IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

I am 59 years old. Oh God, next year I will be 60 ! But most film makers in
my club are older than 60. Last year a young man called Dave joined our club
"Focus Vaartland". He is 27. Now he still seems to enjoy our activities.
He is really unique because he is two or three generations younger than we
are. After a few weeks he already started making "one minute films". He does
not have the patience to make longer films, he always tells us. That's a
pity of course, but perhaps it will change after some time. His films are
quite different. The rhythm/pace in his films is different and so is his
music. Last week we showed some documentaries made by Michael Slowe : "Glass
Art", "On Silk". Dave enjoyed Michael's music very much. It was not soul
or rock, but it was not traditonal and classical music either. We - the
older film makers I mean - tend to use slow and romantic tunes. I told
Dave that Michael is not a twen anymore and he was quite surprised. Michael
does not fear using special kind of music for his films, Dave said.

We also have an other young man in our club. Perhaps you know him : Douglas
Boswell. He is also 27. He won an international medaillion at BIAFF some
years ago. Now he is a professional film maker. He works for TV and makes
films for international film festivals (Montreal, Rome, Cannes, etc...).
Some members of my club help him from time to time. We are still in touch
with Douglas and we are very happy with it. He has paid his membership for
"Focus Vaartland" again.

Some weeks ago a new youngster of only 19 appeared in our club. He is a student
at the Brussels film school. He showed three short films. It was very promising.
Sammy paid for his membership and I will translate his films for BIAFF.

There are no other clubs in Belgium with three or more young film makers,
but to be honest ... we are still a club for OAP's. I think that the situation
in the UK is similar. When I watch the photographs in "Film and Video Maker"
or on the UK websites then I have the impression that also the Albion clubs
suffer from arteriosclerosis (= Dutch expression). The problem is ... how
can we change this ? Positive discrimination at festivals is not the solution
I think. We must try to avoid this. It's good that there is a category for
young film makers like at BIAFF and in the Guernsey Festival, but we must
not favour them because they are young. In Guernsey I watched a film made
by young people. A few youngsters who attended the festival seemed to have
enjoyed that film, but the other film makers did not look excited at all.
Our feelings are different. That's all !

I think that sometimes we forget the "good old days" when we were young.
I remember the sixties ... Sir Cliff Richard gave a concert in Antwerp. After
the show he left the concert hall. Thousands of young boys and girls were
waiting for him. They wanted to catch a last glimpse of that famous pop star.
Just like the other young people also Willy started shouting "We want Cliff
! We want Cliff !". Thinking of this, I have the feeling that I behaved like
an idiot !

"Après nous le déluge" is not the right attitude. We must always do our utmost
to attract young film makers. We must create the right atmosphere in our
clubs for them. My question is ... how ? Could anyone tell me ?

"Willy Van der Linden" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

I am 59 years old. Oh God, next year I will be 60 ! But most film makers
in
my club are older than 60. Last year a young man called Dave joined our
club
"Focus Vaartland". He is 27. Now he still seems to enjoy our activities.
He is really unique because he is two or three generations younger than
we
are. After a few weeks he already started making "one minute films". He
does
not have the patience to make longer films, he always tells us. That's a
pity of course, but perhaps it will change after some time. His films are
quite different. The rhythm/pace in his films is different and so is his
music. Last week we showed some documentaries made by Michael Slowe : "Glass
Art", "On Silk". Dave enjoyed Michael's music very much. It was not soul
or rock, but it was not traditonal and classical music either. We - the
older film makers I mean - tend to use slow and romantic tunes. I told
Dave that Michael is not a twen anymore and he was quite surprised.

Willy, you're dead right I'm not! I was 70 years old last March!

