OVFM Club Meeting September 2nd 2014

Posted on August 28, 2014September 7, 2015 by Lee Relph

You may recall that the original plan for this week’s club meeting was to have a guest speaker in Graham Kirkman but unfortunately, due to work commitments Graham had to pull out. So we’ve had to resort to “Plan B” but don’t worry as we have something rather fun line up for you.

Because we have yet to make an official film for this year’s North vs South competition (and I apologise personally for not being able to progress with my film submission) we will be endeavouring to rectify this with something similar to our “Meet the Members” evening a few weeks back.

The idea is simple: we will be exploring the “What if..?” theme and will be asking club members to think of a humorous idea to both ask and answer that question – eg: “What if dogs could fly?” “What if I had two heads?” “What if my hoover could work by itself?”… I’m sure you can come up with better ideas than that which is the main thrust of this evening.

We will set up a camera and green screen and if you could provide some props or costumes apropos to your idea, we will do our best to make these light hearted scenarios into a visual reality.

So please get your thinking caps on and remember the emphasis is on humour so be afraid to abstract or esoteric in your choices – creativity and fun are the key elements in this project (that and winning the N vs S of course! 😉 ). We want to get as many people in front of the camera as possible so don’t be shy in stepping up and joining in.

Hope to see you on Tuesday brimming with ideas! 🙂

OVFM Club Meeting August 5th 2014

Posted on August 1, 2014January 5, 2022 by Lee Relph

MEET THE MEMBERS!

You’re probably thinking “but we’ve already met!” So what is this all about? Well it’s a long story so I hope you are sitting comfortably.

At a recent committee meeting when we were brainstorming ideas for our club meetings to get everyone interested and involved I suggested a practical evening based on the Radio 4 show “Chain Reaction” . For those of you who have not heard it before, the concept is simple: one week a celeb will interview another celeb then the following week the one being interviewed will now interview a new celeb who will then go on be the interviewer the next week and so on.

The idea I had was similar in that we set up the club equipment (camera, lights, boom, etc.) and have a two person interview set-up then we swap the roles around so everyone gets a go at at least one role on the production side or in front of the camera.

Then – inspired by the recent archive film from 1963 in which the OCS (Orpington Cine Society) club members were being interviewed – our chairman Simon” Snapper” Earwicker thought it would be a great idea if we used this project to make an updated version of this film – hence this week’s special one night club project “Meet the Members”! Simon also thought that we could possibly incorporate this into our official North vs South entry with questions concerning the topic “If”.

Got all that? Good. So please do all show up on Tuesday and be preserved on camera in the OVFM archives for generations to come when they look back to see who was keeping the OVFM name alive in 2014!

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday June 10th 2014

Posted on June 4, 2014April 26, 2015 by Lee Relph

One of the many annual traditions for OVFM is the North vs South competition where film clubs from this side of the river do (friendly) battle with film clubs from the other side. While the organising of the event in the north is handled by Altrincham Movie Makers, OVFM are responsible for the south end, mostly through the hard work of Mike Coad thus we are somewhat duty bound to have an entry every year.

Over the past two years it has befallen to David “Offshore Account” Laker to provide and oversee the OVFM entries with his films “Disastermind” and “Power Corrupts”. This year David understandably wants to step back and let someone else have a go – which brings us to this week’s club meeting.

OVFM hasn’t won the competition in a good few years now – the last time was with a film called “Attack Of The Killer Tripod” by a then 17 year old Reg “Bomber” Lancaster – so we really need to up our game for this year.

The theme is “If” which covers a multitude of possibilities. The announcement of this was made to the club after the conclusion of the 2013 final so there has been plenty of time to think of something. The purpose therefore of this meeting is to see what ideas you may have, be there a germination of a concept, a story outline, a treatment or even a full script. You may even have a film completed or in production (either as a group effort or individually; they can be entered on behalf of the club – see rule 2 via the link below) in which case bring it along and we’ll have a look at it.

Of course if no-one has any ideas or prepared scripts we can also brainstorm to see if we can’t come up with an idea or two to get the ball rolling. Then if you wish you can either set about making it in individual groups or by enlisting the help of the club as a whole (or however many are willing to help).

