Tag: OVFM

Triangle Competition 2021 – The Results

Posted on by Lee Relph

On 2nd Sept 2021, Spring Park hosted the annual Triangle Competition (after a break in 2020) with OVFM, Shooter’s Hill, and Epsom submitting their programmes for entry and judgement by Spring Park.

There were 21 attendees in all, mostly home base members with 3 members each representing  their competing clubs which is better than nothing in this current climate. Shooters Hill did a good job bearing in mind their dwindling numbers during recent years which meant they had few films they could pick from the relevant period.  Sadly Shooters Hill have closed, albeit they have been invited to join OVFM should they choose.

Epsom put on rather a strange mix, some of which made little sense to me and lacked the spark of the other two clubs.

Run by Graham Evans chairman, the three Spring Park judges unanimously, and without reference to one another, chose OVFM’s presentation as the winner.  They concluded that every film OVFM had shown was made to a very high standard in their own right.  They were impressed!

Click on image to see it full size

 

Congratulations to all who had a film included in the OVFM programme to help steal back our silverware after 9 years!

According to the trophy, now safely in the hands of the chairman, Orpington has won 16 times.  It appears that the Triangle Competition started in 1975.  (46 years)

Orpington’s Success
1978
1979 joint
1981 joint
1984
1987
1989
1991
1992
1995
1997
1999
2000
2003
2011
2012
2021

 

You can look forward to seeing OVFM’s selection at a meeting very soon.

 

Words and photo courtesy of Jane Oliver.

TOP TEN COMPETITION 2021

Posted on by Lee Relph

Just when you thought it was safe it’s back!!! The COVID pandemic might have brought the physical meetings and activities within OVFM to a halt but technology has afforded us the ability to circumvent this as those of you who have participated in the Zoom club meetings will know.

Having successfully held the delayed 2020 OSCARS via this method, we will press on in the same vein with one of our longest running and prominent annual competitions the Top Ten!

Split into just two rounds this year, the running of this event is now in the hands of our new Competitions Officer David Roman-Halliday. Because we are looking to resume club meetings at the Barnard Rooms, we are aware that not everyone will be able to attend just yet so not only do we hope to run the session via Zoom so those people can join in, but we shall also be making the films available online via the club’s Vimeo channel in a bespoke Showcase and shared via email 24 hours after the meetings take place.

Those members who aren’t able to attend in person will have SEVEN DAYS to watch and vote on the films and submit their forms via email. The films will then be taken down if any alterations need to be made should they proceed to the final in January 2022.

Because of this, there is naturally a change to how you should submit your films. Due to the time and logistics of uploading the films, we ask that you submit your film to David Laker or David R-H TWO WEEKS before the round is due to take place, with one week before being the latest they will be accepted. You can do this via FILEZILLA or by using the FREE online service WeTransfer which is very easy to use and can send files up to 2Gb in size. We ask your films be in MP4 format (do please consult THIS ARTICLE on bitrates if your file is too large) and in the highest resolution possible (720p, 1080p, or 2160p) for best picture quality.

You should by now have an email from David R-H informing you which round you have been randomly drawn to participate in.  If you need to change your round please contact David R-H to make this arrangement.

 

Here is the list of club members and the rounds they are requested to submit their films:

 

ROUND 1 – To be held on 19th October 2021 (Last Submission date – October 12th)

Brenda & Roger Wheatley
Hugh Darrington
Kath Goodwin
Chris Towers
Mandy Carr
Graham Sinden
Ian Menage
Brian Pfeiffer
David Laker
Eileen Murray Giles
Anna Littler
Barbara Walker
Bob Vine
Annabelle Lancaster
John & Ann Epton
Jane Oliver
Nellie Caseley
Ron Williams

 

ROUND 2 – To be held on 16th November 2021 (Last Submission date – November 9th)

Charlie Caseley
Sam Brown
David Roman-Halliday
Horace Chan
Lee Relph
John Alford
Malcolm Goodwin
Roger Digby
Andy & Marian Watson
Reg Glennon
Colin Jones
Barbara Darby
Barbara J Darby
Trevor Rogers
Wally McKenna
Simon Ames
John Bunce
Maria Alexander

 

Obviously, we appreciate that not everybody has been able to get out and about with their cameras but being in Lockdown has been a chance for many of you to try something new that is worth sharing, or maybe you took this chance to refine your filming or editing skills whilst indoors. Surviving Lockdown itself is a topic that easy to document, either creatively or factually – in fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a dominant theme for the films entered this year.

We do hope that there will be enough responses to make this year’s competition worthwhile and we look forward to seeing what you have been up to over the past 18 months.

Thanks for reading and good luck to all who enter a film.

In Memoriam – Peggy Parmenter

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

Sadly, Peggy Parmenter passed away on 11th February 2021.  Peggy had slowed down a lot over recent years, not surprising when you consider her age.  During the last year or so she had increasing health problems that left her pretty much immobile.  Her husband Ron, whom she dearly loved, cared for at home but as her health deteriorated, she had more hospital visits than she would have cared for.  Just a few days before she passed away she was once more hospitalised, where she later died.  Peggy and Ron had been married for over 63 years and he will miss her terribly. Our thoughts go out to him and the family at this sad time.

