17th May 2024
Before anything else, the short topic for 4th June IS NOT AUTUMN BUT IS AWESOME. I must have
forgotten my hearing aids.
We didn’t manage to crack the double figures, but nine members enjoyed another meeting of
movies and discussion.
Philip was master of ceremonies but quickly handed over to Mr. Shorts, Joe.
Gary D. posed an intriguing question for a prisoner in a cell with two exits, each guarded by a knight
in armor. The prisoner was allowed to ask one guard one question. The trouble was, one of the
guards was a liar and the other told the truth. One exit led to freedom and the other led to death. If
I’d been the prisoner I wouldn’t have been writing this now!
Matt’s short was a lot less complicated. One of his animals(a crocodile?) was hungry and was chasing
down his dinner. His dinner didn’t want to see what the inside of a crocodile looked like and just
made the exit in time.
Tim didn’t use the EXIT word at all but implied it cleverly in many ways using common road signs.
And they all made sense, from ‘No Through Road’ to ‘No right Turn’. The final exit sign could not be
argued with: gravestones.
Joe showed an off topic short he made with Garry H at the Koroit Irish Festival, it covered everything.
Dancing, music from different instruments, singing, stalls and everything else Irish. The energy
expended left the audience exhausted. The organisers were so pleased with J and G’s video, J and G
were invited back as guests at next year’s event.
June’s off topic short was a mixture of stills and movies of The Royal Botanical Gardens. The
sweeping lawns, trees, plants and flowers reminded us how lucky we are to have such a beautiful
oasis in a spreading, concrete sprawl. Several comments were made about the suitability of Don
Burrows’ clarinet playing.
There were two ‘members films’.
First, Geoff Ross crashed us through boiling seas and blow holes into the much more peaceful
Christmas Island. Now, no longer the destination for unwanted
migrants, the island looks the typical Pacific Island paradise – except for the crabs! The usual annual
migration of red crabs is well known, but not the ones present during the day, all year round. They
all look pretty formidable with their intimidating armour. But the one you wouldn’t want to argue
with is the one that cracks open coconuts with its claws.
Philip reminisced about growing up in London. Through a combination of black and white movies
and stills he visited past homes, grandparents and siblings. We saw the church whose community
had been such a part of Philip’s family life. Philip’s anecdotes of the way he travelled round London
as a pre teenager on his bike and on the tube raises the thought WOW!
Philip then led us in the examination of movie introductions. With the help of a past club group
movie and a documentary by Gary D on the making of the first telephone call, the question was
asked, ‘What should the introduction to a movie aim to do?’ Members agreed that it should engage
the viewer and make him or her want to know what is coming next. But then it was suggested that
this basic requirement could be presented in different ways according to what sort of film it was. E.g.
documentary, comedy, mystery, historical etc. The questions and discussion made us think about
movie making and, perhaps, what we might not have considered before.
Finally, there was a reminder. If you haven’t done it already, please let Phyl know if you will be
attending our fifth Friday meeting at the Ringwood Club, starting at six o’clock.
Good editing, everyone.
John M
forgotten my hearing aids.
We didn’t manage to crack the double figures, but nine members enjoyed another meeting of
movies and discussion.
Philip was master of ceremonies but quickly handed over to Mr. Shorts, Joe.
Gary D. posed an intriguing question for a prisoner in a cell with two exits, each guarded by a knight
in armor. The prisoner was allowed to ask one guard one question. The trouble was, one of the
guards was a liar and the other told the truth. One exit led to freedom and the other led to death. If
I’d been the prisoner I wouldn’t have been writing this now!
Matt’s short was a lot less complicated. One of his animals(a crocodile?) was hungry and was chasing
down his dinner. His dinner didn’t want to see what the inside of a crocodile looked like and just
made the exit in time.
Tim didn’t use the EXIT word at all but implied it cleverly in many ways using common road signs.
And they all made sense, from ‘No Through Road’ to ‘No right Turn’. The final exit sign could not be
argued with: gravestones.
Joe showed an off topic short he made with Garry H at the Koroit Irish Festival, it covered everything.
Dancing, music from different instruments, singing, stalls and everything else Irish. The energy
expended left the audience exhausted. The organisers were so pleased with J and G’s video, J and G
were invited back as guests at next year’s event.
June’s off topic short was a mixture of stills and movies of The Royal Botanical Gardens. The
sweeping lawns, trees, plants and flowers reminded us how lucky we are to have such a beautiful
oasis in a spreading, concrete sprawl. Several comments were made about the suitability of Don
Burrows’ clarinet playing.
There were two ‘members films’.
First, Geoff Ross crashed us through boiling seas and blow holes into the much more peaceful
Christmas Island. Now, no longer the destination for unwanted
migrants, the island looks the typical Pacific Island paradise – except for the crabs! The usual annual
migration of red crabs is well known, but not the ones present during the day, all year round. They
all look pretty formidable with their intimidating armour. But the one you wouldn’t want to argue
with is the one that cracks open coconuts with its claws.
Philip reminisced about growing up in London. Through a combination of black and white movies
and stills he visited past homes, grandparents and siblings. We saw the church whose community
had been such a part of Philip’s family life. Philip’s anecdotes of the way he travelled round London
as a pre teenager on his bike and on the tube raises the thought WOW!
Philip then led us in the examination of movie introductions. With the help of a past club group
movie and a documentary by Gary D on the making of the first telephone call, the question was
asked, ‘What should the introduction to a movie aim to do?’ Members agreed that it should engage
the viewer and make him or her want to know what is coming next. But then it was suggested that
this basic requirement could be presented in different ways according to what sort of film it was. E.g.
documentary, comedy, mystery, historical etc. The questions and discussion made us think about
movie making and, perhaps, what we might not have considered before.
Finally, there was a reminder. If you haven’t done it already, please let Phyl know if you will be
attending our fifth Friday meeting at the Ringwood Club, starting at six o’clock.
Good editing, everyone.
John M
