16th May meeting.

Norm wasn’t able to be with us tonight, so we followed the example of the Liberal Party and
promoted a female into the Top Dog position. Please forgive me for not being too gender
specific, it might be misconstrued. The absence of Joe doubled the responsibility of the Top
Dog, but Elizabeth took it in her stride – as we all knew she would.
Elizabeth welcomed a visitor, John Ramsden, to the meeting and looked forward to seeing a
couple of his short movies later in the evening. The ACMI display, which had included RMM,
is closing next Monday, and items loaned by club members will be available next meeting for
collection. And then it was into the shorts.
The topic was ‘Extravaganza’ and Maureen was the first off the editing suite with what she
would do if she were to win Tatts. Norm built the word using letter tiles and Richard tested
us to recognize different songs played live. No-one got the fifth song. Matt gave us a short,
experimental glimpse of, to him, new software and what it could do. Craig showed what it
was like out and about around Melbourne on one of those delightful days we’ve had lately.
Helmut was away with the fairies in New Zealand – the Hobbit fairies. That looked like an
(expensive) event not to be forgotten. James finished the shorts with a delightful walk
through the bush with very appropriate, AI generated music.
Our visitor, John, told the story of how he gradually talked around staff to be part of – and
enjoyed making – A bad day at the office. He finished on a more somber note showing how
he shared his wife’s last days. John has just completed a project of making 100 short movies
showing episodes in his life. Some of these can be seen, with stories, on Saturday, 23rd of
August, starting at 7.30p.m. at the Croydon Hills Baptist Church, 6, Bamboka Rd. Croydon.
There will be an entry fee of 20cents. I’ll repeat that, 20 cents.
Elizabeth took over again showing how important it is that the setting of a movie matches
the story. Two excerpts from Agatha Christie mysteries illustrated the point. Craig told some
stories, quoting eye watering figures, to show how important the big guys think it is to get
the settings “right”.
Don’t forget, the shorts topic for next meeting, 6th June, is Tattoo.
Short Topic for 20th June is Colour.
And be on your best behaviour everyone, no playing up; the ACMI lady will be visiting us
next time.
Good shooting.
John M.


Meeting summary for May 2nd.

Norm welcomed a good turnout of members with a welcome to a new member, Peter
Thomas. Two members ZOOMed in.
Norm referred to an email sent earlier to all members about decisions made regarding Club
Contests.
Firstly, the Movie of the Year award would be split into two awards:
- Movie of the Year Fiction
- Movie of the Year Non-Fiction
Secondly, regarding use of AI in Club competition films, AI could be included in the maximum
of 20% external (non-member) material used in the film. AI music was acceptable. All
external material not created by the member needs to have the relevant copyright or
permission and needs to be acknowledged. In answer to a query, use of AI for script writing
was acceptable.
Norm had mentioned before how the club is a historical part of amateur movie making in
our area, since 1956. We have now attracted the attention of ACMI. Fiona Trigg, senior
curator at the ACMI, has expressed an interest in seeing what we have in our archives and
will attend the 6th of June Club meeting. That will be a big night as it is our 4th Quarterly Club
Competition night, and Ron will also be doing a presentation from the Club archives. All
those masterpieces that first saw the light of day on Standard8 or Super8 film have now
been digitized, so now live on. When one stops to think of the size of that project, and what
it means for the club, whoever completed it deserves a very big Thank you trophy.
Before handing over to Elizabeth and then Joe, Norm reminded the members that that time
is approaching when – for a brief moment – our club will be rudderless. – the AGM! So,
think, not what you can do for your country, but what you can do for your club, and give a
thought to volunteering for one of those positions that never have long queues of
volunteers waiting for the opportunity to serve in them.
An excellent number of shorts, both on (6) and off (8) topic, then entertained us.
Joe led, lifting the curtain to Anzac Day with a musical by the ‘Old Melbourne Band’ playing a
haunting rendition of the song ‘And the band played Waltzing Matilda.’ Jackie started off
with some history of Curtains, that somehow became infiltrated with cars. Elizabeth
extended the Curtain theme from curtains to fabrics generally, and Maureen mixed
everything up in a dream, adding a burglar and a gardener (and the grim reaper)! While
Norm took on the world for his stage with Dawn being the curtain for a new day. Gary took
on the challenge of forecasting its future.
Off topic became confusing with Matt directing one changing shape chasing another
changing shape through a challenging terrain, and a happy ending! Joe took us to Koroit and
a glimpse of the colorful ‘Irish Festival’. Tim brought back peace with a diorama involving a
model train world. Tim explained it was an experiment that went wrong. But who would
have known? Richard went anti AI by playing his original music on Bondi beach, and John M
soliciting our vote, reminded us that the present goings on would be over in just a few more
hours.
Norm, Elizabeth, Maureen and James retired a broom that had given good service for a
modern replacement. Craig gave us a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes to help
people less able than the rest of us to cope with life.
Elizabeth reminded us that this was Ladies Night and how few there are of the gentle sex in
the club. She was assured that other member appreciated the quality rather than the
quality of the ladies.
Via official promos from the internet, the ladies showed their particular favourite movies
and explained why they were a favourite. Jackie started the session with a home movie of a
dog her family had loved for fourteen and a half years. Other favourites varied from murder
to musicals, escapism and Bridget Jones Diaries. Each showing stimulated a general
discussion on movies, styles, directors, etc.
Willing volunteers filled the important gap left by Brian in collecting the raffle money. The
evening closed with the oft repeated cry of “Draw again” from a repeated winner.
Short Topic for 16th May Meeting – Extravaganza.
Topic for 6th June: Tattoo.
John M



Club Meeting Report 4th April.

Fourteen members heard Norm open the proceedings with the reminder that the upcoming
short for the NSW Federation of Camera Clubs (FCC) film event scheduled for mid-June does
not have to be on the topic ‘Broom’, it can be any 6 min film made since last year -- so get
creating.
Norm pointed out that one of the unexpected outcomes of the ongoing exhibitions in the
Ringwood library is what a historical part our club has played in film making since that casual
suggestion about ‘forming a film club’ was made just after the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.
It was Standard 8 mm film, seventy years ago to flirt with AI today! This led to the
suggestion that we produce a documentary about our club. It would be an excellent way to
record those surprising moments in the club’s history. How many members know that at
one time we held our meetings in a chook shed, or collected the entrance money at the
Rowville footy club home games? A few more years and members who have these
memories will be running ‘How to make movies’ classes in a heavenly setting.
Joe then took over, on the topic ‘Where did I put that?”. Maureen showed the difficulties she
had remembering where she saved that particular file on her computer. Some members
were muttering, “Been there, done that.’ Philip’s search was done by a wombat and a
millipede looking for a drink. Gary H looked everywhere for his phone and eventually found
it. We had four off-topic films. First . . . John M showed that when Bibby gets lorst dahn the
plug ‘ole it’s good to have angels keeping an eye out too. Artwork awesome! James showed
how AI can save money on petrol, but there are looping limits. Even AI can’t get away with
paying only one cyclist and using him over and over again. While placing the transition on a
pleasant water scene, Norm cleverly showed how Nagambie has been rebuilt from floods
which devastated it just a few years ago. Geoff Ross shared a spectacular dji drone shot up
mount Everest. Matt took us on a journey through the forest of the Frog Bat 11.
The next Shorts topic is Curtains. The next meeting is on 2nd May as in two weeks’ time it will
be Good Friday, and no meeting.
Elizabeth took over and set us a task for our AGM on 18th of July. Film someone you know.
With a series of slides, Elizabeth suggested it could – or may not – feature a family member;
it could show an incident in their life; a particular interest/hobby of theirs; what they did
that earned them five years behind bars (don’t forget to get their permission first). Make it
how you like. An interview, perhaps? But it must not be longer than five minutes.
Then came that part of the evening where the brain and understanding was moved into top
gear. Have you ever had a video clip where the colours weren’t quite right? Do not despair,
Geoff demonstrated how Adobe can fix it for you and Joe showed how DaVinci deals with it.
Each software gives the user two options. Option one is automatic, dependent on
instructions by the operator. Option two depends on the operator manipulating the red,
green and blue spectrums. Certain settings have already been selected and made into a
table. For those interested in making really fine adjustments, you are advised to check out
Look Up Tables – or LUTS for short.
At Norm’s suggestion, members showed their appreciation to Geoff and Joe for taking the
time and the trouble to sort it all out. If you have any questions, don’t ask me. Go direct to
Geoff or Joe.
REMINDERS.
Shorts topics: 2nd May -- Curtain
16th May --- Extravaganza.
A.G.M. 18th July. Show a personal profile of someone.
18th April. NO MEETING.
ALSO: History of the club. Start thinking.
John M.


