Author: Lee Relph

New OVFM Project – Close Shave

Posted on by Lee Relph

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CLOSE SHAVE

Hello again and here we are with another exciting film project for you to participate in.

The subject this time is “Close Shave” which sounds like a very fertile premise for a short film. As ever, how this is interpreted is down to you – you can make a thriller, a horror, a slapstick comedy or your own version of Sweeney Todd – so let your imaginations run wild and flex those creative muscles!

Remember this can be a solo endeavour or a group effort, so if you only have an idea or a story there is bound to be someone else within the club who would be willing help you out on the practical and technical front.; conversely if you have the camera and equipment but no story idea, why not see if someone has one you can help out with?

Whatever you choose to do, we look forward to seeing what you come up when we screen your films at the club meeting on TUESDAY APRIL 28th 

Thanks for reading, good luck to all who participate and we look forward to seeing the fruits of your labours on the 28th of April!

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday April 14th 2015 – The AGM

Posted on by Lee Relph

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After a few weeks of meetings held at a change of venue we are back at our regular haunt of St Augustine’s for the OVFM AGM 2015.

This is one of the most important nights in our club meeting calendar as it is the night where not only do we elect our committee but YOU get the chance to have your voice heard and  make suggestions for what you want to see happen in our club for the next year to come.

First, the election of the Committee and as you all should know by now, yours truly has stepped down from the Committee so there is one guaranteed new place available for anyone to step up and fill, providing you have a nomination or second from another club member.

Of course ALL other committee members will be standing for re-election so, with all roles temporarily vacated while the votes are considered, meaning we could see a complete change in the line-up if anyone else wishes to stand as Chairman or Competition Officer or as an ordinary member.

The Committee as it currently stands is:

 

Chairman – Simon Earwicker

Vice Chairman – Sam Brown

Treasurer – David Laker

Secretary – Freddy Beard

Competitions Officer – Brenda Wheatley

Ordinary Members:

Reg Lancaster

Annabelle Lancaster

Ian Menage

Andy Watson

 

*NB: Mike Shaw is our Press officer but is not a committee member as per the new rule added to the constitution in an EGM in 2013.

The second portion of the evening is Member’s Voices where all club members are given a platform to air their grievances, concerns, ask questions or make suggestions on how to improve club matters, meetings and other facets in the OVFM universe. We also will be canvassing for your suggestions for club evenings and club projects so please get your thinking caps on and see what wonderful and creative ideas you can supply us with to make 2015 a memorable, eventful and productive year for OVFM!

If you haven’t already got one, a copy of the Agenda can be downloaded HERE.

Remember without the club members there is no club so please be there on Tuesday for the AGM and make your voice heard.

Special Coaching Evening April 21st 2015

Posted on by Lee Relph

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Coaching Evening 21st April 2015

On this extra Tuesday evening we are being visited by John Mills and Alan Butcher all the way from Surrey Borders Movie Makers based in Farnham. Do have a look at their entertaining web site for an interesting description of their large club’s activities (www.surreyborder.org.uk).

Their presentation is to promote the basic route for the capture of images and video, transferring to a computer, safe storage and what next to do with the material. This will cover a variety of cameras, editing and, finally, burning to disks. There will be time for your questions and if possible a look into the future for us enthusiasts.

Obviously this is not intended to be an in depth tutorial. Whilst this evening is primarily designed for possible newcomers to our ranks, I’m sure that there will be something for everyone to gain from it. We know that there will be some interested visitors in our audience, so make sure that you all make the effort to chat with them. Only by feeling comfortable in our club will they ever be likely to join us.

Please come along and show your appreciation of  John and Alan’s volunteering to help us as part of our recruiting drive.

And DO wear your name badges!

Ian

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday March 31st 2015

Posted on by Lee Relph

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Yes it is another project evening this time devoted to an old favourite – the Green Screen!

We’ve had some fun before exploring the wonders of filming before a green screen and messing about with fun backgrounds and other aspects this technique affords us to great effect so this night shouldn’t be any different.

Unfortunately I cannot give you any more information about what to expect as our Vice Chairman Sam “Choo Choo” Brown, who is organising the activities for the evening, hasn’t passed any details on to me. All I do know is that we are hoping to make a film in this evening or something we can put towards a possibly entry for the North vs South competition.

Just a reminder that, like the Oscars on the 17th, this meeting will be held once again at All Saints Church in Orpington.

Whatever Sam has in store for us it should be an eventful and hopefully productive evening!

