What excites you about your club's programme?

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Dave Watterson
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What excites you about your club's programme?

Post by Dave Watterson »

At this time of year many clubs swing back into action. Secretaries send out the programme for the season.

What excites your interest in your club's programme? Is there a talk, workshop, project or whatever that makes you underline that evening in your diary?
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TimStannard
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Re: What excites you about your club's programme?

Post by TimStannard »

Fantastic question, Dave. This really gets to the core of why so many clubs are struggling.

If I'm honest, in the case of my club it's outside speakers, competitions (internal and against other clubs - and especially the inter club we host but don't compete in) and our public show.

I'm a miserable sod and can happily live without the Christmas dinner!
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
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John Roberts
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Re: What excites you about your club's programme?

Post by John Roberts »

Ditto, Tim :D

Invited speakers are always entertaining; we've been treated to Bob Lorrimer, Jill Lampert and other notable filmmakers in the past, but this season we've had an evening with Liam Sanderson from Wales High School - remember 'A Fistful Of Conkers' from BIAFF 2014? Inter-club competitions are always interesting because one gets the chance to watch what other clubs are up to, and I will often try and travel to challenge matches as well.

Like Tim I can do without some of the more 'social' aspects of the club, and there are a few evenings devoted to nothing more than showing films for the sake of showing films, or pure nostalgia with no educational value attached, and I avoid these on principle.

This year our club is hosting the annual 'South Yorkshire Amateur Film Competition' which is always a highlight when our turn rolls around. Also BIAFF 2016 is being held in our region so we should be involved in that too. Not a bad season for us :D
Michael Slowe
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Re: What excites you about your club's programme?

Post by Michael Slowe »

I always enjoy it when I'm invited to talk to other clubs and I've had some lovely audiences. I've been lucky enough to go down to Tim (Staines I believe), seemed like a full house that evening, but never been to John's I don't think. All reasonable offers considered!
Pqtrick
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Re: What excites you about your club's programme?

Post by Pqtrick »

I was so excited about my clubs programme of 'more of the same' I have looked elsewhere. No speakers, no practical evenings just competitions when very few members make films and are entertained by showing old films.

My 'look'' elsewhere looks promising and also I have attended a couple of meetings at a nearby photographic group. Doing a quick head count at the photo group, there were twenty-two present. In the tea break, I asked 'how many members do you have?' I was told about half the total members were present as they were doing a presentation elsewhere. And as they meet once a week not all members make it every week. So, forty odd members, all taking photos and presenting them. How many movie groups can boast that number of active members?
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John Roberts
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Re: What excites you about your club's programme?

Post by John Roberts »

Pqtrick wrote:I was so excited about my clubs programme of 'more of the same' I have looked elsewhere. No speakers, no practical evenings just competitions when very few members make films and are entertained by showing old films.

My 'look'' elsewhere looks promising and also I have attended a couple of meetings at a nearby photographic group. Doing a quick head count at the photo group, there were twenty-two present. In the tea break, I asked 'how many members do you have?' I was told about half the total members were present as they were doing a presentation elsewhere. And as they meet once a week not all members make it every week. So, forty odd members, all taking photos and presenting them. How many movie groups can boast that number of active members?
I cannot disagree with any of the above - my local photographic society is thriving with plenty of members and have a packed programme of competitions, guest speakers and presentations. They do hold 3 AV nights (one each specifically for men and women, plus one presumably for everyone else :lol: ) but no other nights at all orientated towards a moving image. The monthly competitions are well attended, covering a variety of fixed themes or genres, but I would add the obvious in that it takes very little time or effect to produce a 'passable' static photograph relative to producing a passable film. Interpreting a theme or subject with a single image can cover a multitude of interpretations, and the single image photographer need have little care over film-orientated issues such as sound, continuity, script, pans and tilts, actors, pace of cut or holding a viewer/judge's interest for more than the few seconds needed for the 'wow' factor etc etc etc etc etc.

I've mentioned before that clubs are 'member-led' so maybe consider trying to introduce some practical evenings or organise guest speakers yourself? I'm not an experienced filmmaker but 6 clubs this year alone have invited me to show my old and new films and talk about them and to receive questions. I've also taken it upon myself to try and organise a green-screen fun night at my own club, and I occasionally try to present an evening concentrating on sound. It's not totally about looking at what your club can do for you - if you are an experienced filmmaker try and do something for your club as well. If the club is destined to fail due to the (sadly all too common) reasons mentioned above, then it will eventually fail. My views on this are quite well known.

I'm not suggesting anyone should flog a dead horse, but if there is at least a spark of creativity left in a few of the club members, it should encouraged as much as practically possible, otherwise we'll all end up being a sub-group of our local photographic societies. Now there's a thought... :D

John
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