A Bunch of Amateurs

[John Simpson]

I am glad Howard has been exploring the indie film festivals, I aspire to make films, one day, suitable for doing the rounds. But it can seem like some of the Festivals (competitions) are possibly racketeering and only interested in your money or showing insider films. It would be interesting if someone (not me!) would write an article for FVM suggesting which Festivals it would be good to enter.

The producers of the "Hardy's Regrets" fetaure film I have been involved with last summer told me there are festivals which specifically accept costume dramas or no-budget films. They will be entering Hardy's Regret's into these. There are probably any number of different categories. If they are free to enter all the better, but then there is the worry that the fim has been given for free! And what are they going to do with it?

It is all a bit of a can of worms.

[TimStannard]

This

rather sadly, the screenings will be largely on sites such as YouTube. It is not the same as a large screen presentation, but that seems to be the way it is all going.

is the bigger picture. We can whinge al we like about clubs not attracting members and speculate as to what we need to do to change it, but if what Ken says above is true (and I believe it is), then there is no way to "fix" clubs as regular meetiung places for making and watching films.

I would hope that some active clubs will continue to exist - they are, effectively, groups of people who get together to make films, much like Ken's group and and a variation on Howard's group (imagine Howard as Chairman and the people who turn up being the people involved in the current film). This is no bad thing - apart from the lack of the shared experience of watching a film on a big screen (in Howard's case he can screen it himself, but I doubt that's as big as he'd like to go).

Let's not forget the other part of the bigger picture is that this problem is not limited to video/film clubs. In fact the term "club" is almost as archaic as "society" was when I joined Staines Cine & Video Society a mere 17 years ago.

Good point, Ken. Well made!

[TimStannard]

I promise this is the last time I will write this; a start will be a specific student section of BIAFF juried by academics and industry professionals with generous rewards.

Ned, I agree with Michael - if it's what you (and many others believe) then you owe it to yourself/"the cause" to argue your case at every opportunity - especially as you put it so well. I think it would be good for the IAC to sponsor upcomning students.

But you are right to keep them separate. Student film makers hope to make a career out of it. The rest of us have made a career out of something else and film making is anything from a passion through obsession to an enjoyable pastime. It's a different outlook.

[Michael Slowe]

No Tim, I don't think it is "a different outlook". We are film makers, whether we wish o make a career out of it or not. The aim of the activity is identical, to make good films. The old artists of the past didn't start painting to make money, they started because the were talented and they obtained satisfaction from exhibiting their talent. I would have chosen to attempt a career in film had I not owed a responsibility to a family business, does that make me a different person from one who actually does choose film? Of course that doesn't mean that I would have had success, any more than the student aiming for the industry is sure of success.

[Albert Noble]

AS you all know, many professional films have enormously long credits at the end rolling
on continuously, name after name.
Carpenters, best boys (however they are !), grips, foley artists, directors assistants,
continuity, music director, etc etc. With a science fiction/animation film the etc etc goes on and on etc etc etc

I've even seen solicitors mentioned too!
In spite of all that enormous range of skills the end results
are not always as good as many amateur films, made on a shoestring
and without any solicitor
And may I gently ask, if anyone can tell me what a 'best boy' is, as compared
with a 'bad boy.'

[Dave Watterson]

I am sure you know, Albert, but for the curious:

There are two kinds of best boy: best boy electric and best boy grip. They are assistants to their department heads. These days they may be "best girls".

Who knows what pronouns they may wish to choose!

[Howard-Smith]

The credit that baffles me is:
Second second assistant director.

[John Simpson]

Going back to "A Bunch of Amateurs" Mark Kermode has had a similar reaction to the film as me! He loved the documentary seeing it as a story of family and overcoming of adversity.

[youtube] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfeTwfc ... yo%27sTake [/youtube]

[TimStannard]

No Tim, I don't think it is "a different outlook". We are film makers, whether we wish o make a career out of it or not. The aim of the activity is identical, to make good films.

That is the aim of both, yes, but for we amateurs, that is it. We aim to make the best film we possibly can based on our own criteria. It may be that the criteria is to make something that will appeal to that fictictious animal the "general audience" or something that will do well in the eyes of BIAFF judges, but we have the luxury of being able to set those criteria.

For the student film maker it is to make a film which satifies criteria set by other people. This may the faculty at their film school, it may be to create a portfolio that impresses whatever orangisation they hope will hire them (or end customers if they want to go solo). It also HAS to compete with all the rival student film makers.

In my mind that's a massive difference in outlook.

[Michael Slowe]

No difference in outlook Tim. Both want to satisfy an audience, both want to add to a portfolio of work (You Tube, Vimeo), both compete with fellow film makers to appeal to judges. As to the subject of the film, I can't see any difference between a personal choice or one suggested by others.

[TimStannard]

No difference in outlook Tim. Both want to satisfy an audience, both want to add to a portfolio of work (You Tube, Vimeo), both compete with fellow film makers to appeal to judges. As to the subject of the film, I can't see any difference between a personal choice or one suggested by others.

I think we'll have to agree to disagree here Michael. One for a chat over a drink at Birmingham, maybe?

[Dave Watterson]

Tim and Michael - could you imagine members of Bradford Movie Makers having that debate?

[Albert Noble]

I've never made films to appeal to either judges or an audience.
Made because they appeal to me!

How can anyone sit down and think,
"Now what film can I make that will appeal to Tom. Dick or Harry?"

[John Simpson]

I've never made films to appeal to either judges or an audience.
Made because they appeal to me!

How can anyone sit down and think,
"Now what film can I make that will appeal to Tom. Dick or Harry?"

Have you put films into BIAFF? If so how did they do?

[Howard-Smith]

I personally make films principally for the love of making them, and stick to the kinds of films I enjoy watching myself. At the same time I bear in mind that, because I send them to BIAFF and other film festivals, they need to be as good as I can make them. To this end I ask one or two trusted people to preview each ‘finished’ film, seeking suggestions for minor tweaks and improvements, some of which I will act on if I agree with what is suggested.

For me, the intention to enter festivals encourages me to aim towards being a perfectionist.