I trust you’ve all managed to remain relatively unscathed by the Yuletide celebrations but that is now in the past and here at OVFM it’s business as usual. And what better way to kick of the new year than by finishing up last year’s Top 10 competition.
It’s been a hard fought contest, the likes we have not seen since John Prescott and Eric Pickles both spotted the last roast chicken in the House of Commons canteen. The ten films we will see again during this week’s meeting scored the highest points by you, the OVFM faithful, during the qualifying rounds. We have an eclectic mix of films all vying for the esteemed pole position, which has been claimed by such club luminaries as Mike Shaw, a Barbara Darby, Hugh Darrington and (surprise surprise) Reg Lancaster (whose only remaining contest he has yet to win is Miss OVFM although I believe he is making a concerted effort this year!). The full list of winners can be found HERE.
To keep things interesting for us (or maybe an act of pure sadism) our resident competition organiser Brenda Wheatley will not be releasing the competing film titles beforehand – although the finalists themselves have been notified to give them a chance to fix any issues raised during the feedback sessions at the first screening (although I can confirm that at least one finalist wasn’t able to amened my…er, his film so you’ll have to make do with the original version warts and all and be done with it).
Also this meeting is the last date for submitting your entry forms to the Annual Competition. More details, including a downloadable entry form, are now up HERE.
Good luck to the ten finalists and see you all on Tuesday!
Yes folks it is that time again for all of you who are brave enough to have your films judged by a panel of experts in the fiercest battle of filmmakers known to man – well, in the Orpington area at least.
Last year’s competition – the complete list of winners can be found HERE – included multiple wins for veteran misery guts Lee Relph and promising newcomer Reg Lancaster. Will they triumph again this year? Only you can stop them!
With 2011 almost at an end (or if you are reading this after December 31st, Happy New Year it’s 2012!!) and the OVFM Oscars just a matter of weeks away in March the time to act is now. Below you will find the entry forms which you can download and print off and bring to the next club meeting on January 3rd 2012 – any later and competition organiser Brenda Wheatley will simply laugh in your face.
As always the entrance fee is £2.00 per person but you can enter as many films as you like. All monies are non-refundable as we have to bribe the judges somehow.
To download the Entry form as an MS Word document click HERE
To download the Entry form as a PDF document click HERE
Good luck to every who enters and remember closing date for your entry forms is TUESDAY JANUARY 3rd 2012!
Hark! Are those festive bells I hear a-jingling? It must be the OVFM Christmas Social.
So let us raise our voices in a hearty Ho Ho Ho and welcome in the Yuletide Magix! (I mean magic of course, there’s no seedy product placement here, our Christmas is entirely non-commercial. After all we’re not just a film making club…we’re an M&S film making club!)
Last One Holding the Bill Has to Pay!
With our very own Chris Tingle acting as M/C the evening of the 20th December was a fabulously fun fusion of frolics, quizzes, conversation and of course lashings of mulled wine and generous servings of figgy pudding (or to be strictly accurate teas, coffees, soft drinks and assorted nibbles to accompany!)
Brilliant Brenda
To start the figurative snowball rolling Brilliant Brenda dished out her exquisitely trying quiz and while the ad hoc teams wrestled valiently with the problems Santa’s Little Helper, the utterly gavel crazy Chris kept order (no easy task considering the all round rowdiness going on, methinks he’ll be wanting a megaphone in his stocking this year).
As an ice breaker (thankfully not required in a literal sense this year) the quiz was an absolute winner with arch rivals in the editing suite putting aside their differences on jump cuts and aspect ratios to join in brotherly comradery and drag victory from defeat or at least maintain a modicum of dignity in the face of crushing ignorance.
Verily it is so. It shall come to pass that the Casablanca shall lie down with the Pinnacle Studio Pro Version 17 Plus (fully HD, 3D, Smellivision and Hologram ready and complient with all EU directives concerning tripod and zoom misuse), and there shall be harmony and goodwill to all.
Naturally in any competitive endeavour the judging is the moment of truth. So with bottoms perched precariously on edges and fingers crossed the answers were announced.
And I must say that during the marking of the quiz there was the usual mirth and banter, a little muttering, some outright disagreement, a smattering of healthy discussion, a hint of discontent, a serving of rebellion but absolutely no violence…this time! I call that a highly successul quiz and I hope that the trend of non-violence will continue into 2012, well we all have our dreams!