FV clubs are in decline in most places, last year the long established San
Diego Club closed its doors here in the USA, the reason? An aging membership
and no new members. One or two young members will not make a club survive.
I think the traditional club has had its day and we will see the growth of
small dedcicated groups that eliminate the social aspect of club membership
and just make movies. Ken Wilson's group seems to be an example and there
is tremendous film making activity by small groups of younger film makers
who form and disentegrate and reform by production. They use the internet
as their method of communication (have a look at shootingpeople)and enter
Festivals, where they will sometimes get together. There is a "clubbable"
generation and the younger generations are not a part of that culture. There
is also the straight forward problem of the generation gap and the completely
different approach to film making, which many of the older generation dislike
intensely. If you don't like loud music, wobbly cam, oof shots, violence,
then you will not be very comfortable with many of the younger film makers
and they won't be comfortable with you. You are right, the traditional club
is for OAPs and there is nothing wrong with that, accept it and enjoy it.
Many of the traditional clubs in all activities are experiencing the same
problem, there is a new culture emerging that we can embrace through our
Festivals provided we have judges with open minds and have seen films since
the 50s and watched recent TV programs.

Ned C


"Michael Slowe" <michael.slowe@btinternet.com> wrote:

"Willy Van der Linden" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

I am 59 years old. Oh God, next year I will be 60 ! But most film makers
in
my club are older than 60. Last year a young man called Dave joined our
club
"Focus Vaartland". He is 27. Now he still seems to enjoy our activities.
He is really unique because he is two or three generations younger than
we
are. After a few weeks he already started making "one minute films".
Willy, you're dead right I'm not! I was 70 years old last March!

I think this is happening because most young film makers make contacts in
places other than
traditional film clubs such as online and at university & make films with
them. I know of a large
number of film makers who totally reject the local club because they're seen
as being irrelevant
and provide out-dated activities (such as "caring for cine tapes".)

The local club also seemed to be full of politics between factions, which
just turned turns younger
filmmakers off. Sadly, what needs to be done is such a huge task that it
can't prevent the clubs
dying out, so they may as well stay as they are - at least then they're providing
a service to some people.

"Ned C" <ned@ampsvideo.com> wrote:

If you don't like loud music, wobbly cam, oof shots, violence,
then you will not be very comfortable with many of the younger film makers
and they won't be comfortable with you. You are right, the traditional club
is for OAPs and there is nothing wrong with that, accept it and enjoy it.
Many of the traditional clubs in all activities are experiencing the same
problem, there is a new culture emerging that we can embrace through our
Festivals provided we have judges with open minds and have seen films since
the 50s and watched recent TV programs.

Ned C

Yes, Ned, the younger members in my club like loud music, etc... Luckily

they are good chaps who are against violence, but it's amazing that they
only seem to enjoy making short horror films or films with very mysterious
"stories".

Young Dave (27) told me that he does not have the patience and the energy
to make longer films. He's too lazy, he says. And the younger ones always
ask me to buy new recorders and projectors, but they do not realize that
you need money for it and that you have to work for it. That's an other problem.
I was born just after the World War and we had to do our utmost to accomplish
something, but afterwards we spoilt our own children. Sometimes people
in Belgium say that we need a new war to start from zero. That would be good
for the younger generations, they pretend. That's a very bad and a very
dangerous thought, isn't it ? The power of thought can change the world...


Yes, indeed, there's a new culture emerging. In our town interest in all
sorts of club activities are on the decline. Twenty years ago we still had
four or five brass bands. Now we have only one, and ... it's led by our
local school of music. I have already thought of organizing a festival for
youngsters who are not members of my club. Membership is not a "must" anymore.
Many young people have a camera and enjoy working on their computer.

In our seaside resort Ostend there was a competition. The theme : something
about Ostend. There were 26 entries. Most film makers were teen-agers and
twens. You could watch all these two minute films on the website of the City
of Ostend. Some films were very mysterious. Most youngsters had used special
effects. My film was very, very slow ... and I was not one of the winners.
It was an extract from one of my longer films. I accepted the "verdict",
because I was impressed by one particular film made by three film students.
After all I thought, perhaps such a competition in my town would be a good
thing to stimulate film making. And yes, I will accept that also my club
is one for OAP's, Ned, but I still hope to attract more youngsters. In a
few years my club will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

I am the youngest member in our club, i`m 39! The Isle of Wight Video Camera
Club. I joined 2 years ago and in my first year I won the `Videomaker of
the Year` award! ie 4 points for 1st, 3 for 2nd, 2 for 3rd and one point
for an entry. The reason why I think I won was because I injected new effects
and ideas into the club.

