Events in 2018
28th November - Allan & Michael
Allan Vanston and Mick Varley have made many award winning films. Tonight we saw a compilation of some of those films.
Allan described a visit to the Colditz Castle in Germany and the glider that some of the prisoners made in 1944-5. This contrasted nicely with Mick's look at the "Goth" weekend in Whitby and a "Steampunk" meeting in Haworth.
Apparently "Big Jim" who went to Poland for a holiday before returning to Haworth, was a train! What a surprise Mick. We had a flavour of the French theme park "Puy du Fou" from Allan
Finally we discovered that what was powering the pool and fountains in Bradford's Centenary Square were hidden under the vast area of water.
What a fantastic evening guys......thank-you.
Allan Vanston and Mick Varley have made many award winning films. Tonight we saw a compilation of some of those films.
Allan described a visit to the Colditz Castle in Germany and the glider that some of the prisoners made in 1944-5. This contrasted nicely with Mick's look at the "Goth" weekend in Whitby and a "Steampunk" meeting in Haworth.
Apparently "Big Jim" who went to Poland for a holiday before returning to Haworth, was a train! What a surprise Mick. We had a flavour of the French theme park "Puy du Fou" from Allan
Finally we discovered that what was powering the pool and fountains in Bradford's Centenary Square were hidden under the vast area of water.
What a fantastic evening guys......thank-you.
31st October - Roy and Jean Vickers entertain
The theme was Flights and Wings where Roy and Jean had a premier showing of their film to an invited audience from the nearby community of Menston. They had taken part in this film which described the making of bird boxes by a local school and the erection of these boxes to trees in the local area. It showed examples of the ringing of birds from young chicks. Bats were also featured. The evening started with some of Roy and Jean’s films with the theme birds, and aviation.
24th October - The Gledhill Competition
7 entries were shown and judged by Maureen & Roger Parnell from Huddersfield Movie Makers. Click here for results
17th October - Gordon and Anne Sharp entertain
We had a very entertaining evening from these excellent film makers which left us Spellbound!
A visit to East Yorkshire showed locations within this region and made Hull look like a place you must visit and see more. Bugs & Bees showed up close up shots of these insects using their Macro facility. Shots of the Flying Scotsman followed, and China tea a film set to music from shots of their visit to China. A film about Venice, always welcome with shots of La Serenissima in the snow! Halifax took us to industries, some sadly defunct, sites and again made it look an interesting place. Iron foundry work and carpet making were shown.
Finally a film to the theme Boots were made for walking, an animation film using wellies and called "A Great Escape". Thanks for a wonderful evening.
A visit to East Yorkshire showed locations within this region and made Hull look like a place you must visit and see more. Bugs & Bees showed up close up shots of these insects using their Macro facility. Shots of the Flying Scotsman followed, and China tea a film set to music from shots of their visit to China. A film about Venice, always welcome with shots of La Serenissima in the snow! Halifax took us to industries, some sadly defunct, sites and again made it look an interesting place. Iron foundry work and carpet making were shown.
Finally a film to the theme Boots were made for walking, an animation film using wellies and called "A Great Escape". Thanks for a wonderful evening.
10th October - NERIAC 2018 Showreel
The North East Region of the Institute for Amateur Cinematography have a competition every year. A compilation of this years winners was shown. Various topics from Mushrooms, making of brass musical instruments like Trombones, Newcastle "Toon", DIY, a visit to Amsterdam, a short comedy and a film from John Roberts called “Cowpuccino”. Following on from last weeks theme 3 short films about lifeboats also started off the evening.
3rd October - RNLI
David Myers has spent the last two years travelling to Scarborough to film the replacement of their Lifeboat. Firstly the old lifeboat house, which would have been too small for the new vessel, had to be demolished. A new house was built, the new boat received and the crew had to go through lengthy training. Finally ceremonies were performed for the blessing of the Lifeboat house and new craft. All this was tastefully done in an interesting one hour presentation. During some of the filming he was ably assisted by Anthony Monaghan and his wife Jenny who were present at last night's meeting. A discussion of how the film was made and a few out-takes were shown afterwards.
19th September - Ex-Presidents evening
Bob Rowley, our president of 2017 entertained us all with many stories of coincidences. He showed a film that was made last year which gained an award in the BIAFF festival. The second half of the evening was dedicated to observation, showing short film clips and answering questions about the action. A most enjoyable evening by all who attended.
12th September - Programme evening
This annual meeting gives members an opportunity to discuss the future programme or syllabus and to help the Programme secretary plan events for the coming year. The meeting was well attended and many ideas for the future were suggested and hopefully fill the evenings with events that interest club members.
5th September - History on your doorstep
Members films about local Yorkshire history were shown. We visited York, Fountains Abbey, Oulton and Otley. An early 20th Century mill dispute in Yeadon was described in detail where it was one of the first occasions of a strike. An enjoyable and informative evening of members films.
29th August 2018 - Members films
Another selection of films made by members.
22nd August 2018 - Holiday Films
A selection of Holiday films were shown tonight. A trip round the world as far as New Zealand. We also visited Italy, Madiera, Scotland, Jersey and the Farne Islands. An interesting and educational evening enjoyed by all members present.
15th August 2018 - Out and About competition
Our Annual Out and About competition covers films made about the United Kingdom. We had 12 entries, the winner was "Autumn Fruit" by Jean & Roy Vickers and the runner up was "Bridlington" by Harry Nicholls. The trophy is the Ken Leckenby trophy and the judge was Andrew Cockerill from Bradford Movie Makers.
