It occurs to me that a useable definition of an amateur film is one that is
financed by the makers and direct participants only and no other source of
financing is allowed.
(you will be glad to hear that I have a lot of work coming up so will stop
cluttering up the forum with my trivia)
Ned C
Amateur film
-
Atta Chui
Re: Amateur film
"Ned C" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:
film is an amateur one or not, I feel that we should not care solely on how
the project is funded, but also on the purpose of the film.
For example, some community projects get Lottery funding - those films were
not done for commercial purpose. They bring in young talents, make a good
film, and we should not exclude them.
Suppose I am a freelance filmmaker and want to get a video contract from
a local company, I use my own money and make a demo film using the company
as the subject, eventually my pitch fails... does this self-funded nicely
made video look like a good candidate for an amateur film competition?
And whether you get professional help is not really important. Many amateurs
themselves are very talented and work in a professional way. Good competitions
have good judges who know where the bar is for each film.
Atta Chui
"you shouldn't work in such a professional matter. this is not fair to the
rest of us!"
Although this gives a very simple and practical way to classify whether aIt occurs to me that a useable definition of an amateur film is one that
is
financed by the makers and direct participants only and no other source
of
financing is allowed.
film is an amateur one or not, I feel that we should not care solely on how
the project is funded, but also on the purpose of the film.
For example, some community projects get Lottery funding - those films were
not done for commercial purpose. They bring in young talents, make a good
film, and we should not exclude them.
Suppose I am a freelance filmmaker and want to get a video contract from
a local company, I use my own money and make a demo film using the company
as the subject, eventually my pitch fails... does this self-funded nicely
made video look like a good candidate for an amateur film competition?
And whether you get professional help is not really important. Many amateurs
themselves are very talented and work in a professional way. Good competitions
have good judges who know where the bar is for each film.
Atta Chui
"you shouldn't work in such a professional matter. this is not fair to the
rest of us!"
-
AN
Re: Amateur film
"Ned C" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:
pro and back again, if one gets money for one production, and not for the
next and so on. gets kinda complicated.
in all the frames I have known you on the forums...very much, quite the reverse
in fact.
Albert...in reverse gear.
So one can flit, butterfly like, back and forwards from being amateur toIt occurs to me that a useable definition of an amateur film is one that
is
financed by the makers and direct participants only and no other source
of
financing is allowed.
pro and back again, if one gets money for one production, and not for the
next and so on. gets kinda complicated.
I am not glad to hear that, and you have never ever been outputting trivia(you will be glad to hear that I have a lot of work coming up so will stop
cluttering up the forum with my trivia)
in all the frames I have known you on the forums...very much, quite the reverse
in fact.
Albert...in reverse gear.
Ned C
-
Dave Watterson
Re: Amateur film
Maybe competitions should have two categories:
1. hobbyist / comfortable
2. serious / challenging
I come back to the notion that we need some kind of major amateur movie festival
that is about seeing and celebrating the work rather than judging it and
dishing out prizes.
Whenever I have asked amateur movie makers if I can screen one of their works
to a group, or send a copy to someone, they have ALL agreed. (OK I do not
ask such favours frivolously.) The point is to get the work out there and
seen.
It is also about encouraging people to try ... to do a little better each
time, to tackle something harder, to say something important, to add depth
and texture to their work ... to make better movie magic.
McDave
1. hobbyist / comfortable
2. serious / challenging
I come back to the notion that we need some kind of major amateur movie festival
that is about seeing and celebrating the work rather than judging it and
dishing out prizes.
Whenever I have asked amateur movie makers if I can screen one of their works
to a group, or send a copy to someone, they have ALL agreed. (OK I do not
ask such favours frivolously.) The point is to get the work out there and
seen.
It is also about encouraging people to try ... to do a little better each
time, to tackle something harder, to say something important, to add depth
and texture to their work ... to make better movie magic.
McDave
-
AN
Re: Amateur film
"Dave Watterson" <dave.movies@virgin.net> wrote:
paper certificates. Wot we need is simply bums on seats. Any seat and any
bum.
I immodestly say I have folders with certs of this kind and that, collecting
dust in drawers. I have 10 Best silver cameras and coffee pots etc., all
requiring to be cleaned continually wiv Silvo polish.
But bums on seats clean themselves(!), and that is wot a film maker requires...just
audiences.