The OVFM lawyers have asked me to point out that violence is not endemic at the club. That the implications there-of are erroneous, misleading and almost entirely false. In fact OVFM has one of the lowest rates of amateur film making related argy bargy in the greater Orpington area and that the incident involving two film makers and the comedy script about a beach ball, three pounds of tripe and a window cleaner, has now been settled amicably and they are now happily working together on a North V South competition contender to the theme ‘Roses are red, violets are blue, if you can’t find a rhyme, a gag about Cockfosters will do’.
The OVFM Ethics Sub-commitee has asked me to point out that jokes about violence are not big or clever and if I don’t reform my wayward behaviour immediately I can wave my giblets goodbye. Oops!
Thanks to the ever diligent, productive and tireless OVFM catering team of Peggy and Jo et al there was a veritable corucopia of refreshment to be had at half time. And boy oh boy were we ready for it!
As I think I overheard certain Mike T say later as he munched his way through his ninth mini sausage roll, “This is one turkeytastic, mince pie-elian, stuff stockingly wonderful Christmas Social!!”
Hear hear to that.
Delicious dainties devoured, flavoursome finger fancies flattened, savoury sandwiches scoffed and food generally demolished it was quite literally time to…continue.
“Bring On The Dancing Girls” Some of us chorused. But no, it was better than that, Old Father Christmas Claus Mike T in full living colour before our very eyes!!
What a heart warming sight and so appropriate too to see Mike, the proud and dignified elder statesman of our club, the keystone of our organisation, the OVFM figurehead, our Vice-Chairman, the one we turn to in time of trouble or strife…dressed in a silly costume with a funny beard voluntarily humiliating himself for our entertainment!!
Thanks Mike.
If like me you imagined nothing could top that sight you were very much mistaken as not one but three (yes count them, one, two…er..sorry but I failed my counting O level) curiously dressed individuals made their entrance.
“What’s your name little boy? And what do you want for Christmas?” Santa asks
“My name is Mike and I want bubbles in my bath.”
“And my name is Basil and I want bubbles in my bath too.”
“What’s your name young lady?”
“Well hello Santa…my name is…Bubbles!!” Boom boom!
Thanks to Mike S, Basil and Rita for this comedy gold dust and superlative character acting. Although for Chris and myself seeing two grown men dressed as schoolboys who are not playing guitar for the greatest rock band in the world (oh yes it is) was a little confusing.
Oh and special attention must be drawn to Mike S and his bare behind…I mean BEAR behind, teddy that is, for the humorous use of, I don’t want to get into trouble with the Ethics Sub-commitee again!
With the laughing still ringing in our ears it was nearly time for the highlight of the evening…nay Highlight of the Year, and as we sat in excited expectation a kind of hush fell over the assembly. It was just like that time at the club when I’d forgotten to plug in the speakers, all over again. Ahh happy days.
After about thirty seconds of hush a number of people, possibly intoxicated by the sight of Mike and Basil’s knees, struck up a tuneless rendition of ‘Why are We Waiting?’ The names of these trouble makers have been noted and I understand that there will be consequences to pay (think Trial by Jury, be afraid, be very afraid!)
After a tense but highly dramatic build-up They appeared!!!
Jaws dropped and flabber was gasted, as the One, the Only, the Group of disperate persons wearing unusual and somewhat random clothes to top all similar groups…Yes you’re right, it’s them, I give you…The Definitive, the Delicious, they’re messing with my head but I like it…THE…SUGARBOOBS!!!!
The crowd went crazy as Cherie and her band (they wish to remain anonymous for credibility and contractual reasons) took to the stage and rocked in with their rendition of Cherie and Derek’s classic composition entitled “Hey Dolly, If I Said You Had A Beautiful Boom
MIKE SAYS “THAT’S NOT TRUE! AND I VERY MUCH DOUBT IT”.
REG SAYS UNITED WILL WIN EVERY GONG,
BUT THE BOYS IN BLUE SHIRTS WILL SOON PROVE THAT HE’S WRONG.”
PEGGY AND JO ARE NOW SERVING UP COFFEE
WITH BISCUITS SO OLD THAT THEY ALL TASTE LIKE TOFFEE.
CHRIS CALLS OUT FOR SILENCE “NOW LISTEN TO ME!
HANDS UP ALL THOSE MORONS WHO ONLY DRINK TEA”.
