AV News 179 - February 2010
Reply to Melanie Chalk
S u z a n n e W a lk e r ARPS
My first impression on reading the letter from Melanie Chalk (Page 36 Issue
178) was that she thought of making an AV sequence in terms of a technical
computer exercise: how well one can use the internet for sourcing images,
information and soundbites.
Melanie asked several questions which Peter Brown has already
answered. I'd like to ask one or two also. When she is making a sequence,
as well as thinking about what she is trying to convey to her audience, does
she also consider why she is making it? Is she making a sequence for a short
competition that has to be done quickly? Does she then just want to sit at the
computer and produce something? Or is she hoping to make a sequence that
people will remember for its emotional impact? There is room for both.
For me, one of the pleasures in making sequences, including historical
ones, is in the research: from books, fiction as well as factual. I enjoy visiting
appropriate sites for photographs and recordings and talking to people who
have personal knowledge and experience of the subject. We have arranged
several enjoyable holidays around gathering pictures and sounds for
sequences. Of course it takes longer to make a sequence this way, but I'd
suggest you get much more satisfaction from it.
My use of internet images is as a last resort, as when a few years ago I
wanted an image of the Hubble Space Telescope for a personal sequence.
The image was modified in Photoshop and incorporated into another image
before being included in the sequence. Otherwise, I want to use my own
photographs, even though I rarely use an image as taken, always applying
minor adjustments and frequently major manipulations, in Photoshop.
I wonder how many AV events Melanie has attended, especially at
National and International level? There she will see what the AV world is
producing, both the breadth of subject matter and the lengths some authors
will go to in order to achieve their aims. It was photography that introduced
me to Audio Visual and if it becomes reduced merely to using internet
images, I think I will take up another hobby.
Thanks
H o w a rd B a g s h a w ARPS
I was honoured and delighted to have a long
article published in the last issue of 'AV News'. To
have one of the pictures from the sequence on
the front cover was an extra honour. The
sequence was made in PTE version 5. However,
had I waited until version 6, I could have speeded
up the production as there is now a feature in the
3D parameters dialogue which enables you to
"Show backside"!!
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