Club report for 21st March, 2025

Norm welcomed fifteen members before handing the mic to Elizabeth to describe the club’s display at the travelling ACMI show in Ringwood.  Our display shows the history of the club from its inauguration in 1956 to the present time through old equipment, documents and club movies in various formats.  Elizabeth said that feedback has been positive and encouraging.  At the same time, organising the display hi-lighted the fact that the club had never used posters to advertise its major activities and that this should be looked into for the future.  Visitors to the display will be well rewarded.  Give it a go, members, it’s about US and can be enjoyed at the Realm, Town Square, Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood It’s on until the end of May. Note RMM is presented in the two showcases downstairs outside the ACMI viewing hall AND upstairs, in the two big glass cabinets at the entrance to the library.
A large number of apologies were made and then it was over to Joe for the shorts.
Matt started the shorts rolling by showing us a different style from his usual with a manduck/duckman slogging his way uphill.  A huge team of uniquely named individuals assisted Geoff and the Clip Klop Police in their search for a missing man.  After some technical spots of bother, our Irish maestro showed how music and colour go together.  (Why haven’t we heard of this musical genius before?).  Norm got very serious and explained how our eyes allow us to see the wonderful world of colour, and what happens when the cones go wrong ending up with a world of shades of grey and Monochrome. Maureen reminded us what a World Crisis it would be if our footie team could only be viewed in black and white.  John B’s keen gardener wife, shown in brilliant colour, must have been devastated waking up to find her garden reduced to multi shades of grey.  (John told us it took him hours to make the video.)  Gary D showed us that some things look just right in black and white – like a Zebra.
Links to the films:
GR Disappearance B&W
https://vimeo.com/1069478376/e7d8fa06c7
JB Monochrome
https://vimeo.com/1069479553/11e111ab55
Monochrome Man
https://vimeo.com/1069479860/e7f3532424
Nl-monochrome
https://vimeo.com/1069480335/532c1fd4b0
World Crisis
https://vimeo.com/1069480563/3e7a0c4376
Monochrome
https://vimeo.com/1069480184/82e5d1fef2
Duck of the Hill
https://vimeo.com/1069480563/3e7a0c4376
 
Topics for the next two meetings are ‘Where did I put it?’ – a gift for those members with short term memory problems – and ‘Curtains’.
Geoff’s Tours Inc. this time took us to Norway, its beautiful scenery and some of its animals.  GTI is particularly popular as its tours are completely free.
No-one would argue with the statement that the biggest challenge facing the world in the 21st Century is Artificial Intelligence.  It is going to affect everyone.  And that includes RMM.  Will future winners of our competitions be the AI software that best follows our verbal instructions?  Norm interrupted an animated discussion to announce that the committee will meet shortly to decide how AI will be allowed (controlled???) in the world of RMM.  I hope there won’t be too much blood spilt at the meeting!!!
Norm announced that we are working with clubs in Queensland and N.S.W. and sharing each other’s videos and challenges. 
Here is an update on the coming program. NOTE the FCC 6 min film is NO LONGER BROOM. Any topic. There is still a BROOM ‘exhibition’ with Queenslanders on the BROOM topic.
Here is more information:
1. The South Coast Clubs get together on April 12.
Melbourne and Sydney clubs will have / make a few videos with the Theme ‘Broom’.
The time for the video should be less than 6 minutes in duration.  Entry details to follow.
 
2. The FCC competition in Middle of June.
After some consideration discussion with the committee of the FCC the following was agreed.
The video section of the FCC Topshot competition shall have the following details:
a.           The video section will be an exhibition of videos from individuals and/or groups of people who make a production
b.           The subject/them will be ‘Open’ so not a specific Theme / Set Subject for this event
c.           The timing will be for videos which are no more than 6 minutes in duration
d.           The videos will need to have been made in the past 2 years
e.           The video will be posted, recommendation, on Vimeo.com which is a commonly used site for videos
f.            The number entries will be limited to a time, yet to be finalised, by the FCC organising group
g.           The quality of the entries will be reviewed to ensure a reasonable video quality and checked for suitable content, language for general viewing
h.           Any music used needs to be licensed by the person/group submitting the video
i.            The entries are to be posted on www.vimeo.com by May 31, 2025
j.            I will work with one of the FCC committee re the distribution / displaying of the videos at the event.
 
Elizabeth closed the meeting by illustrating, with actual examples, how important it is to ‘tell a story’, and how the advertising world does it – in 90 seconds.
Elizabeth then ran a brainstorming session on how would we make a short 60-90 film promotion brooms. There were great ideas and members will produce their versions for the 4th April Meeting. A broom film – anything sweeping!
HOMEWORK.  1. A short.  (Where did I put it?)
                             2. Ideas for Broom.
                             3.  Visit to our display at ACMI.
Chance delivered wine and chocolates to a lucky few!
John M.
 
 
 




Report for 7th March meeting.

16 members were present.
Norm opened the meeting with two reports. Firstly, the Maroondah Council have an
exhibition coming up at ArtSpace at Realm in Ringwood called Between the Details: Video
Art from the ACMI Collection. It is an ACMI touring exhibition and features six moving image
artworks by Australian artists from ACMI’s vibrant collecting and commissioning program.
The council have generously offered RMM space in the prominent glass cabinets and
showcases to promote our club and its activities. Norm pointed out what good publicity this
would be for the club and asked for ideas for how to fill the space being offered. Elizabeth,
taking a lead on this project, has plans to have a theme:
For the two showcases next to the cinema.
- RMM – who we are and what we do.
- Our Tools
The Glass Cabinets upstairs at the entrance to the library.
- The ‘Expectation’ story. This would showcase a film by Club members that has gone
on to win an Internation Film award. (This was an idea requested by the council) We
would show the film’s path from script to storyboard- to shoot and behind the
scenes. Also, the awards won.
- Our Film Story. RMM from 1956 to today.
Almost immediately an old camera and a film projector were offered. Any other ideas? Act
NOW as time is very short. The display is due to open in two weeks’ time! All ideas
welcome. The ACMI show might be also interesting to attend. The is a VR film too.
The second report was about the collaboration developing between RMM and
- Sydney Video Makers
- Brisbane Movie Makers
- Wollongong Camera Club
- Milton-Ulladulla Club
- Shoalhaven Video Club
Kickoff activities include:
- All members participating in a Federation of Camera Clubs (NSW) Topfest film
competition:
o
A 6 min film on ‘BROOM’. All entries need to be lodged by 31st May. Like our
Club competitions, all material must be original and copyright to the
production team. More details to come.
- Our club Rumble competition, 10 hours to complete, will be open to members of all
clubs. No competition, but maybe Ron Fry will award a nod to his preference.
- The clubs will share any interesting presentations occurring at their clubs either via
ZOOM or sharing a recording of the event.
- Many clubs are showing an interest in RMM’s regular shorts and would like to send in
entries. We might open up a regular Shorts page on our website to let users view
entries.
Norm handed over to Joe to present the four shorts for the night.
James presented moments from the past with the help of Suno Text. John B solved a Miss
Marples mystery in at most five minutes thanks to AI and with no input of his own. Craig
came up with a human head in a box complaining of having an itchy nose and Joe showed
how, in the case of being kidnapped and a printer being used to send your nearest and
dearest a ransom note, the note may lead to your release. (It’s all tied up in secret codes.)
Our Competition Secretary then took over for our first quarterly competition for 2025.
Entry No1 showed how the ghost of a deceased rellie was able to correctly forecast Tatts
numbers. (Find your own ghost first!)
Entry No2 was a doco, one of a series, of men in history who have had a profound effect on
the Christian church.
Entry No3 Illustrated the hazards of going shopping with an elderly Mum, all done to a
commentary in verse.
Helmut took over to show what he discovered when he set out to rejuvenate a hand
recorder that was showing its age. Isopropyl Alcohol is the magic ingredient. It is not new
and is up to 70% of many commercial cleaners. Helmut’s research established that there are
not many things that cannot be cleaned/rejuvenated by Isopropyl Alcohol. Lenses,
spectacles and acrylics are some of the few. Helmut also pointed out that because it has the
word alcohol in its name does not mean that it can be used for making one’s own tipple.
To close the evening, Elizabeth discussed the recent Oscars and showed trailers of some of
the winners. Feelings were mixed as to whether or not the trailers were tempting or off
putting. How many of us know that the judges are a very privileged group who themselves
need to be voted into their judging positions? Or that only directors may vote for The Best
Director, actors for Best Actor etc. We live and learn.
Elizabeth has put together a list of the Oscar winners and has some links to clips of some of
the films. See below.
Geoff closed the meeting by announcing the quarterly competition results. Again, they were
extremely close. No 1, the winner, with 76%, was Philip’s Signature of Soren, very closely
followed by Jacquie’s Stir Crazy with 75.8% and Tatts-it on 70%.
Shorts topics for the next two meetings are Monochrome and Where did I put that …?
John Millard.

Report for 21st Feb. meeting.

