Showing to an audience

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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Dave Watterson

Showing to an audience

Post by Dave Watterson »

What do you expect when showing your work to an audience?

A lot of movie makers pop into a festival just to see their film screened
to an audience, then they leave. This is a pity because they probably miss
a lot of good work ...

But what do you look or listen for when you are with an audience looking
at your movie?

Dave McCurious
Michael Slowe

Re: Showing to an audience

Post by Michael Slowe »

"Dave Watterson" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:
What do you expect when showing your work to an audience?

A lot of movie makers pop into a festival just to see their film screened
to an audience, then they leave. This is a pity because they probably miss
a lot of good work ...

But what do you look or listen for when you are with an audience looking
at your movie?

Dave McCurious
Apart from seeing a nice big bright picture of familiar (after 3 months work
on them!) images I don't really get much. I would have already seen judges
comments from more than one Festival or competition so I know by then what
film people think about the production. I do of course eagerly want to see
the other films screened in the hope that there is something special (almost
always foreign I am sorry to say) and I hope to learn from seeing as many
good films as possible - don't we all?
Ned C

Re: Showing to an audience

Post by Ned C »

"Michael Slowe" <michael.slowe@btinternet.com> wrote:
"Dave Watterson" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

What do you expect when showing your work to an audience?


Dave McCurious

Apart from seeing a nice big bright picture of familiar (after 3 months
work
on them!) images I don't really get much. I would have already seen judges
comments from more than one Festival or competition so I know by then what
film people think about the production. I do of course eagerly want to
see
the other films screened in the hope that there is something special (almost
always foreign I am sorry to say) and I hope to learn from seeing as many
good films as possible - don't we all?
When I have worked on a film, editing, viewing in the studio, alone and with
colleagues, shown it to wife and friends in the sitting room I believe I
have a well developed understanding of the film. Then, with an audience
everything changes. There is a "group effect" the lights dim the screen flickers
the images appear the sound plays and the experience is shared with strangers
or aquaintances. I see the film from a new angle, there is a sort of transference
of thought from the audience, this may be good or bad, but it happens.

Ned Cordery
AN

Re: Showing to an audience

Post by AN »

"Dave Watterson" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:
What do you expect when showing your work to an audience?

But what do you look or listen for when you are with an >audience looking
at your movie?
I listen out for boooos, having a big squad of hit men outside the cinema
at my beck and call, who take care of all boooers!

As have always constantly sought over the years to show audiences life in
objects they have never imagined before, I get sufficient pleasure in knowing
that I may be doing this, whether present in an audience or not.
Consider it the biggest failing on my part if I don't achieve this, but it's
very difficult to judge ones films from audience reactions as many audiences
are just polite and a bit sheeplike in their reactions to amateur films.

I still rely entirely on my wife to judge my efforts before release!

Albert...getting released this week! :-)
Michael Slowe

Re: Showing to an audience

Post by Michael Slowe »

"AN" <AnimatioN@btopenworld.com> wrote:
"Dave Watterson" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

What do you expect when showing your work to an audience?

But what do you look or listen for when you are with an >audience looking
at your movie?

I listen out for boooos, having a big squad of hit men outside the cinema
at my beck and call, who take care of all boooers!

As have always constantly sought over the years to show audiences life in
objects they have never imagined before, I get sufficient pleasure in knowing
that I may be doing this, whether present in an audience or not.
Consider it the biggest failing on my part if I don't achieve this, but
it's
very difficult to judge ones films from audience reactions as many audiences
are just polite and a bit sheeplike in their reactions to amateur films.

I still rely entirely on my wife to judge my efforts before release!

Albert...getting released this week! :-)

I realise that my reply to Dave's query may sound rather blase but I do feel
as Albert does that most audiences viewing amateur films are rather quiet
and polite and the only re action is for "comedies". Judges, being mostly
knowledgable and quite willing to be critical, are a better yardstick, but
as others have said , the best yardstick of all is the wife! She never fails.
Ned C

Re: Showing to an audience

Post by Ned C »

"Michael Slowe" <michael.slowe@btinternet.com> wrote:
it's
very difficult to judge ones films from audience reactions as many audiences
are just polite and a bit sheeplike in their reactions to amateur films.

I still rely entirely on my wife to judge my efforts before release!

Albert...getting released this week! :-)



I realise that my reply to Dave's query may sound rather blase but I do
feel
as Albert does that most audiences viewing amateur films are rather quiet
and polite and the only re action is for "comedies". Judges, being mostly
knowledgable and quite willing to be critical, are a better yardstick, but
as others have said , the best yardstick of all is the wife! She never fails.
Its not the audience reaction but rather a sense of shared viewing that always
gives me a new perspective. Diffficult to explain but somehow I see the film
through the eyes of the audience viewing the film for the first time. On
the other hand perhaps I should stop smoking these funny cigarettes my wife
rolls for me. As for judges, we've been there before and what you get are
their prejudices which may or may not favor your film.

Ned C
>
Atta Chui

Re: Showing to an audience

Post by Atta Chui »

"AN" <AnimatioN@btopenworld.com> wrote:
"Dave Watterson" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

What do you expect when showing your work to an audience?

But what do you look or listen for when you are with an >audience looking
at your movie?

I listen out for boooos, having a big squad of hit men outside the cinema
at my beck and call, who take care of all boooers!
We can probably guess what the audience reaction is. However there are interesting
details, usually about timing. For example, why do they laugh at that scene
earlier than i planned... Why would they laugh at all? (it was not meant
to be comical!!!) Drama is harder than Comedy, because correct reaction is
probably no reaction...

In one of my films, at each screening, i always felt that "right, as long
as we can run through this screen, we'll be fine". It is because the beginning
is just not good enough. Sitting with audience is a torture, and make me
not to make the same mistake again!

Atta
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