So, why is this a “Special” Project Evening? Because I couldn’t think of how else to categorise what we have in store for this week!!
The architect of this unique event called “Consequences” is our youngest club member and Vice Chairman Sam “Choo-Choo” Brown and you know the kids of today with their Red Bull and Hippity Hoppity music, so what goes on in his mind could be quite frightening as we are sure to find out.
The idea is thus: we are (hopefully) going to make a film (a new experience for some of you I believe) but what it is about is a mystery and that is the point of this project – to see if we can create a film on the fly. The club members will be split into small groups and Sam will give them each an opening a closing line for their scene. The groups will have a few minutes to brainstorm an idea in which to incorporate these lines then the camera will be passed to them and they will shoot their scene.
Will the end product have any coherence at all? Will the story flow? The only way to find out is to show up on Tuesday evening and join in the maybe… er fun!
At the June 11th club meeting we officially began our campaign for the 2013 North vs South competition, where we opened the floor to members to submit their ideas for a film based on the theme of “Revolution”. More details about the North and South competition can be found on their website HERE.
As we heard from our resident N vs S organiser Mike Coad, this year’s competition takes on a lightly different tact with regard to the results of the two heats. First the number of heat rounds will be streamlined to to just one per region. Previously the winners of the two heats are announced then go head to head with the highest scoring runners up at the grand final on November 24th. This year the results are to be kept secret, known only to the two heat organisers (Mike and Graham Morris, his counterpart at Altrincham Film Makers).
At the final, as many films as possible out of those that didn’t make the the top ten will be shown first, then the top ten films will be shown in descending order of merit from ten to one, thus keeping the suspense alive to the last minute.
So, as the cliché goes, we have to be in it to win it and we currently have three ideas on the table for the club to get involved in to bring to life, enter into the competition and, who knows, win the whole thing!
To learn more about the three projects – including draft scripts and cast and crew positions that need filling – and to pledge your support to them or offer comments and feedback, click on the links below.
Please note that these pages are private so only club members who have signed up to the site can see this material contained within.
Remember this opportunity is open to everyone and it would be nice to see as many people as possible participating in these projects rather than the usual subjects (to whom we are naturally grateful for their persistence and constancy in supporting our film shoots). With three projects on the table there are plenty of roles that need filling on both the cast and crew side so nobody should feel left out.
Thanks for reading and I hope to see you all on one of the shoots!
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!
THIS IS THE FORMAL NOTIFICATION OF THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING CALLED FOR 11th JUNE, 2013 AT THE BARNARD ROOM, ST. AUGUSTINE”S CHURCH
ORPINGTON VIDEO AND FILM MAKERS
The committee wishes to give notice of an Extraordinary General Meeting on Tuesday, 11th June, 2013 concerning the proposed alteration to item 7:
MANAGEMENT The Committee shall consist http://comprealslot.net/ of up to ten members including Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Competitions Organiser and up to five Ordinary Members.
This EGM will take place before the normal Club events in the Barnard Room at St. Augustine’s.
Just as the banner says, this week’s meeting will see a presentation of films from another film making club – this time Southport Movie Makers.
We shall be treated to a selection of films from their showreel and judging by the taster we had of their work back in February (remember “Rent-A-Mate” ?) all signs are pointing to us being in for a fun night.
Also, time permitting I may have a little treat of my own to share with you all as will Mike Shaw, who has threatened to present to us his “unseen” masterpiece Enid, a film about…. well, I guess we will find that out on Tuesday evening!
It was around 9:15 am that we descended upon Chez Lancaster to shoot the internal scenes since the hallway in my own home is a little…well…little, while the Lancaster’s was just right (according to my location manager Goldilocks). Amazingly Vanessa actually arrived a few moments after Simon, Dad and I got to the Lancaster’s – coming all the way from Canterbury for the shoot! It was also at this point that I learned Vanessa had just got over a flu bug herself, making me feel doubly guilty to have her wander the streets in this unpleasant weather as per the script. But, ever the trooper, Vanessa insisted the show must go on although at this point it hadn’t actually started yet.
Vanessa Chapman poses with the finalists of “Mr OVFM Beefcake 2013” contest
Having turned the Lancaster’s hallway into a movie set we started shooting and amazingly made good time, finishing up earlier than expected. Despite having to change microphone leads and the camera battery, everything went smoothly, with Vanessa maintaining all of the main performance points and the little touches with each take. It was during the final stages that I received a text that some of the actors who were due to arrive at my house by 12:00pm had arrived nearly forty minutes early – and all the way from Dover! Can’t imagine the look on the neighbours’ faces when the ferry pulled up outside our house! I had to feel a bit sorry for my Mum, who was left all alone with a bunch of strangers, although I had not met them in person either.