As usual, Norm welcomed the members (18) to our meeting, this time with a question: do
any members object to a list of members’ electronic addresses being circulated within the
club membership? After a short discussion, in which Norm explained that it would be done
in such a way as to not infringe any member’s privacy and would also make it quicker and
easier for members to communicate with each other, it was agreed.
Norm read a note from the Maroondah Council: ”We have an exhibition coming up at
ArtSpace at Realm in Ringwood called Between the Details: Video Art from the ACMI
Collection. It is an ACMI touring exhibition and features six moving image artworks by
Australian artists from ACMI’s vibrant collecting and commissioning program. With our
exhibitions at ArtSpace we have cabinets that are sometimes curated by the artists in the
exhibition or by related artists or groups.” Maroondah have invited us, RMM, to take part by
displaying RMM memorabilia in one of the cabinets, in effect, giving us publicity with the
local Art community.
Elizabeth then took over for the rest of the evening and called on our Shorts Tzar, Joe. The
shorts topic for tonight was Footsteps, and this time all five entries were on topic.
John B showed how one can get nowhere fast on a treadmill poetically scripted and narrated
by musician AI. Norm’s feet kept moving at the same pace but looked and felt different with
the varying moods created by Suno AI music and camera angles used.
As if we needed reminding, John M chose to point out important footsteps in our lives.
James reminded us that quite a few footsteps are needed to do the right thing by the dog,
and Maureen had us all on the edge of our seats before splattering blood all over the place.
The topics for the next two meetings are, Myster/Intrigues and Monochrome.
Elizabeth led us in examining the importance of music in movies. James gave us a demo on
how AI can help us in choosing this for our own movies. He pointed out that the software he
was using is still very new and he expects it to improve as it is refined and developed further.
James found the software, Suno.com easy to use, but John B thought riffufusion.com was
easier. Both come with free versions so it won’t break the bank to give both a go.
Jackie’s Members Movie came out of a five-day film making course she attended in Sydney.
In it, a female researcher was trying, without success, to get signs of life out of a Spud – yes,
a common potato. The boyfriend thought she might have more success if the potato was
cooked first! It did. This WAS NOT A DOCUMENTARY!
But Geoff’s Member’s Movie of Singapore certainly was. We could well have been watching
a travelogue on any of the main TV channels. Geoff took us to several of Singapore’s
gardens, its zoo, its out of this world architecture and a Sound and Light Show. What a
place! I can’t help wondering whether Geoff might have been paid by the Singaporean
Government for making this gem.
To finish this evening of Music in Movies, Elizabeth showed us some cinema trailers from the
past. This was followed by an enthusiastic discussion. Music is something members are very
into.
Another interesting and stimulating Friday meeting.
John Millard.



Meeting Report 7 Feb 2025

Well, we started off with a bang. A very interesting and well attended meeting, 18 attended with
three also joining via ZOOM.
To kick off, Norman touched on how we communicate with each other. Discussed at the recent
Committee meeting, the plan is to circulate, to all members, a list of all members, including all
email addresses and phone numbers. Normally Club correspondence to all members uses bcc
addresses so, members really do not have each other s contact details. Norman asked if any of
the members had any objections to this proposal. There was no objection, and members were
unanimous in their approval.
If you have any objections to your email address and/or your phone number (that we have in our
records) being distributed to all members, please let me know. We will produce the new
member list after the next meeting.
Then it was on to Shorts, A new beginning led by Joe. Really led by Joe who showed us the birth
of a new kitchen. Maureen then showed how tractors were the beginning of the agriculture
revolution and audio problems transcend time. Norman presented U3A Knox s offering of a
fantastic range of ways to make a new beginning in 2025. Lastly Philip took us on a poetic
journey of how Nature makes a new beginning even after disasters like a fire.
We then watched three short amusing films by Matt Bisset-Johnson. He had been experimenting
with different forms of drawing and animation through the January period.
And Matt let us know he is having an exhibition at the end of the year At the Maroondah Estate
Gallery. The exhibition will feature his paintings and animations.
NOTE: Short topic for 21st Feb – Footsteps.
Moulinath Ganguly then took the stage starting with a report on the Film Festival success of
some of the films he made with the club, including the film Expectations which has won best
international micro film in the Kolkata International Micro Film festival. Mouli than described his
experiences being part of the major film ‘My Melbourne , due to release in Melbourne end of
February. The film is in four parts, each directed by an experienced young Indian Bollywood
director. Mouli acts in a film as an Australian Indian father, who has returned from India with the
ashes of his late wife to be confronted by his gay son and his gay partner. Mouli described his
experience being filmed by a large production unit. A unit that used Blackmagic 8K cameras –
Blackmagic were one of the sponsors of the film.
Mouli is also starring in a short documentary, Beyond Boundaries. There is a link and
information about this film at the end of this report. All are welcome to attend.
Next we had the opportunity to view two member films. Firstly, we had a documentary Rajah
Quilt . No, it s not an Indian princely story – but about the journey of a women convict ship to
Botany Bay and the amazing quilt they produced. There was the great role Elizabeth Fry had in
generating women s right and creating such opportunities. And yes, it was Ron Fry
documentary. Then we were off to the Svalbard, Bear Island, behind the Geoff Ross lens. A
fascinating combination of visual beauty and the looming problems of Climate Change and the
fate of the polar bear. Add a drone and it was very visual.
Elizabeth then took the floor and presented the syllabus of the year. Key features include: An
Acting Class, a class on narration and voice overs as well as a group film and October will be
bird month featuring Nature Documentaries as our genre to investigate plus our own films of
birds in our garden.
Norman then wrapped the meeting with a report of the planned collaboration with Sydney,
Brisbane and some Queensland Film clubs. The 10-hour Club Rumble will be held again this
year on the 21st of June, a Saturday. This will be open to all the other film clubs and will allow
working members to participate. There will also be an annual Film event. The topic will be
selected, and members of the Clubs and each Club can put in entries. The details have to be
worked out, but we have indicated we do not want it to be a competition – just a showing. There
is also a plan to share presenters via ZOOM. So, if some Club organises such a presentation,
details will be available for us to join if we wish.
The really good news is that Geoff Ross has agreed to take up the role of Competition
Secretary.
Phyl wheeled out the tea, OJ and snacks. We will be setting up a roster for Kitchen duties. To kick
us off, Matt will lead on the 21st.
Elizabeth, Philip and Norman

Christmas Meeting 13th December  Report

We had a big 35-person turnout for the Christmas Party. By 6:30 – spot on time, most were seated among the six tables set up with very tasteful Christmas decorations by the Club Kilsyth people. Special guests were Sue Martin, President of the East Ringwood Senior Centre and Peter Waters, the secretary.
After a RMM welcome, Joe kicked off the Shorts, 3 on Christmas topic.  Maureen showed how her mother created a Christmas Pudding and Maureen’s attempts to recreate, wink, wink a copy. John B. took us on a Santa trip, through snows and even high over Uluru. Norman Shared his favourite Christmas story that happened on 24 December 1914. The two opposing armies on the terrible Western front battlefront, crossed the lines shared drinks and even played a football game – peace on earth and good will to men could and did happen for one brief Christmas moment. Off topic, Helmut shared snippets from the National folk festival the music, atmosphere and mood in Canberra, Barbara talked to the giant ‘two legged’  ‘seagulls’.
The Turkey, Ham, vegies and sauce went very well to be followed by the 2nd Quarterly Film comp. Matt’s cartoon, ‘Galactic Holiday’, kicked off the competition, stretching our imaginations as to how things might go wrong in an intergalactic holiday.  Mouli’s film, ‘Akti – Cup’, was about a woman who decided she had enough of an overbearing husband in Bengali with English sub-titles and including some beautiful singing by a local talent. Jack and Joe told us the ‘Amazon’ story, the wooden trading boat was wrecked in a storm in 1863.  The wreck still lies on the Inverlock surf beach. Philip presented his second film in the series about men who made a significant impact on European history.  A very appreciative audience awarded Philip’s film an extremely close winner with a score of 79.2 over Mouli’s ‘Akti Cup’ with a score of 78.7. The other two films came in close. Some preferred  one film and some another. Overall, all the films were well appreciated.
Geoff took the floor to present a 20 Question Quiz on Melbourne buildings and streets and features. Each table had a contest sheet and was a team. Geoff put up on the big screen slides consisting of photographs taken with a Geoff Ross style. Geoff then had the tables switch their answer sheets and gave the answers. It was very competitive with table 2 winning with 12 correct answers. The winning team, (Knowledgeable) Phyl, Maureen and Ian, John and Olga and Matt shared a huge Chocolate prize.
The Christmas pudding then dominated the evening to be followed by Geoff Ross latest documentary on Sovereign Hill, Ballarat.
Finally, it was down to awards. Sue Martin, handed out the awards that consisted of:
Celebrating our members contributions to our club.
 
Best Director Award:                                    Mouli Ganguli
Mouli made some interesting films to entertain us.
Best Actor Award:                                       The Dinnersauers Matt Bissett-Johnson
Matt’s Dinnersaurs won our hearts. He did a great job drawing, voicing and animating his films.
Documentary Maker Award:                        Phillip Hughes
Philip continues to inform and entertain us.
Boomerang Award:                                     Maureen Plain
Now maureen has retired she can spend more time developing her film making skills.
Persistence Award:                                     Tony King
Hang in their Tony we look forward to seeing you in person in 2025.
Intrepid Reporter Award:                           John Millard
John has been writing up our meetings so members who miss attending really appreciate.
Bard Award:                                               Jacqui Young
Jacqui has been combining poetry and rhymes to add her own spin to her films.
Shorts Presenter Award:                         Joe Magee
Joe may not always get his homework done but presents our shorts with humour and his unique stories.
Wizard Of Zoom Award:                          Tim Morrow
We thank Tim for running our zoom sessions keeping our members in touch.
The C5 Award:                                            Ron Fry
Commending his 5th Wednesday of the month presentations.
 
As the meeting was drawing to a close, Philip paid tribute to the huge amount of work that Norm puts into the club every year … and right through the year. He noted the numerous phone calls and the long hours preparing for the meeting. Norm was presented with an award to acknowledge his efforts.
Finally Brian ran the Raffle that consisted of 17 prizes. Yes you heard it 17 prizes. And as is RMM style, you can’t win a prize twice – the tension lingered while 17 separate winners were finally identified.
It was a very relaxed enjoyable evening. It was making Movies and Making friends in RMM Christmas spirit style.

1st November meeting, 24.

