Members Competition 2020
Member's Competition 2020
The annual Member’s Competition held on 4th December 2020.
Thirteen entries were received.
The Judges were : Jan and Dave Watterson from the IAC
The 2020 Surrey Border Movie Makers Annual Club Competition had thirteen entries this year, just three less than last year. Under the circumstances surrounding the current Covid Pandemic this was outstanding. The competition was held online at the December club meeting and over 50 members attended.
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The films were judged by International Amateur Film Judges Jan and Dave Watterson
who had viewed and judged them from home prior to the meeting.
The Overall Winner - Dave Skertchly for 'Mary Rose, The True Story'
Dave Skertchly loves animation and his film ‘Mary Rose the True Story’ showed his skills to perfection. As Dave explains; ‘Mary Rose the True Story is inspired by the cartoons made by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin back in the 1960, you may recall Ivor the Engine, Noggin the Nogg and let’s not forget John Ryan’s Captain Pugwash.’
‘This film was made using a low cost technique from those days called limited animation; it cost about £5.00 to make, a huge budget by my standards, but it did take some 8 years.
It tells the story of why the Mary Rose sank in front of Henry the VIII on that fateful day in July 1545 and we find out that it was “true loves story…strange but true”.’
Dave’s ‘Story of Mary Rose’ won the coveted ‘Jackson Trophy’ for Overall Winner.
He also won the Pat Doherty Cup for ‘Best use of Sound’.
The Other Members Competition 2020 Entrants and Awards
Honorary Club Member Paul Vernon’s is well known for his extensive range of outstanding ‘Western’ films and ‘Jury of Six’ was no exception. This was a trailer for a longer film and was shot completely on an iPhone in Utah by actor Nick Fontaine and edited by Paul.
Paul’s ‘Jury of Six’ was awarded the Dick Hibberd Trophy for Best Camerawork.
Paul’s second Competition film was ‘Marty Wilde featuring Kim Wilde’. This film was a nostalgic look back at the English singer/songwriter who had hit records in the 1960’s.
It was cleverly edited by club member Paul Vernon. Filmed during the Covid Lockdown by Marty’s Daughter Kim, who was also a successful pop singer in the 1980’s.
Paul‘s ‘Marty Wilde’ Video won the ‘Clements Shield’ for Best Creative Film.
Tim Stannard a new Surrey Border member entered a music film ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’, featuring his daughter, Elise.
Tim explained that he and Elise recorded this during the first lockdown. He arranged and recorded the music in Reaper, using samples with a couple of live instruments. Elise played the piano parts – and sang.
His film was awarded the ‘Arthur English Trophy’ for Best Photography.
A second film from Tim was called ‘Cluedunnit’. This was filmed for a CEMRIAC 24hour challenge, where a film had to be written, shot, edited and delivered over the course of a weekend.
Tim explained that he’d wanted an excuse to try a “colour pop” technique in DaVinci Resolve and a mix of film noir storyline and characters from Cluedo gave that opportunity. The murder comedy, cleverly based on the popular board game Cluedo, was highly rated.
Tim received the ‘Jack Stribling Trophy’ for Best First Time Winner.
Gillian Gatland’s holiday film ‘Leaving New York’ was filmed aboard the Queen Mary 2 capturing its departure from Brooklyn New York, on a lovely sunny day in September 2019.
Gillian’s superb footage received the ‘Commended’ award.
Gillian’s second film was ‘The Eternal Battle’. Gillian explained that just happened to be looking out of the window with camera to hand and it was pure luck she caught the squirrels attempts to overcome a squirrel proof bird feeder in her garden.
“All the activity took place over about 15 minutes on day one, then I moved the furniture about and again happened to be in the right place when presumably the same squirrel tried once again the next day.’
‘It seemed to learn from both occasions as this took place in the spring of 2020 and all the squirrels then stopped trying.”
‘Memories of Madeira’ a holiday film by Gillian Gatland was an enjoyable portrayal of the highlights of a weeks holiday in Madeira in October 2018.
It showed cruise ships and fishing boats in the harbour, stormy seas and the Botanical Gardens .