All the relevant information including the rules can be found HERE but I can tell you now that the entry deadline is Friday 31st October with the final to be held on Sunday December 7^th !

So get your thinking caps on and we’ll see you on Tuesday with your ideas so we can make sure OVFM has their hands raised in victory at the end of North vs South 2014!

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North vs South 2013 Grand Final Report

Posted on December 3, 2013June 8, 2021 by Lee Relph

North vs South 2013 Grand Final Report

by

Mike Coad

The Grand Final of the North v South Competition took place on Sunday 24^th November in the South at its usual venue of the Village Hall in Farnborough, Kent.

A 5 hour show which included all 25 films entered into the competition were shown to an appreciative audience. Several people commented after the show about the high standard of the finalists this year.

Around 75 people attended the event and we were particularly delighted to welcome Jill Lampert and Gordon Hunt of Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers and John Gibb of Nuneaton Moviemakers who all made the journey down from the Midlands.

Our judges for the Southern entries were Scarlett Mills and Khalid Nasser of the University of Sussex Film Appreciation Society and for the final judging, Garth Hope, Editor of ‘Film & Video Maker’ magazine.

Following the showing of the films, the audience were asked to fill in their voting slips. ‘On the Rails’ by Bourne End Video Makers won the audience vote although it didn’t feature in the judges top 3. Some things never change!

Audience Vote

1^st On the Rails Bourne End Video Makers

2^nd Revolution Chesterfield Film Makers

3^rd Revolution Nuneaton Moviemakers

Official Result

1^st Revolution Chesterfield Film Makers

2^nd The Turning of the Screw Reading Film & Video Makers

3^rd Frequency Hertz Surrey Border Movie Makers

Needless to say, nobody in the audience matched the judge’s decision but Graham Sinden of Shooters Hill Camcorder Club was closest and took the ‘Audience Vote’ prize. He obviously has the knack as he also won it last year.

Our ‘Guess the Theme’ competition was won by Gordon Hunt of Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers who correctly guessed that the theme for 2014 is………

‘IF’

Thanks to everyone who attended for their support.

Mike Coad

on behalf of Orpington Video & Film Makers

I Wished The Long Hot Night Goodbye…

Posted on July 18, 2013October 29, 2019 by Simon

…And pushed the thick air away like it was a limp, damp blanket heavy on my skin. I downed the last dregs of my drink, there was no ice in the glass, the ice had long since gone south along with the air con and my last clean shirt. Marlowe get off your sorry butt, it’s Tuesday the 16th July and there’s work to be done. I flung the unfinished Sudoku onto the desk, that was one puzzle I wouldn’t crack, and peeled myself off the leather seat. The effort made me sweat. Summer in the city you had to love it !

The tyres squealed in protest on the sticky blacktop as I stuck the old Ford in drive and cruised uptown. The streets were empty, nobody but a fool PI would be out in heat like this, so I chewed a little on what the night ahead might bring, maybe I’d see the dame, the redhead in that red dress. I checked the glove box for my 45, Dancing Queen by Abba, a little scratched but still servicable, it would do if things got lively.

I swung the car into the lot. A big beemer squatted out front. The engine smelt hot, somebody had gunned this Bavarian beast without mercy. They had to be plumb crazy or desperately short of time, or maybe a little of both. I set my hat brim low and wrestled my way into the joint.

It struck me hard. Something was wrong. My nose itched. I looked around, once, quickly. I took it all in. You could cut the hopelessness with a knife, the sort of knife you’d give a kindergarten kid. There’d been a happening here, that much was obvious, but now it was quiet…too quiet, the lull before the storm you might say. I tapped my jacket for my hip flask and took a swig. The nip felt good, comforting. I was ready now…

So anyway the gist is it’s film shoot night for ‘Power Corrupts’, one of the club entries for the annual North V South competition. David has brought together all the ingredients for a really great production and all he needs now is a bit of luck, a following wind and enough ‘support artists’ to make up a decent crowd scene. We wait and wait, the tension is like a coiled spring that’s close to breaking. But one by one they trickle in and gradually they gather, the friends the neighbours and the club stalwarts. We have our crowd!