Norm welcomed twelve members to the meeting and Ron told us that our movie show had
been well received by the oldies, as usual. Members were reminded that our Christmas
Dinner will be held this year on 13th of December at our usual venue at the fixed price of $39
for a two-course meal.
NOTE! There will be NO meeting on Friday, 1st of December.
Joe took over for the shorts, with three on the topic of Halloween and three off topic.
There were also a couple that didn’t seem to fit in anywhere.
Norm got the ball rolling with real pumpkins and Philip showed lots of fun and how
the Thai people like to celebrate.
John B showed a different side of Messers Putin, Trump and other world leaders from
what we normally see. The world would be a better place if they stuck to music.
What we saw from Norm suggests that Diwali is a bit like Halloween but with much
more fire and food involved.
Geoff R took us to the Antarctic here in Melbourne and John B how the Interview
From Hell might go.
Jaqui began by reminding us of many of the directors who have graced our screens
over the years, paying particular attention to local girl Jocylyn Moorhouse.
Three members looked back at their travelogues; Philip to the year Scotland had
record rainfall during the holiday period, Elizabeth when she and Max had a special day in
Switzerland and Ron shared the magnificence of Fingal’s Cave with us.
So don’t forget, Philip is waiting to hear whether you and your better halves will be
attending Father Christmas with the accompanying $39 per person.
The day that changed everything, will be the topic for next meeting and the following
meeting, Christmas Eve.
John Millard.

18th October meeting summary.

Thirteen members chanced the warnings of flooding rain and golf ball sized hail to be present, and four more were present via zoom.
Before getting into our normal shorts, Norm tempted Geoff R and Maureen to tell us about New Zealand and the thrill (!!) of motoring across the Nullabor.

After the record breaking number of shorts last meeting, members were still recovering, and this time there were four on the topic of ghosts plus one off topic.

Norm’s ghost was a tiny spider who lived in a ghost house.  But then the tiny spider hit zoom and became life threatening. Ghost Spider!
Joe went to bed reading a Kafka story and, after a nightmare fighting demons, awoke having morphed into his hidden self.
John B exposed his own guardian angel – who looked like an identical twin, and Gary D had a creepy hand emerging from the earth of a Halloween establishment threatening unimaginable horrors.
Tim gave us a ten second clip that could have led anywhere.

Believe it or not, but there are only three more club meetings until Christmas.  Topics for Shorts are:  The Day That Changed Everything;  Shopping;  Christmas Eve.
Joe reminisced on the time when a hospital at which he was working could have saved themselves twenty grand had they only listened to him.  Geoff then treated us to a sight of what arguably could be the most beautiful building in the world – The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.  The changing formats, chosen to match the exquisite architecture, were a delight to observe.
Elizabeth then changed the atmosphere completely by showing how she edited down some archival footage from her car club into an entertaining – if hectic - few minutes, including a Royal moment.  An open session then followed involving us all.
Elizabeth wanted to know which parts of this year’s program went well, and which parts didn’t go so well.  Not only that, but what would the members like to see in next year’s program?  Discussion was wide ranging and showed that specific ‘how to s’ from DaVinci was popular.  A fifteen minute pre-normal meeting instruction period seems a possibility. 
The meeting closed with some instruction on how to use Foley to improve sound in our movies.
John M.



4th October Meeting.

Once again the ‘Apologies’ won out with 15, but 9 members braved the thunder and
lightning to attend another meeting.
Norm was the Jack of all trades, opening the meeting, projecting the videos and
introducing the shorts in the temporary absence of Joe. This week’s topic was ‘Home’.
History was made when John B’s short was shown a second time while we waited
the arrival of Joe. John showed humungous sheets of glass being fitted to a house being
built. At tens of thousands of dollars a sheet, there was no room for mistakes.
Richard cleverly fitted visuals to the lively music that stated Home is Where the Heart is and
Matt, in his usual style, followed with a tower home whose designer appeared to have been
influenced by the Incas – or was it the Mayan civilisation?
Norm reminded us that many people don’t have the luxury of having ‘a place to call home’.
Thank God for the Salvos and many other like minded people.
John M’s reminder was the only off topic short that none of us like to be told about – Old
Age.
Don’t forget that the topic for next meeting is Ghosts/Halloween, and the following meeting
dead heated between Shopping and The day that things became different.
Rather a lot of time remained to be filled before refreshments were to appear so a
bit of blarney followed – that delightful Irish lilt – explaining why, sometimes, words appear
backwards on YouTube. Joe explained that it’s all to do with avoiding copyright penalties.
Copyright proved to be an interesting topic of discussion.
In spite of Norm’s generous offer to give up the floor to anyone to give a talk on film
directors, there were no takers. However, that didn’t stop a general discussion on favorite
directors taking place.
Norm showed a video of how a wife finally walked out of her marriage due to the
way she was being treated. Served him darned well right!
A discussion, varying widely, from the usefulness of feedback, whether members
movies should be allowed with no restrictions and whether we should go back to Group
Movies followed. Does your quarterly competition entry have an advantage if it is shown
first? Or should the order of showing come out of the hat? Are you listening, committee?
In answer to a question, Ron made the announcement that the club has a properly
organized archive of club movies which is accessible to members. You just have to ask.
We now have a new Competition Secretary. Thanks for volunteering, Matt.
Several comments were made about the delicious fruit cake served up at supper.
Many thanks to the Chef.
We didn’t have to go home in the rain.
John M.

20th September meeting.

It was almost standing room only with fourteen members present, plus a visitor. And there
were 15 shorts. In case you thought that was a typo I’ll repeat that. There were fifteen
shorts!
Matt started the rush with a hard to sort out story of flying pyramids and cubes. Later, Matt,
with the help of imminent professors, explained the origin of U.F,Os. John B reminded us of
the magical fun that is available at Merimbula fun park and Gary D skillfully combined the
beauty of various parks with the lyrics of a popular song. Jackie brought back the magic of
our youth. Those were the days – and then Norm introduced a true magician who, at the
utterance of magical words, changed an orange into a bottle of orange juice. John M
reported progress in the battle with DaVinci and Ron showed how children and the magic of
Harry Potter make a good combination. Joe relived a weekend with mates in a lighthouse on
King Island playing with technology – around with others scattered around the world. It was
Joe’s very first attempt at shooting a video. The endless possibilities when magic and video
are combined was demonstrated by Philip and Helmut rounded off the evening with truly
magical views of nature in all its beauty under crystal clear seas.
Topic for next meeting is ‘House’, and the following, Halloween/Ghosts.
The tech topic this time was colour grading. Norm demonstrated how, - when you know
how - colours can be manipulated in DaVinci. This created quite a bit of discussion among
members suggesting quite a few others know their way around that part of DaVinci too. If
you are that way inclined, I suspect colour grading is an area you can play for hours with
Elizabeth then took over and asked us to go back into our archives and look at our travel
movies. Do they have a beginning, middle and end; is there a theme; do they have a variety
of camera angles; do the movies have a personal touch; has sound been used to its full
potential? Elizabeth warned us that in the not very distant future we are going to be asked
to show these travel movies at the club and have those questions asked. Titles are
something else that will be looked at. How interesting/boring are they?
You have been warned! Start rummaging through your travel movies now.
John M.
P.S. It was nice seeing Jack at the meeting. I’m sure I speak for us all when I wish him the
best of everything when he next goes ‘under the knife’.


5th of September meeting report.

Unclean thoughts of rival competition (Footie Finals) intruded as a glance around the hall revealed eleven members present.  However, in his introduction Norm revealed a huge number of apologies, many of them in far away places.  Sorry for those unworthy thoughts.
Four members had taken on the Shorts challenge of ‘The Sound of Silence’.
Matt set the ball rolling with a band – not quite of star rating, and a fan who kept poking his tongue out.
John Bs rotating pigeons revealed how fickle people’s desires to do good by volunteering can be.
Philip demonstrated what can happen when poetry and beautiful music are combined, and Ron showed how universal the language of music is.
Then it was time for the quarterly competition entries.
John B. took us to a part of the world we otherwise, probably, wouldn’t have visited – the
Crimea.   We were given some idea of the history of Christianity in the region of
Bakhchysarai back to the 1st Century.  Homes, from Joe Blow’s to the palace of the King, and many artifacts kept us intrigued.
The musical telling the story of the journey of The Lady Juliana from Blighty to Sydney Cove hinted at how it obtained the reputation of being a floating brothel.
Matt went back into ancient history to show how the frog bat evolved and then began to decline in numbers again.
The life of John Wycliffe showed that, as far as the church authorities were concerned, he was a bit of a trouble maker. He had the audacity to translate the Bible from Latin into English, allowing ordinary people – who could read – to be able to discover what it was all about.
A very close call gave the winning spot to Philip.  Congratulations, Philip.
While we prepared ourselves with refreshments, Joe took on the daunting task of explaining the mysteries of DaVinci.  Comments from the audience suggested that there are some in the club who know how to navigate its mystery – or should that be mysteries?  Thanks, Joe.
The Shorts topic for next meeting is Magic, and the meeting after that, Houses, so go for it.
John M.

16th August Meeting.

