AV News 184 - May 2011
Mold CC AV Competition
John Hoogerwerf
Tonight's competition on the 28th February, was a first for me as it was, I
suspect, for many members of the club. I have never been at an AV competition
before either using slides or digital images. However, after our session on
creating AVs at the club a few weeks ago I was keen to see what our colleagues
could produce. I also wondered just how such competitions were judged. Our
Judges for tonight were John Rowell and Marion Waine from the North Wales
and Wirral AV Group and before they started John gave a few comments on
what the judges would be looking for.
John advised that while the normal rules of photographic composition etc.
were followed but sometimes there was a need for a special type of shot which
allowed for the fade between shots to create a 'third' image during the course
of the fade. He also emphasised the importance of the sound track and the link
that was needed between the words of any song and the actual pictorial
context. However the essential purpose of an AV sequence is to 'communicate
an idea' or series of ideas to the audience via Images, Music and Narrative.
Images need to be of the usual high standard expected of a photographic
competition and their link to the music and narrative needed to be smooth.
Normally the sequence is more successful if all the images are either in portrait
or landscape throughout, although it is possible to mix them when used
cleverly. The whole sequence in totality needed to have been thought about
and the subject needs to be of interest to the viewing audience. Music must fit
seamlessly with the images and any narrative provided. Several times John
referred to the AV sequence of pictures needing to 'dance' in time with the
music and noted several times that sequences had been given a standard time
period between fades so that not all the changes fitted in with the music.
Further guidance and comments were given as part of the judging as follows:
Ken Smyth - Erddig Trees - The red cars during the sequence had been
distracting and the 1 vertical image had broken the flow of the sequence.
Pat Venn - Hebrides - The music dictated the pace of the sequence of
images - however, the song was sung in Gaelic and the judges were not
sure if the words of the song fitted with the images. The sequence could
have been improved if the phasing between images was slowed down.
Paul Harper - Japan - The judges approved the use of on the spot
recording of sights and sounds and the music fitted well with the images.
Chris Noble - One world - This was one of the more technical sequences
and the judges admitted that it made them think. Images of a country or
area are enhanced when it includes images of local people shot in situ.
Phil Parsons - People of Cuba - Phil had used a 'good' introduction to
advise the audience what they were going to see and the sequence 'ended
where it started'. However, the words didn't relate that well to the images
and some fades did not sit well with the music.
Chris Davies - Steam Power - The fades fitted well with the music but
there were different sized images on screen which was distracting. On a
positive note there was a good use of close ups to link sequences.
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