8th August 2018
1st August 2018
25th July 2018
A Night with Vince Herke
Tonight Vince showed a collection of films revolving around special effects. His first film was 'out-takes' taken from Foyles War and how the special effects team created a spitfire crash landing which exploded in a mass of flames, and the pilot was badly burned as well. It was great stuff showing the lengths and depths of the special effects teams 'creativity' Another set of 'out takes was made by the Ford Motor Company which showed 'How to Blow Up a Car' which revolved around the James Bond Films and wrecking a Ford Fairlane Sedan Car. Vince showed a personal video of a relatives wedding and Harry Nichols jumped in with one of his films about Captain Cook. Vince showed other films and all went down very well. There was much talking about 'points of interest' within the films but as Vince said, it takes a lot of time to fill the weekly programme and he re-iterated any suggestions or input from members would be greatly appreciated.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
A Night with Vince Herke
Tonight Vince showed a collection of films revolving around special effects. His first film was 'out-takes' taken from Foyles War and how the special effects team created a spitfire crash landing which exploded in a mass of flames, and the pilot was badly burned as well. It was great stuff showing the lengths and depths of the special effects teams 'creativity' Another set of 'out takes was made by the Ford Motor Company which showed 'How to Blow Up a Car' which revolved around the James Bond Films and wrecking a Ford Fairlane Sedan Car. Vince showed a personal video of a relatives wedding and Harry Nichols jumped in with one of his films about Captain Cook. Vince showed other films and all went down very well. There was much talking about 'points of interest' within the films but as Vince said, it takes a lot of time to fill the weekly programme and he re-iterated any suggestions or input from members would be greatly appreciated.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
23rd July 2018
Challenge Match
This week (Monday) Mercury Movie Makers were guests of Bradford Movie Makers at their private cinema in Back Russell Street, Bradford. The match was drawn by the West Riding Cine Group in their annual selection of challenge matches, where clubs throughout the year compete for the Annual Challenge Trophy.
Both clubs entered three films each and it was a great challenge match. I would like to say Mercury won the match 'Hands Down' but it's fair to say we were well and truly beaten by the Bradford entries. It was a good match but the opening film by Bradford was absolutely stunning. It was called 'A Synthetic Revolution In Yorkshire' and if anyone gets the chance to see this film, do so. The shots and sound track were top notch. Mercury Movie makers entered 'Sam's Blue Buses' to challenge this film and it was very good but sadly outclassed on this occasion. The second pair of films drawn against each other were Bradford's 'Holiday in London' but this lacked the top notch editing of their first film and the sound track was a bit iffy, and by comparison Mercury's entry 'Early Autumn in Prague' was a clear winner. The filming and narration was well above average and Mercury won this round. The final dual between two films was Bradford's 'A Night on the Town' and Mercury's 'Wasp Killer'.
The Bradford film was just simply amazing with some of the most fantastic Title credits I have ever seen. It was all CGI stuff but it really was great stuff. Mercury put their film 'Wasp Killer' up against Bradford's entry and at any other time it would have been a winner, but not tonight, we were just outclassed. Well done Bradford Movie Makers and well done to Mercury. The films were a credit to all concerned and many thanks to Ken Wilson of Phase 4 Films for his comments and appraisals other the evenings programme.
Results Bradford Movie Makers 7 points
Mercury Movie Makers 5 points.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer.
Challenge Match
This week (Monday) Mercury Movie Makers were guests of Bradford Movie Makers at their private cinema in Back Russell Street, Bradford. The match was drawn by the West Riding Cine Group in their annual selection of challenge matches, where clubs throughout the year compete for the Annual Challenge Trophy.
Both clubs entered three films each and it was a great challenge match. I would like to say Mercury won the match 'Hands Down' but it's fair to say we were well and truly beaten by the Bradford entries. It was a good match but the opening film by Bradford was absolutely stunning. It was called 'A Synthetic Revolution In Yorkshire' and if anyone gets the chance to see this film, do so. The shots and sound track were top notch. Mercury Movie makers entered 'Sam's Blue Buses' to challenge this film and it was very good but sadly outclassed on this occasion. The second pair of films drawn against each other were Bradford's 'Holiday in London' but this lacked the top notch editing of their first film and the sound track was a bit iffy, and by comparison Mercury's entry 'Early Autumn in Prague' was a clear winner. The filming and narration was well above average and Mercury won this round. The final dual between two films was Bradford's 'A Night on the Town' and Mercury's 'Wasp Killer'.
The Bradford film was just simply amazing with some of the most fantastic Title credits I have ever seen. It was all CGI stuff but it really was great stuff. Mercury put their film 'Wasp Killer' up against Bradford's entry and at any other time it would have been a winner, but not tonight, we were just outclassed. Well done Bradford Movie Makers and well done to Mercury. The films were a credit to all concerned and many thanks to Ken Wilson of Phase 4 Films for his comments and appraisals other the evenings programme.
Results Bradford Movie Makers 7 points
Mercury Movie Makers 5 points.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer.
18th July 2018
A Night with Dave Morton
Dave Morton is an established film maker and member of Mercury Movie Makers. Dave opened the evening with an informal chat all about the making of films and how they have changed over the years since he first started when he was using 'cine film'. Over the evening Dave presented a dozen or more films and all were very different. He did a 'spooky' film based on a robbery, a couple of 1st World War films based on his two grandfathers and young ladies from Leeds making 'shells' for the big guns on the front line, sadly with disastrous results, two really good nostalgic films. Things got brighter with a chirpy 'quick fire' holiday film of Cyprus and a lovely film of Blackpool, complete with donkeys on the beach and those all famous trams.. Dave did throw in a holiday film of France settling on the old town of Boulogne but this was a more cultural film. There was a good variety of other films thrown in but were run in quick succession which was hard for making notes, suffice to say all were up to a very high standard along with his little chat here and there, it made for a very entertaining evening and he was well rewarded with applause and remarks from our fellow members. It was another good evening at Mercury Movie Makers.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
A Night with Dave Morton
Dave Morton is an established film maker and member of Mercury Movie Makers. Dave opened the evening with an informal chat all about the making of films and how they have changed over the years since he first started when he was using 'cine film'. Over the evening Dave presented a dozen or more films and all were very different. He did a 'spooky' film based on a robbery, a couple of 1st World War films based on his two grandfathers and young ladies from Leeds making 'shells' for the big guns on the front line, sadly with disastrous results, two really good nostalgic films. Things got brighter with a chirpy 'quick fire' holiday film of Cyprus and a lovely film of Blackpool, complete with donkeys on the beach and those all famous trams.. Dave did throw in a holiday film of France settling on the old town of Boulogne but this was a more cultural film. There was a good variety of other films thrown in but were run in quick succession which was hard for making notes, suffice to say all were up to a very high standard along with his little chat here and there, it made for a very entertaining evening and he was well rewarded with applause and remarks from our fellow members. It was another good evening at Mercury Movie Makers.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
11th July 2018
Just Cruising - A Social Evening
The Mercury Movie Makers clubrooms were closed for the evening as members were out on a narrow boat enjoying an afternoon's sailing on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. As everyone is aware, we have had some truly wonderful weather during the last few weeks and members of the club were not disappointed this evening. The views from a canal boat are truly spectacular and well worth seeing although time does seem to pass slowly. After a pleasant trip of around four hours, food was on offer by visiting the local Curry restaurant "Aagrah"or the famous "Bizzie Lizzie's" fish and chip restaurant. It was something near a 50/50 split where some members went to the fish shop and others had the curry. Either way it was a good end to a very peasant evening.