Karol Steele finds an ingenious way to secretly get paid for the shoot…
Shortly after our rag tag convoy left Chez Lancaster and headed off to the bijou comfort of my humble abode, where we were to find Dover based actress, writer, model, make-up artist Karol Steele (whom I’d not even meet before yet she played two roles, recruited her son, her dog AND did the make up for the girls!), her son Ben (a young actor in his own right who also had a bad cold) and their dog Ted. Also arrived at the house were the three teenage girls supplied by Sylvia Snipp. Perhaps I should rephrase that. Ella Barclay, Alice Farrell and Megan Snipp are young actresses Sylvia brought to the project along with two lads, Connor Hughes and Callum Murphy to fill some key roles.
Megan, Ella and Alice with their stunt doubles
After a brief break during which we stuffed our faces with food from the lavish spread my mother laid out for us, it was time to commence filming again. This was where the fun began. The first scene involved Rob Bushell stepping out of a bookies but I discovered that the envelope with fake money it in for Rob to brandish had gone missing. Dad ran (not really) back to the house to look for it to no avail, so he made a new one. We eventually found it later on as Karol inadvertently thought it was a part of Ben’s props and stuck it to his clipboard!! Doh!
Simon and Tony perform their “Ministry Of Silly Walks” tribute act
Earlier in the week, Dad and I approached the branch of Coral bookmakers in Carlton Parade for permission to film outside their premises with the use of their front door. While the manageress was very helpful ringing up her superiors for confirmation, we never got a return call from her. Come the shoot we went in and asked again, only to be told she was still waiting for a phone call. The woman from Coral still hadn’t got back to us with permission, so we decided to film it guerilla style and quickly shot the scenes, with Rob just standing at the door rather than coming out of the shop. We had a similar problem with the Co-Op who also never got back to us with permission so again we sneaked our shots in before fleeing!
Vanessa was unimpressed with Simon’s Dalek impression
My house and Carlton Parade are both on the main road so we had to deal with traffic noise and passers by interrupting the shots. The latter wasn’t a problem as most people stepped aside or waited until we finished, except for a group of boys who slowly wandered about along the road and loitered in the background hoping to get into shot (they didn’t!). When filming outside the house however it seems all of the Sun readers driving by weren’t as considerate as the pedestrians, tooting their horns in the hope of ruining a shot. Thankfully they too failed but one has question the mentality of these people who feel the need to be so purposely disruptive.
Annabelle can’t bear to watch poor Ben being assaulted for the twelfth time
By now the temperatures had fallen even further and poor Ben really suffered for his art in his scene. To be fair I told him it was fine to wear his overcoat but he insisted to continue without it, despite his sneezes turning to icicles before they even left his nostrils! Then there was the physical aspect of this scene. Ben joked he would “take one for the team” but with the various retakes and different camera angles he ended up taking TWELVE for the team!
As everyone knows, especially for a drama production, one can’t give an accurate finishing time for a shoot. I had initially suggested both the Friday and Saturday for the shoot but the various schedules meant just the one day was viable. It what some (everyone?) saw as an act of optimism, I pencilled in a 4:30pm finish. We actually filmed the last shot at 4:35pm! In your face, doubters!! True to my own personal and unintentional tradition however, I did forget to get a couple of important shots but nothing that couldn’t be circumvented in the final edit, while other shots we unfortunately spoiled by intruding microphones. Had we the benefit of two days shooting this could have been rectified but overall I am very happy with the footage I have.
With everyone else busy Reg tells Vanessa about his first camera
I must give my personal and heartfelt thanks to everyone involved. to my parents for their unconditional support and contributions to the proceedings; to ALL the actors (Vanessa, Karol, Ben, Ted, Ella, Alice, Megan, Connor, Callum and Rob) who braved the weather yet still performed amazingly without complaints; to Reg and Annabelle for letting us use their home as a set and for their endurance for the rest of the shoot; and to Simon who was a great cameraman, not only for bringing my vision to life but he understood what I wanted while bringing his own expertise to the project. I finally have a good looking film!
“Last one back to the camera is a big pansy!”
Despite the trials and tribulations that accompanied this shoot it was one hell of an experience for me and I haven’t felt as alive as I did on that day. Well, maybe when I was first born but my memory of that period is a quite vague – I WAS just a baby after all! It was also invaluable learning curve for me, being my third “big” production out of six films and the most important thing I got from this session was exactly why I don’t make more films!!
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed the end result as seen at the last club meeting on April 30th and if you didn’t then I have Two Little Words for you…..
It’s that time of year which fills some of members with dread and nightmares while others relish the chance to show off their latest masterpiece. I’m talking of course about the annual OVFM Top Ten competition.
