AV News 183 - February 2011
The Choice
Joan Horne ARPS DPAGB
Did you go to the Internationals in Cirencester? I did and really looked forward
to meeting up again with friends and seeing what they had produced. As an
International event there are many new ideas which help to renew our own
enthusiasm. I applaud the organisers for all their hard work over many months;
all done on a voluntary basis.
There is one old chestnut that does need an airing though. This is much better
done publicly than out of hearing of these worthy souls. So, for what it is worth,
here is my ‘penny worth’. The organisers have been so successful that once
again they have received far more Sequences than can be shown in a
reasonable time. They had a choice:
a. To show all of them by extending our viewing time. This would have meant
returning to see some after the Gala dinner on the Saturday evening for a couple
of hours and possibly to have longer sessions and shorter breaks.
b. To pre select a reasonable number so allowing the audience to keep
focussed and hopefully not to fall asleep, especially after lunch!
Both decisions are fraught with problems. They will be dammed if they do pre
select and they will be dammed if they don’t.
As my Sequence was one of the rejected ones you would expect me to favour
seeing them all. After all, I have spent many hours tweaking it after showing it
three times previously, taking note of comments made. I made sure the sound
track was varied and matched the mood and pace of the theme. It started with a
question, the ‘Hook’, told its story and ended with a clear finish. I’m sure most of
the other authors whose work was rejected would say the same. However, I
agree that pre selection is the right decision. I have two concerns though.
1. That at the very least, as a courtesy to these authors, the pre selection
panel ought to find a way of sending them constructive comments as to why they
have been rejected. This will allow them to move forward and work at the main
areas of weakness in their work. Some will never enter again. More to the point,
they will not improve. After all, they did pay to enter their Sequence. This would
‘sugar the pill’. In the days of being able to put many Sequences onto a memory
stick or even send them via the web, there is no need for the entire panel to meet
in one place, at high cost. A system of moderation would solve the final selection.
2. The pre selection should be done by the judges. They are prevented from
entering the competition so avoid any bias by selecting their own sequences.
This cannot be said of the organising committee.
Having said my piece, I really enjoyed the Festival and seeing old friends and
their new sequences. Thanks once again to the organising committee, without
whom this Event could not take place. I know that due to their dedication, it was
a super weekend.
(What was mine called? ‘The Fascination of AV’. Sometime, when Jill and
John have a space to fill, I will ask them to print the verse I wrote for it).
If you did not come this time, mark your diary for the Nationals next year, you
will not regret it.
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