(Chorus)
RESOLUTION, DEFINITION, GOD! THE JARGON’S TOUGH!
BUT THEN WE WATCH CHRIS AS HE PLAYS WITH HIS (PAUSE) GAVEL,
AND THEN WE DON’T FEEL SO ROUGH.
DOCUMENTARIES AND DRAMAS ARE CHURNED OUT GALORE
AND COMEDY FILMS IN THE HANDS OF MIKE SHAW.
BASIL DOODY, DEREK ALLEN AND MIKE TURNER TOO,
HELP MAKE UP THE TEAM OF THE COMEDY CREW.
OUR COMEDY QUEEN IS BAR BA RARA WALKER,
SHE WRITES FUNNY SCRIPTS ‘AND IS A GOOD FILM MAKER.
SHE’LL GET YOU INVOLVED SO YOU’D BETTER WATCH OUT,
OR SOON SHE WILL GRAB YOU AND “GOTCHA!” SHE’LL SHOUT.
(Chorus)
NEARLY FINISHED, HOPE YOU LIKED IT
WE’LL BE BACK NEXT YEAR!
BUT WAIT, IS IT TRUE, CAN IT BE, DID WE HEAR?
SINGING NEXT YEAR?! NO BLOODY FEAR!!
OH DEAR WE’VE FORGOTTEN OUR ‘MISS EVEREADY’
IF YOU NEED A JOB DONE JUST CALL ON OUR FREDDIE.
ANNABELLE TOO WILL BE THERE TO ASSIST
AND ANNA BANANA’S FILMS SHOULD NOT BE MISSED.
(Chorus)
WE CAN’T MENTION EVERYBODY BUT WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE,
IT MEANS WE CAN END ON A VERY NICE NOTE
‘A HEALTHY AND BRIGHT NEW YEAR!’
They were spectacular, they were stupendous…they were shameless! It was magnificent and we loved it.
What a way to end, an absolute high. Thanks Cherie and friends (your secret’s safe with us).
And so with the evening drawing to a close we nodded sagely to ourselves and considered…yes tonight had been a triumph. Thank you OVFM and thank you to all the hard workers who toiled to make it all happen.
You are quite literally the Ultimate. In fact you’re all so good you’re better than that you’re the…Penultimate!!!
I’ve decided to ask Santa for my own Bubbles this Christmas.
But according to Deborah I can’t expect any presents this year if I will persist in wearing the stockings instead of hanging them up. Baa Humbug!
But they are so exceedingly comfy!
On a serious note let us not forget the real meaning of this very special time of the year and remember that little chap of humble birth who grew up to bring joy and good cheer to us all…so here’s to you Mike T I raise my glass in salute!
It’s that time of year again when the decorations go up, carols are sung, the stars shine bright in the cold, winter night sky and all the little girls and boys pray that they’ve been good enough over the past twelve months to warrant a nice surprise from Santa. We here at OVFM, however, have to make do with being squashed together in the Garden Room at St. Augustine’s Church for the annual Christmas Social!
Last year’s meeting was called off at the last minute due to the unseasonable arrival of heavy snow (which didn’t bother me as I was laid out with flu anyway). Will this year’s event suffer the same fate? Find out on Tuesday December 20th.
This is actually my first Christmas Social so I’m wondering what to expect from this festive gathering. I’ve heard tell of some very debauched and decadent happenings at previous events some of which I am hesitant to repeat here for sake of common decency and to protect the names of the innocent. The less innocent, of course (you know who you are), are asked to be on their best behaviour this year and as a precautionary measure I understand there will be an adult on the premises to supervise the evening.
So, dust off your gladrags and get your party hats for the social event of the year. Or you can join the rest of us at the Garden Rooms….
When clubs and businesses were invited to take part in a Christmas Tree Festival in the Methodist Church, Orpington the committee decided we should give them support and participate. After all, this is the church where we hold our annual Spring and Autumn shows nowadays.
Freddy came up with the idea of using a tree that Oxfam was not allowed to sell, and decorating it with CDs and DVDs.
Then I remembered seeing film themed decorations at a party we went to (no arrests this time) so I tracked down the supplier and ended up with a strip of artificial film and some reels, plus gold stars and other fancy bits. Freddy then came up with an Oscar instead of a fairy for the top and we were off.