Over five rounds to be held periodically over the remainder of the year we shall see the fruits of the labours of our club members and the films they think stand the best chance of receiving the highest praise from their peers en route to be crowned the Top Ten winner at next year’s Oscars.
Unlike other meetings revolving around film screenings, this time the films are under scrutiny of your fellow club members who will score your films on a technical and personal grades so the stakes are high as is the pressure to deliver. But don’t fret, all critiques given are constructive and aimed to help you improve for future reference and for the eventuality your film makes it to the final in January 2014.
The first round takes place this week and the following members have been picked at random to present their films for this session:
Craig Robinson
Jane Oliver
Harold & Maisie Trill
Alan Whippy
Gwen Whippy
Mike & Jo Coad
Derek Allen
Susan Ward
Anna Littler
Ann Perrin
Mike Shaw
Please reply to this post if you will be providing a film at this week’s session, along with the running time, picture ratio (16:9 or 4:3) and media format (DVD, Mini DV, etc). This is a tremendous help in planning out the time allotment of the meeting.
If you don’t then have a film ready please let Brenda Wheatley know so that she can try to find someone else to fill the gap in the evening. If your film is ready early please feel free to bring it along to any Top Ten night and if there is time we will show it.
If you miss your given round you can bring your film along to a later one, but it will only be shown after those drawn for that round, if there is time.
If a job’s worth doing it’s definitely worth doing.
Whoever it was who said that movie making is no walk in the park, no bed of roses, no drive down easy street, and no double cheese burger with extra fries and a side order of onion rings, was one VERY perceptive fella!
John displays unusual fortitude in spite of the artistic agony he’s suffering.
Movie making is hell! It’s a walk on the wild side, it’s a dance with danger, it’s a tango with terror, a waltz with a wilful warthog, a foxtrot with fear, a paso doble two step with a peckish penguin, a gentleman’s excuse me with a….gentleman.
Waldorf salad is a dish best served cold.
Let me tell you movie making will chew you up and spit you out. It’ll mop the floor with you, wring you out in the dirty bucket of disappointment, leave you limp, damp and cold and then grin and do it to you all over again!
Movie making is tough…it’s so tough that on the universal scale of toughness it’s literally off the scale. It’s so tough that if you look up TOUGH in the dictionary it just says ‘Try making a movie buster!’
Now I’m not saying that the committed band of OVFM coaching evening stalwarts who gathered on Tuesday evening were making a movie…no I’m not saying that!
And I’m not saying that they weren’t!
Brenda seeks solace in drink.
What I am saying is movie making is difficult. It’s like juggling two eggs, doing up your shoelaces, constructing a flat pack wardrobe…and sending a text message…when you’re over forty!
But the OVFM coaching evening stalwarts laugh in the face of difficulty and decided they would make a movie (or a ‘film’ as we in the know say) anyway.
Masking her inner torment Barbara puts a brave face on it.
So with scripts in hand, props to the fore, best learning brains in gear and a whole heap of equipment that I couldn’t begin to describe (or understand!) we set about making the best darn movie OVFM has ever seen (made on a Tuesday this week, between the hours of 6.30 and 10pm, about letters….guaranteed. PS This is not a guarantee!)
Lee takes a moment to enjoy a little chuckle.
I could tell you how we did it…but I wont. You should have been there. The heat of the lights, the roar of the crowds (or was that my stomach rumbling?), the romance, the drama, the highs, the lows. But we got through, we manned up, we soldiered on, we whistled while we worked, we tip-toed through the tulips, we rolled out the barrel and we got to it and made our bally movie.
There’s no eye in team.
And if you want to see this triumph over adversity, this diamond plucked from the mud, this snook cocked at failure, then come soon to a picture house near you where you will gasp, cry, laugh and possibly even be entertained (terms and conditions apply) and all will be revealed. You’ll believe a man can fly, or failing that you WILL see yours trully in a cameo role that’ll take your breath away. Acting? Make your own mind up. Wonder, amazement, expectation or simply gormless? You decide; )
Cracking under the stress of being clapper boy Chris resorts to personal insult.
In the pressure cooker atmosphere of the film set Roger and Basil trade abuse.
For this week’s club meeting we look forward to seeing the results of your hard labour in creating a film that fits the theme of “Two Words” as suggest by moi. If you should still need a reminder after the three months of heavy promotion of what this entails the details can be found HERE But I am sure that is not the case and you’ve all been beavering away to create something rather wonderful to share with us all, just as I have, which I am sure you are all aware of anyway.
As always we ask that those you who will be submitting a film to please reply to this post below saying as much so we have a rough idea of how the time allotment for this session will play out.
Also could you please include the following information with your submission:
Film Title
Your Name
Running Time
Aspect Ratio (4:3 or 16:9)
This simple act of cooperation makes all the difference for our archivists and programme compilers and is greatly appreciated.