Two examples follow.........

The first example.....
The editing competition where you are all given an hours footage and you
can do whatever you want with it in under 5 minutes. I did 2 entries and
came first and second! The first was the `proper` way to do it. Gently cut
and had a narration, it came second. The next entry was totally different
for the club. I did things like speeding up and slowing down the footage,
I did this to a passy song. One scene was a man bringing in a step ladder
and placeing it upright. I had him bringing it in and then reverse it a second,
and then forward etc.

The second example........
This was the Video to music Competition. The others, being older and maybe
wiser would have scenes of panning landscapes set to music. I on the other
chose to do mine in the front room. I did `ABBA - Knowing me, Knowing you.
I used wigs etc and have 4 versions of me in different guises. It included
70`s style effects etc. This film won!

I know we need serious stuff like slow panning countryside things, but we
also need fun/funnies films that one can laugth at and chuckle to!

If it`s serious all the time then all we will get is the older members. We
need young people to inject new ideas.

I am also Club Secretary!

Ian Gardner.

"ian Gardner" <ian@gardner44.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

Hi Ian,
I'll spill the beans that you are also working on a website for the club.
Is there no end to your talents?!!

Actually you don't claim to be specially expert in any area ... what you
do seem to have in abundance is the ability to think outside the box. Far
too many people only see and hear what they expect. Too many film makers
only watch (and hence only make) the sort of movies they have known for decades.

As you recognise: the world needs both sorts of people - those who focus
tightly on some speciality until they can do it perfectly ... and those who
skip around, try this, try that and look for new ways to do things.

When Jan and I were setting up house we were told that it is always good
to invite someone you don't know well (the friend of a friend for example)
to come in and go round your house making honest comments on the layout and
decor, unfiltered by the usual politeness. That way you will discover which
mirror is in the wrong place, which door ought to be hinged on the other
side, which colours do not quite work together and so on. It is a painful
lesson but a useful one. I think many clubs could do with such an approach.

That's what you appear to be doing at IoW - not that there are not good people
there who have talents and plenty of success - just that things get stale
unless someone is poking and prodding us.

Of course the next step is to get you onto the IAC Council !!!

What are the most exciting three ideas you brought to the club?

Dave

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

What are the most exciting three ideas you brought to the club?

Dave

You`ve put me on the spot!!!!

New ideas in editing and filming. Some of the editing tricks i have done
is Picture in picture! I know (people reading this) will say how boring or
been there, done that, but (hear me out!) Our club is full of gifted people.
The Isle of Wight (IOW) is lightyears behind the mainland! I did a seven
PIP for my holiday video. The 12 minuite Film was for the hloiday comp. All
the other members had their films from New Zealand, Norway, America. I did
mine on the IOW! I went to 6 locations and talked about the negative points
in a funny sort of way! I chose Freshwater on a really rough and windy day!
I was being battered by all this! I also did a section at ryde seafront.
The spiniker Tower was in the background. While watching the film, you could
hear a countdown... 5...4...3.....2....1.... Liftoff! I had the spiniker
Tower taking off just like a rocket! But people have started to use more
effects in their films.

With me. If I had a bit of money and a spare room or lockup then I could
go further. To get a full view of me in fromt of our blue screen. I have
to open the back door and stick the camera on the back door step!!!!

I`m a jokie person but I can be serious if I have to! People laugth at my
films. I have also used Prem Pro1.5`s effects with weard colours.

As for the club, I`ve only been Club Sec since June. But I like to be organised
and involved. Proberly too much because I aspect (with most clubs) People
just go to the meets and forget about it untill the next meet. I seem to
be one of the only ones who breath and sleep Club.

I have started a club Email Newsletter. The friday before the monday meet,
I send all club members an email newsletter. In this it will have what we
are doing and what is planned for the next few club meets. I encourage people
to enter the comps and if i`ve made misstakes like going on a shoot and forgetting
to put a tape in my camera! I tell them!, so they don`t do the same thing.
I try to encourage them a bit more.

