Tag: amateur film making

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY MAY 15th 2018

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

Joke Films Part II

 

I think this may be a precedent, at least in my time with OVFM, that we are continuing with a themed evening for a second successive meeting.

 

The first evening was something of a success – arguably more of a Pyrrhic victory in some ways – in that we achieved what we set out to do, whilst in the process learning from what worked and what didn’t; the most prominent of these failings was to forgetting to bring a clapperboard!

 

Six short joke films were made set at a restaurant table in front of a green screen (photos below), giving many club members a chance to get involved, whether it was acting, operating the camera, director or supplying the script. We hope to repeat this again during this session so if you didn’t get a chance to participate last time, here is your chance!

 

We must also give our thanks to the external help on the acting (I don’t know that chap’s name but he got stuck in playing waiters and a diner) and if he doesn’t return this week then we’ll need someone to step up and show off their acting chops.

 

For this session we are extending the scope of films that can be made in front of the green screen, so it can be a cafe, works canteen, a home kitchen or whatever you can come up with – although if your idea is a adventurous then we ask you to bring your own props and food to fit the scene.

 

I will be bringing my own personal clapperboard to this meeting whilst we will need the boom mic and pole to record the sound and gaffer tape to stick the green sheets down with. Hopefully these are in the club’s box of gear stored away at a secret location at Trevor’s house!

 

To close, here are a few photos courtesy of Jim Morten-Robertson from the last session for anyone needing a reminder of what we got up to, and remember the footage is now available in the “To Everyone” folder in our FileZilla file sharing programme. Click the image for full size)

 

“I knew I forgot something – the actors!!”

 

“And we’ll just add a clapperboard here in post”

 

Nobody was impressed with Ian bragging about his groin operated camera

 

“Now, which joke from the “50 Golden Classics” collection shall I do next?”

 

“This joke is in French, do you think people will get it?”
“Sorry mate, I don’t speak English!”

 

Charlie was struggling with the folding his arms bit of the pose, while Mike gave up completely!

 

“It’s all right, we’ll just tell my wife we’re acting!”

 

See you on Tuesday folks!

FILM TO A THEME – NOTICE

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

FILMS SET TO MUSIC OR POETRY

 

It was decided by the Committee that the old “project” name be dropped and instead an new initiative take its place, hence the new title “Films’ To A Theme”. The concept is still the same, to encourage club members to make more films and challenge their creativity through  a number of regular tasks set to a fertile topic or theme.

To kick things off for this new beginning is a slight riff on an old favourite – films set to music or poetry. Unlike the Vic Treen Trophy competition held at the end of the year, the rules on this occasion are not as strict insofar as fulfilling the remit. Whilst obviously the film needs to have some sort of narrative, keeping strictly to the beat of the music isn’t a necessary requirement so you can have bit of fun with your images. And you don’t have to stick to music either – everyday sounds like bird song or traffic, construction noises or people talking and animal sounds could make up your soundtrack, the floor is yours.

Conversely, if you wish to make a literal interpretation of a popular song or create a visual narrative then that is acceptable too, which naturally applies to poems as well – in fact this would likely be a better fit. Or you could combine the too and have some gentle music to accompany your poem. The poetry can be something of your own creation or a published work, same for the music, but please take note that it is the responsibility of the individual to ensure they have the correct copyright clearances when using extant published materials.

Hopefully this will prove a challenging yet fruitful exercise for you to get your teeth into and get those creative juices flowing but here’s bad news – the date for the screening of these films is the club meeting to be held on TUESDAY MAY 29th 2018, giving you roughly four weeks to put something together.

Thanks for reading and we look forward to seeing your films on May 29th!

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY MAY 1st 2018

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

For this practical evening we are finally bringing to fruition an idea that has been proposed for a while but was never acted upon until now for a number of reasons.

Originally suggested by Colin Jones in 1974, the idea is to make a series of quick joke films in a restaurant setting, akin to the classic “Waiter, there’s a fly in my soup” gag and variations thereof. The format is simple – two people play the diners, a third plays the waiter – thus should be easily achievable with the minimum of fuss.

We will have practice runs to begin with, but hopefully by the end of the evening we will have found a comfortable groove on the production side of thing and will have enough material for a couple of one-off films or maybe a compendium if we are lucky.

There will be an opportunity for members to have a go at a number of key roles that they are either experienced in or maybe have never tried before, the latter ideal for new or less adventurous members. These roles include camera operating, boom and sound recording , clapper, continuity, props, lighting, and of course acting! And if you think you might flubber your lines, we welcome ad-libbing too since our regular meetings always reveals a few budding comedians!

Help will be on hand for the novices and those who are not so confident making this the perfect opportunity to learn on the job as they say whilst having fun. Please let us know by replying below what role you’d like to take on – you don’t have to stick to just one, we want EVERYONE to be involved in this and have a ago at EVERYTHING – and if you fancy an acting role please also bring a change of clothes for the role most suited to you (for example: smart dress for the diners, shirt, bow-tie and waistcoat for the waiter/waitress).

