JANUARY 2012
Big
changes as the Club moves into 2012. No longer will we be known as
Potters Bar Cine and Video Society, because we have changed our name to
the more modern Potters Bar Film Makers - a less antiquated name to
help us move forward. At the same time. we are having a more
modern-looking website, to be managed by a colleague of Chairman Edward
Catton-Orr. This will be up and running fairly soon ( probably www.pottersbarfilmmakers.com),
so keep an eye open for it. This website will remain on-line
until March, but there will be no new additions. This, then, is the
last item of Club News to be featured. I hope you've enjoyed the
website over the years, and that it has been a useful source of
information and interest for you. All the best from your retiring
webmaster, John Astin.
NOVEMBER
On
Sunday November 27th, the North Thames Region of the Institute of
Amateur Cinematographers - The Film & Video Institute - held its
AGM and Annual Movie Festival at Pinner Village Hall. At area events
like this one, PBCVS' pre-eminence in the region becomes apparent.
Serving on the Council that runs this important organisation, Christine
Collins FACI has just stood down as President to be replaced by Ron
Jones FACI, who also runs the Region's Triangle Competition. Penny Love FACI
is the indefatigable Membership Secretary and Caterer, ably supported
on Sunday by Margaret Farrer. John Farrer has recently joined the
Council, has transformed the "100 Club" with his enthusiasm, and is
about to take up the role of Publicity Officer. Finally, PBCVS
President John Astin LACI is taking over the editorship of the Regional
Newsletter in the New Year.
PBCVS
members' off-screen contributions to maintaining a healthy video-making
scene in the North Thames Region were complemented by on-screen
successes. In the principal Movie Festival, Penny Love FACI received a
"Highly Commended" Certificate for "A Quiet Place", and John Astin LACI
a "Very Highly Commended" for "Cliffhangers!"
Even better, in the
"One Minute Competition", "Memories!" featuring Marie & Ron Jones
and Angela Stroud, was awarded First Place, and producer John Astin
LACI took home the Annual Trophy Shield and a smaller permanent
memento.
NOVEMBER
Christine Collins FACI writes:
At our Club Evening on Thursday November 17th, Bob Redman from the Elstree Screen Heritage presented an
enthralling evening recounting the history of the development of film studios
in an around Elstree, Hertfordshire. His
stories recounted the hive of industry that produced, in Britain’s Hollywood, some
of the finest films ever made in Britain between 1925 and the present day, the
output from up to 6 studios. The
successful output of studios such as British International Pictures, B&D, MGM British Studios and ABPC produced so many notable films including Blackmail the first sound film made in
Britain by Alfred Hitchcock in 1929, The
Private Life of Henry V111 starring Charles Laughton, Jamaica
Inn, The Dirty Dozen, 633 Squadron, 2001
A Space Odyssey, Moby Dick, Yield to the
Night and Summer Holiday. So many
famous stars visited this part of Hertfordshire - John Mills, Clark Gable, Bette
Davis, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor amongst them - that the locals became quite
used to seeing famous stars in the area.
Elstree and Borehamwood
is still the hub of the industry today but with the emphasis more on TV
production and live studio facilities playing a part in programmes such as The
Muppet Show, Top of the Pops, Holby City, Millionaire, Big Brother and of
course EastEnders.
The evening had a special significance for one PBCVS member,
Geoff Glover, who was until only recently a professional cameraman and who had
worked on many of the films Bob Redman spoke about.
OCTOBER
Members who did not make the Public Show returned on Thursday
October 6th to pack out the Club Room for our annual competition with
Harrow C&VS for the Pinner Plate. Judge Frank Miller LACI's task was to
choose the better programme. PBCVS External CompetitionsOfficer Ron
Jones had selected for the home club "The Rainy Day" (Ed Kinge), "Up
North & Over trhe Border" (Phil Elmer), "A Duty to the Future"
(John Astin LACI), "The Bermuda Wood Mystery" (Team "A") and "A Tunisian
Tapestry" (John Astin LACI). Frank made brief but complimentary comments
about all the films from both clubs, but controversially thought one of
the Harrow movies which featured the Unions' Protest March in London
together with some of the leaders' exhortations was rather out of place
in the show, and awarded the victory to PBCVS. We have now won the Plate eight times out of ten since the year 2000.