Many thanks should go to Bob Rowley for organising the trip especially when Bob provided the 'on board' duty free liquid refreshment, he really is very good at 'hosting' and deserves a big 'Pat on the Back'
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer.
Just Cruising - A Social Evening
The Mercury Movie Makers clubrooms were closed for the evening as members were out on a narrow boat enjoying an afternoon's sailing on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. As everyone is aware, we have had some truly wonderful weather during the last few weeks and members of the club were not disappointed this evening. The views from a canal boat are truly spectacular and well worth seeing although time does seem to pass slowly. After a pleasant trip of around four hours, food was on offer by visiting the local Curry restaurant "Aagrah"or the famous "Bizzie Lizzie's" fish and chip restaurant. It was something near a 50/50 split where some members went to the fish shop and others had the curry. Either way it was a good end to a very peasant evening.
Many thanks should go to Bob Rowley for organising the trip especially when Bob provided the 'on board' duty free liquid refreshment, he really is very good at 'hosting' and deserves a big 'Pat on the Back'
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer.
4th July 2018
Films from the Archives with Bob Rudd
This evening Bob Rudd, the club's librarian and archivist put together a very nostalgic and varied programme of members films of both past and present. Bob had previously asked members if they had any special film(s) that they would like to be shown and sure enough he had many requests. As some of the films were rather old in the great scheme of things it just showed how far we have come as film makers and have improved beyond our wildest dreams. The quality of some productions was just great and yet the sheer nostalgia of some of the earliest films was,.......well just lets say, they got all the members talking with great fondness and how the films were made before the pre-digital age and non linear editing.
It was a good night and thanks to Bob it ran very smoothly. Martin Sunderland gave his thanks to Bob for creating such a good programme and he was heartily applauded by all the members present.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
Films from the Archives with Bob Rudd
This evening Bob Rudd, the club's librarian and archivist put together a very nostalgic and varied programme of members films of both past and present. Bob had previously asked members if they had any special film(s) that they would like to be shown and sure enough he had many requests. As some of the films were rather old in the great scheme of things it just showed how far we have come as film makers and have improved beyond our wildest dreams. The quality of some productions was just great and yet the sheer nostalgia of some of the earliest films was,.......well just lets say, they got all the members talking with great fondness and how the films were made before the pre-digital age and non linear editing.
It was a good night and thanks to Bob it ran very smoothly. Martin Sunderland gave his thanks to Bob for creating such a good programme and he was heartily applauded by all the members present.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
20th June 2018
Nuit de film merde!
A literal translation is "An evening of less than good films"
Our members were asked to bring along a copy of what they consider their "worst film ever"!
For most of the evening, Bob Rowley was on the edge of his seat thinking that he had won.
Bob Rudd's wedding film....no....just too good. Mabel had a try for the prize with her black and white cine film about buying a second-hand car with a treasure trove in the boot.....no Mabel, a happy ending!
John Wheeler was hopeful that dozens of zooms would do the trick....but....sorry John....not enough jump cuts!
In the second half, Vince was hoping that Captain Claro would make us cringe sufficiently. Well, did it?
Was Roy's "Day of the Lambs" good enough to lose?
Was my film a winner? Or did Bob win?
(You will have to ask someone who was there!)
:--- Martin
Nuit de film merde!
A literal translation is "An evening of less than good films"
Our members were asked to bring along a copy of what they consider their "worst film ever"!
For most of the evening, Bob Rowley was on the edge of his seat thinking that he had won.
Bob Rudd's wedding film....no....just too good. Mabel had a try for the prize with her black and white cine film about buying a second-hand car with a treasure trove in the boot.....no Mabel, a happy ending!
John Wheeler was hopeful that dozens of zooms would do the trick....but....sorry John....not enough jump cuts!
In the second half, Vince was hoping that Captain Claro would make us cringe sufficiently. Well, did it?
Was Roy's "Day of the Lambs" good enough to lose?
Was my film a winner? Or did Bob win?
(You will have to ask someone who was there!)
:--- Martin
13th June 2018
This evening hosted Bob Rowley's "CatchPhrase" competition
The worthy winner was
Peter Hartingdon
with his film
"The Riser"
Following on was an interesting film made at around 1968 about life in the Police Force made from the bobbies point of view.
We also watched a film of Jack Hargreaves visiting Appleby Horse Fair in the '80s
This evening hosted Bob Rowley's "CatchPhrase" competition
The worthy winner was
Peter Hartingdon
with his film
"The Riser"
Following on was an interesting film made at around 1968 about life in the Police Force made from the bobbies point of view.
We also watched a film of Jack Hargreaves visiting Appleby Horse Fair in the '80s
6th June 2018
This evening held the first competition of the year.
A total of seventeen films were judged by Mike Breeze of Burnley Movie Makers.
