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Stour and Avon AV Day 28th November 2004

First AVs!! Why is it that when our guest speakers show the very first AV that they ever made it always looks so much better than the one that I am presently working on?

Valerie Rawlins FRPS was no exception to the rule. The talent and imagination show. Although her first sequence is now in Imatronic she told us that it was first shown hand pulsed on a single projector. Each picture was about a specific TIME. Some comments were humourous, some were sensitive and all were apt. Valerie told us that everyone else was making sequences about flowers and travel. She wanted to be different.

Certainly the knitted characters that she made specifically for the Winnie the Pooh story about Eyore losing his tail were different.

Asked to produce an AV on “Spotting Slides” to ensure their correct projection her imagination soon took us to far more interesting "Spots" along the Dorset coast.

We had asked that she would show us how she built up and improved sequences.

Starting with a wedding we were shown two versions of the same event. First there was the sequential views of the guests together with a PTE Pushed panorama. Then the individual shots were set in an album. After explaining how to set up the album pages in a stack she then showed how to easily level and match horizons in Photoshop.

Improving one of the sequences that was in her Fellowship panel was next. We were shown the original of “Somewhere in Europe 1944” and asked to think of how it could be improved.

Coffee and thinking time over Tony Scammells read out some of the comments from more experienced AV workers. Incorporating some of this advice into “I’m Not Afraid to Die” Valerie showed the final version. I’m not sure that everyone fully agreed with all the changes, but it is certainly a memorable sequence.

Pictures from Stourhead and Photoshop showed how half fades, full fades and returns could be achieved. The instructions were precise and easy to follow: very unusual when receiving instruction while looking at a computer screen.

“The Thief of Time“ introduced us to the real character dolls and the difficulties of securing them in their photographic positions.

Valerie’s Fellowship sequences hardly needed explanation. However questions were answered and clarification given as required.

“The Paradox of our Time” was a scrutiny of present day life and modern pleasures. Apparently understood by women but not by men this could be the world’s first sexist AV.

A fascinating and very instructive morning was followed by a change of venue. From the comfortable seating of the smaller hall we moved onto the plastic chairs of the large hall where in the afternoon three clubs were each giving 40 minute presentations.

Chichester AV Group, Mid Thames AV Group and Stour and Avon AV Group were the clubs involved.

Only Stour and Avon gave an all-digital display. The other two clubs used both slide and digital. There still appears to be an infinite number of subjects that can be used for AV. From the hazards of smoking to a New Orleans Jazz festival. From Clown fish to Church Mice. From the Falkirk Wheel to James Last. From a dying Indian Squaw to London Bridge. From an imaginary garden to North Cape. Everything seems possible. And none of the subjects repeated anything Valerie had shown us in the morning.

With erudite comments from Roger Holman and Roger Lane about each sequence they decided that Mid Thames AV Group had given the Most Successful Presentation.

An inspiring day, thanks to all the participants.

- Alan Graham

Stour and Avon AV Day Sunday 19th October 2003

Venue: St Leonards and St Ives Village Hall, Braeside Road, St Ives, Dorset, (near Ringwood)

Our new blackout system very effectively kept the Dorset sun out of St Leonards village hall. Only at lunchtime did anyone realise what a beautiful day it was. But inside the hall there was much to keep the attention of the audience.

Suzanne Walker and Howard Gregory introduced themselves with a short sequence. “Introducing Us” showed where they lived, a little of their personal life and the Wilmslow Guild.

“AV Sequences from Holiday Slides” was Suzanne’s theme.

You must know WHY you are making the sequence. You must have a definite AIM. Slides to music, limited to about six minutes, is the least complicated but colour balance must be similar with pictures taken at the same time of the year. This is most important if the sequence covers several holidays

[1] Suzanne showed her first ever sequence: Delightful landscapes from New Zealand.

[2] But what can you do with hundreds of slides from a geological trip to the U.S.A? Research resulted in the sequence about the Eruption Of Mount St Helens.

The basis for the script was formed during the visit. Personalising the sequence with pictures of the people who lived (and perished) near the mountain gave impact.

[3] Closer to home, holiday sequences can be developed by returning to photograph new aspects as the story is written. Strong archival sequences such as The Shepherd Boy of Lammermuir require research in unlikely sources.

Howard with pictures and sound to illustrate his talk told us how to “Build a Simple Recording Studio at Home”.

Starting with the basics of recording on a single track, on multitrack recorders, open reel, cassette and digital multitrackers he showed how to build an outfit to suit particular needs.

Before buying anything ask, “What am I going to use it for? What other equipment am I going to use it with? Will they work together?”

A permanent setup out of the way of domestic hassle will be more useful, especially if you don’t have to rearrange leads and connections every time it is used.

