In our country amateur films were shown on TV about 20 years ago. I remember
In other countries television stations sometimes broadcast amateur films
as part of the regular programming. Amateur fiction films are billed just
as if they were professional ones. In Britain amateur work is only shown
if it has some historical value or in a way which makes fun of the people
dedicated to making their own movies.
Would it help if British tv ever took our work seriously and showed some
of it without joking about it?
Dave
that the 16mm film makers were privileged. They were also interviewed about
the film they had made. I think it was good that you knew a VIP in the amateur
film world or in the broadcasting company... It was like many things in Belgium.
But now I'm skating over thin ice. It's better to be careful. Once I read
in "The Sunday Telegraph" that Italy is the most corrupt country in Europe.
Italian friends, please do not believe this. But Belgium was second in that
list.I felt ashamed but I could not deny it. Now things are getting better...
On TV there is still a programme that shows very short video films with bloopers
or "funny" accidents. It's called "Videodinges". I don't like it. The winner
gets a TV-set with flat screen or something else.
Only a few film makers in our club watch movies on TV, Dave. I must admit
that. But many of them hire video films. They're not always the best film
makers, but they are the best critics. You also need people like them in
your club. Of course as long as they pass criticism in a decent way. Once
we had a prominent film maker who said things like "That's rubbish !" to
beginners. Fortunately he left our club a long time ago and in the mean
time he "visited" many other clubs. Now I feel ashamed again telling you
that I sometimes watch "cheap" and pleasant soaps. I already told you that
I love Mrs Bucket and Mr Bean. In the seventies I enjoyed "Coronation Street",
"On the Buses" , etc. In this world with daily terror on TV or other frightening
things you need things like that.
Oh yes, I almost forgot. I like "National Geographics". It's a free channel
on our TV. I enjoy the documentaries of those professionals very much. The
movies are often very spectacular. But I'm always surprised that the shots
are sometimes extremely long. Anyway it's interesting to watch these films
with a critical eye.
Sorry, but I still would like to say something to Albert. He prefers "inches,
yards, miles etc..." to "metres and kilometres" ... You're too conservative,
Albert. (Of course I'm not talking about the political sense of the word).
In England everything is different. It gives some "charm" to your country,
but it also makes things difficult. A warning for the British attending Unica.
In a restaurant on the continent a salt cellar has three holes which is logical.
A pepper cellar has one hole. In Britain it's just the opposite, isn't it
? In prehistoric times when I was a pupil in a secondary school I had one
hour of counting with English money (additions, multiplications, etc...)in
my time table. I remember there were 20 shillings in one pound and twelve
pence in one shilling... ! Would you also like to return to that system,
Albert ? I find driving on the left very pleasant. It would be too complicated
and too expensive to change all British cars and buses, Albert, but it's
good that "gallons" and "yards" and even "miles" are more and more replaced
by "litres", "metres" and "kilometres".