The results are:
One Minute Film
Winner Peter Hartingdon "Lawn Expert" Runner-up Roy & Jean Vickers "Rodley Nature Reserve"
Five Minute Film
Winner Dave Morton "Mary Mary" Runner-up Richard Bray "Wasp Killer"
Film To Music
Winner Martin Sunderland "What's for Lunch" Runner-up Bob Rowley "Wind in my Sails"
Thanks and well done to all the film makers
This evening held the first competition of the year.
A total of seventeen films were judged by Mike Breeze of Burnley Movie Makers.
The results are:
One Minute Film
Winner Peter Hartingdon "Lawn Expert" Runner-up Roy & Jean Vickers "Rodley Nature Reserve"
Five Minute Film
Winner Dave Morton "Mary Mary" Runner-up Richard Bray "Wasp Killer"
Film To Music
Winner Martin Sunderland "What's for Lunch" Runner-up Bob Rowley "Wind in my Sails"
Thanks and well done to all the film makers
30th May 2018
Camera Angles with Peter Strickland
It was a quiet night on Wednesday evening with less than average members attending the meeting. Perhaps this was because of the holiday season being upon us but that didn't spoil the evening for those who were able to attend.
It was a good night extremely well produced and well presented by Peter Strickland, a well respected and long time member of Mercury Movie Makers. Peter brought along some short clips showing how the professionals work and also he set up his own camera to emulate some of those shots.
After demonstrating how not to cross the "180 degree line"during the set-up of "over the shoulder" shots, Peter also organised a couple of members to stand 'side by side' so he could create some alternative, very interesting, shots. For example by using a wide angle lens and getting in extremely close to one member (actor) from the side, the second actor seemed, 'well miles away' even though they were stood side by side. It really was very effective and often used in the 'Spaghetti' westerns.
Peter filled in the whole night with a very informative program that he produced and it went down very well with the members who managed to attend on the night. What was good was that those who did attend were the 'keenest' of film makers and I suspect we will be seeing much in evidence from what we have learned tonight. It was an extremely good evening and well received by all.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
Camera Angles with Peter Strickland
It was a quiet night on Wednesday evening with less than average members attending the meeting. Perhaps this was because of the holiday season being upon us but that didn't spoil the evening for those who were able to attend.
It was a good night extremely well produced and well presented by Peter Strickland, a well respected and long time member of Mercury Movie Makers. Peter brought along some short clips showing how the professionals work and also he set up his own camera to emulate some of those shots.
After demonstrating how not to cross the "180 degree line"during the set-up of "over the shoulder" shots, Peter also organised a couple of members to stand 'side by side' so he could create some alternative, very interesting, shots. For example by using a wide angle lens and getting in extremely close to one member (actor) from the side, the second actor seemed, 'well miles away' even though they were stood side by side. It really was very effective and often used in the 'Spaghetti' westerns.
Peter filled in the whole night with a very informative program that he produced and it went down very well with the members who managed to attend on the night. What was good was that those who did attend were the 'keenest' of film makers and I suspect we will be seeing much in evidence from what we have learned tonight. It was an extremely good evening and well received by all.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
16th May 2018
Choosing Music for Video
There are a few film makers in our Club who, like me, struggle not only in judging if a piece of music is suitable for a film but finding the music track in the first place!
We all have personal CD's of copyright music, some have copyright-free music. There are many thousands of tracks that can be previewed and purchased from Apple iTunes, and there are many on-line sites offering paid/free, copyright/copyright free music that can be searched for by various criteria. I think that all this choice makes it that much more difficult to find the best music for the job.
Tonight, we listened to various examples of music that can be used to create a mood or emotion. Vince also explained how snippets of often unknown music tracks become quite familiar known as they are used in well known adverts.
Harry Nicholls and Dave Morton very kindly brought along some of their films so that we could discuss the reasons for the music choice and suitability of the music choice made.
It all made for an interesting evening and all-in-all it gave us some food for thought (no buns though!),
many thanks Vince.
Choosing Music for Video
There are a few film makers in our Club who, like me, struggle not only in judging if a piece of music is suitable for a film but finding the music track in the first place!
We all have personal CD's of copyright music, some have copyright-free music. There are many thousands of tracks that can be previewed and purchased from Apple iTunes, and there are many on-line sites offering paid/free, copyright/copyright free music that can be searched for by various criteria. I think that all this choice makes it that much more difficult to find the best music for the job.
Tonight, we listened to various examples of music that can be used to create a mood or emotion. Vince also explained how snippets of often unknown music tracks become quite familiar known as they are used in well known adverts.
Harry Nicholls and Dave Morton very kindly brought along some of their films so that we could discuss the reasons for the music choice and suitability of the music choice made.
It all made for an interesting evening and all-in-all it gave us some food for thought (no buns though!),
many thanks Vince.
9th May 2018
An evening with
Bob & Martin
It was Brilliant!
Report by Martin Sunderland (stand-in Publicity Officer)
An evening with
Bob & Martin
It was Brilliant!
Report by Martin Sunderland (stand-in Publicity Officer)
25th April 2018
An evening with
Henry Farrar
(ex BBC Film Unit)
"A Golden Age in film"
Henry worked for the BBC for 31 years and travelled the world as an intrepid BBC cameraman working with people such as David Attenborough and Alan Whicker. He also worked on all type of documentaries, travel, comedy and drama programmes.
Henry started the evening by describing the cameras and filming techniques from the earliest days of the BBC. His supporting film documented the BBC Film Unit moving into what had been "Ealing Studios" in 1989.
Although Henry was a cameraman on productions such as "The Two Ronnies", "The World About Us", "Dave Allen At Large" and many others, the most interesting part of the evening was hearing of Henry's part in the filming of the early Attenborough wild life programmes.
This was an EXTREMELY interesting evening
Thank you Henry
An evening with
Henry Farrar
(ex BBC Film Unit)
"A Golden Age in film"
Henry worked for the BBC for 31 years and travelled the world as an intrepid BBC cameraman working with people such as David Attenborough and Alan Whicker. He also worked on all type of documentaries, travel, comedy and drama programmes.
