(originally published by The Student)
For a film aficionado, Edinburgh is the place to be according to Chris Brooks, archivist for the Edinburgh Movie Production Society. “ This is a good city to be in. There’s the film festival, and there are always contacts bubbling away,” said Brooks.
Founded in 2004, EMPS brings the complex art of film production to a more accessible level. Even those who have never touched a camera before can create something, while those with more experience have the opportunity to make films using top-of-the-range equipment and mentor others.
“There’s a danger people will assess us very quickly,” Brooks said. “That it’s just for geeks who know how a camera works, but most of the society is made up of people who don’t even study film.”
Drawing its members from across the University, members’ knowledge of film-making varies, meaning a range of talents and styles are pulled together and shared. The society brings film out into a live community through competitions, talks and workshops. This is not just a social club, but a society where members can learn skills from professionals and other members. Weekly talks for the upcoming semester follow the progress of the annual Freshers Film Competition. Brooks said, “We have talks for scripting and storyboarding, then planning and production, then special effects and editing.” There will also be a new course of smaller workshops for hands-on training with film equipment.
EMPS’ educational virtues are part of what won the group Society of the Year in 2010/2011. This means they have a close relationship with EUSA, and can be spotted all week filming Freshers’ antics for a EUSA film to advertise next year’s Freshers’ Week. The award means there’s plenty of funding for the professional-standard equipment, which the society owns and allows members to rent both for society-related films and their own personal projects. New for this year is a set of equipment for use in making documentaries, a new genre for the society and an exciting opportunity for members.
The workshops, the talks, the Freshers Films, the music videos, the 24-hour film challenges and the one-hour film making contest (“There’s no time for editing- you just have to film it all in the right order!”) all lead up to the glitzy annual Golden Video Awards. Here films from throughout the year are screened, and recognition given to teams and individuals of all roles, including Brooks’ award for his continuing enthusiasm for the group. Last year’s was judged by three working film-makers. “They run their own production companies,” remarks Brooks. “So they’re pretty knowledgeable chaps.”
“I was given an achievement award for hanging around the longest,” recounts Brooks. Having joined in 2005, he still finds himself drawn back. There are few other places where film-lovers can take the leap into film-making with such a vast pool of experience to draw from, fantastic equipment to use and intriguing competitions to enter. And if nothing else, as Brooks notes, “It’s a good way to spend a Wednesday night.”
For a film aficionado, Edinburgh is the place to be according to Chris Brooks, archivist for the Edinburgh Movie Production Society. “ This is a good city to be in. There’s the film festival, and there are always contacts bubbling away,” said Brooks.
Founded in 2004, EMPS brings the complex art of film production to a more accessible level. Even those who have never touched a camera before can create something, while those with more experience have the opportunity to make films using top-of-the-range equipment and mentor others.
“There’s a danger people will assess us very quickly,” Brooks said. “That it’s just for geeks who know how a camera works, but most of the society is made up of people who don’t even study film.”
Drawing its members from across the University, members’ knowledge of film-making varies, meaning a range of talents and styles are pulled together and shared. The society brings film out into a live community through competitions, talks and workshops. This is not just a social club, but a society where members can learn skills from professionals and other members. Weekly talks for the upcoming semester follow the progress of the annual Freshers Film Competition. Brooks said, “We have talks for scripting and storyboarding, then planning and production, then special effects and editing.” There will also be a new course of smaller workshops for hands-on training with film equipment.
EMPS’ educational virtues are part of what won the group Society of the Year in 2010/2011. This means they have a close relationship with EUSA, and can be spotted all week filming Freshers’ antics for a EUSA film to advertise next year’s Freshers’ Week. The award means there’s plenty of funding for the professional-standard equipment, which the society owns and allows members to rent both for society-related films and their own personal projects. New for this year is a set of equipment for use in making documentaries, a new genre for the society and an exciting opportunity for members.
The workshops, the talks, the Freshers Films, the music videos, the 24-hour film challenges and the one-hour film making contest (“There’s no time for editing- you just have to film it all in the right order!”) all lead up to the glitzy annual Golden Video Awards. Here films from throughout the year are screened, and recognition given to teams and individuals of all roles, including Brooks’ award for his continuing enthusiasm for the group. Last year’s was judged by three working film-makers. “They run their own production companies,” remarks Brooks. “So they’re pretty knowledgeable chaps.”
“I was given an achievement award for hanging around the longest,” recounts Brooks. Having joined in 2005, he still finds himself drawn back. There are few other places where film-lovers can take the leap into film-making with such a vast pool of experience to draw from, fantastic equipment to use and intriguing competitions to enter. And if nothing else, as Brooks notes, “It’s a good way to spend a Wednesday night.”
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