There are 88 trees altogether and, although our tree isn’t illuminated, the discs reflect the lights on other trees as well as the coloured spot lights in the church. It’s all very pretty.
We’ve filmed the people setting everything up, plus Pudsey Bear doing the opening, and once we’ve captured the visit from the Mayor we should have a nice little piece for the newsreel.
For more details on the Methodist Church Christmas Tree Festival – including OVFM’s tree being among those highlighted (fourth picture down) – please click HERE as well as a look from the whole event on the Bromley Borough News Website HERE and even on the SKY NEWS website HERE (our tree is on the far right hand side of the photo).
I’m going to try an experiment for a while in posting my View From The Chair on the website as well as the print magazine, to see if it encourages discussion or comments. Does anyone have an opinion whether it should be private or public?
View From The Chair
I’ve had so many Chairmanly (*Yes, that is a word, ‘cos I said so) duties this month. And so many times, I’ve thought, I must write about that in this month’s View from the Chair.
Member’s Letter
I had a fantastic chat with Brian Pfeiffer about his letter that should be elsewhere in this month’s edition and/or on the website, where he expresses his concern that he doesn’t make enough films to be a proper member. For the record, we have many members who have never made a film, and have told us that they don’t intend to make a film either, but they love the club. That’s totally fine and no problem at all. In my opening address, where I encouraged everyone to make a film, I was simply doing that – trying to encourage members to make films. If you don’t want to make films, that’s perfectly ok, but we are a filmmaking club, so if I don’t encourage people to make films, then I wouldn’t be doing my job either.
I can’t stop encouraging people in film making, but I would be heartbroken to think that anyone wanted to leave because they simply like coming to the club and being part of our family!
Supreme Experts of the Film Making World
Brian’s letter also got me thinking about other comments I’ve received in the past, but the thing that struck me was my thoughts about the top ten Judges.
Now it’s a bit awkward because I called them judges, and maybe you do to, but they’re not judges at all. They’re simply brave souls that want to contribute to the club evening by offering their opinion, and possibly offering some constructive ideas on what would make the film better IN THEIR OPINION.
They’re not setting themselves up as “Supreme Expert of the Filmmaking World”, they’re just offering their opinion, because that’s the way the top ten works. Unfortunately, we don’t have any supreme experts of the film making world, so you’re just going to have to put up with some person’s mere opinion!
You may notice that I’m using the word opinion lots. My concern is that because the commenters appear to be being considered by many as supreme experts, people are taking their comments and suggestions too seriously.
Top Ten Volunteers (again!)
This brings me to a related point. I think people aren’t volunteering to comment in the Top Ten because they don’t consider themselves to be supreme experts. Well, neither do the commenters. They’re simply members who are helping out the club by creating some interactivity. And if they say something that you disagree with, then disagree or disregard it – it’s still your film!
But if you don’t have the confidence to offer your opinion on a friend’s film, whether it be Reg Lancaster or Freddie Beard’s film, then cut the commenters a bit of slack if they say something that riles you! They’re just telling the club what they liked about the film, and what they didn’t like – and in my opinion, that’s something that EVERY SINGLE club member could do, whether they’re an experienced prize winner, or someone who’s never made a single film.
So next time your poor chairman asks for commenters, why not put your hand up and save us all from listening to the usual bunch of 7 or 8 supreme experts of the video making world!
Member Feedback
Well done to Brian for having the nerve to let us know his concerns. I hope we’re not an unapproachable committee, but if we don’t know your ideas and opinions, we can’t address them. I would dearly love it if members could be a fly on the wall at our committee meetings, just to see how passionate some of our discussions can get! Usually we don’t reach the stage of violence, but if things happen that you disagree with, there’s a good chance that someone on the committee was fighting your corner when we discussed it and voted on a decision. I don’t want to paint an unfair picture though – the committee get on very well as genuine friends, but please don’t assume it’s an old-boys talking shop, where we all pat each other on the back, and chat till 11:30!
Interaction
I’d like to try an experiment this month, and also publish my View from the Chair on the Website in the private members area, so that if you want to comment or give feedback, you can, by typing in the “leave a reply” box!
First off, let me say that this is not my top ten films – sort of defeats the purpose of the list title, but then it’s my view that there are simply too many great films in existence, for all sorts of reasons for me to even consider trying to state that only ten are my favourites.