When the judges give their verdicts on the comp entries, (fot example) if
they thought that it was *rap! Then I will try to explain to the rest of
the club why it was not so good ie, the old VHS equipment that was used to
produce it. I will try to bring out the good points!

I put forward the idea of getting rid of the Sills to Music Comp as this
was too limiting I instead instigated the new competition called Short Open
Comp, where anything goes ! for 5 minutes. You can have more fun this way.
I would like more comps in the club but people don`t seem to have time. I
have a job, 3 teenage kids and a wife to look after, they are mostly retired.
But I still agree thro that a club needs to be ballenced.

One older member didn`t want film to have funny angles. Ie shot taken upside
down and then twisted around back to normal! So is it back to nice slowly
revolving landscapes, or acting, rollplay and new ideas. You choose. I`ll
go for the second everytime.

Take for example the series on Skyone called Battlestar Galactiker! The camera
Angles and feel to it is totally different. The camera pans in space (like
it`s hunting for something) and suddenly sees a spacecraft, the view will
suddenly zoom to it and follow it untill something else comess into view.
Brillient!

Because I seem to have more spare time then the other people! Then I try
to sort out communications with everyone and inform and encourage them.

Yes. I might be interested in the IAC council. Put my name down.

You got me going now. But i`ve got to go.

See yer my friend.......

Ian Gardner.

"ian Gardner" <ian@gardner44.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

I did things like speeding up and slowing down the footage,

I did this to a passy song. One scene was a man bringing in a step ladder
and placeing it upright. I had him bringing it in and then reverse it a
second,
and then forward etc.

The second example........
This was the Video to music Competition. The others, being older and maybe
wiser would have scenes of panning landscapes set to music.
I know we need serious stuff like slow panning countryside things, but we
also need fun/funnies films that one can laugth at and chuckle to!

If it`s serious all the time then all we will get is the older members.
We
need young people to inject new ideas.

Thanks for your good advice, Ian, but I think that my next film will be funny

and still very slow ...! I'm 20 years older than you are and unfortunately
I can't change it. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, ... those were the days
my friend and I thought they would never end, but now it's over. I still
have enough energy, but I am not that young man anymore. However the Rolling
Stones are still on the stage ! They are older than I am and they still seem
to be full of life and force.

It's good to hear from you, Ian, that we need young people to inject new
ideas. I have already thought of creating a seperate and a more or less independant
youth group in my club. The older and younger members can come together
on Friday evening. Monday or Tuesday evening is only for the younger generations.
Hopefully there is no clash between both groups after some time then, but
an old president and a young secretary who work together might be the best
solution. After some years the secretary can succeed the president. The only
problem I have at this moment is ... finding a young (or even an old) secretary.
He or she has to work a bit harder ... Perhaps I am wrong ... What do you
think ?

As I told you ... in the Ostend competition I was impressed by a film with
speed, a film made by three teenagers. The theme was : the seaside resort
of Ostend. My sky was blue. Their sky was red ... !!! They played with
special effects ... I did not. There was power in their film. The story :
three youngsters walking down the streets of Ostend. It was "Ostend by Night"
! To be honest ... I felt ticklings (I wonder if this is the right word in
English).

Dave Watterson said "We Want You !... for the IAC Council" I think he is
right. Also in Belgium we need new film makers with new ideas.

"Willy Van der Linden" <vanderlindenhig@telenet.be> wrote:

"ian Gardner" <ian@gardner44.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:



I did things like speeding up and slowing down the footage,
I did this to a passy song. One scene was a man bringing in a step ladder
and placeing it upright. I had him bringing it in and then reverse it a
second,
and then forward etc.

The second example........
This was the Video to music Competition. The others, being older and maybe
wiser would have scenes of panning landscapes set to music.
I know we need serious stuff like slow panning countryside things, but
we
also need fun/funnies films that one can laugth at and chuckle to!

If it`s serious all the time then all we will get is the older members.
We
need young people to inject new ideas.