2015 OVFM Oscars – The Results!

Posted on by Lee Relph

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Last night, March 17th, OVFM held their annual Oscars awards ceremony at the All Saints Church in Orpington. A capacity crowd filled another venue while some of the OVFM faithful showed up to receive their awards and see their peers be rewarded for their creativity and hard work over the past year.

As ever our Competitions Officer Brenda Wheatley put in another sterling effort in arranging a smoothly run night and we thank her and everyone else who helped out, including our esteemed chairman and MC for the evening, Simon “Snapper” Earwicker.

On to the awards, and while some winners were unable to collect their awards in person, those who did show up took “Selfie” photos via Simon’s camera which I am sure we will see in the website gallery soon.

So, to the winners and first the awards as judged by the members of OVFM:

Kath Jones Cup (Joke film under five minutes)–Winner: Par For The Course by John Bunce

Vic Treen Cup (Film set to music) – Winner: Building The Dream Boat by Mike Shaw

 

Mike Turner Plate (Film under sixty seconds) – Winner: Sam by Mike Shaw

 

The 2014 Top Ten Competition –

Runner Up: Steaming Back To Metroland by  Sam Brown

Winner: Illusions by Mike Shaw

 

We then moved onto the Annual Competition Awards as judged by Staines Video Makers.

 

Jubilee Shield (Film under five minutes) – Winner: Hahndorf by Jim Morton-Robertson

 

Raasay Trophy (No special category) – Winner: Celebrating 30 Years Of Care by Ann & John Epton

 

Alice Howe Trophy (Documentary) – Winner: Lakeside Weekend by Reg Lancaster

 

Reg Lancaster Trophy (Funniest Film) – Winner: Bad News For Mrs. Smudge by Hugh Darrington

 

Heyfield Trophy (Sound) – Winner: Census by Bob Vine

 

Rene Morris Penguin Plate (Photography) – Winner: Sunday Night In Central Park, New York by Jim Morton-Robertson

 

Vincent Pons Shield (Fiction) – Winner: Census by Bob Vine

 

Priory Trophy (Editing) – Winner: The Bells Of St. Barthomolew’s by Barbara Darby

 

Arthur Woolhead Trophy (Animation or Visual Effects) – Winner: The Gang Broke Up by Ann & John Epton

 

Orpington Trophy (Best Film Runner Up): Illusions by Mike Shaw

 

Ian Dunbar Cup (Best film) – Winner: The Bells Of St. Barthomolew’s by Barbara Darby

 

High Commendations:

Rounding The Horn by David Laker

Hamilton Landscapes by Mike & Jo Coad

 

Commendations: Valediction by Colin Jones & John Epton

 

So there we have it. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees and thanks to everyone who showed up last night!

Until we do it all again next year….

Top Ten Competition 2015

Posted on by Lee Relph

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2015 is starting to pick up steam which means the annual Top Ten competition aka the “Barbara Darby Hands Off That’s Mine” award is about to begin!

As ever the names of all OVFM club members have been put into the hat belonging to our competitions organiser Brenda Wheatley and drawn in random to make up the participants for each of the five rounds that will take place between now and the end of the year, leading to the final in January 2015.

Remember that each film has a 20 minute time limit but can be on any subject and in any style. If you have a film from the past which has undergone a significant revamp (perhaps a new soundtrack, remixed sound, improved titling, tighter editing, extended or redacted cut etc. you are also welcome to re-submit these as your official entry.

And you can team up with your fellow club members if you need help on the technical or casting front, it will be the author of the script/concept who gets the entry credit.

The breakdown of the rounds and the selected members for each date is thus:

 

ROUND 1 – June 9th

Basil Doody

Sam Brown

Ian Menage

Colin Jones

Jim Morton Robertson

Ann & John Epton

Harold & Maisie Trill

Reg Lancaster

Simon Earwicker

 

ROUND 2 – July 21st

Mike Graham

Freddy Beard

Lee Relph

Brenda & Roger Wheatley

Pamela Webb

Peter Mitchell

John Bunce

Cherie Hamlet Smith

 

ROUND 3 – August 18th

Andy & Marian Watson

John Alford

Malcolm Goodwin

Charlie & Nellie Caseley

Richard & Jess Pugh

Mike & Jo Coad

Pat Palmer

 

ROUND 4 – September 29th

Barbara Darby

Mike Bishop

David Laker

Leo Staggs

Anna Littler

Walter McKenna

Tony Keable

Chris Coulson

Barbara Walker

 

ROUND 5 – October 27th

Bob Wyeth

Alan Smith

John & Sylvia Greengrass

Annabelle Lancaster

Mike Shaw

Bob Vine

Brian Pfeiffer

Hugh Darrington

Peggy Parmenter

 

As ever if you can’t make your designated round be sure to let Brenda know ahead of time or you have a film ready early, please bring it along as chances are it will be welcomed for screening time permitting. Couples can each enter a film.