So yes Dave, I agree 100%...forget the awards, the handshakes and photos
of same in FVM. Forget the cups/gold/silver etc.
Forget the flashy certs. Forget the judges comments. Forget the congratulations.
Just gimme an audience. They don't even need to applaud!
Albert....applauding an audience.
Oh, Abso-flipping-lutely. We don't need cups or bits of silver/gold edgedI come back to the notion that we need some kind of major amateur movie
festival
that is about seeing and celebrating the work rather than judging it and
dishing out prizes.
Whenever I have asked amateur movie makers if I can screen one of their
works
to a group, or send a copy to someone, they have ALL agreed. (OK I do not
ask such favours frivolously.) The point is to get the work out there and
seen.
paper certificates. Wot we need is simply bums on seats. Any seat and any
bum.
I immodestly say I have folders with certs of this kind and that, collecting
dust in drawers. I have 10 Best silver cameras and coffee pots etc., all
requiring to be cleaned continually wiv Silvo polish.
But bums on seats clean themselves(!), and that is wot a film maker requires...just
audiences.
So yes Dave, I agree 100%...forget the awards, the handshakes and photos
of same in FVM. Forget the cups/gold/silver etc.
Forget the flashy certs. Forget the judges comments. Forget the congratulations.
Just gimme an audience. They don't even need to applaud!
Albert....applauding an audience.
-
Michael Slowe
Re: Amateur film
"AN" <AnimatioN@btopenworld.com> wrote:
of certificates, and I never clean the silverware (it's too crowded in my
small cutting room). Festivals for our films by all means though! Surviving
the selection process would be reward enough.
Also discussing with an audience about why and how a film was made is fun,
that is why I travel to quite a few clubs (and elsewhere) to project my own
films and talk.
That way I find that people are often stimulated to make more films, they
need a "trigger" sometimes.
Once again sense from Albert (it's getting boring). I agree, also got drawers"Dave Watterson" <dave.movies@virgin.net> wrote:
I come back to the notion that we need some kind of major amateur movie
festival
that is about seeing and celebrating the work rather than judging it and
dishing out prizes.
Whenever I have asked amateur movie makers if I can screen one of their
works
to a group, or send a copy to someone, they have ALL agreed. (OK I do
not
ask such favours frivolously.) The point is to get the work out there
and
seen.
Oh, Abso-flipping-lutely. We don't need cups or bits of silver/gold edged
paper certificates. Wot we need is simply bums on seats. Any seat and
any
bum.
I immodestly say I have folders with certs of this kind and that, collecting
dust in drawers. I have 10 Best silver cameras and coffee pots etc., all
requiring to be cleaned continually wiv Silvo polish.
But bums on seats clean themselves(!), and that is wot a film maker requires...just
audiences.
So yes Dave, I agree 100%...forget the awards, the handshakes and photos
of same in FVM. Forget the cups/gold/silver etc.
Forget the flashy certs. Forget the judges comments. Forget the congratulations.
Just gimme an audience. They don't even need to applaud!
Albert....applauding an audience.
of certificates, and I never clean the silverware (it's too crowded in my
small cutting room). Festivals for our films by all means though! Surviving
the selection process would be reward enough.
Also discussing with an audience about why and how a film was made is fun,
that is why I travel to quite a few clubs (and elsewhere) to project my own
films and talk.
That way I find that people are often stimulated to make more films, they
need a "trigger" sometimes.
-
AN
Re: Amateur film
"Michael Slowe" <michael.slowe@btinternet.com> wrote:
going around the clubs in the Midlands here giving a talk/film show about
my own interest, object animnation....BUT, Michael, why not take this a step
further and do as I am now doing, putting say a 1 1/2 to 2 hr tape together
to circulate to clubs out of your own reach?....I already have about 12 clubs
who wish to have a copy of this tape when complete. It's the talk and show
all rolled into one.
Albert...roll up, roll up, see the show!
SNAP! That is just what I am about to embark on this winter...that is why I travel to quite a few clubs (and elsewhere) to project my
own
films and talk.
going around the clubs in the Midlands here giving a talk/film show about
my own interest, object animnation....BUT, Michael, why not take this a step
further and do as I am now doing, putting say a 1 1/2 to 2 hr tape together
to circulate to clubs out of your own reach?....I already have about 12 clubs
who wish to have a copy of this tape when complete. It's the talk and show
all rolled into one.
Albert...roll up, roll up, see the show!