AV News 201 - August 2015
A V S tra teg y D is c u s s io n
Melbourne Camera Club
On Saturday 13th of June, around 35 Audio Visual makers from city and regional
camera clubs met together at the Melbourne Camera Club. In the morning it was
a forum to discuss strategic ways of helping to encourage participation and
develop the medium in Victoria. In the afternoon there was a showing of 19
inspiring International AVs from the FIAP AV collection held by Barb Butler.
The morning’s strategy meeting was chaired by Phil Ryan from the Doncaster
Camera Club AV group. Experienced AV administrators and makers of AVs
presented on various aspects of their experiences and were in turn questioned
by the audience. The formal presenters and their subjects were :Jan Burt from Rosanna Photographic Club showed out-takes from the Club
members making of the club’s very successful ‘She’s leaving Home’ AV. Jan
then spoke about the advantages of a club group based ‘community’ production
and some of the difficulties in making a joint members AV production.
Wolf Marks from the Camberwell Camera Club AV Group spoke about their
experiences and the issues that Camberwell has encountered and solved.
Sue Rocco from Caulfield CC (& Melbourne CC) read presentation notes
from Paul Spence (unable to attend) of Waverley CC AV Group providing details
about how their AV Group operated and the major running points for a successful
AV group.
Ruth Goldwasser from the Camberwell CC AV Group and member of the
South Australian AV club in Adelaide provided an insight as to how a specific club
for AVs works and how it fits within the Camera Club movement. Ruth showed
an AV introducing the members of the SA AV Club.
Ruth Burleigh from Warragul CC (and Melbourne CC) explained her
difficulties of being the only person wanting to learn and produce AVs in a country
camera club and one solution was to join and participate in the Melbourne
Camera club AV group.
John Spring from the Melbourne Camera Club AV Group spoke about
‘Creative Commons’ and showed websites that provide good explanations and
how to make use and stress less about Copyright issues for audio in your AVs.
During the ensuing discussions it became apparent that the problems of
encouraging others to become involved in making AVs and sharing the passion
for our activity and problems of sharing between ourselves are common. For
many they are the only member of their club who is making AV’s; for others,
groups that have formed have a small number of active members below what is
considered critical number for continuity of effort. Often an AV group has and
needs an AV Champion to promote, enthuse and motivate. Without an AV group
champion the success of an AV group within a Camera Club is very difficult.
Mentoring between individuals and clubs is a possibility and this is something
to explore through a newsletter, internet website communications and taking AV
programs and meetings to smaller and remote AV interested clubs.
Another meeting is planned & has recently been approved by the Club’s Board
for Sunday October 4th 2015 in the Gallery. An informal group was agreed to be
formed by those that attended the strategy discussion. A communication list is to
be shared between all those who subscribed their details.
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