Amongst the many other useful items of advice was, “Don’t read the script and speak while recording the sound and monitoring the sound levels all by yourself.”

In the afternoon three clubs each gave 30-minute presentations

Mid Thames AV Group gave theirs using digital format. From Guildford Cathedral through Autumn Leaves, Balloons and the London Eye to a Wartime Submariner.

Wantage AV Group, again using digital, showed King Alfred, the workings of an ancient clock, Eden, the Space Shuttle (Roman Version), and Old Age or Vintage as applied to a graceful old lady.

Viewfinders of Romsey gave a slide tape presentation that progressed from Messing about on the River through the Rockies to Sydney.

Suzanne and Howard commented on various aspects of the shows but decided that the best presentation was by Viewfinders.

To complete the day Suzanne and Howard showed us two versions of the same group of winter slides. In the second version they had rearranged them to suit the music and give improved fades. A very useful example of the difference between a slide show and a sequence.

Last of all was Howard’s award winning “The Baby”, the story of the world’s first computer….all British too!

There was a great amount of useful information, 25 sequences, many laughs and much AV chat with many aquaintances. A great day.

- Alan Graham

Report on the Evening of Audio Visual Entertainment 2003

Presented on Friday 7th March 2003

Traditionally, since trophies were first awarded in 1978, this annual event has always been competitive. Last year the competitve element was reduced to fifty percent, by including some sequences just for entertainment. It wasn’t that the entertainment sequences were of poor quality, far from it. The producers just didn’t want to be in a competition. Perhaps the difficulty of finding suitably qualified AV judges with whom everyone agreed was the reason.
For this year it was decided that the Evening of AV Entertainment would be run as a fully organised show and for the first time, with a rehearsal. To compensate for the lack of competition there would be an audience vote.

First on the screen was LAMPS by Sheila Budden. With carefully selected views of street lighting from many countries we were shown many elegant creations that are best appreciated during the day.

CORNWALL, by Margaret and Brian Kingsland, was a holiday story, which while it revived the memories of many, gave us an insight into the modern Eden Project.

Composed as a computer sequence, using Pictures to Exe, and then rephotographed into 35 mm transparencies, LONDON BRIDGE, by Alan and Merle Graham showed how the bridge was moved to Arizona.

An alarm clock in a natural history sequence is unusual, if not unique. In VISIONS by Peter Moran, dreams were overcome by reality. Or was it the other way round?

Mark Goad’s photographs, and his voice told the poem of John Masefield’s TEWKESBURY ROAD to great effect.

In search of GOLD, we followed Arthur Budden’s tale of the 19th century search for fortunes to the wilds of North America. Original Mono and modern colour images were mixed to impress us with the lives of the prospectors, miners and their families.

NATURE THROUGH THE SEASONS, by George and Audrey Dunkling, told in colourful detail the never-ending saga of the natural world. Luckily for those of us who prefer late mornings and warm days before venturing out, George captured it all in his camera.

The club outing to MARWELL ZOO in 2002 was relived in this compendium of member’s slides. The barriers that kept us out of the enclosures were often a problem. However, the many slides that were available for use resulted in an attractive sequence that was complemented by the added comments from those involved in the production of the sequence.

WELLS CATHEDRAL, by Dudley Button showed his own photographs of the building as a setting to the vestments and altar hangings designed by the rector of St Edwards church in Corfe Castle, the Reverend Maurice Strike
Adrian Northover took us to A PLACE CALLED LONGREACH, in search of the history of an Australian airline. In the heat of Queensland And the Northern Territories this Air Service was born in the 1920’s. So with those initials you can see why there is no U in QANTAS.
A memorable story of a company that once built its own planes.

A TRILOGY OF ABSURDITIES was another offering by Alan and Merle Graham who used abstract images on the screen with poetry read by June Whitfield, Richard Griffiths and Joanna Lumley

John Randall showed RIVER OF THE MIND. Opposing ideas of church and witchcraft, colour and mono, light and dark were the theme of this intense sequence.

Lake Louise, in Canada was the setting for Sheila Budden’s story entitled JEWEL OF THE ROCKIES. Most of the audience, I’m sure will now put this place on their “must visit” list.

In case the audience was feeling a little dazed from the spectacle that they had witnessed this evening Dudley Button showed ANY OLD IRON, a very short, super-fast song that admirably suited the decaying metal portrayed on the screen.

Our only judge tonight was the audience. And you can’t disagree with them.
WELLS CATHEDRAL was their popular choice with NATURE THROUGH THE SEASONS a close second.

It was a most successful evening. We’ll be holding the next on March 5th 2004 at St Leonards and St Ives Village Hall near Ringwood.

