No this isn’t a case of deja vu, we have a second week where the theme of the meeting is another practical evening.
No this isn’t a case of deja vu, we have a… hold on didn’t I type that already?
Anyway, the idea behind this week’s session is to follow up what was learned at the last meeting about lighting. Much information was imparted about how to light a scene, what type of light to use and where to position it and now it is time to put it all to good use.
David Laker will be running the evening along with a little help from Andy Watson and Trevor Rogers. They will be bringing the club camera and lights but ask club member attending to bring their own cameras and any lighting gear they may have that will help add to the production.
In lieu of any other ideas, David has come up with a scenario he would like to use which will allow a chance to try out the various ways to alight a scene. If anyone has an idea of their own they are welcome to bring it to the meeting and time permitting we may get to try them as well, and hopefully even get to check the footage on the club PC before we wrap up for the evening.
So, it might be dark outside but it will be anything but when you join us this coming Tuesday for an illuminating evening of filmmaking!
May I send my apologies for Tuesday night’s meeting as I’m in London all day.
I would however really like to get some opinions for OVFM members on something. I’m wanting to apply for a grant for a film making club for young people in our area, run by the Church. I have to give the funders an idea of what amount I would apply for and what I would spend it on. I’m hoping to suggest beginners film making equipment that can then be club owned, rather than lending my limited stuff out. What do OVFM members think would be on a good list of kit to begin a film makers club for young people? The funders have said the cash in the kitty is anything between £1000-5,000 (but I suspect it will be much nearer the £1k). Thanks
Wouldn’t it be cheaper and easier to sign them up to OVFM instead? 😉 😛
Seriously though, your biggest expense will be the camera, sound recorder, microphone/boom, tripods, and lighting gear. Ideally, you really want something durable, multi-functional and of course current, but that will eat up your £1000 quite quickly.
Then again, if it going to be used for kids and beginners and the gear is going to be passed round a lot, then starting out with a top of the range camera might not be so wise. There are quite a few reasonably priced 4K camcorders out there if the purpose is to encourage people and get them started:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/slp/video-camera-4k/nbxhce8ka6bd6hg
You can however get accessories cheaply, like clapperboard, reflectors, portable green screen, SD cards, spare batteries, chargers, cables, and even good quality tie-clip microphones. Amazon also has a wide range of these items.
Hope that helps for starters. I’m sure the tech experts can point in the right direction regarding which gear is best.
A very practical and sufficient list of gear but, as Mandy knows well, filming is only the first part of creating any film. Without a computer, editing and projecting, no-one will see the result.
What are the plans for these stages?
Obviously I can’t speak for Mandy, but maybe she is banking on the kids having their own computers to edit on?
Thanks for all your replies regarding the equipment list. I’ve put something together which is ambitious but we’re going for it anyway. Panel meets this Thursday so I should know within a couple of weeks if I’ve been successful.
Regarding the editing, the Young People are not going to be editing the main project yet but may be helping me a bit. On their own projects and smaller ones they have access to computers, free software or tablets from the school so can edit on those.
Thanks again for your thoughts.
Hello Mandy,
I do not agree that a pile of brand new equipment will foster the making of films if you are a raw beginner, probably the reverse would happen.
If it were me I would aim initially upon getting a quick amusing film made with the minimum of equipment to get the group to bond. The more equipment you use the quicker the youngsters will lose interest.
Camcorder
Modern camcorders which use internal cards are a real blessing as the results can be transferred easily to a PC for editing. I expect there are plenty of second hand ones on the market (our member Ron Williams knows eBay very well and he can advise).
Microphone.
If necessary you can rely upon the microphone of the camcorder to serve initially until you have a band of real enthusiasts desperate for something better.
Lights
I would buy a simple one, probably hand-held from a distance to avoid too much harsh shadow.
Try and use daylight if you can until you are all more experienced.
Stories
Probably the most important thing is to have a few jokes ready for filming.
No doubt there are plenty of joke films on the internet which will give you some ideas and our archive has many of these if you want some more ideas.
It is many years since I spent time with a group of handicapped people showing them how to make films. Even setting up a tripod was a real achievement for some, and they were always desperate to see the results immediately which in those days of cine was impossible.
Good luck, once you have a few badly made films done the group will either flourish or disperse.
Colin Jones.