Henry started the evening by describing the cameras and filming techniques from the earliest days of the BBC. His supporting film documented the BBC Film Unit moving into what had been "Ealing Studios" in 1989.
Although Henry was a cameraman on productions such as "The Two Ronnies", "The World About Us", "Dave Allen At Large" and many others, the most interesting part of the evening was hearing of Henry's part in the filming of the early Attenborough wild life programmes.
This was an EXTREMELY interesting evening
Thank you Henry
25th April 2018
Halas & Batchelor
was a British animation company founded in 1940 by John Halas and Joy Batchelor. They made the first British animated feature film in 1945.
Two thousand films were made by Halas & Batchelor before they were bought by Tyne Tees early in '70s. These included Animal Farm, Popeye the Silor, The Kid from Outer Space, The Lone Ranger.
Tonight we saw examples of their films and heard the story of Halas & Batchelor.
Vince rounded the evening off with a film of the "Fiddlers of James Bay"
The film explores the Scottish ancestry of Cree people living near James Bay in Canada. The film follows two Cree fiddlers, Ray Spencer and Bob McCloud, on their journey from Canada to perform in a series of fiddle concerts with the Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society in Stromness.
Halas & Batchelor
was a British animation company founded in 1940 by John Halas and Joy Batchelor. They made the first British animated feature film in 1945.
Two thousand films were made by Halas & Batchelor before they were bought by Tyne Tees early in '70s. These included Animal Farm, Popeye the Silor, The Kid from Outer Space, The Lone Ranger.
Tonight we saw examples of their films and heard the story of Halas & Batchelor.
Vince rounded the evening off with a film of the "Fiddlers of James Bay"
The film explores the Scottish ancestry of Cree people living near James Bay in Canada. The film follows two Cree fiddlers, Ray Spencer and Bob McCloud, on their journey from Canada to perform in a series of fiddle concerts with the Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society in Stromness.
18th April 2018
The 2018 Trivention Competition
The "Trivention" is a competition between three clubs (in this case Mercury, Bradford, and Leeds Movie Makers). Each club shows a programme of of films having a total running time of up to thirty minutes. An independent judge then declares which club produced a programme with the best "entertainment value".
For tonight's competition, the judges were Trevor and Joan Spencer from Huddersfield Movie Makers.
Bradford and Leeds produced excellent "shows" but were just beaten by the Mercury presentation.
Well done Mercury, that's three Trivention wins on the trot!
The 2018 Trivention Competition
The "Trivention" is a competition between three clubs (in this case Mercury, Bradford, and Leeds Movie Makers). Each club shows a programme of of films having a total running time of up to thirty minutes. An independent judge then declares which club produced a programme with the best "entertainment value".
For tonight's competition, the judges were Trevor and Joan Spencer from Huddersfield Movie Makers.
Bradford and Leeds produced excellent "shows" but were just beaten by the Mercury presentation.
Well done Mercury, that's three Trivention wins on the trot!
11th April 2018
A Night with Jim Walker
Jim is a member of Bradford Movie Makers and had last visited us in 2009 and so started the evening with films made since that time.
He is famed for drama and comedy films and has entered them in National and International film competitions.
But, Jim threw us a "curved ball"! He dropped in a documentary and......wait for it......a HOLIDAY film!
An excellent evening Jim, thank you
PS, Mercury, get script writing and make some Drama films!
A Night with Jim Walker
Jim is a member of Bradford Movie Makers and had last visited us in 2009 and so started the evening with films made since that time.
He is famed for drama and comedy films and has entered them in National and International film competitions.
But, Jim threw us a "curved ball"! He dropped in a documentary and......wait for it......a HOLIDAY film!
An excellent evening Jim, thank you
PS, Mercury, get script writing and make some Drama films!
4th April 2018
A Night with Ian Dewhirst
Tonight's topic was a talk on 'Victorian and Edwardian Leisure' and what a fantastic evening it was.
Doctor Ian Dewhirst, to give him his full and proper title, is a prolific speaker on any subject regarding social history and his memory for facts and details are amazing. Ian has visited us on several occasions and we have never been disappointed. It was great that we had so many guest visitors who turned up for the evening.
We were told about many different aspects of victorian leisure which included events from Keighley Cycling Club's 1905 agenda, peddling from Skipton to Keighley backwards, when the cyclist passed a lone car. It must have been a strange feeling when someone was driving his open top motor car and a cyclist travelling in the same direction overtakes him whilst peddling backwards.
Many other anecdotes on diffferent sports and leisure were quoted and all were told in a highly entertaining manner.
It was a good night and I was so glad we had a full house of members and friends who came to appreciate an evening with Doctor Ian Dewhirst, and we were not let down.
A Night with Ian Dewhirst
Tonight's topic was a talk on 'Victorian and Edwardian Leisure' and what a fantastic evening it was.
Doctor Ian Dewhirst, to give him his full and proper title, is a prolific speaker on any subject regarding social history and his memory for facts and details are amazing. Ian has visited us on several occasions and we have never been disappointed. It was great that we had so many guest visitors who turned up for the evening.
We were told about many different aspects of victorian leisure which included events from Keighley Cycling Club's 1905 agenda, peddling from Skipton to Keighley backwards, when the cyclist passed a lone car. It must have been a strange feeling when someone was driving his open top motor car and a cyclist travelling in the same direction overtakes him whilst peddling backwards.
Many other anecdotes on diffferent sports and leisure were quoted and all were told in a highly entertaining manner.
It was a good night and I was so glad we had a full house of members and friends who came to appreciate an evening with Doctor Ian Dewhirst, and we were not let down.
Wednesday, 21st & 28th March 2018
Annual Competition, Film Show
With the annual competition now over and done, the results were announced at the annual dinner and the various cups, trophies and certificates were awarded.
Over these two weeks our members were shown the 36 films from the competition, some for the first time as all the judging had been done in secrecy and many films have not been seen before. It was a great programme of the members films and did our club very proud indeed.
