Forum chat in FVM

[John Simpson]

In the Open voices time after the IAC AGM on Zoom, with only 20 in attendance, it was voiced that to get more content for FVM there could be chat from the forum. Sounds like we are really scraping the bottom of the barrel for contemporary content for FVM now. It has been said that there is far too much about how film making was in the olden days in FVM at the moment. I read very little of FVM and certainly don't read about the olden days. "Yesterday is a foreign land" and I'm not even keeping up with todays tech i.e. anamorphic attachments for the 4k iPhone 14, which one of our members at Bournemouth Video club was demonstrating.

IMHO if a summary of Forum content was to be put in FVM, I would like any of my input to be run by me first so that I'm not misrepresented or misunderstood as has so often happened in the past.

[Dave Watterson]

I hope our magazine editor will hear this!

[Martin Evans]

Well, as present editor, I have read this now.

1. I remember FVM trawling the forum in the past in order to fill a page. I thought it was dreadful content and smacked of desperation/apathy.
2. There is so little activity on here to make even a summary regular page.
3. I agree re all the reminiscence stuff. I yawn whenever I open another article email about super-bloody-8 mm. But I can only work with what I get.
4. If I were to hazard a guess, the average age of FVM readership... 75. Therefore, most would not agree with my point #3 above and I'd likely get tarred and feathered for even thinking it.
5. Please feel free to write and submit articles about whatever YOU want to read.
6. It's a thankless task anyway.
7. Anybody want to take it on?

[Dave Watterson]

Love you too, Martin!

And get fully well soon.

[John Simpson]

To be fair the forum is hardly going, so how could there be an article based on monthly forum content? I did think it might be good to have a regular article on the Open Film night films. The contributors may like to know it was going to happen before they entered a film just in case the reviewer said something they did not like.

[Martin Evans]

And get fully well soon.

Struggling with it all tbh Dave. One's life can change in just an instant.

[Michael Slowe]

Oh dear, all this depressing chat from you guys, cheer up for heavens sake. Messrs Simpson and Evans need cheering up, maybe Dave, you and I should get them a few drinks at BIAFF in April?
Mr Editor, I will write a piece for you not even mentioning the old STANDARD 8mm days, and certainly not how I first saw Messrs. Manesah and Gilham at the 1975 LAFF (precourser of BIAFF).

I can't understand the lack of action on this Forum, it is the perfect platform for chat, far better than the wretched "social media" that all the youngsters (and not so young) seem to devour.

[Dave Watterson]

Just a thought, Martin.

There were two separate discussion systems online. One was this one.
The other was an email system, set up in the first place for questions about using Adobe Premiere.

The magic ingredient of the second system was David Jackson, who ran several weekend courses for the IAC on how to use the then new Adobe program. Many of us studied with him and his students were able to post questions to that group. He would answer and sometimes we could help each other too. Slowly that developed into a more general technical help channel. David took a firm line that he would only help IAC members, so the group operated by email and was rarely publicised.

For some years John Gibbs of the IAC Council would gather questions and answers to make a feature for FVM.

As for this forum - it has always been available to all, though not promoted outside the IAC world. It slackened off as:
a) people became more familiar with various video editing systems
b) YouTube tutorials often answered questions
c) Social media allowed more general discussions, photos, videos and links to be shared.

Dave

[Martin Evans]

I agree that this forum is a great way to communicate and I've plugged it several times within FVM to little avail.
I agree though that YouTube can & does answer most tech questions
We are all slowly becoming obsolete
But a robot can't yet make a funny film...

Martin

[Albert Noble]

AI is also slowly making story and film script writing obsolete.
I found this web site which will write a story for you.
You can choose the outline subject and degree of creativity and many other elements you would like included and it's length.
I had some fun trying it out, but it's not yet up to Charles Dickens standards....
''''''but one day soon maybe.

ttps://www.squibler.io/ai-story-generator#:~:t ... 0stories.h.

[Michael Slowe]

Ah yes Albert but AI won't lead you to an interesting documentary subject, nor will it shoot it for you.
The art world is becoming alarmed by the possible use of AI and who can trust videos and photographs now, bad times ahead, I'm glad to be 'very old'!

[Albert Noble]

Ah yes Albert but AI won't lead you to an interesting documentary subject, nor will it shoot it for you.
The art world is becoming alarmed by the possible use of AI and who can trust videos and photographs now, bad times ahead, I'm glad to be 'very old'!

If you are very old Michael, I am very, very old.

So I have decided to pack up making films and explore other
regions of life and science. My type of dated films do not gel very well
in this jiggery, pokery. wokery world I find myself in now.
I shall continue to watch this forum
and put my boot in it again.

[John Simpson]

Oh dear, all this depressing chat from you guys, cheer up for heavens sake. Messrs Simpson and Evans need cheering up, maybe Dave, you and I should get them a few drinks at BIAFF in April?

I can't understand the lack of action on this Forum, it is the perfect platform for chat, far better than the wretched "social media" that all the youngsters (and not so young) seem to devour.

Do I need cheering-up? I don't think so, I'm quite cheerful! When I put something on the forum it is normally because I feel sorry for the inactivity, not because I'm breathing fire! Martin is doing a fantastic job with FVM, I have no gripe. Surely the nature of a forum is to be a bit provocative and not be afraid to say what you feel, expecting a response. Thesis -antithesis - synthisis. A magazine article is different; and if my views are taken in a different light and I'm misrepresented - I may have to do a lot of explaining which I dont want - I would rather be making films or something else constructive.

I think the resaon the forum, and FVM is strugging for content is because of the age of our members, and people do slow down, with great age, in every way. I have long said the IAC should, clarify more clearly how much money can be spent on an amateur film, and the film still be eligable for BIAFF. Then use it's IAC assets to give grants to the many young film makers, some graduates who are starting film making companies and suchlike. That is just my opinion, I don't want to start, or lead a crusade - as I say, I'd rather be making films or other worthwhile activities.

PS. the quote at the top is an example of me being missunderstood, and then missrepresented. But I'm not taking issue, I'm still happy

[Michael Slowe]

John, I didn't mean to criticise your attitude, I was merely bemoaning the fact that people did not seem very happy. I don't want to 'misrepresent' or 'misunderstand' you, we are all in the same world.

I agree, the best antidote to discontent for us chaps, is to make films. I'm always happiest when involved in the creative process, whether it is shooting or post production. The problem nowadays is what are we producing for, other than for our own satisfaction? My local club (Finchley) is no more, the IAC North Thames Region is no more, which leaves us BIAFF for the time being, plus various other semi pro festivals, many of which only exhibit selected films on line.

There is an Open Night this evening, I look forward to meeting those of you who can attend. I have had to make certain 'domestic' arrangements for this!

[John Simpson]

The problem nowadays is what are we producing for, other than for our own satisfaction? My local club (Finchley) is no more, the IAC North Thames Region is no more,

I am primarily a YouTuber, so I have no problem about who an I making my films for. I'm also involved in art, dance, drama and music who also have their connected groups who may want to see what I'm up to in those areas. And of course there is family, my brother in America has a big family so sometimes they might want to see what I'm doing. One of the great things about having a YouTube channel is I'm not forcing people to watch my films, they can watch them in their own time if they want to.

There is also a satisfaction about making a good film, but even in a second rate production the chances are there are some new ideas which are worth preserving - I'm not afraid to show a C grade video.