OCTOBER
Saturday October 1st was the date for the Club's annual
Public Show - "On Screen Tonight" - with two performances in Northaw
Village Hall, one at 2.30 pm and one at 8 pm. The evening performance
was attended by the Mayor & Mayoress of Hertsmere, Cllr Peter &
Mrs. June Knell, and our most loyal supporters, Cllr John & Mrs.
Barbara Donne. Christine Collins, FACI, the Show Organiser, had
prepared a most varied programme of sixteen videos, thirteen of which
were from the Club contibuted by around six individual film-makers and
two teams.
Christine and John Parkes had put each half of the programme onto one
DVD, complete with the between-movies caption & music, and coped
well with the change of aspect ratios. Everything went very smoothly,
in traditional PBCVS fashion. Hot weather kept the attendances down
somewhat, but a healthy profit was made nevertheless, and everyone
present seemed to enjoy the show.
SEPTEMBER
A small but dedicated band of PBCVS stalwarts made their way
through the Friday night traffic to East London on September 30th to
support the Club in our annual competition with Wanstead &
Woodford. For PBCVS, External Competitions Officer Ron Jones had chosen
"The Pink Phone" by Brian Palmer & Geoff Glover (Story), "Penguins
of Patagonia" by Daphne Brown (Wildlife), "Cliffhangers" by John Astin
(Transport) and "What Christmas Means To Me " by Stephen Healing
(Christmas). The Judge, Roy Garner from Walthamstow, made brief but
encouraging comments, and put PBCVS first in all the categories except
Story. Ron Jones accepted the Roy Wainwright Shield, the seventh
consecutive year that PBCVS had won it.
AUGUST
Angela Stroud writes:
Bank Holiday Sunday saw many members and friends of PBCVS
gather at The British Schools Museum in Hitchin for a guided tour of
this interesting building. Built in 1837, it is the only known
complete example of a Lancasterian schoolroom (named after Joseph
Lancaster). After an enthralling and memory-stirring hour
and a half spent exploring the various classrooms, which are set out to
show how schools and teaching methods have changed over the intervening
years, we moved to the home of John & Margaret Farrer where another
group of members were waiting for a Summer Tea Party. John
& Margaret had made provision for the fickle weather and we all
enjoyed a delicious sit-down afternoon tea. This was a very
pleasant social gathering for PBCVS members and friends, and thanks
were expressed to John & Margaret for hosting and providing the
tea, as well as arranging the earlier tour of the Museum.
JUNE
There was hardly an
empty seat in the Fetherstone Room on the evening of Thursday June 9th
when PBCVS took its turn to host our annual competition with St. Albans
Movie Makers for the Pickett Plate. There were four categories -
"Transport", "An Event", "Documentary" & "Local History" - for
which both clubs showed one film, and for PBCVS, External Competitions
Officer Ron Jones had chosen "The Centenary" (John Parkes), "Call-Out"
(Christine Collins), "A Tunisian Tapestry" (John Astin) and "Land of
Hicce" (John & Margaret Farrar) respectively. In the event, eight
documentaries were shown, and Judge Ray Fearon (from Hemel Hempstead)
was effusive in his praise for all of them. Sadly for PBCVS, only "A
Tunisian Tapestry" was declared its section winner, so SAMM won the
competition 14 - 12, and took back the Plate.
MAY
Another Competition
Year ended, and another Annual Dinner & Awards Evening. On Thursday
May 12th, PBCVS members and guests enjoyed a 3-course meal up in the
Gallery at the Old Manor, and then moved across the road to the
Wyllyotts Centre for coffee and the Presentation of the Awards. Penny
Love's splendid organisation of the Dinner was matched by John Parkes'
organisation of the Awards Ceremony, and members were greeted by a
table full of gleaming trophies. Six members shared in the fifteen
awards presented, judged by three members from Harrow C&VS. The
Film of the Year was introduced with an impressive fanfare. John Parkes
distributed certificates to the winners, and the judges' comments to
all the individual filmmakers who had entered the competition. Umpteen
photos were taken, and everyone seemed to enjoy the evening. (For the full results & some photos, go to the Film of the Year 2010-11 page and the Picture Gallery page.)
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