We had to do without Elizabeth and Joe, but Norm saw us through the evening magnificently.
For a change, all shorts were on topic, which was ‘Traffic’.
Gary D. tackled the uncertain world of A.I. in his interpretation of a pop song from the past while
John B mixed the modern world of highway construction with how Oz footy got started. Norm took
us back to the music world with Mr. Fantasy and his rockers, while John M hinted at the murky world
of drugs. Can you imagine being held up on the highway by a reindeer? One with a liking for cup
cakes? Jackie was! Philip made it clear that when it comes to traffic problems, we aren’t alone in the
world.
Topic for the next short is a piece of music – Love letters in the sand was bandied about –
and Magic for the meeting after that.
Geoff R. reminded us what natural magic we already have around the west coast of the US of
A, be it in the depth of winter or the oven of Death Valley. John B then reminded us that nature also
has a nasty side to it. But it doesn’t always beat modern technology – thank goodness. 3Nuts got a
mention. Is that what radiation is measured in? I’m assuming they have nothing to do with
supermarket shelves.
Then we got down to the nitty gritty of movie making. Norm offered up a video he and his
friends had made for members criticism. It generated a fair amount of discussion, particularly from
the ladies.
A YouTube instruction looked at the essentials – editing. How do you transition from one
shot to the next? Fades, dissolves, J cuts, L cuts, cross cuts were all described and many more
besides. We all use them, but it’ nice to be reminded of their potential.
In case you’ve forgotten, our next meeting will be held at the Ringwood Club. If you haven’t
yet booked, speak nicely to Phil and she’ll do the booking for you.
Cheers.
John M.

3RD AUGUST MEETING 2024.

As usual, Norm got the meeting underway before handing over to Joe to show us what
shorts would entertain us this meeting.
John B warned us not to jump to conclusions.
Philip showed how different nationalities can live together quite happily if they are left to do
so.
Helmut reminded us of the beauty of the Dandenongs, right on our doorstep.
And Matt did his usual and looked at delivering the news from a different perspective.
John M complained of the time needed to learn to use DaVinci.
Jacqui showed how you don’t need a gym to get fit, and breath pure, fresh air while you are
doing it.
Norm then introduced Brian Balen to give us the lowdown on the editing software that is of
interest to many in the club – DaVinci.
Brian told us that a new issue has been released that simplifies Resolve 18 and gets into AI.
For his talk Brian restricted himself to just using the colour page. Using actual examples, we
were shown how to make subtle variations to shades of primary colours and, most
importantly, how to reclaim those disasters created in the camera.
Questions from the audience suggested that some of our members are making good use of
DaVinci’s capabilities.
Thanks for your time and insights, Brian.
To finish the evening, any worries in the room were smoothed away by a nature story from
Geoff Ross. How often does the average Joe Blow even notice birds? Geoff’s Wings
reminded us what wonder and variety there is around us if we just look. And to put the
cream on the cake, the beautiful visuals were accompanied by equally beautiful music.
Thanks Geoff and Amadeus.
REMINDERS:
For those few members who renewal time has slipped their memories, will you please
renew your membership SAP?
That occasional fifth Friday pops up again in August so, if you will be joining us at the
Ringwood Club on 30th of the month, please let Phil know.
The short topic for our next meeting is; Traffic or, alternatively, Booze Bus. A word of
warning was issued if your choice is the latter. Don’t let the police see you pointing your
camera at a booze bus!
If you are into singing, the short for the following meeting will be right up your street. It’s
A Song.
John M.


Movie of the Year Meeting 5th July 2024.

Wimbledon, Tour de France, European Soccer Championship, Ringwood Movie of the Year. What a
great time to be alive; yet another time when our club gets to shine forth.
Unfortunately, eleven of our members were unable to experience the atmosphere friends and relies
had built (I counted 34 – give or take a handful or two). But, hopefully, they didn’t completely miss
out as our talents were displayed to the world through zoom. Not all the world tuned in, but
apparently twelve did.
There was no messing about. As soon as Norm had welcomed out visitors and, for their benefit,
explained how our meetings run, Joe raised many laughs presenting examples of some of the shorts
that had entertained us during the year.
Then Elizabeth, our M.C. started presenting what we had all come to see.
Over four quarterly competitions, our members had decided they liked the following movies the
best: Visit to Bergen; Family; The Journey; Expectations; The Write Stuff; Architecture that Evokes
the Divine; The Southern Star; Taiwan; Dinnersaurs; and Miranda’s Tail. BUT! Which one had been
voted Movie of the Year by the external judges? Such a variety of topics makes judging extremely
difficult – some might say impossible – so Elizabeth explained how the committee had tried to
reduce this problem by recognizing different areas in the awards. She then called on our Guest of
Honour, Heidi Victoria, a noted photographer in her own right, to present the trophies.
1st quarterly competition; Philip, for Taiwan.
2nd quarterly competition; Gary D for The Journey.
3rd quarterly competition; for Write Stuff.
4th quarterly competition; for Architecture that Evokes the Divine
There were also trophies for The Best Fiction trophy, which was won by Matt and The Best Non
Fiction trophy, won by Philip.
BUT. Who was the Top Dog? Which one was The Movie of the Year?
Our Guest of Honour presented the trophy to Gary Hegedus for Mira’s Tail.
Congratulations to Gary.
And thanks too go to our Guest of Honour, Heidi Victoria, and the people behind the scenes who
organised the refreshments to finish off another successful Movie of the Year.
And, of course we mustn’t forget our judges without whom our Movie of the Year would not exist,
so, to Colin Paxman, Mark Ward, Colin Parrot, Aylee Sunstorm and Mike Reynolds many thanks for
a difficult job well done.
Here’s to the next Movie of the Year in 2025. Gee, doesn’t time fly?
John M.



Meeting 21st June

Eleven members were in attendance when, not only was it the winter solstice when 3000
ladies stripped off all and took to the water in Tasmania (yes, I did say winter solstice) but it
was also when our meeting was directed by our ladies – all three of them!
After breaking the ice, Norm got the meeting going, Ron confirmed that the club is still
solvent and Joe introduced our first short.
John B showed professional musicians worst nightmare when the music WOULD NOT stay on
the music stand. One time, the music even hid inside the piano!
Philip informed us how, back in the twelfth century, John Wykliff had the temerity to criticise
the Pope! for wasting churchgoers donations on fancy buildings.
Gary D confessed to having, at one time, being convicted and sentenced to having to listen,
for 100 hours, to a niece practicing the violin.
Maureen finished the shorts by boasting how she performed on stage with Abba.
‘Movie of the Year’ next meeting so bring along your friends and neighbours, then see what
your imagination can dream up for ‘ All that Glitters’ on 19th of July and ‘That was
Interesting’ on 2nd of August. Where’s the year gone?
Then the ladies took over.
Besides telling us what sort of films they particularly like or what they look for in movies,
Elizabeth made us aware of the mark Australian women have made in the world of movie
making behind the scenes. Using short extracts, Elizabeth took us down memory lane with
reminders from well known movies that were directed or edited by Australian ladies. Did
you know that Jocelyn Moorhouse and Gillion Armstrong went to Vermont High and
Swinburne Film School before cracking the big time? Neither did I. And who knew that,
besides being a petrol head, our Elizabeth also collects Barbie dolls?
If it wasn’t realised before, little fire power though they have (numbers wise), we can’t do
without our ladies. They are at work in the background too. Thanks to Trudy, after greeting
Brian to yet another year, we all enjoyed a most delicious chocolate birthday cake. Three
cheers for our ladies.
John M.


June 7th Meeting.

Norm got the other eleven members going with several others apologizing for only being
present on Zoom, then he handed over to Joe to show us what delights were in store for us
with the shorts on the topic of ‘Awesome’.
Gary D horrified us with a public transport world we’d hope never to be part of and where
the CFMEU had gone berserk.
Geoff R reminded us how puny mankind’s efforts are when compared with Nature’s ‘down
south’. It looked pretty cool too.
Tim backed up Geoff’s message with B.C.U. details of more of nature’s work, this time of a
more temperate nature.
Philip went to the other end of the world from Geoff to tell the same story. Three on the
trot telling the same story. Awesome!
Norm stayed closer to home with cooking on an awesome scale. Imagine a 2m diameter
frying pan in your kitchen! Opinion was divided: was it curry, paella, or risotto? Whatever it
was, there was a helluva lot of it.
The theme for our next meeting is ‘Facing the Music’, and for the 5th of July, ‘All that
Glitters.’
Then it was into the quarterly comp.
There were three entries; Matt and two from Philip! Yes, you read that correctly. After his
recent overseas trip, Philip probably has enough footage to guarantee entries until 2030!
Matt kicked us off with ‘The cycle of Life’. His, by now Friends of RFVM took us through the
cycle of egg producing, both above and below water. At one time, Matt even had eggs being
delivered by pollution adding transport!
Philip took us on a tour of Bergan, up there in Scandinavia. From the air to its brightly
coloured housing level it was packed with interest. It’s still a major port and the destination
of cruise ships. But there have been a few changes since the Vikings left home to explore –
or should that be take over – the world.
Philip’s other entry took us a bit further south – to Spain and Granada. The Muslim
influence was obvious – but that cathedral was truly awesome. Its construction started in
1842, but it’s going to be finished – soon. I don’t know why we complain at our projects
running overtime.
As is often the case, scores were close, but Philip just pipped himself with a winning score of
78.9%.
Elizabeth, being a petrol head, was in her element talking about cars in movies. In short
extracts from some of the big movies we were thrilled with high speed chases, driving in
‘impossible’ places and the most exotic – and expensive cars. But had you even thought
about using a car to depict a person’s character? No, neither had I. Memories were re-
kindled with vision of early models of e.g. old Rovers and Volvos.
An interesting tip that Elizabeth gave was that if we needed, say, a 1952 Ford for our next
blockbuster, a mention to car clubs would likely track one down, and the owner would be so
chuffed to see their baby on the big screen, they wouldn’t even think of charging for the loan
of it. I’m not sure if that would go for car chases or crash scenes. Thanks for that tip,
Elizabeth. It might even apply to other than cars too. Sorry, I don’t have Elon Musk’s ‘e’
address.
Geoff brought the evening to a close with a visit to New Zealand and Larnach Castle and its
grounds. Wow! Compared with the boxes being built these days – let’s say no more.
Next meeting; Ladies Night. With so few of you, that’s quite an undertaking. Best wishes,
ladies.
John M

Meeting 17th May

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


CLUB MEETING 3rd May.