This list is therefore a list of my top ten examples of potentially many movies in the same category – simply by definition therefore, this list is in no particular rank. Check with me tomorrow, and I’ll probably give you an entirely different list.
1. La femme Nikita (Dir. Luc Besson 1990)
An exceptional film in itself, with the likes of Luc Besson and Tcheky Karyo, but here as a good example of how Hollywood can take a good and influential foreign film and have the sheer arrogance to think that a American remake will sell better. At the same time, also an example of the great foreign films that even the UK audience don’t watch at their best as they are so conceited to think that it should be dubbed rather than simply read the subtitles – all of the acting nuances evaporate into nothing.
2. The Naked Truth (Dir. Mario Zampi 1957)
Not only an example of the lost filmmaking talent of the UK (here, I’m talking crew and writers) from the golden age of Ealing (inc. all the other lost studios, like Islington where many of these were made), but also a time when a collection of great actors and comedians would come together against personal differences and create something magical. Today, I’m not even sure that I could list a group of this nature, let alone whether it would be even physically (and financially) possible.
3. McVicar (Dir. Tom Clegg 1980)
A terrible film, which I watch every time I want a laugh, but actual quality, good or bad is not the point of this example. Why? Because ignoring its artistic merits, especially as it’s from an old hand like Tom Clegg (huge amounts of TV, including all of the Sharpe’s), it’s a film which is an example of a great film maker being overruled by money. I know from personal experience of the film crew and the prison service how much everyone was grinding their teeth through the production of this travesty, yet could not do a thing about it. This is therefore my favourite film setting artistic interpretation against artistic integrity.
4. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Dir Stanley Kubrick 1968)
For a moment ignoring story (if that’s at all possible with a man like Arthur C. Clarke), this film was ahead of its time in regards to production values in so many ways – remember that we are still talking the late ’60s here, yet have set design and film editing better than many SF films prior to the mid-80s. Many studios up until the ground breaking Star Wars and Star Trek: The Motion Picture (the first I think showing the great ILM’s distinctive style showing through), and most certainly the Academy, still viewed SF as either a money making tool not to be taken seriously, or the realms of the B-movie.
5. Charade (Dir. Stanley Donen 1963)
Well, what can I say. Combine the likes of Hitchcock and Stanley Donen with Grant, Hepburn, Kelly and Mason, and it’s difficult to not get something special. In the case of Charade, we have so many names coming together (Mattau, Coburn, Kennedy and even Ned Glass and Jaques Marin) with great character performances and one liners, that I’m not sure we’ll ever see the likes of these movies again (considering the current liking for remakes in Hollywood right now, not sure I want to. Hey, Hollywood, just…don’t…touch…)
6. An Ungentlemanly Act (Dir. Stuart Urban 1992)
A wonderful and often forgotten voice, Bob Peck starred in this ‘play for television’ (what the US would call a TV film) about the Marine detachment in Port Stanley at the time of the invasion. It includes so much WWII-era ‘Britishness’ that we are now losing, that it’s worth the watch even without the fact that it’s a great production in itself. This is my favourite example of plays turned movie, bridging the gap between theatre and film in many ways, and returning some focus to often nebulous screen-only productions.
7. Three Days of the Condor (Dir. Sydney Pollack 1975)
Even though often regarded as a precursor of the Bourne films in terms of story background, despite being typically slow in places like many a Robert Redford film, this is one of my favourites for a totally different reason. Including Fay Dunaway, Cliff Robertson and Max Von Sydow, there is not much more to it than that despite at least one action sequence and the use of firearms. It’s therefore a ‘big’ film which I feel would still be well within the reach of an amateur production: a case of how you use your tools, rather than what your tools are.
8. Avatar (Dir. James Cameron 2009)
Despite being a huge SF fan, from a story perspective I wasn’t overly impressed with Avatar – too many elements that I recognised from other places, especially literary. One can’t ignore it’s other redeeming features however, most notably that it is one of those groundbreaking films which introduce technological advances into the industry which will have shock waves reverberating for years to come. It’s one of those events where, if you have not seen Avatar in 3D, you need to just to be able to say, ‘I was there’.