Peggy was one of those ‘get up and go’ girls.  She had no time to sit around and had to be on the go, constantly doing something.  She would insist that she could manage, even when things were becoming impossible for her to continue with.  She was ‘in charge’.  In charge of serving others, a wonderful gift to have; whether teas or coffees, savouries, cakes or puddings whenever there was a social event or a day of filming she would organise the food, delighting others with her homemade fare.

For shows, where OVFM catered for visitors, she went the extra mile to make special treats, filling her freezer up to the gunnels.  One such occasion that she catered for was the North v South competition that OVFM used to host. She would have likeminded volunteers lined up to help out both with the home made cooking and the service on the day.

Peggy enjoyed talking to people, socialising and having fun and you’d know that she was about, due to her distinctive voice and little chuckle.  She possessed a natural talent for acting.  She learned her lines so that her words would flow naturally and seamlessly as though in conversation, entering fully into the spirit of the character she was playing………  And if there was a reason to ‘dress up’ Peggy would oblige.

OVFM were very fortunate to have such a versatile member amongst their ranks.  It is good that we are left with so many good memories of Peggy as we see her starring in many of the older films within our archives.

Peggy, we will miss you, may you rest in peace.

 

Jane Oliver

OVFM Project – LOCKDOWN SPECIAL – Challenges for May

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

LOCKDOWN SPECIAL – Challenges for May

by

Jane Oliver 

 

My challenge is for OVFM to make a club film ‘together’ during ‘lockdown’

To start things off, I thought we could take the principle of this film on Vimeo and each try to film an element of it a home,  in our own style.  It might just be cutting out a paper person, drawing a face, taking a photo of the dining room table or a TV, copying some clip art of musical notes, making a backdrop (we have some artists among our membership) etc.  If the music is a distraction turn it off, as the ‘editors’ can choose music that will go with the footage they receive.  It doesn’t have to be a film about love, the choice is yours.

It would be good if individuals would commit to one or more of the elements.  It doesn’t matter if many chose the same element.  We will need  members who specialise in animation and others in edit.  With footage shared, this could then be made into a number of films and we could vote on our favourite version  I’m sure there will be some comic ones in amongst them.  Someone might even want to write a script for us to follow.

 

To start the ball rolling I will commit to trying to make some matchstick men and faces showing different expressions.

Over to you!

Lockdown Doesn’t Have To Mean Shutdown For OVFM!

Posted on by Lee Relph

Lockdown Doesn’t Have To Mean Shutdown For OVFM!

 

OVFM, like much of the rest of the world, has been forced into temporary shutdown as the Coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the globe. But just because we’ve had to suspend our public and group activities doesn’t mean members as individuals have to stop making films, or filmmaking related projects.

Seeing how the streets and shops are getting emptier as the lockdown takes hold of our communities, this is a subject for a short film, documentary or piece for the 2020 newsreel. Maybe you have personally been affected by the virus and are in isolation, so why not make a video diary of you experiences to share with everyone? We have our Vimeo channel to upload the clips to and a website to share them on.

It may be awhile before we met as a group again, so without deadlines to meet for projects and competition evenings, this gives us all some time to brush up or improve on our filming techniques or maybe even learn some new ones. Some of you may have read my Colour Grading articles, so why not give it a go yourself, and see if you can brighten up your footage using these tips?

There are plenty of new editing techniques being used these days, like speed ramping, split screen, zoom transitions, etc. so this would be a good opportunity for you to take a stroll through YouTube and look for tutorials and learn something new to give your films a fresh feel to them.

Or maybe you might want to try scriptwriting or storyboarding? How about perfecting your lighting or improving your sound recording? What about making your own sound effects or animations instead of relying on your editor’s presets? Or you could try green screen filming or stop motion/table top animation if you’ve never done it before? These are all subjects we’ve covered in previous club meetings so the basics should already be with you.

You think you may know your camera very well but do you? There are always hidden settings and features that are easily missed because you didn’t read the manual (then again who does?) so why not explore every nook and cranny of your camera and its capabilities, making the set up for your next film all the more easier, and that tricky shot you’ve wanted to try possible?

And if you are stuck for inspiration then look no further than the Members Only section and the Annual Competition films available for viewing. Furthermore if you consult the “Links” section to the left of this post, you can find a list of other club sites and amateur organisation like IAC, BIAFF, etc. whose films are also free to view, as are thousands of others on the Internet from filmmakers around the world .

