AV News 200 - May 2015
Letters
H a p p y 2 0 0 th !
Lilian Webb AIPF
Congratulations to you and all past Editors of AV News on your 200th edition.
I notice that I have been contributing articles from issue 139 (December, 1999)
of events across the Irish Sea. Not only that, but I don't know of any other aspect
of photography that has given me so many friends from around the world. Since
2nd October, 1992, I have had the pleasure of hosting many AV workers starting
with Peter Coles, James & Moya Hamill, Martin & Jane Fry, Frank & Mary
Malthouse, Kieran & Mary O'Loughlin, Keith Brown, Robert & Maureen Albright,
Ian Bateman, Maggie & Malcolm Imhoff, Keith Fisher, Bernard Longley, Colin &
Rhona Balls, Richard Brown, Linda & Edgar Gibbs, Marion Waine, John Rowell,
Jeff Morris, Jill Bunting, John Smith & Little Ted.
Of course, I've made many other friends I haven't had the pleasure of hosting
...yet! It is great that in recent years, as I'm not a member of the RPS (though
attend the RPS (Ireland) AV Group meetings) to be able to subscribe to AV
News. Well done again to Jill, John and all previous editors.
A s If B y M a g ic
Raymond Hughes LRPS
It started I suppose with a MAGIC lantern show, today it's An Audio Visual
Championship, AV Competition or Festival. Still a magic show even today.
Out of the blue arrives an invitation to enter or attend. Great, no worries there's
details of accommodation at the venue, I'll just send off my deposit. I might even
pop an entry in the post. No need I can send it from my computer, don't even
need a stamp. Pure magic.
We manage to get ourselves to the event and by magic everything is in place
all I have to do is grab a welcoming coffee and browse the running order to see
when my sequence is up. Is there one judge or a panel? Magic, the session runs
flawlessly and at the break there is even another coffee provided. Right, coffee's
finished so when do we start again? Straight run through to lunch and my
sequence went through like magic. Make sure I'm in the queue for the provided
lunch and then it's back for the next session. Bit of a glitch with the projection, no
problem another bit of magic and away we go again, straight through to the
awards which have magically appeared at the front.
The most I had to do all day was fill in an 'Audience Vote' slip and select from
the buffet lunch. Great day of AV, what's that? someone is being thanked, I can't
hear who for the applause, now did someone mention a Gala dinner?
As you are leaving for home you may glimpse a crumpled piece of humanity
sitting in a corner clutching a clipboard, eyes staring, muttering strange sounds,
twitching as adrenaline starts to drain from the system. Spare a thought, it's
probably the event organiser.
The serious point is none of it happens by magic. It happens through the hard
work done by dedicated individuals and teams. We all owe an awful lot to those
who give their time and effort in order that we enjoy our Audio Visual events.
So Hip, Hip, Hooray for event organisers.
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