Equipment that will be provided on the night is as follows:

  • Green screen
  • Lights
  • Tripods
  • Cameras
  • Sound recorders

But you are most welcome to bring your own cameras, maybe to shoot some “behind the scenes” footage. We would also like to request that someone takes some still photos of the evening for our records and future promotional materials.

Props in the main will be supplied by the Committee but if you have something of your own you think might enhance the scenario then feel free to bring it along with you, letting us know what you will bring in a reply below. Oh and of course, please have some jokes ready too! Without them we have no films.

The main purpose of this evening, besides the educational value, is to have fun and that happens most when there is a healthy number of willing participants in the group to make this possible. So, we’ll see you all on Tuesday for another fun and hopefully productive practical session at OVFM!

Kent Film Festival 2018

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

The KFF is one of the longest running interclub competitions dating back to 1974 and returns for its 2018 iteration to be held on September 29th.

OVFM has been a regular contributor to this event and we hope that members will represent us again this year.

To get an entry form, please visit the KFF Website whilst please see our very own Ian Menage for tickets which will be available soon.

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY APRIL 3RD 2018

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

COLOUR CORRECTION/GRADING

You lucky people as Tommy Trinder used to say. We have a second Workshop evening planned for you this week to help improve your filmmaking skills.

Jim Morton-Robertson returns to the presenter’s podium, joined this time by John Epton for a session concerning an overlooked part of the post-production process for amateur filmmakers, Colour Correction/Grading.

There is a difference between the two and if you aren’t already aware of this then Jim and John will explain to us in detail what they are and how to go about applying it to you films with live demonstrations.  John already has three clips and images sent to him by club members to use in these practical showcases but the offer is still open to anyone else who has a problem clip or images that would like to see improved.

Please use the FILEZILLA service to send your clips to John or bring them with you on the night; if you choose the latter it is preferred to be on USB stick, and we ask that you please let us know by replying below so we have enough to fit your clip, otherwise if we end up with a surfeit of clips some of you will go home disappointed.

Also, ahead of the AGM on the 17th, please ensure to bring in your completed nomination forms for the committee election if you have one.

I’m sure John and Jim will be tickled pink to see plenty of keen and green faces on Tuesday for this session, so don’t leave them feeling blue or red faced by being yellow and staying away, leaving a black mark against your name!

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY MARCH 20TH 2018

Posted on by Lee Relph

EDITING

 

Editing. It’s one of the most important parts of filmmaking as our films won’t have a narrative without it!

It’s also one of the trickiest parts of the filmmaking process-  not to mention time consuming – but its rewards are – plentiful once the film is finished and we share it with others who are able to follow your creative vision on screen instead of looking at a slideshow of disparate images.

Heading this session are chairman/woman/person Jane Oliver and Jim Morton-Robertson who by way of a description for what is in store proffered the following:

“We’re going to examine ‘the edit sequence’ of a well known Alfred Hitchcock film, master of filmmaking, and discuss the language of editing (and as James won the trophy for the best edit this year, we thought he ought to share his secrets with the rest of us so that we may have a chance to take the award from him next year.)”

Club members are also asked to please have their nomination forms for the club committee completed ahead of the AGM next month.

And that is what we have to look forward this Tuesday evening! See you then!

The 2018 OVFM OSCARS – THE RESULTS!

Posted on by Lee Relph

THE RESULTS

 

The Oscars took place on March 6th 2018 and here is the complete list of winners courtesy of Competition officer Hugh Darrington, who is stepping down after one year in the role, so we thank him for his efforts over the past 12 months. We are also indebted to Pip, Rita and Alan Hayes for judging the Annual Competition for us this year.

So, to the winners:

ANNUAL COMPETITION

Ian Dunbar Cup (Best film) – Devon From A Different Perspective by Jane Oliver

Orpington Trophy (Best Film Runner Up) – Remember by Andy Watson

Arthur Woolhead Trophy (Animation or Visual Effects) – Orpington In The 1840s by David Laker

Priory Trophy (Editing) – Statue Park by James Morton-Robertson

Vincent Pons Shield (Fiction) – Turkey for Christmas by Colin Jones

Rene Morris Penguin Plate (Photography) – Devon From A Different Perspective by Jane Oliver

Heyfield Trophy (Sound) – It’s A Pug’s Life by Lee Relph

Reg Lancaster Trophy (Funniest Film) – It’s A Pug’s Life by Lee Relph

Alice Howe Trophy (Documentary) – But Is It Art? by Hugh Darrington

Raasay Trophy (No special category) – Moving Moments by Barbara Darby

Jubilee Shield (Film under five minutes) – Remember by Andy Watson

 

OVFM COMPETITIONS

The 2017 Top Ten Competition –

WINNER: Orpington In The 1840s by David Laker

RUNNER-UP: 1940’s Showreel by Barbara Darby

 