9. Moulin Rouge (Dir. Baz Luhrmann 2001)
Moulin Rouge is one of those films that people love or hate, but in many cases of the wrong reasons. I have spoken to too many people who say they walked out in the first few minutes – a travesty in itself for many movies as you are not giving it a chance – but for this film those first few minutes are a fast paced, farcical ‘bring the audience up to speed’ before a musical production that breaks the hold of the big scale Hollywood musical piece or Disney teen-bopper. If you have not seen the DVD extras for this movie, you need to, just to understand so many of the design issues, both physical and musical, that needed to be overcome.
10. Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Dir. Peter Jackson 2001-2003)
Many people do not realise that when Tolkein wrote Lord of the Rings, he was reclaiming British history which had been overwritten by the Norman conquests. With such an endeavour therefore, any movie maker attempting to challenge such a huge background needs to have a very clear vision. It is therefore testament to Peter Jackson that he carried it off, but also testament to the executives at the incumbent production studio (at the time), New Line Cinema, for looking at the two-film breakdown which Peter Jackson had prepared (typical of all attempts to bring LOTR to the screen, fearing that there was no way that any studio would shell out for three such massive productions) and declaring that two films were not enough for such an epic. They immediately requested him to re-write the production plan for three…that’s belief and commitment.
If anyone has not seen the DVDs from the collectors edition of these three films (each uncut film being over 2 discs, totalling something like 21 DVDs for the set), please see me if you want to borrow them. Covering all aspects of production of these epics by WETA, they are really a must see for anyone considering either amateur or professional move-making.
So there you have it – agree or disagree as is your wont. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out the lists from other OVFM members!! Click HERE to return to the menu page!
For our final “regular” club meeting of 2011, the curator of the OVFM archives, Andy “Del Boy” Watson, will be our guide on a tour of the club’s cinematic history!
The evening will comprise of a brief introduction for our new members and an update on how the compiling of the archive is coming along (which members can find in the Member Only section). Andy will then share with us some of the films in our vaults which have a special meaning for him then will open the floor to YOU!! By now you should have received an e-mail from Andy asking you for any requests you may have for a particular film you wish to see again or one which has caught your eye in the list that you might wish to take a gander at.
If you want to make a request then please e-mail Andy HERE but please remember that if your choice of film lasts over ten minutes then only a part will be should there be a shortage of time. Requests should be in by Monday at the latest since Andy has to source the film before Tuesday evening.
This should be an interesting night for us newbies and a nostalgic treat for our long time members. See you then!
P.S – A bonus point to anyone who can name the legendary filmmaker in the picture! 😉
The Southern Heat of the North v South Competition took place on Sunday 27th November at Farnborough Village Hall in Farnborough, Kent.
There were only 14 films entered this year compared to the 29 we had last year but as it is our policy to show all of the films that are entered, at least those who attended got home before midnight.
We were very pleased to see several entries from clubs who had not entered the competition before and hope they will continue to enter in future years.
The fact that nine of the 14 entries were from clubs considerably distant from Farnborough and as far apart as Devon and Derby meant inevitably that they wouldn’t be represented in person. However, we were delighted that Jill Lampert from Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers, who also had an entry in, could join us for the show. In all, 65 people attended which is just slightly up on last year’s Southern Heat.
Our judges were Luton Movie Makers who did a thorough and professional job and we are very grateful for their help.
Following the showing of the films, the audience were once again asked to try and match the judge’s decision.
Audience Vote
1st Who Do You Love? Leicester Movie Makers
2nd Taking A Hit Spring Park Movie Makers
3rd Building A Website Tiverton Camcorder Club
4th Fleece To Coat Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers
5th On The Map Gosport & Fareham Camcorder Club
Official Result
1st Who Do You Love? Leicester Movie Makers
2nd Not His Type Surrey Border Film & Video Makers
3rd Fleece to Coat Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers
4th On The Map Gosport & Fareham Camcorder Club
5th The Au Pair Nuneaton Moviemakers
Needless to say, nobody in the audience matched the judge’s decision but Norma Classen (a first time attendee) was closest and took the ‘Audience Vote’ prize. She also won a major prize in the raffle so it was obviously her lucky day.
Congratulations to all the Southern Heat winners especially Leicester Movie Makers who topped both the judges and audiences selection.
The Grand Final will be held on Sunday 27th January 2012 when it is hoped the South can win back the John Wright Trophy after 5 years in the wilderness of the North.
For more information on the North vs South Annual competition visit the official website HERE
With the evenings drawing in and austerity measures meaning street lamps are going out all over Europe, the time seemed ripe for a practical night on lighting etc at OVFM.
