IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

A simple question: what are clubs for? (No mention of seals, please.)

Clearly many people like to belong to a group of people with a common interest
... but is that all?

I'm not one for joining, nor, I suspect, are most of the regular contributors
to this forum. But if you have been or are in a club ... why?

Dave McMystified

"Dave Watterson" <webmaster@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

A simple question: what are clubs for? (No mention of seals, please.)

Clearly many people like to belong to a group of people with a common interest
... but is that all?

I'm not one for joining, nor, I suspect, are most of the regular contributors
to this forum. But if you have been or are in a club ... why?

Dave McMystified

Cine/video clubs attract a certain slice of British society, members interests
are often more technical than creative, predominantly male, white, middle
aged. In the days of 8mm and Super8 film a lot of effort was devoted to overcoming
the limitations of the medium and now there is NLE to play with. I have
been a member of clubs, Epping Forest in the early 70s, Watford for a couple
of years in the late 80s and Colchester for a very short time in the early
90s. Why did I join? Epping Forest when I bought my first movie camera to
learn more, Watford when I was working in the area and living in digs, Colchester
to see what amateurs were doing. All were nice people, there were some good
film makers but they were unadventurous and not given to anything that smacked
of controversy. For many years I was a member of the F&V Group of the RPS
because that was an interesting mix of amateurs and professionals. Clubs
are also useful for finding an audience that responds to work in progress
or finished productions. There really is no equivalent to the local c/v club
as far as I can tell in the US. Dave, I had the feeling that you are a member
of a Film Society - or am I imagining that?

In an attempt to forestall AN, clubs are also useful for golf, I shudder
to think what they are used for in the Mal household and most of us here
qualify for the Groucho Marx comment that we wouldn'e want to be a member
of any club that would have people like us as members.

Ned Cordery

"Ned Cordery" <goslands@infowest.com> wrote:

Clearly many people like to belong to a group of people with >>a common
interest......
I'm not one for joining, nor, I suspect, are most of the >>regular contributors
to this forum.

In an attempt to forestall AN, clubs are also useful for golf,

When going to Tesco's the checkout girl always asks if I have a club card.
My stock reply is, "No, only hearts and diamonds!"

But seriously, some folk can self teach themselves to quite a
high degree of competance so they have no need to be in a club.
Others are very gregarious and would wish to mix with fellow filmers anyway.
Others like to show off their expensive toys maybe. The reasons for joining
are as numerous as the membership.

Going back to what Dave recently said, "our hobby."
Stamp collecting/gardening/train spotting/carpentry are hobbies,
but I have always considered that making a serious film is something much
more than just a 'hobby.'
It is SO creative/skillfull/time consuming etc etc that it seems somewhat
of an insult to say of someone, "Oh, his hobby is making films."

Albert....on his hobby horse.

"Dave Watterson" <webmaster@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

A simple question: what are clubs for? (No mention of seals, please.)

Clearly many people like to belong to a group of people with a common interest
... but is that all?

I'm not one for joining, nor, I suspect, are most of the regular contributors
to this forum. But if you have been or are in a club ... why?

Dave McMystified

You are doing a good job Dave in raising interesting questions which I am
sure have crossed our minds often.
I remember back in 1963 when I had just started filming on 8mm (standard
of course) on a Bolex P1 which old men like A.N. will recall. I wanted to
learn about "proper" filmaking and was encouraged to join Edgware Cine Society
which had as members some really good filmakers (Tony Colton, Joe Kay, Stuart
Clarke and many others). I was amazed at the standard of films entered in
the many competitions held every year and had to learn quickly to survive!
The help and encouragement that I received was to stand me in good stead
over the next 40 years. That was a club in those days anyway and I believe,
under the name of Harrow today, they are still pretty good. The problem today
is that with the easy acquisition of electronic images people are just not
paying enough attention to learning the craft of filmaking and the standard
of films shown at clubs has, I am sorry to say, gone down. We need perhaps
fewer clubs with skills and ambition more concentrated into these groups.
More entries in club competitions would stimulate interest and raise standards.
Contrary to Daves's comment NLE should help good filmaking not just discussion
because it is so much easier and faster than the old film editing with splicing,
syncing sound tracks and hanging up seperate film clips on nails! Of course
their is the social side of clubs to enjoy but raising the standard of filmaking
should be the prime aim. Interaction between ambitious filmakers learning
off each other was, and still should be the key to joining a club. Sorry
to go on so but this is an important element in raising the standard of British
amateur (independent, non commercial) filmaking.

"Dave Watterson" <webmaster@theiac.org.uk> wrote:

A simple question: what are clubs for? (No mention of seals, please.)

Clearly many people like to belong to a group of people with a common interest
... but is that all?

I'm not one for joining, nor, I suspect, are most of the regular contributors
to this forum. But if you have been or are in a club ... why?

Dave McMystified

Sorry about the spelling mistakes, my wife keeps interrupting, but you will
get the gist (jist?) !!

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

Sorry about the spelling mistakes, my wife keeps interrupting

You must be under her spell then, Michael!

Sob, sob. You called me an old man. Ah well, one must face the
grisly truth sooner or later.

Albert...facing the grizzled face!

"But seriously, some folk can self teach themselves to quite a
high degree of competance so they have no need to be in a club".
I tend to agree with you on this one Albert. Have been a member of two clubs
for the past 5years, but have always had the tendancy to work on my own.
When I joined these clubs I was a complete novice and was treated as a pain
in the ass.
But I set to and learned all what I could from books etc, I also enter as
many of the bigger competitions as possible (I can take any critics view)
with the judges comments etc, has taught me a lot.
Mal: (Wondering if he can afford this years subs)