AV News 191 - February 2013
RPS AV Day and Chariots of Fire
at Bradford Media Museum on 18 November 2012
Edmund Spavin
Following registration and coffee from 10am
we made a prompt start on the top floor
conference room. Wide and narrow, perhaps
not the best shape for viewing AVs, but easily
accommodating our 40 or so attendees, it
does enjoy a central location in Bradford, with
good, though slow, catering facilities and
excellent free parking on Sundays.
Bryan Stubbs welcomed everyone and
Keith Scott took on the role of the morning's
moderator and timekeeper for the 7 attendee
sequences.
First up was ‘Tockett's Mill’ from Peter
Appleton. This is a guide for visitors to a
water-powered corn mill prior to a tour of the
mill workings. Thoroughly professional and
Picture by Phil Hack LRPS
perfect for the job for which it was intended.
Peter skilfully integrated stills, animated diagrams and video sequences into a
smoothly flowing whole. The video shots were there only where needed to
bring to life water or moving machinery and were in no way intrusive. The
voice-over commentary was to the point and clear over a low level of ambient
location sounds which added to the illusion of being there. Apart from a
comment that using the on-site illumination meant that some interior shots
were ‘flat’ there seemed little else to fault. A superb instructional AV.
Next came ‘Torch’ from Harry Kingman depicting the Olympic Torch Relay.
Set to a musical soundtrack without commentary it followed the progress of the
torch through Pickering from the viewpoint of both the torch bearers and the
watching crowd, with good reaction shots of participants and spectators alike.
Harry was praised for having made an AV which was valuable as an historical
record of the event. It was suggested that copies should be lodged in local
libraries and schools for community viewing.
Third was my sequence, ‘Searching for Meg’, a journey on the Settle
Carlisle railway to observe the winter solstice at the Long Meg stone circle near
Penrith. There's always a ‘heart in mouth’ feeling when one's own work is
exposed in front of a prestigious audience of such experienced AV workers
and national and international award winners. I need not have worried. Under
Keith Scott's direction the criticisms were constructive and helpful. I shall take
note of them. I was encouraged by the warm reception to my sequence and
pleased by how quickly this experienced audience saw immediately what I was
trying to achieve, offering suggestions as to its improvement, and which
continued into the coffee break on an individual basis. Very helpful and most
encouraging to a relative newcomer, but this is what an AV day is all about.
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