IAC DISCUSSION FORUMS

Re Dave asking about why amateurs don't make music films.

Why don't they make romances or war films?
I recall Kevin Brownlow making a big war film, many years ago
and there was one about the Battle of Culloden(?).
Never seen a great amateur romance...has there been one?
Nor a story about racing/sport story. A few science fiction,
but not using actors.
Is this because the requirements to make such films are beyond the reach
of the amateur? (Good actors/huge sets/racing cars etc etc)
But one can scale down...make a war film about, say, two soldiers going
from
house to house seeking out snipers. That is within grasp.
But it's the same ol story....lack of a *GOOD* story!!
Maybe amateurs ought to join the writers guild and learn how to
flourish the pen about before waving the camera about.

Albert....flourishing.

"AN" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:


Re Dave asking about why amateurs don't make music films.

Why don't they make romances or war films?
I recall Kevin Brownlow making a big war film, many years ago
and there was one about the Battle of Culloden(?).


Film making is a co-operative art and I think one of the problems faced
by
many amateurs is that they have difficulty accessing the wide range of talents
necessary to make a narrative film. Most amateur film makers start by buying
a camera and then joining a club so that there is a sort of camera owning
culture in clubs. The natural extension is an NL editing system. These are
two important crafts but all narrative films start with a good script so
where to find the writers? We have talked about directing and acting before
and these present obstacles. There are also the sheer organisational demands
of making a narrative film, there has to be a producer who drives the project
and at the end of the day a hobby becomes hard work so it is easy to understand
why amateurs stick to relatively simple subjects. As an example your story
of two soldiers, you need two lead actors, supporting actors for the snipers,
uniforms, rifles, abandoned or damaged houses, plus a good script. In addition
to the camera operator you will need make-up, set dresser, props supplier,
sound recordist, etc and none of these are minor skills! I believe that
it
took Kevin Brownlow years to make his WW2 film. I wonder at the idea of
an
amateur musical, bad acting is quite an experience add bad singing and dancing
and the result would be absolutely rivetting!

"Ned C" <gloss@fred.com> wrote:

"AN" <forums@theiac.org.uk> wrote:


Re Dave asking about why amateurs don't make music films.

Why don't they make romances or war films?
I recall Kevin Brownlow making a big war film, many years ago
and there was one about the Battle of Culloden(?).


Film making is a co-operative art and I think one of the problems faced
by
many amateurs is that they have difficulty accessing the wide range of
talents
necessary to make a narrative film. Most amateur film makers start by buying
a camera and then joining a club so that there is a sort of camera owning
culture in clubs. The natural extension is an NL editing system. These
are
two important crafts but all narrative films start with a good script so
where to find the writers? We have talked about directing and acting before
and these present obstacles. There are also the sheer organisational demands
of making a narrative film, there has to be a producer who drives the project
and at the end of the day a hobby becomes hard work so it is easy to understand
why amateurs stick to relatively simple subjects. As an example your story
of two soldiers, you need two lead actors, supporting actors for the snipers,
uniforms, rifles, abandoned or damaged houses, plus a good script. In addition
to the camera operator you will need make-up, set dresser, props supplier,
sound recordist, etc and none of these are minor skills! I believe that
it
took Kevin Brownlow years to make his WW2 film. I wonder at the idea of
an
amateur musical, bad acting is quite an experience add bad singing and
dancing
and the result would be absolutely rivetting!

Yes, your right about the uniforms, but there are ways around maybe...I
seem
to recall when the SAS stormed the embassy in
Kensington some years ago they were all in civies. Dummy rifles these days
would probably end up by actors being shot by armed police, called out when
some nosey parker spotted them.

Snipers don't always operate in abandoned houses tho'....this could be part
of the story....bit like the 'Petrified Forest' when an ordinary house gets
taken over.
But again, the actors etc are the problem, so we are back where we started.
I agree about a ham dancing film being rivetting!
Real seat glue!

But better to go down quickly trying something new, for
maybe judges should now give marks for a film maker's courage!
Albert...a bit cowardly.

Who says we have to compete with the pros? Just pride I suppose and consideration
to our audiences.