IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

Organising a Festival is a major task regardless of where it is held. The
AMPS/AMMA/TBW is usually held in a hotel because we need:

Accomadation for those attending
Minimal distance between accomadation and the projection
Restaurants for meals and the "banquet"

and members expect a "package"

Our local Eclipse Festival (temporarily in abeyance) rents two screens in
a
multiplex and then leaves everything else (accomadation, meals etc) to those
attending. This has the advantage that those attending can decide between
a
5 star hotel or sleeping in their cars, dining at the Painted Pony or
McDonalds. They have sponsorship from local businesses and the local TV
station, this Festival attracts a very wide range of film makers. It is also
open to the public and heavily advertised beforehand. The traditional
amateur festival attracts a very narrow range of film makers - middle aged,
middle class (plus) white males, OK there are exceptions but look at the
photographs of the attendees. They are also "closed" with registration of
attendees
and not open to the public. I can hear the cries of "copyright problems"
the solution is to ensure there is no infringement and then open up to the
public and charge them for attending and get their interest. At present
there is NO public for amateur films other than those involved in their
production.

We cannot use the term "independent" to describe amateur film makers because
here in the USA this is very clearly defined as commercial films made
outside the traditional studio system. Like it or not the USA is the centre
of world film production (I know Bollywood makes a lot of films but the
independent output here is enormous, no equivalent in India) in spite of
this the amateur world is slowly collapsing. We need a completely new
paradigm for non-commercial film makers but I am increasingly convinced that
this will not emerge from the amateur establishment as we know it today.

I agree that the IAC closed forums should be shut down and the members advised
to use the open forum, no separation between NLE and general, set out to
get
as much traffic as possible and PLEASE do something about the name of
the organisation, Film and Video Institue is marginally better then
Institute of Amateur Cinematographers but both are positively archaic.

My opinion is that the IAC/FVI should close down the publication and make
it
available only on the net, put the savings into really getting behind promoting
non-commercial film making and the
BIAFF and the free distribution of programs from the IAC library to those
interested - they have a huge library - just how much is it used? What a
resource!

And the BIAFF? First prize GB1,000; a year's tuition for the winning student
entry, max publicity.

Ned Cordery

"Ned C" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

I agree that the IAC closed forums should be shut down and the members advised
to use the open forum,

Bad move that.....
I cannot see why a particular expert, in some branch
of film making, if he so wishes, only gives advice to
IAC members.
Those who pay should receive, those who don't, dont!
That may be against the spirit of the internet, but
I have full sympathy for those who only wish to service
paying members needs. They may consider that there are
far to many leaches in this world who will suck free
blood wherever they can find it.....
...Toms,Dicks and Harrys and not Dracula!

If the private forum is closed I fear that members of
the IAC may loose a very valuable resorce.

As you know Ned, there are experts on IAC private that are far,
far more advanced in their knowledge than anyone I have read
on this forum, and only too willing to help mambers.
So IAC, please keep the private forum.
Albert......going private.
http://www.retinascope.co.uk/index.html

Bad move that.....
I cannot see why a particular expert, in some branch
of film making, if he so wishes, only gives advice to
IAC members.
Those who pay should receive, those who don't, dont!

The IAC is a club after all and as a club member one does expect that little
bit extra even though I usually have to yell at the IAC office to get a simple
response. Either way as a paid up member I also agree that if we choose to
give our advice in private it is our right to do so. Should people seaking
legal advice get it given to them in a shopping mall or in the solicter's
office? If you are not paying you have no right to deman the same level of
service (except in education or health).

On film festivals generally I am inclined to leave them open to whomever
wants to submit a film. Copyright is a concern but I think I would thoroughly
check submissions before screening. One thing though- is it possible to asign
responsability to those submitting films regarding copyright?

Those who pay should receive, those who don't, dont!

One problem with this view is that the IAC is NOT a club.

It is a registered charity - in exactly the same way as charities which help
the homeless, poor, disabled, orhaned children, flood victims and so on.
The Institute uses this status in order to benefit from the Gift Aid Scheme,
which is, in effect, taxpayers' money coming into the IAC accounts.

Part of the legal - and I believe moral - duty of a charity is to help all
those within its remit ... in this case all amateur movie makers.

Would you expect better hospital care because you once bought a flag for
"Cancer Research"? Should the fire brigade reach your burning home faster
because you once put a pound in their collection tin?

IAC is not allowed by law to discriminate in favour of its members. That's
partly why our competition is open to all, our festival is open to all -
even our AGM weekends are open to all.

You pay your fee to IAC as a donation to charity.

You CAN get something back for that - the law used to permit (just) the charity
to give you a paper flag or sticker. Recently the rule was relaxed a shade
so that a charity can give you a little more - broadly speaking about 25%
of the value of your donation.

Of course any individual volunteers may choose whether or not to extend their
help and wisdom to others, but the organisation itself has to be seen to
be open, to help all the people in its remit ... to be a charity.

Dave (unusually serious) Watterson

OOOOOOOOOOOO! But it can't be denied that members of IAC receive perks not
available to non-members in the same way as a club. Caithness Arts does the
same but it is here to help support all the arts and artists in our area.
Public, private or charity for whatever reason, if you pay you get more.
Cinema For Thurso- remarkably more serious than the impression we give!

"Dave Watterson" <david.filmsocs@virgin.net> wrote:

Those who pay should receive, those who don't, dont!

One problem with this view is that the IAC is NOT a club.

It is a registered charity - in exactly the same way as charities which
help
the homeless, poor, disabled, orhaned children, flood victims and so on.
The Institute uses this status in order to benefit from the Gift Aid Scheme,
which is, in effect, taxpayers' money coming into the IAC accounts.

Part of the legal - and I believe moral - duty of a charity is to help all
those within its remit ... in this case all amateur movie makers.

Would you expect better hospital care because you once bought a flag for
"Cancer Research"? Should the fire brigade reach your burning home faster
because you once put a pound in their collection tin?

IAC is not allowed by law to discriminate in favour of its members. That's
partly why our competition is open to all, our festival is open to all -
even our AGM weekends are open to all.

So then, how are you going to force the IAC experts to help non
members if they have no wish to do so?
I am assuming that those on IAC private who help
members are not intersted in helping non members else they would
be here, would they not?
I seldom ask questions on IAC private and when I do I try to
help others in return.
On this forum we get questions from willo the wisps at times who
do not contribute in any way after getting an answer. Where's
the moral duty there?
That may not get up your snout but it gets up mine at times!
Albert....in the trough.
http://www.retinascope.co.uk/index.html