This meeting was broadcast on zoom using a different system from what has been used before. But
there was no equipment on view! A tripod was standing at the front of the hall with a funny little
box thing on top. Not a sign of a camera anywhere – except, that funny little box thing was IT!
Helmut’s 360 °, 5K camera. Amazing!
Friday’s club night just goes to show what unforeseen circumstances can do to meetings. Only
eleven members were in attendance. But I must stress the low numbers did nothing to affect the
quality of the meeting content! Apologies kept coming and coming. Unfortunately, one of the
apologies came from Joe, who has Covid. We all send our best wishes to you, Joe, and hope to see
you back and firing on all pixels next meeting.
John M started the evening with a history lesson on how all this internet business started. I suspect
that not many (any?) members were aware that it was started by the wife an Arabic trader named
Abraham Com. His wife’s name was Dot. Dot was a formidable woman and was often referred to as
Amazon; Amazon Dot Com. It’s amazing how her idea caught on.
Norm then resumed control of the meeting and announced the one and only Short for the evening.
Garry Dusting’s entry was titled, In the Realm of Inconceivability. Surely it was inconceivable that
Garry had bought himself a Ferrari? But there he was, examining it in fine detail. We were all
correct, it was inconceivable, and just goes to prove we can’t believe what we see with our own eyes
these days.
Norm’s off topic contribution was a truly impressive movie. It had been made in remembrance of a
person who had died in the Gaza war. Scenes depicting the anguish his loved ones had gone through
were added to by them all being shown in a continuous zoom out. The story was told from a Jewish
point of view, was completely apolitical and could equally have been applied to those on the other
side of the conflict. It generated quite a bit of comment afterwards.
Elizabeth then took on the challenging task of presenting something that, later, turned out to be no
big deal among us movie makers. Lighting.
Elizabeth used two short videos to show how the Big Boys light scenes from the warm to the
intimate. The language of lighting was explained and also the technology of light sources. I suspect
most of us found it rather overwhelming. We were then given the opportunity to describe our own
lighting equipment. It turned out that we all have lights – of one kind or another – but they all
varied, from old fashioned globes to L.E.Ds and others. A common comment was “I don’t use lights
very often”. All agreed that the most unreliable lighting was the natural kind. Garry described how
the colours changed while he was making his Short as the sunshine varied with occasional, partial
cloud cover.
Thanks, Elizabeth, for forcing us to get our grey matter working.
Remember, the topic for the next Short is, NO EXIT. . The following one is AUTUMN. Good shooting.
John M

Friday 19th April 2024

As I walked towards the door I heard the chirp of a car alarm being activated. I
hesitated, but the aroma of cooking took over and I kept going. It was the kind of
smell that makes you feel like eating even though you are not particularly hungry.
There, in the kitchen, was Phyl preparing a snack for the
‘Rumblers’.
It was ‘Rumble Night’ and there were 16 members and 8 visitors present.
During the day groups of more than one had been struggling to make a movie which,
apart from telling a story, had to include a sentence and an object.
According to the rules, entries had to be in on time to allow viewing to commence at
7.30, prompt. Say no more.
The presentation was also being ‘Zoomed’ around the Country – well to Sydney,
Lilydale and Mooroolbark anyway. All links were made and drivers on the grid
were eagerly awaiting the starter to pick up a microphone.

A little while later (see Norman, I can be polite), we got under
way. Norman announced that there were no shorts. (I wondered
why Joe was at the back of the hall), but wait, there was one from
Matt.
The Cycle of Life had all of the ‘Mattisms’ we’ve come to know
and appreciate. His movies go from strength to strength. Perhaps it is
a weird sense of humour, but quite a few of us were chuckling at
both scenes and commentary. The movie belted along with so much
content that I couldn’t make notes and view at the same time. With
the usual excellent animation he took us through the life cycles of
basic creatures with the typical outcome of disappearing up the
fundamental orifice. Roll over ‘Monty Python”.

Gary H then took the floor for the main attraction. The Rumble
Show.
Explaining the rules took a little time. Judging was different from
the norm. There were muffled threats about voting and several
attempts at bribery. Best offer from G.H was to share a pen and $5
to vote for a certain movie.
Onward, and, as it happened, upward with
the first movie from the GH/JM group.
Heavenly ‘B’ Roll showed a quite bemused
entrant before the ‘Pearly Gates’.
Unexpectedly Peter wasn’t in charge. An
aggressive female stand-in showed the
prospective entrant a few of his movie errors
and waved off his feeble attempts at excuses.
Given the ecclesiastical boot, he ended back – on his back -on earth. Still confused.
The Birdwatcher went on a trip to a local park –
to look for the feathered variety (at least that’s
what we were meant to believe). A very clear
sign advised against leaving valuables in the
vehicle. To say it was taken rather literally would
be an understatement,
To the strains of The Last Gunfighter, Helmut et.al.
showed stills from sketches and other images of the ‘Wild
West’. It takes some effort to fit stills to music and tell a
story.
Normans group produced a movie about an elderly gentlemen
who, everyone thought, was losing his marbles. (not the round
kind). The old boy was talking to a young lady (no fault there) and
complaining about others. A younger person who might be a
believer, arrived to speak to the young woman, who turns out to be
a ghost. (very healthy looking too). Unfortunately, his (the young
guy) motive was a bit mercenary wanting the next Tattslotto
results. The old fellow angrily sent him on his way – and then
produced a blank entry form of his own– at which time the young lady ghost had had
enough and faded. Nothing like a good fade to end a movie.

The Importance of being Ernest showed Elizabeth’s Springer
Spaniel (hope that’s correct), Ernest, and how he fits into the
household. Whatever else happens in a movie, an animal steals
the limelight.

From our Sydney friends - Group 42 (age, membership, or out of thin air?), and here
I apologize – I forget the title. Titles don’t matter when a theft is carried out – by two
of the fairer and weaker sex. Mutter, mutter.
Having successfully escaped with bags of upmarket gear, there is dismay at the
apparent loss of the diamond haul. As they make to return to the scene of the crime
(well, you would wouldn’t you?) it rains. The consequent up going of the umbrella
yields the bag of good stuff.
During all of these movies I scribbled furiously making notes, in the dark. Turning to
my ‘friend’ Joe, I remarked that I hoped I could make sense of my notes. His rather
hurtful reply was “they never make sense anyway”. Guess who is reporting next
meeting. See a photo at the end.
My notes can’t do justice to the movies and the efforts which go into making them.
Perhaps a second viewing or a link to where they can be seen again

Members were asked to nominate the movie which they liked best and the slips were
gathered for tallying.
Before the evening started, Norman’s better half, Trudy, (ok, I’m a crawler), brought
in some sandwiches and pies for the interval and Norman announced the break.
Afterwards, Norman asked a member from each group to speak about the story-line
and making of the movie.
Then the result was announced.
First was the Geoff and John’s production of The Birdwatcher.
Second was Heavenly ‘B’ Roll, the almost trip upstairs, by Gary H and Joe.
Third was Group 42’s entry from Sydney.
Congratulations to everyone. To script, shoot and produce a movie within nine hours
is quite an undertaking. There might be more on this later in the year.
So, another entertaining evening came to an end. Although we might have started just
a little later than expected, all went well, as did Phyl’s home made pizza. Some
members worked so hard they didn’t have time to eat during the day!!! Some who
didn’t make a movie couldn’t resist the aroma. Thanks Phyl.

Thanks also to Trudy for bringing tasty snacks.
A big thanks to;
Helmut and Ron at the computer.
Tim at the Zoom controls.
Brian for once again taking our money and supplying the raffles prizes. Not so sure
about Gary’s random number generated. (I mean on his phone of course).

Future Topics;
May 3rd ‘In the realm of…’
May 17th’ ;No Exit’
Important date; April 24th Ron is 29.
Happy Birthday Ron

I’m not sure how these pictures will present! Resizing them seems to create some
blurring. The originals look good in Photoshop, so fingers crossed it is my eyes. No
comment thank you Joe.
Cheers,
Jack

Friday 5th April 2024
 
As Jack had the night off Elizabeth reluctantly took the notes.
Norman opened the meeting and talked about the Sydney Film Group joining our meetings via zoom and perhaps running a joint competition.
He also talked about having an interstate inter club competition, but more discussion later.
 
We had a number of apologies tonight including  Jack Vaux, Max Boyd ???
Jo arrived early in anticipation of the shorts.
The Subject: Leap.  Sadly nobody leapt to the challenge.
 
But we did have some off topic films:
Helmut put his new 3D camera to work and captured some family footage.
He edited this with a plug in for adobe/da Vinci. And showed us the fun you can have this camera.
 
Mike Scully showed a film about the Tampa Bay Skyway bridge collapse in 1980.
Featuring skillfully edited old footage telling the story of this tragedy that shares similarity with the recent bridge collapse in Baltimore.
 