Roy Vickers, our competition secretary with the help of his wife Jean organised the evenings programme and it was a delight. There was such a varied selection of films of various genre's and themes that kept the audience attention at all times. Jean had done all the work regarding the printing and preparation of certificates etc and Roy organised the engraving of the trophies.
The film judged to be "best in the competition" was "Early Autumn in Prague" produced by Michael Varley.
Allan Vanston
Annual Competition, Film Show
With the annual competition now over and done, the results were announced at the annual dinner and the various cups, trophies and certificates were awarded.
Over these two weeks our members were shown the 36 films from the competition, some for the first time as all the judging had been done in secrecy and many films have not been seen before. It was a great programme of the members films and did our club very proud indeed.
Roy Vickers, our competition secretary with the help of his wife Jean organised the evenings programme and it was a delight. There was such a varied selection of films of various genre's and themes that kept the audience attention at all times. Jean had done all the work regarding the printing and preparation of certificates etc and Roy organised the engraving of the trophies.
The film judged to be "best in the competition" was "Early Autumn in Prague" produced by Michael Varley.
Allan Vanston
14th March 2018
Annual Dinner and Annual Film Competition Results
This was the highlight of our film-making year with thirty two members getting together to enjoy a good meal, a good natter, a chance to win a "prise" in Mabel's famous raffle, and to receive the results of the annual film competition.
Gordon and Anne Sharp of Huddersfield Movie Makers had judged twenty six films across ten categories, and joined us for the evening as "guests of honour".
Gordon presented the trophies for the various categories which were as follows:
Best Film in the Competition - 'The Ernest Moran Trophy' 'Early Autumn in Prague' by Michael Varley
Runner Up '30 secs' by Dave Morton
Most Creative Use of Sound - 'The Roger Watkinson Trophy' 'Got My Love' by Richard Bray
Best Editing - 'The Peter Russell Trophy' 'DIY' by Martin Sunderland
Best Photography - The Sunderland Cup Winner 'Sam's Blue Busses' by David Myers
Runner Up 'A Day in Venice' by Bob Rudd
Documentary - The Andora Trophy Winner 'Seven Miles & Back' by Roy and Jean Vickers
Runner Up 'Sam's Blue Busses' by David Myers
Certificate of Merit 'Lochaber' by Bob Rowley
Holiday / Travel - The John Rose Trophy Winner 'Early Autumn in Prague' by Michael Varley
Runner Up 'A Dutch Odyssey' by Allan Vanston
Certificate of Merit 'A Short Walk in Paradise'' by George Thompson
Fiction - The Oilcan Trophy Winner 'I'll be Watching You' by Dave Morton
Runner Up '30 secs' by Dave Morton
Unclassified - The Longstaff Trophy Winner 'DIY' by Martin Sunderland
Runner Up 'Hydro Heritage' by Roy and Jean Vickers
Certificate of Merit 'Yorkshire Wildlife'' by Peter Strickland
Novice - The Graham Bolton Trophy. Winner 'The Stone' by Richard Bray
Runner Up 'The Trophy' by Richard Bray
Annual Dinner and Annual Film Competition Results
This was the highlight of our film-making year with thirty two members getting together to enjoy a good meal, a good natter, a chance to win a "prise" in Mabel's famous raffle, and to receive the results of the annual film competition.
Gordon and Anne Sharp of Huddersfield Movie Makers had judged twenty six films across ten categories, and joined us for the evening as "guests of honour".
Gordon presented the trophies for the various categories which were as follows:
Best Film in the Competition - 'The Ernest Moran Trophy' 'Early Autumn in Prague' by Michael Varley
Runner Up '30 secs' by Dave Morton
Most Creative Use of Sound - 'The Roger Watkinson Trophy' 'Got My Love' by Richard Bray
Best Editing - 'The Peter Russell Trophy' 'DIY' by Martin Sunderland
Best Photography - The Sunderland Cup Winner 'Sam's Blue Busses' by David Myers
Runner Up 'A Day in Venice' by Bob Rudd
Documentary - The Andora Trophy Winner 'Seven Miles & Back' by Roy and Jean Vickers
Runner Up 'Sam's Blue Busses' by David Myers
Certificate of Merit 'Lochaber' by Bob Rowley
Holiday / Travel - The John Rose Trophy Winner 'Early Autumn in Prague' by Michael Varley
Runner Up 'A Dutch Odyssey' by Allan Vanston
Certificate of Merit 'A Short Walk in Paradise'' by George Thompson
Fiction - The Oilcan Trophy Winner 'I'll be Watching You' by Dave Morton
Runner Up '30 secs' by Dave Morton
Unclassified - The Longstaff Trophy Winner 'DIY' by Martin Sunderland
Runner Up 'Hydro Heritage' by Roy and Jean Vickers
Certificate of Merit 'Yorkshire Wildlife'' by Peter Strickland
Novice - The Graham Bolton Trophy. Winner 'The Stone' by Richard Bray
Runner Up 'The Trophy' by Richard Bray
21st February 2018
Challenge Match against Wakefield Movie Makers
Not a good night really. Mercury Movie Makers won the challenge match but really it was by default and not a good way to win. As many people know each competing club enters three films, a Holiday Film, a Documentary and a Free Choice. and the problem arose because one of the Wakefield club members was bringing two films with him which were the Holiday and Documentary films but by sheer bad luck the member suffered a suspected broken hip en route to the meeting and was immediately whisked off to Wakefield's Pinderfields Hospital. We all hope to hear very soon if things are going OK for the member, we all wish him well and a speedy and positive outcome.
Regarding the actual competition, all the films that were entered were very good and of a high standard. The judges for the event were David and Von Whitworth, both very experienced film makers and members of the Huddersfield Video Club.
David in summing up did a good job of making the best of the situation and all the members and guests had a good social evening with a good 'natter' thrown in. After the competition itself and some refreshments we watched some of our own members films from the clubs archives.
