I could expect. My hearing aids emphasise top as that is where my hearing loss is but I found the bass excessive, the music overloud and frankly overdone. Does one go into the mountains to hear a symphony orchestra?
So, I was pleased with the lack of presenter but disappointed with the added sound and also with the quality of the recorded live sound.
Am I too fussy, is my hearing too defective or am I just out of date?
What did others think of it?
Peter Copestake
Michael Slowe
Posts: 807
Joined: Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:24 pm

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by Michael Slowe »

Bit of both Peter. I too thought that the location audio a bit off but you have to consider the circumstances. No fell location is wind free and I thought that they did well to overcome this problem. Mostly radio mics I would have thought with a lot of post production fiddling. They wouldn't have had a big crew up there in any case. I'd far rather have live audio than the dreadful narration that we get in most films of this sort (particularly amateur ones).

Yes, stunning visuals, but rather obviously inserted into the action in post, not surprising, good weather on Ska Fell is rare! I do agree with you on the issue of music, nowadays far too much of it in films of this sort, although at times the awesome visuals demanded some music.
col lamb
Posts: 680
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:51 pm
Location: Preston, Lancashire

Re: February FVM - A picture worth a thousand words

Post by col lamb »

On the very positive side at least the visuals were far more stable from the past few years where we have one after the other BBC documentary featuring overly exagerated shaky shots.

Now all we need them to get rid of is the over usage of the out of focus cutaway or long duration pulled focus.
Col Lamb
Preston, Lancashire.
FCPX, Edius6.02, and Premiere CS 5.5 user.
Find me on Facebook, Colin Lamb
Post Reply