Tony in the Hot seat
The buzz of expectancy at the club on Tuesday 15th November was enough to make your fillings rattle as The Crew set to work transfering the hall into an outpost of Hollywood (or Pinewood, Bollywood or any other Wood you fancy). So for those of you who missed this great event here is a complete and truthful report of what occured…honest!
Is it me, or is this Seat getting Hotter?
Lights, camera…screen, projector…more lights, tripod, volunteers, more lights and ACTION! But first Ian took centre stage to get the ball rolling on the bijou but perfectly formed Coaching Evening Cinematic Extravaganza. This production will be the culmination of what will quite literally be a film making journey as week by every other week the Coaching Evenings build into a collection you”ll treasure forever…free binder with issue one.
“I Want an Actor with Long Arms”
“Please…I’m begging”
Pep talk given, scripts distributed, volunteers…err volunteered it was time to Bring On The Coach! Drum roll please, draw back those curtains and give a warm OVFM Coaching Evening The Third welcome to…eh Chris!
“O…V…F…M all together now O…V…F…M…”
Fresh faced and totally pumped after leading his own all day seminar on “how to do techy stuff” (don”t ask me, I still need two hands to tell the time…curse you wretched LED watch) Chris soon launched into part one of the evening.
Don’t Try This at home Children
And tonights subject? Lighting, lighting, lighting oh and a bit of tracking.
We have the lights Now all we need is a subject…bring on the first victim.
Marko Casts A Long Shadow
Tony steps up and is soon bathed in light as Chris shows the effect of dramatic side lighting. Tony”s rugged, handsome and very distinguished face, seemed to exude quiet authority as he sat calmly surveying the scene before him with regal gravitas (and let me just take this opportunity to thank Tony for his kind and totally unexpected contribution to my little charity). As Chris worked the camera Tony”s face appeared in glorious super close-up on the wall. Thus the effect of the lights could be easily viewed by all and the large and attentive audience of “wannabespielbergs” as they like to be know, to study the fall of light and shade in detail.
Charlie and Nellie take it all too seriously
Marko then skilfully manned the reflector to demonstrate how it can be used to reduce contrast in strong lighting conditions and kick light back where it”s needed. As Chris pointed out, unlike our eyes, the camera is unable to cope with the extremes of contrast that occur in many situations. The lit areas of the subject can too bright and overexposed while the unlit shadow areas can be dark voids without any features. So lighting should be managed to control this by the intelligent use of reflectors or “fill” lighting.
The Team Bask in Reflected Glory
Reflectors. Why are they available in different colours?
Now at this point you are probably expecting some explanatory photos for illustration purposes.
Well! It”s like this. Needing a subject for the photos I contacted our regular Go-to Glam Girl Model to propose a short photographic sitting.
“How much?” Freddy demanded down the phone.
Naturally I was taken aback. After all Freddy is well known for her generous nature, as well as her beauty, and anyway the OVFM photographic slush fund had recently been withdrawn (don”t ask, but my all expenses paid long weekend in Paris slot machines to seek “inspiration” may have been a contributory factor) and I was now totally skint.
“How about a chip butty and a nice big mug of tea Freddy.” I suggest, thinking this a very tempting offer, especially as we all know tea is the drink of champions.
“Wise guy! I don”t get of of bed for less than £10,000!” She shouted, before throwing the phone down with such force I was deeply concerned for the safety of any innocent bystander who may have been passing.
And so in the abscence of our very own diva of the catwalk I shall just have to describe the lighting effects, thanks Freddy!
What a Noble Countenance
Silver, neutral in colour but with maximum reflectivity.
White, also neutral in colour but less reflective, when you want less fill or your don”t want to dazzle your subject.
Gold (or similar) this is not neutral coloured but adds a “warm” tint to the subject that is not unlike a suntan and consequently gives a healthy glow to the subject. Use sparingly as the colour cast can appear unnatural if used in the wrong situation.
Chris Softens the light
Black, being a simple soul it took me years to get my head round the concept of a black reflector but now I “get it” as it is a very useful tool to control light. Basically you use it to subtract light and selectively shade the subject. For example if the subject is close to a colourful surface that is casting light onto it and you”re unable to reposition the subject then place the black reflector between the two. Or if you”re in a small, light walled room but you want dramatic deep shadows on your subject use the black reflector to block the natural fill. Or finally my favourite use for it is in available light portaits outside where “toppy” lighting can occur that throws the eye sockets into shadow. Use the black reflector (or similar) above and infront of the subject to block that top lighting so that the face is illuminated from the front (a similar effect can be achieved by taking the subject under the shade of a tree, for example).
