AV News 201 - August 2015
C h a irm an 's C h a tte r
Howard Bagshaw ARPS MPAGB
Only a month to go before the National
Championships and there is still time to book to
attend if you haven't yet done so (by 25th August,
weblink bit.ly/nationalav). We will be at a new
venue for this year, Stafford University,
conveniently just off junction 14 of the M6
motorway. We will also be holding the AGM and this
will be the time for you to express your views, to
vote in a new committee and maybe offer your
services in support of our group.
Those who attended the AGM two years ago will
remember that it was somewhat fraught, as
restriction had been placed on entrants and the
organisers of the event. I'm pleased to say that,
following representations to the RPS Council, there are no longer any
constraints on the Championship organisers from entering the event.
Naturally, Jury members and their close relations are still precluded from
entering. I'm pleased that the democratic wishes of the group members have
been listened to and understood.
Also in the cause of democracy, we will all have the opportunity to vote for
members of the RPS Council and Advisory Board sometime soon. Can I ask
that you take this seriously and, even if a post is not being contested, you vote
for those you wish to represent you on the Council.
It will be interesting to see how many of the sequences at the Nationals
include video elements. Some members are steadfastly against the inclusion
of animation and video in AV sequences, while others are incorporating short
elements. Fortunately our community in the UK has recognised that there are
many different ways of getting over a story or message and that neither
limiting rules nor prejudice should dictate how we produce our work. Colin
Balls famously commented that there is no significant difference between an
image that is on the screen for 25 seconds or 1/25 of a second, it is the
purpose and effectiveness that is important.
For some members it may be that they would like to incorporate more
video, but are unsure of video and editing techniques. As a group we could
offer more in the area of videography if there was seen to be interest. I would
welcome thoughts about the direction of the group and whether, in the
absence of a video group in the RPS, we should offer more to those interested
in this aspect of our hobby. Please write or email to let us know what you
think.
Finally, I would like to offer a huge vote of thanks to Jill and John for editing
AV News for the last seven years. The magazine won't be the same without
them, but fortunately they plan to continue to publish the AV News website
and AV Links, so we are not loosing their skills and enthusiasm from the AV
world.
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