Don’t stop there either – you could also:

 

o    Pick ten films from the archives that you would like to see

o    Make suggestions about what you would like included in next year’s program or what worked or didn’t work in previous programs

o    Meet up with a few others to do something productive together

o    Try your hand at writing/composing your own song

o    Share clips for others to edit into a little film

o    Watch more films new and old to get an idea of what they are doing and see if you can do it too

o   Write an article for the Viewfinder

o   Take the opportunity to index your footage or backup your films and send them to the archive

o   Write a sentence and challenge a friend in the club to include it in a film

o   If you have other suggestions please share them with everyone

 

The best thing is that even though we are physically separated, you can still ask other club members for help via e-mail or this website. If there is a specialist subject you wish to discuss or ask questions or advice about then drop me a line at leerelph@hotmail.com and I will start a new post to start the ball rolling for you.

So, in the words of the immortal kids TV show of the 70’s and 80’s Why Don’t You…? “Why don’t you switch off the television set, go outside and do something less boring instead?”

Over to you!

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY March 3rd

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

Yes, I know we said at the last meeting this would be an evening of films from another club, but the Committee changed their mind and didn’t tell anyone!

They instead felt that since not all of the films entered onto the Annual Competition are shown during the year at club meetings for a variety of reasons, so, as the films are being sent to our independent judges on a Blu-ray compilation disc, we shall be showing the complete list of entries at this meeting so no film is going unseen this year!

And of course, if you enjoy a film after this session and want to see it again, you can check them all out HERE in the Members Section, so be sure you logged in to access the films.

So, we’ll see you on Tuesday for a packed night showcasing the best of the films in 2019 made by OVFM.

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY February 4th

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

As much as we pride ourselves on creating original work here at OVFM, we are not above pinching existing concepts for our own use, as evident by the theme for our next cub evening – Desert Island Films.

But, to avoid litigation by the estate of Roy Plomley, we’ve altered the format a little by having two castaways and they, of course, are choosing films to keep them amused whilst stranded on a remote atoll. Not just any films by the way, these are selected from the extensive OVFM archive, meaning one of YOUR films could be chosen by one of your peers to quell their loneliness and boredom, quite an accolade indeed.

The evening will be split into two parts beginning with Andy Watson, who will include one of his own films but his selection will mostly be from other club members. Andy has chosen the films which have impacted and influenced him the most , and will include one that encouraged him to join OVFM!

Colin Jones will host the second half, with his focus being on short film from members who are no longer with us, as well as few forgotten gems from yesteryear he would like to share with a new audience to appreciate.

We hope this sounds like an enticing evening for you and look forward to seeing a full house this coming Tuesday for Desert Island Films!

FILM TO A THEME PROJECT – NOTICE

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

RUBBISH

 

We kick off 2020 with our first Film to a Theme project and one we think you can have some fun with.

Rubbish might conjure up what we throw away on a daily basis that ends up stinking the house out and being a eyesore on the landscape. But this is just one interpretation of this rubric – we could ask what happens to the rubbish after we throw it out. Maybe if you have environmental concerns on the impact of how our waste is handled this is something you could discuss in your film.

Most rubbish these days can to be recycled but who does this job? How about a film saluting the unsung heroes who get up in the wee hours to wake us up when they collect our rubbish very week and their colleagues at the rubbish tips who are prepared to get down and dirty to sort everything out and make sure it goes to the right places. Perhaps you have an insight to the whole recycling process you could document.

Ever been to a scrap yard for sundry metals or cars? Share it with us. Is fly tipping ruining your neighbourhood? Share us your rant or make a comedy out of it.  You know the saying “One man’s rubbish is another man’s treasure” (not gender exclusive btw)? There’s an idea for a short film too. People talk a load of rubbish too, how about exposing them for a laugh?

These are just some suggestions but no doubt you can come up with many more of your own and come up with something to share with us on the screening evening set for the club meeting on Tuesday February 18th 2020, giving you plenty of time to work your magic.

Good luck and thanks for reading.

OVFM CLUB MEETING TUESDAY DECEMBER 17TH

Posted on by Lee Relph

 

2019 is about to come to an end which means the last club meeting of the year is the annual Christmas Social, a once a year event that only happens every 12 months or every 365 days in old money.

For the benefit of our newcomers and a reminder for the rest of you, the social is still at the usual venue but takes place in the larger GARDEN ROOM, which can be accessed through the Barnyard Room if the doors are locked.

As ever there will be a buffet table and hopefully most of you have signed the list that was passed around at previous meetings to confirm what contributions you’ll be making to the food selection. Anything that isn’t eaten will be used for the traditional food fight at the end of the evening. Teas and coffees will be served as per normal but if you wish to bring something a little more kick to it then you are free to do so at your own discretion and expense.

There is usually some form of entertainment to keep everyone busy, often in the form of a game or quiz but the committee are keeping quiet about it so it is either a surprise, or there isn’t anything and you’ll have to talk to each other instead. Last year, someone brought Hungry Hippos with them and there was drama when one of the hippos escaped and held the caretaker hostage, so if you plan to bring something chose wisely as we don’t want a repeat of this incident.

Dressing up is optional as is the donning of festive attire but the important thing is everyone enjoys the evening – or not, it is entirely up to you.

Merry Christmas!