Basil starts a Mexican wave
Tony was very much at ease in the spotlight so it was time for Chris to welcome contributions from the audience. Basil made the excellent point that there were budget alternatives to the flexible, steel hoop style reflector that Chris was using. Options like silver foil on card (but do crumple the foil first), space blanket (excellent for portability, cheap but does require a friend or two to hold it), a white bed sheet (obviously coloured reflectors are not suitable as they add a colour cast to the subject). In truth any pale surface can be used to kick back a little light into the shadow side of the subject, a white wall or even a sheet of newspaper if you can get it close enough.
Malcolm Directs the Lighting Crew
Rising to the challenge of creating Mastermind style lighting Malcolm and others leapt to the fore to tinker with angles, brightness, distance and even subject…sorry Tony but you”re FIRED!
Chris Channels the Great Hitchcock
Chris was also keen to show off his latest hi-tech acquisition, not his iphone (for once!) but a one metre wide by two metre long, half centimetre thick, deformable and light weight, tri-form waffled construction, fully recyclable device for light occlusion. Okay, okay! Yes it was just a piece of tatty old cardboard.
Chris Demonstrates 21st Century Technology
Chris Demonstrates 21st Century Technology[/caption]
Apparently this was all that Chris could afford since the budget available for club equipment had somehow been mysteriously depleted recently…but on the positive side some really excellent French cheeses are being served at the commitee meetings nowadays thanks to a generous but unnamed benefactor.
Film Noir lives in Orpington
“What is Your Name???”
Anyway the point is that in the hands of an expect (where were you Reg when we needed you?) the cardboard can be used like barn doors, or a snoot, or a baffle, or a gobo, or in other words it can stop light going where it”s not welcome. We also learnt of giant inflatable screens used by film makers to shade large areas, which can be suspended from cranes for maximum effect.
Pay Attention
Back light, background light, natural light, window light, room light, even light…the whole lighting thing is a real biggy. Chris could only touch on some elements of it in the limited time available but the subject will doubtless be returned to at future OVFM meetings or if you have any questions the club is replete with expertise so just ask around.
Backlight…and you can dry your hair too
After teabreak it was time for part two of the evening which majored on the woefully under ultilised but highy effective club dolly tracking system. This simple, lightweight and easy to use gadget can add a real polish to your production by allowing the camera to move along smoothly and in a controlled way.
The route of the new HS2 causes concern
Chris demonstrated a number of uses for the tracking technique and several eager students took the opportunity to have a go themselves.
Untie that Maiden Now
My absolute fav use of the dolly and tracks is the “Jaws” effect as I think of it. It is more properly known as the dolly zoom, or also as the Hitchcock Zoom, the Vertigo Zoom, the Trombone Shot etc.
There”s a scene in Jaws where the Police Chief (actor Roy Scheider) is sitting on the beach watching the tourists splash in the surf whilst convinced a rogue shark is about to strike but unable to close the beach. His keen eyes spot something in the water and as the emotions are written across his shocked face the camera rapidly tracks towards him while the lens zooms out (from telephoto to wideangle) to maintain his face at the same size. The resultant change in perspective is dramatic, unsettling and very spectacular.
An orderly queue forms to ‘shoot’ Chris
With Bob and Lee in full acting mode, Anna, Jane, Freddy, Chris and others demonstrated this technique with great success. Andy has been producing DVD”s of all the Coaching Evenings and they are available to buy, this demo alone has got to make the purchase worthwhile…it looked fab, especially with Bob performing at Oscar winning level.
Bob’s big moment
So sadly, with time having beaten us, the momentous Third Coaching Evening came to an end.
Grrrr!!
We were tired, entertained, uplifted but most of all thanks to Chris and his band of helpers we were all a bit wiser too.
Am I the only sane one?
An Unusual Angle!
The lights and the track system belong to the club and can be booked out for use by club members along with a variety of other equipment (look in the Members” Section of the website for details). DVD”s of this and the other Coaching evenings are available for a small fee from Andy. Psst…and if it”s delicious French cheese you”re after just tip me the wink and I”ll see what I can do.
