I was a child of the TV long before I first discovered cinema and even longer before I hit the video medium. I watched far too much TV and was engrossed by it - but thankfully, I eventually realised that it wasn't real. A seven old, with a black n' white telly, trying to make sense of a BBC2 French subtitled film, is one surreal memory that will stay with me. Trying to cool a cathode tube before your parents caught you awake, was even funnier, looking back. Videos, films and all forms of moving pictures are about the "suspension of disbelief". Albeit, for one brief moment in time, your own thoughts are fully focussed on something else's life, someone else's reality. The suspension of disbelief is something that must be crafted, as it doesn't often realise itself in the real world. If you enjoy making videos, with a little luck, you can spend the rest of your life learning how to perfect this art.
One day, as a young teenager, I sat in a cinema and was completely overwhelmed by a film. It touched a nerve. That day, I made a decision sitting in the cinema. Future-me would make something (or help someone else to), that would reach people the way that film reached me. Thirty years on and despite many of life's distractions, I realised I hadn't given up on that decision. Better still, I've enjoyed not getting it right in the meantime.
I'm a strong advocate in striking a good balance between five centres of learning, from more important, to less so:
1. Learning how to tell a story,
2. Learning how to watch films and videos properly
3. Learning how to plan for success
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4.Learning how to manage feedback and
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5.Learning how to use your equipment to get good audio, visuals, continuity and edit.
I've seen many video makers get one or more of these out of proportion - all too often, too much emphasis over 5. spoils the end result.
I enjoy being part of MKCC because we try to do things as professionally as we can. On good days, we get it right. On others, we make mistakes and laugh about them before getting back on track. We talk to each other and watch each others creations, without being critical of the subject matter and with only one aim - to make them better.
If you're reading this and wondering about joining MKCC, I can only speak as a pragmatist and someone who likes to get things done.
A hand is a hand. If you can hold something, there is always something to hold. If you can think logically, there are always problems to solve. If you can use equipment skillfully, we have the gear. If you are free, there's always something that can go into your calendar.
