AV News 195 - February 2014
The All New Multimedia & Narrative - Some Reflections
Graham Sergeant FRPS
In many ways AV as it has traditionally been known, is still one of the most
under-subscribed and neglected areas in Camera Club Culture. For the
enthusiast, this modern medium, at its best, offers one of the most fulfilling
and creative activities in the World of Photography - (or Image making).
Furthermore it is likely to become more prominent with the recent arrival of
the new Social Media on the Internet.
From its modern origins in the 1980s, AV became populated by members
of camera clubs who wanted to explore the territory beyond the ubiquitous
'still' image. From the start the normal practice was to use 35mm slides
usually with a couple of projectors, a reel-to-reel tape recorder, (later to
become a cassette recorder/player) and an electronic control unit. The
development of the hardware in many ways reached its peak with Colin Balls'
sturdily built, nicely engineered and reliable double-headed projector, the
'Royale'.
The programmes or 'sequences' as they are still popularly known, usually
comprised fairly simple themes with the slides set to music - but at least it
was a start and for the first time 'Still' photographers began to appreciate that
sound could be an exciting extension to their photography.
Archival Family Photography
For some time I have pondered on the fact that many families have photos
of their forebears, in some cases going back more or less for the entire
history of the 'fixed image' - some 170 odd years. However, in terms of family
history the crucial missing link is SOUND. What did their ancestors actually
sound like? Had recorders been around, what would they have said about
their lives, their interests and concerns?
Having missed opportunities when my parents were alive, last year (2012)
I started the ball rolling in my own family when I produced an AV about my
life between the ages of 8-18 (1945-1955) for my two daughters and granddaughter (now aged 8). The next stage will be to record my grand-daughter
talking about her life and times now, as a young girl. Hopefully she will be
able to pass this material on to her grand-children and so on well into the
future. AV clearly has a role to play not only in family history - but Social
History in general as so much of my AV work has involved.
The Digital Revolution
A 'step-change' occurred at the beginning of the present Century with what
in retrospect, has been a rapid switchover to digital technology - and all within
five to ten years. Basically this brought with it a number of simple yet
fundamental changes. With my background as a professional documentary
film producer I welcomed these changes. For example, now, rather than
endless visual mixes between images, a variety of other transitions can be
made, most importantly, the 'straight cut'.
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