With crowd, crew and our leading ladies all assembled the shoot begins. David takes masterful control of the situation and with him in the director’s stool the filming ticks along with assured efficiency until ALL the scenes are in the can and the ambitious schedule completed.

To the cast and crew I take my hat off to you all. In fact I take off everything that decency will allow to salute your patience, fortitude, good grace and good humour especially in the teeth of what was a long and very muggy night. Well done and lets kick the North’s bottom!

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday June 11th 2013

Posted on June 6, 2013March 2, 2022 by Lee Relph

“The South Shall Rise Again”

Or it will if we can win the annual North vs South competition!

Yes, another yearly tradition is inching its way towards us in the form of the film competition that literally divides the nation (well, us amateur film makers at least). It’s the event that decide who is better at maker films – we refined people of the lower end of the country who speak the Queen’s English and them Oop North wot don’t and who still think it is 1953. *

Last year we came within a flea’s tadger of winning the grand prize after demolishing the other entrants in the Southern heat with David Laker’s Disastermind but it seems the judges at the final weren’t that impressed with our entry as it didn’t even get placed in the final analysis. So we have to course of action we can take:

1) We hunt down the judges and slap them about with a wet fish while playing Justin Beiber songs at full blast on endless loop

2) We make a brilliant film that can’t fail to astound everyone who sees it and is a sure fire winner.

I personally vote for option 1 but sadly OVFM is a democracy so I’ll go with the majority.

If we decide on option 2 then we need to establish a game plan and this is where Tuesday’s club meeting come into play. Our new(ish) chairman Simon “Snapper” Earwicker would like ALL of us (yes, even YOU!) to come prepared with ideas, concepts or even finished scripts if you have them which we shall discuss, dissect and take into consideration for the film or films that we will submit for the competition.

The theme for this year’s film is “Revolution” and you can interpret that anyway you see fit (but keep it clean) while the final product can not exceed a running time of 20 minutes.

We really need to have a strong showing this year as OVFM is hosting the Southern event, so if we lose this one we will have some serious egg on our faces (yuk), so let’s all pull together (I can hear the screams already!) and produce a winning film for 2013!

Also don’t forget that this meeting will open with the EGM. For more on that please read THIS PAGE!

See you on Tuesday!

* Source: Daily Mail

N vs S – The Final!!

Posted on January 28, 2013August 21, 2021 by Lee Relph

North v South Competition 2012

THE FINAL

The Grand Final of the North v South Competition took place on Sunday 27th January in the South at its usual venue of the Village Hall in Farnborough, Kent.

Apart from the 10 Final films, we also showed the remainder of the Northern entries that didn’t quite make the Final.

Around 50 people attended the event and we were particularly delighted to welcome Gordon Hunt and Ian Reed of Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers who made the journey down from the West Midlands.

Our judges were Screen Archive South East, whose Director is Dr. Frank Gray, a man well known to amateur film-makers in the South East.

Following the showing of the films, the audience were asked to fill in their voting slips. ‘Nicely Handeled’ by Tynemouth Video Group won the audience vote by a mile although it didn’t feature in the judges top 3. No surprise there then!

Audience Vote

1st Nicely Handeled Tynemouth Video Group

2nd Foolproof! Coast Video Club

3rd Operation Black Hat Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers

Official Result

1st Operation Black Hat Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers

2nd Foolproof! Coast Video Club

3rd Man With Van Rochdale Movie Makers

Needless to say, nobody in the audience matched the judge’s decision but Graham Sinden of Shooters Hill Camcorder Club was closest and took the ‘Audience Vote’ prize.

Our ‘Guess the Theme’ competition was won by Brenda Wheatley of Orpington Video & Film Makers who correctly guessed that this years theme is………

‘REVOLUTION’

Thanks to everyone who attended for their support.

Mike Coad

N vs S Southern Heat Report

Posted on November 27, 2012August 21, 2021 by Lee Relph

North vs South Southern Heat Report

by

Mike Coad

The Southern Heat of the North v South Competition took place on Sunday 25th November at Farnborough Village Hall in Farnborough, Kent.