Gillian was awarded the ‘David Good Trophy’ for Best Holiday Film.
Philip Morley’s ‘The Unsung Hero’. A remarkable achievement and a major effort to salute a brave man with distinguished service. Working only with old photographs and clips of film – some from family archives and some from the Imperial War Museum, it tells of his remarkable naval career in less than six minutes.
I chose to introduce the subject as “Fred” – almost an archetype of the ordinary young man of the time. The audience has no clue about how his career will progress or his final achievements.
The film refers to the sinking of the “Hood”, a story that still means something … that great ship seemed indestructible in its time. That Fred’s brother lost his life on it adds personal tragedy to the story.
But on “Fiji” Fred became a true hero. We had never considered the risk that depth charges and torpedoes ready for action, could, on a sinking ship, explode and kill any survivors in the water. That he had time to make them safe was a miracle. Then the tale of how he was saved by the brave actions of seaman Kirkpatrick makes it seem as if he had been marked by the divine for rescue.
This film won Philip the ‘Moorey Trophy’ for Best Documentary.
The ‘Island of Dragon’s’ was Peter Stratford’s documentary entry. Filmed in the Galapagos Islands it introduced the audience to the miniature Spiny Tailed Iguana with some informative and sometimes comical narration on its habits and lifestyle.
Peter revealed that these creatures have evolved to be completely indifferent to humans, and it is possible to get some great close-up shots while they recline on the rocks. He also had fun when scripting the commentary back home, injecting some humour and making it more reminiscent of Alan Whicker than David Attenborough!
Awarded the Trophy for ’Best Use of Commentary’.
An impromptu visit to witness visitors partaking in the sport of Bungee and Swing over the Waikato River in Taupo New Zealand – February 2020 – resulted in Gordon Sutton’s film ‘Live More – Fear Less’.
Gordon managed to film some daredevil footage from a Bungee Jump site located on Lake Taupo New Zealand. He managed to capture the thrill and fear from the jump preparation to the moment when airborne. He also interviewed some of the people after they had jumped for their effusive reaction. Gordon said he kept his feet firmly on the ground throughout filming!
Colin Lewis’s film ‘James Whitaker Wright’ was a documentary about the American swindler and millionaire, who made his money in mining. He also developed the London Underground tunnels and used their design to install an underwater ballroom in the lake of his U.K house Lea Park which then became Witley Park. He took his own life, by swallowing a cyanide pill, as a result of being sentenced to 7 year of penal servitude.
Colin’s fact filled film gained him a ‘Highly Commended’ award.
Colin Lewis produced a film entirely shot on his mobile called ‘October on Mobile’. The footage was taken on Milford and Witley Common near Godalming, and showed the beautiful Autumnal colours of trees and fauna in the area, accompanied by a poem as narration.
Summary of 2020 Awards:
Surrey Border Movie Makers: Member’s Annual 6-Minute Competiton
AWARDS in 2020
Commended:
Leaving New York (Gillian Gatland)
Highly Commended:
James Whitaker Wright (Colin Lewis)
Best Holiday, (David Good Trophy)
Memories of Madeira (Gillian Gatland)
Best Photography, (Arthur English Trophy)
Don’t Know How to Love Him (Tim Stannard)
Best Creative Film, (Clements Shield)
Marty Wilde 60s (Paul Vernon)
Best Use of Sound, (Pat Doherty Cup)
Mary Rose the True Story (Dave Skertchly)
Best Documentary, (Moorey Documentary Trophy)
The Unsung Hero (Philip Morley)
First Time Winner, (Jack Stribbling Trophy)
Cluedunnit (Tim Stannard)
Best Editing, (Penny Johnson Trophy)
Island of Dragons (Peter Stratford)
Best Camerawork (Dick Hibberd Trophy)
Jury of Six (Paul Vernon)
Best Use of Commentary (Sir Paul Holden trophy)
Island of Dragons (Peter Stratford)
BEST OVERALL, (Jackson Trophy)
Mary Rose the True Story (Dave Skertchly)