Kath Jones Cup (Best joke Film) – Oh Dear by John Bunce

Vic Treen Trophy (Best Film Cut To Music) – Colour My World by Lee Relph

Mike Turner Plate (Best Film Under 1 Minute) – Same The Whole World Over by Brian Ffeiffer

 

Highly Commended Certificates

A 1940’s Experience  by Barbara Darby

Turkey For Christmas by Colin Jones (for Chris Crump’s illustrations)

Orpington Picture Palaces by Pat Palmer

 

Commended Certificates

Oh Dear by John Bunce

The Project by Charlie Caseley

The Juggler by Reg Lancaster

 

Final Scores:

Kath Jones Cup

Oh Dear by John Bunce   71

How To Open A Skoda by Graham Sinden  37

 

Vic Treen Trophy

Colour My World by Lee Relph    51

Remember by Andy Watson    33

1940’s Experience by Barbara Darby    32

Blah Blah Blur by Jane Oliver    17

Last Stand by John & Ann Epton   14

Born In Africa by Pat Palmer    10

Katharine’s Palace by Brian Ffeiffer   6

Wheels by Graham Sinden    5

Statue Park by James Morton-Robertson   5

 

Mike Turner Plate

The Same The Whole World Over by Brian Ffeiffer    40

Light Up The Sky by Trevor  Rogers   39

The Juggler by Reg Lancaster    36

Rumble In The Jungle by John Greengrass   23

Gannet Colony by James Morton-Robertson   14

 

Top 10 Results are HERE

 

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who entered a film and don’t forget you can see all of the entries in the Annual Competition HERE (make sure you are logged in).

That’s it for the 2018 Oscars, we look forward to doing it all over again in 2019!

 

OVFM Spring Film Show 2018

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

OVFM Spring Film Show 2018

 

One of the most important dates in the OVFM calendar is our annual Spring Show where we share the fruits of our labours from a year of busy filmmaking, along with some gems from our archive. What better way to celebrate the days getting lighter and warmer than with evening of films from the very best local amateur filmmaking talent.

 

 

This year’s event will take place on FRIDAY 23rd MARCH at 7:00 for 7.30 pm

VENUE –  Methodist Church, 19 Sevenoaks Road, Orpington BR6 9JH

DIRECTIONS – GOOGLE MAP

WEBSITE – http://www.orpingtonmethodist.org.uk/welcome.htm

 

Club members get in free but for guests and non-members the tickets are £5 – which includes refreshments – and are available by making a request via e-mail at info@ovfm.org.uk . Don’t leave it too late as they tend to get snapped up very quickly!

 

And of course there is our famous raffle where a selection of wonderful prizes are up for grabs provided you have that all important winning ticket!

 

For an entertaining and sociable evening do join us on Friday March 23rd and bring along your friends and family!

OVFM CLUB MEETING – TUESDAY February 6th

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

ADS & TRAILERS

 

This week’s meeting gives club members the opportunity to share with us the results of their hard work in creating adverts and/or trailers for any upcoming films they may have, as per the remit outlined in this post last month.

Given the sheer scope of options available for the ads category, be it spoof, straight or for a product your own creation, we hope that your imaginations went into overdrive and look forward to seeing a varied evening of commercials we won’t want to fast forward through!

As usual we ask a little cooperation from everyone bringing a film to meeting to PLEASE REPLY TO THIS POST in the comments/reply section below, letting us know the film’s run time, media format (DVD, Blu-ray, USB/Memory stick), file format if using the latter (MP4, MKV, AVI, etc.) and picture ratio (4:3 or 16:9). This is a great help for us when planning the evening out and helping things run smoothly so if you could do us this courtesy it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading and be sure to join us for what might be the only time in which making the tea comes AFTER the ads!

OVFM CLUB MEETING – TUESDAY JANUARY 23rd

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

Aruba, Jamaica, oh I want to take you to
Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go
Down to Kokomo

Or Vienna, Madrid, Copenhagen, New York, Berlin, Nairobi, Paris, Stockport…

The annual OVFM tradition of kicking off the new year by revisiting the many holiday locations and climates from the year before continues into 2018.

We invite club members to dig out their footage from their holiday trips aboard – or here in Old Blighty – to share with the rest of us but please remember there is a FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT on your films so you’ll need to be creative in putting your clips together. If you exceed this time limit there is a chance that when you get home after the meeting your house might not be still standing. Hey, what can I say? Our chairman is a stickler for the rules…

As always we politely ask that if you are going to be bringing a film to this meeting that you PLEASE let us know by replying to this post below, lsting the format (DVD, BD, USB stick), picture ratio (16:9, 4:3) and run time.

**EDIT** – As per Andy’s request in the comments below, please DO NOT put a menu if you are bringing a DVD and instead bookend your film with a brief blank screen buffer.

Want to travel the world and not leave Petts Wood? Then be at the club meeting this Tuesday!