Gary Hegedus showed a film he made for Tropfest  in 2007, featuring Gary’s usual humour  the film was about getting his entry in on time.
 
Geoff Ross showcased the beauty and gave us an overview of the Cocos Keeling Islands. As usual it was a lovely film package that was very informative and visually stunning.
 
Norman gave us a talk about Shorter shot lengths in modern movies. Quick cuts can be used to enhance action and quicken the pace of films. It is another technique to consider. Quantum of Solace ( James Bond) is an example of this technique being employed.
The average length of a shot is between 3 and 8 seconds per shot depending on the era when the film was made and the genre of the film.
In 1960 the average shot length was 9 seconds today the average is 4 seconds. This is a reflection of contemporary culture and the pace of life.
 
Tim Morrow gave us a run through of Da Vinci Interface, so those who haven’t transitioned yet got an idea of what the program  looked like.
 
Elizabeth Nash.


Friday 15th March 2024
 
With glee, a smile, and a pointed look towards me (don’t know why), Norman opened the meeting – but no one listened. I have the names of the chatterboxes.
The announcements started and gradually the audience settled.

Matt has won three awards with the blob who swallowed the money – and died. (we saw that last meeting).
Gary and Joe also won accolades for Mira’s Tale.

Secretary and Treasurers reports will be attached to these reports from now on.

With that very short introduction Norman handed over to Elizabeth to run the rest of the meeting.

Joe introduced the shortcuts segment for which the topic was Heartless.
•    Joe - Heart in mouth. I wondered at first what we were watching as a young lady exercised on a parachute in order to pack it into a very small rucksack. Away from the contortions she neatly wrapped it up and tied everything with what looked like elastic bands!!! Then Joe’s son was taken up in an aircraft and, tied to another chap, thrown out to free fall for a while – attached to the same parachute.
It must have been packed correctly as it opened on cue and the pair came in for what seemed a fast landing. Hence the title.
•    Gary D. - Creatures without a heart. Apparently some sea creatures don’t have a heart. (We know about sharks) However, Coral, sea cucumbers and starfish apparently are heartless. Countering this, an octopus has three hearts. Pharlap had a big one now stored in a museum. Which means that his stuffed body in Canberra is heartless. After our experiences with Gary, do we believe all of this??
•    Matt -Tales of the Heart used animation to illustrate how hassling and hate are developed from the heart. The protagonist needed someone to hate.  
•    How I ended the Summer is a promo for a movie about an Arctic weather station. A brief look into how isolation can affect relationships.
•    Gary H. - Advanced Karate classes. Synchronised swimming could be surpassed by the class members. Movements were so well coordinated it was a pleasure to watch.
Future topics;
5th April    Leap (no bound(aries) on this one) 19th April    In the realm of ….  

Elizabeth took us into the next segment;
 
What makes a good movie.
In smart fashion she had us arranged into a large semi circle, with the idea that each would offer a comment on the subject.
Taking each person in turn, the suggestions were many, and with the number of members present, there was some overlap.
Topics included;
Good story line, developing interest, balanced sound, stability of shots, subtle effects, being able to hear and understand conversations.
After each comment Elizabeth expanded on the topic and discussed examples where the effect had been well presented or not in professional movies.
There was quite a part circle with 19 members, and Norman and Gary H thought they had got out of it. No chance.
Rounding out the segment Elizabeth got Ron to run some members movies.
•    June – My Sister Cat. Set to the tune of ‘Wish I could shimmy like my sister Kate’ June’s animation had a cat performing various antics including singing.
•    32 Bars – Mike took us to the Eltham Jazz Festival where he followed a group through a number of songs. He shot from distance using one camera with a shotgun mike. With some clever post production he managed to produce some ‘apparent’ to suggest that the camera was in various positions.
•    For an Empowering Women event Gary H . produced background footage using two mermaids and others. Are we getting a theme here?
•    Geoff produced a beautiful tour of the Dandenong Ranges, visiting many well-known locations. Philip’s commentary added to the pleasure.
•    Mystery Hole – Matt had another take on black holes.
Another animated ‘blob’ is chased by headless jaws and teeth. A mystery hole seems the only way out, but other world beings change him (or it) into something that smashes the teeth. Now – he is bound to them forever. Tears please.
Top marks to Elizabeth for handling the discussion, presentation and summing up. We’ll do well if the remainder of the syllabus continues to the same standard.

Gary Hegedus spoke about:
•    Channel 31. A presentation by himself will air on this channel. Look out for Outta the can. (by the time you receive this the show might be over).
•    Rumble is set for April 19th. More to be sent out.
Would you believe that Norman was very quiet this evening? However, you can’t keep a good man down and he returned to close the meeting thanking everyone, and especially Elizabeth, for an interesting night.
Philip was on holiday – taking footage for some movies no doubt, so Ron did the driving, later assisted by Gary D.
 
 Phyl fed us and Brian took our money.     
 
                                              
A happy raffle winner
Another good evening. Thanks all.
Cheers,    
Jack

Friday 1st March 2024

I was about to write that all of the usual suspects were present, when Norman
raised his voice and called us to attention. Then I noticed a couple of visitors.
There was Max, and, a lady sitting in front of me whom I hadn’t the wit to
speak to. Then John Millard sat beside her and I was afraid!!. On my count
there were 19 members and two guests present.

As we respectfully gathered ourselves, Norman threw the baton
to Joe who was pleased he was on time to catch it. Actually it
was the microphone and Norman passed it over. So, we
launched into the shortcuts segment for which the theme was
‘I am not afraid’.

 Matt - goes from strength to strength with his animation.
Fearsome prehistoric creatures roamed around, and a small
(but not innocent looking) animal spied a bag of gold. Who
could resist? It should have been afraid for just after it
gobbled it down, the poor thing keeled over and died. No tears.

 Gary D. - showed a youtube movie of a group of
‘chancers’ trying to extract a python from a burrow.
The ‘hunter’ was expressing some concern as he
scrambled into the burrow and came face to face
with it. Getting the head out was one thing, but the
body was about 6 meters long and quite fat. There was some talk of it
being a pregnant female. (tautology - males don’t get pregnant do
they?) Maybe ‘she’ was a bit dozy!

 Helmut - showed a ‘marshalls’ point of view during
motorcycle races at Philip Island. A very busy occupation
carried out by volunteers (who are motorbike mad of
course), controlling crowds and being trackside.

 Norman - has a nephew in the USA who produced a short movie
advertising the school yearbook - looking for entries. At ten years old he
could have a future in advertising.

Future topics are:
March 15th Heartless (I guess variations on interpretation will be
accepted.)
April 5th Leap (Joe doesn’t like single word titles so get thinking for a
title next meeting. We need something meaty for April 19th.)

BTW Although March 29th is a fifth Friday, it is also Good Friday
and there will not be a social outing.

John Millard mentioned that he has had a call from Colin Prohasky. Colin
has been a friend of the club for many years and a number of members
have used his expertise, in music production, to produce
scores for their movies. He is qualified having spent many
years studying, and regularly scores local theatre
productions. He also can suggest contacts for actors.

Philip took over to introduce the quarterly competition for
which there were four entries.

 Expectations from Mouli Ganguly.
Every parents nightmare – a son wasting time playing games on a
computer. The parents are not happy with their son’s (lack) of
achievement when a friend announces he is going to Harvard. All is well
in the end as the son is going to lecture at Harvard in - game playing.
There is an old saying – ‘where there’s muck there’s money’. Obviously
not only ‘muck’.

 Family from John and John Millard.
Once again the brothers meet. Are they different brothers from the last
movie or has one done well for himself? Family
research has made the connection across many miles.
Just shows – you can’t choose your family.

 Mira’s Tale from Gary Hegedus.
Hands up if you don’t want to find a mermaid in your bath. Top marks to
the gallant homeowner who finds a way to restore Mira
to her natural environment whilst, at the same time,
fending off ‘Mermaid chasers’. Wonderful choice of
actress for the mermaid – she was great in the role.

 Age of the Dinnersaurs from Matt.
Another terrific animation with a lively and humorous commentary. The
rise and fall of a weird selection of prehistoric
creatures with names like ‘Triscarytops’. History as it
wasn’t, but should have been - perhaps.

Before he was allowed to tally the competition scores, Philip
spoke about his experience in gathering Family History
information. With a power point presentation he described the ways to
conduct research and record data giving examples of sources for material.
He mentioned Lumina Neo as a program for improving photographs and showed
examples.

A good introduction to the next segment, by Elizabeth, which
enabled Philip to get on with his main business for the evening,
tallying the scores.
The current syllabus includes an evening of Family History
movies of up to five minutes. As examples of subjects Elizabeth
suggested a short history of a parent, or perhaps select one ancestor who might
be a person of interest. Newspapers could be used as a source of information.
Australian newspapers can be researched through ‘Trove’. For more info contact
Elizabeth.

Ron showed a fine example of a short movie about his research
and development of a ‘tree’ using Family Tree Maker. There are
many programs available – talk to others to get pros and cons of
theirs.

Ron stunned us all with a long chart of his ‘cousins’ prepared for a
meeting to celebrate his 90th birthday. About 19 A4 pages taped together is a
long sheet.

Elizabeth showed an American approach using short clips of photos. (Matt
suggested using the ‘Ken Burns’ effect to add interest.
July 19th is the scheduled date for presentations.