For further infomation call Dudley Button on 01425 638601 or Merle Graham on 01202 536390

- Alan Graham

A new format, a new venue and a new speaker. Would it all work?

Report on the AV Day of 17th November 2002

The easy parking and the space in the hall allowed the 60 strong audience to mingle, to greet old friends and make new ones. A little difficulty with the translucent curtains on the north wall, was solved by resiting the screen. (Why are AV days so bright and sunny?)

The speaker had the morning to enthuse us, and the afternoon to judge our friendly interclub competition. He'd travelled over 250 miles, but we insisted he should still work!

What did we want to know he had asked. " Everything", we said. "Inspiration, Presentation of Sequences, Script writing, Voice Overs, Timing, Sound Effects". A tall order in two hours. But Ron Davies managed it superbly, and more. Although I don't think anyone understood the first minute…….in Welsh.

The humour of his talk was in complete contrast to the emotive sequences he showed us.

His first ever Sequence  HIRAETH (still some rough edges he said) his own life story, was of a quality that few of us feel that we will ever achieve. Inspiration: use your experience, use your family's experience, but overall make A/Vs about subjects that you know about. And you must have a WHY? An overpowering reason for making the sequence.

IDWAL BACH a school leaver in the slate mines: Write in poetic prose we were told and in the first person for effect, but silence can be even more dramatic.

THE SURVIVORS was another family story that took us to Poland and Auchwitz. Here Ron explained the value of varying the background music to the different voices. Liths, masks and sandwiches were all used. The effects were apparent, the methods were not.

IMPRESSIONS de PARIS was under three minutes of paintings from Monmarte, with a progressive theme. Even "Pictures to Music" has a WHY?

CARADON was an old folk tale. The voices, imagery, construction, music and pictures were all described in Ron's enthusiastic and humorous manner which belied the sombre epic itself. The script was carefully disseminated and explained. Words must be relevant to the pictures. Write and rewrite ...

THE EXILED MIND Evocative pictures helped portray the difficulties of thinking and living a language which is not your own. While we had heard sound effects in previous sequences the judicious use of music was almost unnoticed.

VIGILANTES was shown first, slide by slide. We could see the care with which the hard edges of buildings and cars, and the eyes and the people on the street had been photographed to match the next slide. When the sequence was shown only the message was apparent. The skill and hard work disappeared, as it should.

The Competition

Now to our friendly interclub competition. Is such a thing possible? With Ron's helpful analysis of course it is.

Ron's view of judging was that ¼ of his marks would be for photographic content, ¼ for sound quality and the remaining ½ for content and originality.

Half hour slots were allotted to each of the three invited clubs, W.A.V.E.S, Mid Thames, Chichester, and the host club, Stour and Avon AV Group, to show their work.

This resulted in four programmes that were complete in themselves but differed to such an extent that the entertainment value was extremely high. Altogether there were 17 very varied sequences, including one that lasted about 30 seconds.

A summary of Ron Davies' comments will make useful reading to all AV workers

• Pictures and sound must start and finish together. It's more comfortable that way and ensures that the projectionist knows that all is well.
• Make sure the transparencies are secure in the slide mounts.
• "Pictures to Music" needs visual interpretation or illustration, not both.
• White lines or marks on the screen during sequence changes are not acceptable.
• Ron's average format is 3 seconds dissolve, 3 to 4 seconds show time.
• Ensure pictures are not on screen too long. Modify the script if this is slowing the pace of picture change.
• Loud music or music with a strong beat makes dissolves difficult.
• Staccato commentaries need music between the comments while looking at the pictures.
• Humour must have a strong punchline.
• Commentary voices should be of a regular volume throughout.
• Don't use repetitive pictures.
• Paintings should be photographed from the original if this is possible. Some galleries will allow this if an amateur use declaration is signed.
• Sequences of sculptures make a better impression if the feelings of the sculptor can be included.
• The short sequence would have gained impact with a little more length.
• If the projector goes out of focus adjust it off screen….while that lens is dark.
• Piano music is difficult to dissolve pictures to but was very effective with the very long fades in one sequence.
• Music should dissolve with the slides. Make sure the slides are doing the same as the music. Don't be imprisoned by the music.
• Use different focal lengths, but keep the shapes of the slides the same.
• Use clear titles. The end should be obvious and shouldn't need announcing.
• Commentaries overlaying singers are difficult. The audience will listen to the singer……..except when it's a choir singing in Welsh.

Wokingham won the competition and were presented with an engraved silver plate. Runners up were W.A.V.E.S. followed by S.A.A.V. and Chichester.

A new format, a new venue and a new speaker. Did it all work? Certainly, it did.

- Alan Graham

Page updated on 03 March 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

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