Thanks for your good advice, Ian, but I think that my next film will be
funny
and still very slow ...! I'm 20 years older than you are and unfortunately
I can't change it. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, ... those were the days
my friend and I thought they would never end, but now it's over. I still
have enough energy, but I am not that young man anymore. However the Rolling
Stones are still on the stage ! They are older than I am and they still
seem
to be full of life and force.

Why not do the unexspected! Do a film using one of the Rolling Stones songs.
You could be all the characters!! With all the effects in my programme Premiere
Pro1.5. Has your club got a blue screen? If so then your life is really easy!
If not, then if you film each character using a black behind then you can
have as many characters as you like. Invest in a few cheap wigs off of ebay.
I bet you club wouldn`t exspect that!
Whats 20 years older, its notime! Go for it. I know that films arn`t about
effects, it`s storyline! But you look at lots of tv programmes now ie The
BBC, then they are using more and more stuff and camera angles. I watch alot
of TV and make a mentle not of the effects used and I try co copy them or
inprove the idea!

It's good to hear from you, Ian, that we need young people to inject new
ideas. I have already thought of creating a seperate and a more or less
independant
youth group in my club.

Good idea, but try not to keep them too seperated or it may cause division.
ie Young V Old! The older people can teach the nice panning shots I was on
about earlier!!!!!!! And the new ones can teach new tricks and ideas.

After some years the secretary can succeed the president. The only
problem I have at this moment is ... finding a young (or even an old) secretary.
He or she has to work a bit harder ... Perhaps I am wrong ... What do you
think ?

It`s working in our club! In life, I have always been the youngest In everything
that I did. We did change the roll of secretary so he diddn`t have to do
EVERYTHING in the club! We now have a Competitions Secretary, He/She is involved
in Competitions! from organising to printing the judges sheets. It`s a good
idea as I sort of put my hand up at the AGM meeting and said I would do the
job!! So i`m learning all the time. The one good thing that a secretary has
to be is good at organising. If the person cannot do this then theeir no
good! Even if their Blond, blue eyed, long legs! Big........ You get the
point. Bad organiser then bad secretary!

As I told you ... in the Ostend competition I was impressed by a film with
speed, a film made by three teenagers. The theme was : the seaside resort
of Ostend. My sky was blue. Their sky was red ... !!! They played with
special effects ... I did not. There was power in their film. The story
:
three youngsters walking down the streets of Ostend. It was "Ostend by Night"
! To be honest ... I felt ticklings (I wonder if this is the right word
in
English).

You English is excellent. Your spelling is perfect. Mine are not! Ticklings
could be that you found their film fantastic and refreshing (It `tickled
you pink!`) or it made you laugth (ha ha).

Which one won the competition?
In our comps, you are marked on loads of diffeerent things. Yours may have
kept the audience guessing as to what happens next. Theirs may have sent
them to sleep!

Dave Watterson said "We Want You !... for the IAC Council" I think he is
right. Also in Belgium we need new film makers with new ideas.

It would be nice to go to Belgium one day, With the Eurostar from Waterloo
(London) it would only take 2 hours! Me and the wife (3 kids away )))
went to Paris in August by Eurostar. It was EXCELLENT!! I diddn`t even hold
my breath going under the English Channel!!
See you my friend.
I don`t know if Forum Rules allow it but my website has a picture of me etc.
www.gardner44.freeserve.co.uk
Theirs nothing dogie on it so it should be ok. If not then there give me
a public warning and I won`t do it again.

See you.

Ian Gardner

Hi, Ian, your energy and enthusiasm are inspiring to us all !

1) No problem mentioning your website.

2) I wonder if Willy meant "tingling" as in that radio programme where people
chose music which meant something special to them, "set their spine tingling"
- I believe it was called The Tingle Factor.

3) There is a private IAC forum whose details are published in 'Film & Video
Maker' magazine - for obvious reasons we don't publish them here. That one
works as a round-robin system where your mailbox gets a copy of everything
anyone sends to the group. On this system you can pick and choose - e.g.
decide never to read anything posted by that twit "Dave Watterson".