So, get filming and we look forward to seeing what gems you have in store for us in 2015!

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday March 17th 2014 – OVFM OSCARS!!

Posted on by Lee Relph

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Those American impostors may have got there first but our annual film awards show is still the best.

Tuesday March 17th sees the biggest event in the OVFM calendar in which the hard work and creativity of OVFM club members are rewarded with polished up bits of shrapnel with the names of previous winners carved into them. As ever club members who entered their film into the Annual Competition will be on tenterhooks as the results are read out while the rest of us will sit on chairs like civilised human beings.

The many awards being contested include:

 

Ian Dunbar Cup

Orpington Trophy

Jubilee Shield

Vincent Pons Trophy

Mike Turner Plate

Kath Jones Cup

Freddy Beard And Moustache

 

We’ll also give a hearty slap on the back to whoever was voted the runner up to Barbara “Cakes” Darby in the 2014 Top Ten competition.

This year we are thankful to Tim Stannard of Staines Video Makers for kindly judging the films on our behalf and we believe he might be joining us on the night, so if you don’t know who Tim is, he’ll be the one who is either surrounded by grateful club members or being beaten up by those who didn’t win an award!

And as ever, with this being a special night we expect attendees to dig out their best clobber or be a bit creative with some fancy dress if that floats your boat, either way it would be nice if you do make an effort and not just turn up like the scruffy tyke you usually are.

Last year’s big winner was our extinguishable chairman Simon “Snapper” Earwicker who bagged an impressive six awards! Can he do it again this year or will 2015 be someone else’s year of triumph?

Much like the February 17th meeting this event will take place at All Saints Church in Bark Hart Road, Orpington. If you need a reminder of how to get there please consult this map:

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We hope to see you all on Tuesday March 17th  for the 2015 OVFM Oscars!! Unless you get a better offer of course…

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday March 3rd 2015

Posted on by Lee Relph

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We kick off the month of March (already? Can you believe it?) by handing over the reigns of the club meeting to one of our long standing members, Jim Morton-Robertson!

Jim, one quarter of the Kemsing Mafia, has been making films for over fifty years – or half a century in old money – thus has accumulated quite a body of work. For our delectation he will be dipping into this extensive catalogue of his to bring us a selection of films he best feels represents the scope of his work.

Beginning with his first ever 8mm shot film from 1962 , Jim will share with us examples of the wide variety of styles he has tackled over the years including animation, comedies and features, while regaling us with tales about their making or the history that surrounds each film.

It’s always fascinating for both the club and the filmmaker themselves to look back over their work so be sure to be present as we delve into Jim’s personal archive on Tuesday!

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday February 17th 2015

Posted on by Lee Relph

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This week’s meeting will see another screening of films that come from outside our club but the standard will just as high, as the IAC logo above might have already indicated to you.

The governing body of all amateur film clubs across the UK is involved in many film competitions across the country and even overseas, one of which is the prestigious BIAFF (British International Amateur Film Festival). Each year films from all over the country are submitted for judging and rated from 1 to 5 stars with eight exceptional entries awarded a Diamond Award, making this a high contested competition indeed.

For our delectation a selection of films of recent BIAFF entries will be shown on Tuesday night, all of which were rewarded at least 3 or 4 stars in competition, so none of your rubbish here! There will be room for brief critical discussion after each film in what promises to be an entertaining and busy evening.

Due to circumstances beyond our control the meeting will take place at All Saints Church in Bark Hart Road, Orpington (where we have held previous meetings including last year’s AGM). If you need a reminder of how to get there please consult this map:

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Hope to see you there.

OVFM Club Meeting Tuesday February 3rd 2015

Posted on by Lee Relph

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This week’s meeting will incorporate one of our rare special project evening as we attempt to make a film in one night!

That’s quite a tall order for a two hour session but we’ve done it before – you may recall the last time where Sam provided us with a number of objects and one line of dialogue to be included for continuity – and I am sure we can do it again.

As for the specifics, I cannot share them with you as they remain firmly locked in the head of our Vice Chairman Sam “Choo Choo” Brown and we all know what a scary place that can be!

Joking aside Sam has conceived some very interesting one night projects for us before and I am sure he will do so again. So, if you are prepared to head into the unknown under the guidance of our Vice Captain then be sure to present this Tuesday evening!