To sum up it was a good night with some good films on offer amongst some good friends. We won the match but it would have been nice to have done so with a more 'combative' element. We know from experience Wakefield's members produce some excellent films and it may well have been a different outcome if things had been different
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
Challenge Match against Wakefield Movie Makers
Not a good night really. Mercury Movie Makers won the challenge match but really it was by default and not a good way to win. As many people know each competing club enters three films, a Holiday Film, a Documentary and a Free Choice. and the problem arose because one of the Wakefield club members was bringing two films with him which were the Holiday and Documentary films but by sheer bad luck the member suffered a suspected broken hip en route to the meeting and was immediately whisked off to Wakefield's Pinderfields Hospital. We all hope to hear very soon if things are going OK for the member, we all wish him well and a speedy and positive outcome.
Regarding the actual competition, all the films that were entered were very good and of a high standard. The judges for the event were David and Von Whitworth, both very experienced film makers and members of the Huddersfield Video Club.
David in summing up did a good job of making the best of the situation and all the members and guests had a good social evening with a good 'natter' thrown in. After the competition itself and some refreshments we watched some of our own members films from the clubs archives.
To sum up it was a good night with some good films on offer amongst some good friends. We won the match but it would have been nice to have done so with a more 'combative' element. We know from experience Wakefield's members produce some excellent films and it may well have been a different outcome if things had been different
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
14th February 2018
A night of Tim Stannard Films
Unfortunately Tim Stannard lives too far away to have made a personal appearance so we were treated to a Bluray disc. It was quite a varied programme of his past films, and what a good selection it was too.
Unfortunately the video films were more or less played straight through making it difficult to make notes. Having said that the films were a delight to watch.
The first film we saw was 'Eye in the Sky' and very funny and good it was too. We also saw a film called 'The Great Director' which was take on a black and white silent movie.
We were treated to a great selection of films, and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise endings by going into great detail on this page.
But I will say this, Tim's latest film that he produced and our members were the first watch was an absolute gem. Our members were absolutely 'gob-smacked' by the quality and finess of the production. The film was called 'Miracle on the Mantlepiece' and that is all that I am going to say about it.
If you want to see a perfect film yourself, then the Tim Stannard film showreel is the one to watch.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
A night of Tim Stannard Films
Unfortunately Tim Stannard lives too far away to have made a personal appearance so we were treated to a Bluray disc. It was quite a varied programme of his past films, and what a good selection it was too.
Unfortunately the video films were more or less played straight through making it difficult to make notes. Having said that the films were a delight to watch.
The first film we saw was 'Eye in the Sky' and very funny and good it was too. We also saw a film called 'The Great Director' which was take on a black and white silent movie.
We were treated to a great selection of films, and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise endings by going into great detail on this page.
But I will say this, Tim's latest film that he produced and our members were the first watch was an absolute gem. Our members were absolutely 'gob-smacked' by the quality and finess of the production. The film was called 'Miracle on the Mantlepiece' and that is all that I am going to say about it.
If you want to see a perfect film yourself, then the Tim Stannard film showreel is the one to watch.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
7th February 2018
Talking Heads. (Dave and Dave)
This evening's programme was basically a practical night on camera work and film production. The theme was two friends in a 'Pub' having a 'head to head' natter like good friends do.
Allan Vanston was elected to direct the proceedings and his team of camera operators (it was a three camera shoot) were Bob Rowley, Roy Vickers and Martin Sunderland.Peter Strickland was his 'soundman'.
Allan chose Dave Myers and Dave Morton to play the two acting roles of Dave and Dave. It was a great set up with some very 'top end' cameras doing the filming and Peter's sound set up was very impressive too. The final film, two versions will be produced, are to be edited and produced by Dave Morton and Roy Vickers respectively.
It was a good practical evening and as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. Allan gave Roy and Dave a free hand in the editing of the programme and will show their version(s) of the finished films at a later date which is another opportunity for filling a date in the club's
Programme.
Talking Heads. (Dave and Dave)
This evening's programme was basically a practical night on camera work and film production. The theme was two friends in a 'Pub' having a 'head to head' natter like good friends do.
Allan Vanston was elected to direct the proceedings and his team of camera operators (it was a three camera shoot) were Bob Rowley, Roy Vickers and Martin Sunderland.Peter Strickland was his 'soundman'.
Allan chose Dave Myers and Dave Morton to play the two acting roles of Dave and Dave. It was a great set up with some very 'top end' cameras doing the filming and Peter's sound set up was very impressive too. The final film, two versions will be produced, are to be edited and produced by Dave Morton and Roy Vickers respectively.
It was a good practical evening and as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding. Allan gave Roy and Dave a free hand in the editing of the programme and will show their version(s) of the finished films at a later date which is another opportunity for filling a date in the club's
Programme.
31st January 2018
50th Anniversary of 'The Prisoner' Final Episode
It was poor night. It was very cold and hail and sleet was in the air, consequently we had a poor member turnout.
Our programme secretary, Vince Herke works extremely hard for the benefit of the club and sad to say, he wasn't very well himself so all in all, it wasn't a good start.
It is 50 years now since "The Prisoner" series was last shown on our TV screens at home, and Vince had arranged for our members to see the very first episode, and the final episode on this same evening.
For the purist it was good show, but again, sad to say not many were there on the night and it was a bit of a let down for Vince and more support from absent members would have helped.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
50th Anniversary of 'The Prisoner' Final Episode
It was poor night. It was very cold and hail and sleet was in the air, consequently we had a poor member turnout.
Our programme secretary, Vince Herke works extremely hard for the benefit of the club and sad to say, he wasn't very well himself so all in all, it wasn't a good start.
It is 50 years now since "The Prisoner" series was last shown on our TV screens at home, and Vince had arranged for our members to see the very first episode, and the final episode on this same evening.
For the purist it was good show, but again, sad to say not many were there on the night and it was a bit of a let down for Vince and more support from absent members would have helped.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
24th January 2018
An Evening with Bob Rowley
'PRESIDENTS NIGHT'
Unfortunately a last minute change to the evening's programme was required as Bob was ill with flu.
Last week members had a practical evening based on an "Antiques Valuation" night and Roy Vickers was tasked with editing the evening's work.