Philip rejoined the activities with the results of the competition. Marks were
close, with the worthy winner beiNg

-- Mira’s Tale. Congratulations to young Gary
and his band of helpers. Second was Matt’s Dinnersaurus. Again, well done.

Norman, who had been kept very quiet (does anyone believe
that?), took the mic for some announcements.
--- Although the film festival last year was a success, it needs
someone to take it in hand if another is to be run this year. An alternative
of running a ‘schools competition had again been raised. There was a
distinct lack of enthusiasm and the general opinion was that the gains
from last year did not justify the effort.
--- The next ‘Rumble’ is scheduled for the 18th April. Quite a few indicated
participation.
--- Some interstate clubs have expressed interest in following our lead with
regard to shortcuts. Sydney might send movies to us on the same themes.
--- The Sydney club have a competition with the theme ‘Robbery’. We might
be formed into groups to produce some entries.

And, so ended another good evening. Good to see everyone including Karl
Walla, a long time member whom we haven’t seen for some time. Now you
know the way Karl.
Quite a few people were involved to make the evening enjoyable so a warm
thank to you all.
A couple of members who don’t get their photos shown too often but always
have a presence.
Reminder – NO dinner on the 29th March.
This is Norman’s way of letting us know that the evening is over.

It was noticeable that Tony didn’t have his camera to record the evening so I
guess John or myself will be reporting for a while!!!
The next ‘few’ pages are for Tony to include some reports so, ‘til next time.
Cheers,
Jack

Treasurers Report 1 Mar 2024
Statement a/c $2341 (agrees with Bank balance)
Term Deposit $9717 (reserved for equipment)
Financial members 27
Ron Fry, Treasurer

Friday 16th February 2024

I was on time. Yea. The atmosphere was a little subdued. Norman did a meet
and greet at the door whereas he normally floats around getting everyone
stoked up.
Then we found out that Elizabeth was M.C. for the
evening.
She mentioned that Norman would be leaving early as
he was attending a wedding anniversary. His and
Trudy’s. Congratulations to both and especially to
Trudy!!!
Before I could get my book ready, Elizabeth had called
Tony to the floor for his reports. We must be doing all
right for the reports were minimalist and Tony talked
about his new ‘toy’, Osmo. Osmo is a compact and
versatile little camera mounted on a gimbal. He had used
the camera to record the previous meeting and use the
recording for the report, but....
It was interesting to see the effect as the gimbal took over and Norman sank
slowly to the bottom of the image. Later it allowed him to walk out of frame
eventually catching up. Of course it was the cameras fault. What else?
There is promise here though. If it works, John and I might be out of a job and
instead of having to read at lot of XXXX(you choose), you’ll be able to watch it.
We could tell Elizabeth was getting worried. No Joe!! She was in charge and
had Tony lined up for the job, when in strolled Joe, unfazed by the
consternation. He blamed the roadworks.
Skipping no beats he asked what the topic was for shorts
and how many. Art and Culture, seven movies. One
member was surprised, thinking the topic was Heart. Find
out later.
Speaking of Art and Culture, maybe not what you were
expecting but this ‘rogues’ gallery shows some of the shorts
contributors. Guy added to the flavour.
Sorry, I don’t have pictures of Helmut and Tim.
 Gary Dusting - Famous Art Works – as you’ve never seen them before.
I’ve said it before – for a chap who cannot think of a subject, he keeps us
all on our toes. His presentation of various artists, their subjects and a
very punful commentary had us all groaning – with amusement.
 Helmut took his GoPro around the Elysee Palace to record many of the
displays.
 John Bishop - Family Art showed how his extended family from
youngest to oldest are involved in art, including his wife Olga. Some very
fine examples from a talented family.
 Matt – demonstrated more of his talent. Having composed a music track
he put psychedelic images to it. Bit like a musical kaleidoscope. There
were many comparisons to Dr Who, War of the Worlds, Aliens etc.
 Tim – The Art of being Impatient. To the music ‘When the boat comes
in’, Tim showed the ‘Spirit of Tasmania’ arriving at Tasmania. Patience
was waiting for the boat to get there.
 Philip – Showed how one Temple leader in Thailand had used the
Temple galleries to showcase modern versions of traditional art,
expressing traditional values in modern ways.
 Joe - Memory test. It is usual, we’re told, for anyone undergoing heart
surgery to lose memory of events for a couple of days before the
operation and also for a few days afterwards. Joe set out to prove or
disprove the notion. He could remember everything, but it caught up
with him for the last meeting!!! It was Art Joe.
 Guy West Not a movie, but a pun joke about Gary Dusting. ‘Gary had
entered his ten best puns in a contest. He didn’t win because ...... No
pun in ten did’. I am not explaining that. Just keep repeating it and it will
be revealed.
Future Topics;
March 1st I am not afraid.
March 15th Heartless. (or Artless for anyone hard of hearing)
March 29th is Good Friday. No mention about a Club Social, but wait for an
announcement.
Members films;
Doncaster Cricket Club – 75th Anniversary by Geoff showed members talking
about the history of the Club and players, relating how it began and
progressed.
Technical segment
Helmut introduced his new toy – a 360 degree camera. We found out that it
was two 180 degree units with a built in stitching program to achieve a full
circle. Not only horizontally, but vertically as well. Specifically purchased to
allow him to record a ‘dive’ with sharks!!
On a previous journey –when there weren’t any sharks, he became aware of
the limitations of the regular camera, in that recording the animals, and
spectators reactions, at the same time, was not possible, unless you were
outside of the cage.
The image quality of his new camera is very good. Stability is not a problem as
demonstrated by attaching the camera to his motorcycle and driving over a
rough road. A couple of movies showed what can be done, but we do need an
in house demo. This had been planned, but we ran out of time. What a good
result. No need for ‘padding’ as someone said.
Running out of time meant that Elizabeth and Philip decided that their agenda
item about the Family History project was postponed to the next meeting.
Elizabeth mentioned that the syllabus had been amended and will be sent out
soon. She then closed the meeting thanking all members for their involvement.
For what it is worth, I thought that the evening went quickly and was very
entertaining.
Cheers,
Jac

Friday 2nd February 2024
Our first meeting for the New Year and – I was late. Worse still, I didn’t bring a
note!!
At 7.39 and a half I walked through the door as Tony was wrapping up his
segment and Norman took the floor.
Was he happy to see me or-
happy I was late???
I was told in confidence that John Millard was a bit
disappointed that I had arrived as he quite likes
doing the reports. I do know that he took notes, so,
if anyone wants a refresher about the start of the
evening - contact John.
On my count there were seventeen members and one guest. (I was never good
at dividing by two) The guest was Maureen Plain, a former member who is
rejoining after a few years absence. Good to see you again Maureen.
So, my evening started with Joe, and that is always a good way to start.
Unfortunately he couldn’t remember the shorts
topic but it didn’t matter as none of the members
could either or at least none that brought a movie.
Apparently it should have been resolution but hey,
the previous meeting was a last year!
Fortunately Philip had everything in hand and on
cue from Joe, he brought up;
June’s movie about the NGV Triennial. With stills and video we were shown
some exciting variations of artwork. There were many beautiful creations and
guests were allowed or invited to walk over some pieces. Seemed a shame.
Norman’s Ground Level showed the point of view of a shoe shine ’boy’ in
India. The chap had been there for about thirty years with the same view. All
feet and pavement. Quite a feat to score those images.
Matt produced The Age of the Dinnersaurs. His longest movie yet at 2min
30secs, I can’t do it justice with an explanation. It needs to be seen. A send up
of the real dinosaurs, it has a great visuals commentary – very funny.
Tim’s Goldfields took us along the Walhalla railway at fairly high speed.
Fortunately the track was in good condition. If anyone managed to stop
looking at the tracks, there was some interesting geology along the way. Puffs
of smoke ahead of the train raised some comments and Tim explained that
he’d filmed from the back of the train and then reversed the video. Cheeky.
Tim’s second movie was about the Yarra and discussed the value of the River
to communities past and present, with commentary about pollution during
early settlement to pollution nowadays.
Mike Scully had his father Jack standing in front of the Trades Hall building in
2004 giving a brief history of the Labour party and differences of opinion in the
1950’s.
Jack tried to convince members that he had taken a mountain bike down a
track at Falls Creek. No one believed that. The snake got a few comments.
Gary H. Showed Mira Moonwater. Beautiful videography of a mermaid in a
pool. Apparently a teaser for a future competition entry. Looking forward to
that.
Norman took us on a Night Ride in Kolkata. A taxi ride along a street of
Christmas lights. I reckon that could have been seen from the ISS. Vehicles
wouldn’t have needed lights. The brilliance and colour was only surmounted by
the – you guessed it – horns, and I don’t mean animals. They were quite varied
and loud. Properly choreographed, a musical score could be achieved. Had I
been holding the camera there might have been a few blank spots, driving is
not for the faint hearted.
A great show of movies, notwithstanding that none were ‘on topic’.
The topic for February 16th is ART CULTURE and SO FORTH.
June should be well ahead on that one!!
For the second part of the program, Elizabeth took
over to introduce the 2024 syllabus.
Presumably she had some elves to help in its
production and at first glance it seems to be a great
effort which should have something to satisfy us all. I
didn’t notice anyone shaking a head, so it was well
received. I believe there is more to come after some
‘tweaking’.
Norman closed the meeting at about 9.30ish and out came the nose bags.
Those who know horses will get the reference.
Cheers,
Jack
P.S. I will try to be there on time next meet

.