I'll bet you rile a few people with your ideas and changes. That's not a
problem in itself. You do need to shake up complacency and try new ideas,
or re-try old abandoned ideas. Something which did not work five years ago
might work now because people / equipment / society has changed in the meantime.
The trick is trying to get those who moan to come along with you. Once you
do get them moving they can be great. Often they were the movers-and-shakers
of their day who just ran out of steam. Once you get them moving again they
may be re-energised.

By the way - since he is too modest to mention it much himself (!) you might
like to try looking at a website run by one of our occasional forum friends,
Albert Noble. If you share his sense of humour you'll love the still and
moving images on www.retinascope.co.uk and as a trekker you would enjoy www.calvertfilm.fsnet.co.uk
and you can read about Laurie on the main IAC website - there's a lot hiding
under that "resources" button.

Since you joined us you have not had much chance to discover someone who
signs as "Cinema for Thurso" - a similar powerhouse of ideas and energy to
you but right at the other end of Britain. Imagine energy broadcast from
you in Isle of Wight and him in Thurso ... the impact around Hawick in the
borders would be astounding.

Come to think of it there is a good film-making bloke in Hawick called Frank
Brown and a film showing chap in Selkirk called Alistair Pattullo ... are
you two transmitting already?

Cheers

Dave

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

By the way - since he is too modest to mention it much himself (!) you might
like to try looking at a website run by one of our occasional forum friends,
Albert Noble. If you share his sense of humour ...

Albert is a good old Briton. I like his sense of humour very much. I miss
him. I miss his animated rejoinders. Where is he ?
Albert, where are you ?

By the way, Dave, the Cotswolds got a lot of good publicity at the Belgian
Festival last week. "Yoda" received a special award. The three top films,
however, were fiction films. Theme of the winning film : Alzheimer ! A fantastic
film ! A man was suffering from that terrible disease, but the end of the
film was very positive. I suggest asking the film maker, Ronny Claus, to
take part in the British International Amateur Film Festival (BIAFF 2006),
Dave. The film does not need many subtitles. I have already seen it three
times and it still makes my flesh creep. In an interview on the stage Ronny
said that he only makes films for fun together with his friends, but happiness
was gleaming in his eyes when he told the audience. He has many good films.
Last year I enjoyed his "Fonske" very much. A man wanted to get rid of his
dog. I really had tears in my eyes.

I also saw you, Dave, and our good Scottish friend Norman Speirs - husband
of the fabulous Dorothy - with his camera at the Menin Gate (Meense Poort)
in Ypres ... on a very wide screen in a film about Unica.

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

Hi, Ian, your energy and enthusiasm are inspiring to us all !

Thanks! We just need the conduiet to let off our ideas to as many people
as possible.
If you send me your home addy, then i`ll send you my DVD if you like. I`m
going to do one every year with all my best stuff on. You may laugth at it
or you might say `What aload of garbadge!!!!!` You see most of our stuff
doesn`t get past the `Solent`! We have done `best of` for clubs but then
most of the films tend to be good but basic! I like new stuff and short story
films. Because WE only see then, maybe like your club (which is!?)then we
don`t really know if their any good!

1) No problem mentioning your website.

Cheers. It`s all good stuff. The only dodgie picture is of Pam Anderson,
and this one has her with her clothes on!

I'll bet you rile a few people with your ideas and changes. That's not
a
problem in itself. You do need to shake up complacency and try new ideas,
or re-try old abandoned ideas. Something which did not work five years
ago
might work now because people / equipment / society has changed in the meantime.
The trick is trying to get those who moan to come along with you. Once
you
do get them moving they can be great. Often they were the movers-and-shakers
of their day who just ran out of steam. Once you get them moving again
they
may be re-energised.

They are a dedecated buntch of people and we all really get on well. No problems
whatsoever. But because I win most of the competitions, we may find that
alot of people won`t want to put any films in. It might become a one man
band in the comps.

Since you joined us you have not had much chance to discover someone who
signs as "Cinema for Thurso" - a similar powerhouse of ideas and energy
to
you but right at the other end of Britain. Imagine energy broadcast from
you in Isle of Wight and him in Thurso ... the impact around Hawick in the
borders would be astounding.