There were only 11 films entered this year compared to the 29 we had only 2 years ago so it left a big hole in the programme. This was filled with films from Sydney Movie Makers Club in Australia.

We were very pleased to see an entry from Exeter Films, who were first time entrants.

The fact that six of the 11 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, only 55 people attended which is down on last year’s Southern Heat.

Our judges were Mid Wilts Video Society 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 Operation Black Hat Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers

2nd The Buzz In The Boardroom Surrey Border Movie Makers

3rd A Place Of Calm Derby Movie Makers

4th It Pays The Bills Nuneaton Moviemakers

5th Confidential Epsom Movie Makers

Official Result

1st Disastermind Orpington Video & Film Makers

2nd Operation Black Hat Sutton Coldfield Movie Makers

3rd Ship Ahoy! Nuneaton Moviemakers

4th A Place of Calm Derby Moviemakers

5th Confidential Epsom Movie Makers

Needless to say, nobody in the audience matched the judge’s decision but Brenda Wheatley of Orpington Video & Film Makers was closest and took the ‘Audience Vote’ prize.

Congratulations to all the Southern Heat winners.

The Grand Final will be held on Sunday 27th January 2013 when it is hoped the South can win back the John Wright Trophy after 8 years in the wilderness of the North.

Mike Coad

NvS – Disastermind – The Shoot!

Posted on November 11, 2012February 23, 2022 by Lee Relph

Disastermind – The Shoot!

Over a three day period in September and October, the filming of OVFM’s winning entry into the 2012 North vs South competition took place at the Garden Rooms, at St Augustines. The film in question was David Laker’s Disastermind.

The following pictures – with the exception of the first one – were taken at the final night of shooting on Wednesday October 17th and come courtesy of Alan “No, you can’t call me Al” Smith:

James Neary (left) as Norman Brown and Sean Chapman (right) as the Question Master.

"Shouldn't we be sitting facing the screen?" — “Shouldn’t we be sitting facing the screen?”

Hugh: "And I'm missing Corrie for this!" — Hugh: “And I’m missing Corrie for this!”

Simon "Snapper" Earwicker and his "the tables have been turned" smile... — Simon “Snapper” Earwicker and his “the tables have been turned” smile…

Chris was the first to notice that Big Dave from Shooters Hill had paid an unexpected visit!

Simon: "At least I won't get snapped again by...Oh bugger!" — Simon: “At least I won’t get snapped again by…Oh bugger!”

Hugh: "8...9...10! Right, Coming ready or not!" — Hugh: “8…9…10! Right, Coming ready or not!”

Chris: "This will teach Jane to laugh at my beard!" — Chris: “This will teach Jane to laugh at my beard!”

Jane: "There seems to be something wrong with my aperture setting" — Jane: “There seems to be something wrong with my aperture setting”

Hugh: "I said you can play musical chairs AFTER we've finished shooting!" — Hugh: “I said you can play musical chairs AFTER we’ve finished shooting!”

Thanks again to Alan Smith for the photos (and to the mystery supplier of the first one – please speak out if this is you) and to everyone who took part in the shooting of “Disastermind”.

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday June 19th 2012

Posted on June 13, 2012August 21, 2021 by Lee Relph

It’s time for OVFM to re-enact the American civil War. Sort of.

The annual North vs South competition is looming again (that’s pretty much how annual events work) and our inestimable chairman Chris “Cats” Coulson has decreed that OVFM as a club (that means ALL of us and not just the same old faces) will make and enter a film in this year’s comp. And win it. (Stop laughing at the back!)

Rather than follow the usual of a selection of random films thrown in for judging, a theme is selected to make things just that bit more interesting. This year’s theme is “No Way Back”. What can that mean? Well that is what we are going to discuss at this week’s club meeting.

So any ideas you may have, be it a title suggestion, a plot outline or even a finished script, bring them along to the meeting and share them with us all so we can debate, deliberate and defenestrate to lay the foundation for what will eventually become OVFM’s 2012 North vs South winning entry! Yay! Go Us!

See you on Tuesday!