Well, by shear hard work and great skill, Roy managed to have the finished video film ready for this last minute change and what a good job he made of it too.
The three camera shoot (read last weeks report) was really well edited and he made all the actors look very professional! It was good entertainment and took us up to the interval.
Last week I gave tribute to Jean and Mabel for their hard work regarding refreshments for club members and lo and behold, we had a great buffet style refreshment break.
It was so good it took up all of the second half of the evening which turned out to be a very good social evening. The only down side was that Bob could not be there to attend his own 'Social Evening' which was a really good night.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
An Evening with Bob Rowley
'PRESIDENTS NIGHT'
Unfortunately a last minute change to the evening's programme was required as Bob was ill with flu.
Last week members had a practical evening based on an "Antiques Valuation" night and Roy Vickers was tasked with editing the evening's work.
Well, by shear hard work and great skill, Roy managed to have the finished video film ready for this last minute change and what a good job he made of it too.
The three camera shoot (read last weeks report) was really well edited and he made all the actors look very professional! It was good entertainment and took us up to the interval.
Last week I gave tribute to Jean and Mabel for their hard work regarding refreshments for club members and lo and behold, we had a great buffet style refreshment break.
It was so good it took up all of the second half of the evening which turned out to be a very good social evening. The only down side was that Bob could not be there to attend his own 'Social Evening' which was a really good night.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
17th January 2018
Antiques Spoof Evening
Tonight was a practical night with regards to making a club film using the theme of an "Antiques Roadshow" event and I must say that the effort showed by our members was terrific. To start with there were three cameras 'rolling' with some great pieces of Kit. Good lighting and a radio microphone were also in use and it was obvious we were in for a good night. The production team was led by roving cameraman Roy Vickers and fixed cameras two and three were being operated by Martin Sunderland and Vince Herke respectively.
Recent new member, Neil Stevens played the guest role of antique "Expert" and valuer and he really did justice to his part. Many interesting items were brought to the auction the whole scenario was well played out.
Roy Vickers is to edit the filming of the event and as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, so we all look forward to seeing the finished production. I will keep you informed.
NB
Every week without fail, Jean and Mabel prepare coffee,tea and biscuits (sometimes more) for the interval, and it's about time they got a big thank you in this column.
So Jean and Mabel, on behalf of all our members, 'A BIG THANK YOU'
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
Antiques Spoof Evening
Tonight was a practical night with regards to making a club film using the theme of an "Antiques Roadshow" event and I must say that the effort showed by our members was terrific. To start with there were three cameras 'rolling' with some great pieces of Kit. Good lighting and a radio microphone were also in use and it was obvious we were in for a good night. The production team was led by roving cameraman Roy Vickers and fixed cameras two and three were being operated by Martin Sunderland and Vince Herke respectively.
Recent new member, Neil Stevens played the guest role of antique "Expert" and valuer and he really did justice to his part. Many interesting items were brought to the auction the whole scenario was well played out.
Roy Vickers is to edit the filming of the event and as the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, so we all look forward to seeing the finished production. I will keep you informed.
NB
Every week without fail, Jean and Mabel prepare coffee,tea and biscuits (sometimes more) for the interval, and it's about time they got a big thank you in this column.
So Jean and Mabel, on behalf of all our members, 'A BIG THANK YOU'
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer
10th Jan. 2018
A Night of Transport Films
Vince Herke, Mercury Movie Makers Programme Secretary, presented the first entertainment evening of the year. And what a good presentation it was! Everything regarding the running of the railways were covered from holiday travel to being stuck in massive winter snow drifts.
The early days of luxury Pullman Carriages serving 'a la carte' meals was also shown. It was all great stuff put together by Vince and as usual members showed their appreciation in the usual way. It was an excellent start for the new year.
A Night of Transport Films
Vince Herke, Mercury Movie Makers Programme Secretary, presented the first entertainment evening of the year. And what a good presentation it was! Everything regarding the running of the railways were covered from holiday travel to being stuck in massive winter snow drifts.
The early days of luxury Pullman Carriages serving 'a la carte' meals was also shown. It was all great stuff put together by Vince and as usual members showed their appreciation in the usual way. It was an excellent start for the new year.
3rd January - Club AGM
This was the first meeting of the new year for our club members from whom many remarks and ideas were expressed. The main item was the re-election of the committee members, who were re-elected en-bloc to carry on for the the new programme year. (they must be doing something right and it is very much appreciated).
Bob Rudd, our very own and much appreciated 'Web Master' has done an excellent job for many years and announced that he now wants to hand over the position to someone new. Bob has offered to help with advice and training to any prospective replacement for a smooth transition and I will keep you informed of any updates.
Vince Herke has one of the most difficult jobs to do as our Programme Secretary. He told the meeting that we were to have some good visitors attending in 2018, but was always on the look-out for something new, he really does a good job.
All in all it was a very informative and relaxed evening and as Martin Sunderland said after giving a report on the Clubs financial status, "we were in a comfortable position".
Our Secretary, Bob Rowley who had presided over the evening thanked everyone for attending. The meeting closed at 9 37pm.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer..
This was the first meeting of the new year for our club members from whom many remarks and ideas were expressed. The main item was the re-election of the committee members, who were re-elected en-bloc to carry on for the the new programme year. (they must be doing something right and it is very much appreciated).
Bob Rudd, our very own and much appreciated 'Web Master' has done an excellent job for many years and announced that he now wants to hand over the position to someone new. Bob has offered to help with advice and training to any prospective replacement for a smooth transition and I will keep you informed of any updates.
Vince Herke has one of the most difficult jobs to do as our Programme Secretary. He told the meeting that we were to have some good visitors attending in 2018, but was always on the look-out for something new, he really does a good job.
All in all it was a very informative and relaxed evening and as Martin Sunderland said after giving a report on the Clubs financial status, "we were in a comfortable position".
Our Secretary, Bob Rowley who had presided over the evening thanked everyone for attending. The meeting closed at 9 37pm.
Allan Vanston
Publicity Officer..