What out The isle of wight mybecome the next Cannes Film Festival! It does
surprise me thro that the amount of people there are that have DV Camcorders
but their are so little in our clubs. We have around 44 members of with 30
come to a meeting. Quite rubbish since our club catters for a whole county!

Come to think of it there is a good film-making bloke in Hawick called Frank
Brown and a film showing chap in Selkirk called Alistair Pattullo ... are
you two transmitting already?

No. This is my first `outting` talking about film making. I thought I would
start at the top. Since we pay theiac money to belong to it, I thought i`ll
use their website and get my membership moneys worth!!
When I first joined the this web forum. I wondered why there wasn`t alot
of threads and posters. Lets try to get members from our clubs to start posting.



Thanks Dave and to the others. Keep the talking coming!

Ian Gardner

Hi
I've maybe got a white beard ''its with all the worry you know'' who's
Alistair Pattullo where does he live in Selkirk. It might be that he stays
next door to me ?. IMPACT they are difficult to shift in the borders but
I read that some younger ones are coming along in the local newspaper so
who knows what will happen ''mair power tae their elby'' = more power to
their elbow and the minds eye. The question is how to get them interested
in the I.A.C., S.A.M., U.N.I.C.A., all great organisations the Committees
do a stalward job. Ok they cant please everyone but they try there best and
give a winning smile. I have certainly enjoyed everything that I have attended
and yes I have recieved the smile to boot. Maybe if they let them out of
the classrooms long enough they would be able to develop their own minds
and take up film making as a hobby and suppoet the clubs. Frank


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

Hi, Ian, your energy and enthusiasm are inspiring to us all !

1) No problem mentioning your website.

2) I wonder if Willy meant "tingling" as in that radio programme where people
chose music which meant something special to them, "set their spine tingling"
- I believe it was called The Tingle Factor.

3) There is a private IAC forum whose details are published in 'Film & Video
Maker' magazine - for obvious reasons we don't publish them here. That
one
works as a round-robin system where your mailbox gets a copy of everything
anyone sends to the group. On this system you can pick and choose - e.g.
decide never to read anything posted by that twit "Dave Watterson".

I'll bet you rile a few people with your ideas and changes. That's not
a
problem in itself. You do need to shake up complacency and try new ideas,
or re-try old abandoned ideas. Something which did not work five years
ago
might work now because people / equipment / society has changed in the meantime.
The trick is trying to get those who moan to come along with you. Once
you
do get them moving they can be great. Often they were the movers-and-shakers
of their day who just ran out of steam. Once you get them moving again
they
may be re-energised.

By the way - since he is too modest to mention it much himself (!) you might
like to try looking at a website run by one of our occasional forum friends,
Albert Noble. If you share his sense of humour you'll love the still and
moving images on www.retinascope.co.uk and as a trekker you would enjoy
www.calvertfilm.fsnet.co.uk
and you can read about Laurie on the main IAC website - there's a lot hiding
under that "resources" button.

Since you joined us you have not had much chance to discover someone who
signs as "Cinema for Thurso" - a similar powerhouse of ideas and energy
to
you but right at the other end of Britain. Imagine energy broadcast from
you in Isle of Wight and him in Thurso ... the impact around Hawick in the
borders would be astounding.

Come to think of it there is a good film-making bloke in Hawick called Frank
Brown and a film showing chap in Selkirk called Alistair Pattullo ... are
you two transmitting already?

Cheers

Dave

"Frank Brown" <souterman27@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi
I've maybe got a white beard

Hi to you Frank. Yours is a distinguished white beard - and it goes well
with the full Highland costume.

When you were at UNICA in Belgium it seemed that half the other delegates
wanted to photograph or video you in the kilt. Did you enjoy that festival?
Did Shirly like it too?

I'd love to get some British young people along to that event ... they could
see some of the great films and go off with other young movie makers to the
special workshop groups they have and actually make movies with an international
group. They would have an advantage too, because every one of the youth
workshops at UNICA that I have visited worked mainly in English. The young
film makers did not even discuss the matter: English was the language they
had in common.

Does anyone think we could try something like those youth workshops at our
own festivals - or is a weekend just too short a time for that?

Dave