The running order for this month’s Openreel is as below. Don’t forget, we’re at the Arts Centre this month.

2.00-3.00pm

• Martin Willcocks
• Andy Staples
• PHI
• Mark Porter & Phil Bennett
• Jenny Copping & Anne-Laure Misme
• Finbar Mallow
• Ray Clarke
• Ross Graham
• John Beesley
• Ridgeway School
• Anna Keleher
• Matthew Turton
• Wendy Elford
• Hannah Guy
• Christian Sleep
• Oli Davis & Tom Fewings
• Chris Saunders

3.00-3.15pm

• Break

3.15-4.00pm

• Adrian Grosse
• Eve Woodbridge
• Dany Campos

4.00-5.30pm

• Eve Woodbridge
• Plymouth Music Zone
• Bill Wroath
• Elizabeth Jane
• Finbar Mallow
• Ridgeway School
• 4 Plymouth Artists

5.30-6.30pm

• Pick of this year’s Openreel

6.30-7.00pm

• Break

7.00-8.00pm

• MotionPlymouth finalists

As you will know, Openreel will be hosting the activities for MotionPlymouth at The Art’s Centre in Looe Street on Friday 17th November. Well, we’re pleased to tell you that it all starts at 2pm and runs until 8pm. We will be showing MotionPlymouth entries plus some films from previous Openreels so come along and watch it all on a big screen!!

There will be an alteration to the openreel format next month in support of motionplymouth (www.motionplymouth.com), a new moving image festival for the city. We are excited to announce that openreel will be hosting the activities for the festival at The Art’s Centre, Looe Street, Bretonside on Friday 17th November. This will replace our normal first Monday of the month slot at Cuba, North Hill.

Programming will include:
Motionplymouth competition entries (there is still time to enter your film if you haven’t already)
Openreel – you bring it along – we will show it – on the big cinema screen too!!
Fixedreel – a compilation of your films that have delighted us at openreel during previous screenings.
Plus an exciting digital art installation brought to you by bearfacemedia.

Details and exact programming to be announced.

We would particularly like to screen: Vesuvius 99 by Matt Ball who came to the very first openreel back in March but we have no contact details unfortunately so, Matt, if you’re out there please could we have a copy of your film for this festival? Or if anyone knows his email address please contact us on info@openreel.co.uk

Finally, and importantly, thanks to those who supported openreel last month, especially Eve who returned with her film: Fed up made up. Due to technical difficulties we were unable to show it last time she came.

Thanks also to the first year DAT people from the University of Plymouth, who, as a course introduction exercise, made music videos on their mobile phones. We screened: Always look on the Bright Side of Life, Hero and Gaybar. You know who you are!!

And Amanda Harrison for her Critical Commentary we especially liked: The bag dance, I will never see handbags in quite the same way again!!

Let’s make November a month to remember: Friday 17th November openreel is supporting motionplymouth at The Art’s Centre – see you there.

Exeter Phoenix is hosting the 5th International Short Film Festival on the 30th November to 1st December and are looking for submissions. Your film should be no longer than 10 minutes and need to be on miniDV. Full details can be found on the website www.twoshortnights.co.uk

My Chemical Romance are doing a ‘remix your own TV ad’ competition. It’s not as hard as it sounds - basically you download some static images and audio, and mix them together to create an ad. The winning ad will get played on MTV2, plus you’ll get to see and meet the band. Details at http://www.diymcr.com/

Now the good weather is here the openreel projection night is going to take a break for the summer, so you can enjoy the football, barbeques and strawberries and cream but we will be back as usual on the first Monday of October. We will be busy raising our profile and developing ideas during the break.

Great News…

The BBC Wimbledon Big Screen Event is screening your films in the city centre and has kindly sent us a schedule:

Tuesday 10.04 am 27th June
Saturday 10.01 1st July
Thursday 12.00 6th July

Also look out for Fallow Sea screened at 11.35 on Wednesday 5th July and Wet Paint 11.49 on Monday 3rd July by Phil Bennett a fellow openreel film-maker.

Sarah Solftley, Assistant Editor BBC Radio Devon and BBC Devon Online said “I have had the pleasure of watching some wonderful films over the last couple of weeks and I am sure the audience in Plymouth is going to enjoy seeing your work or project up there on a giant screen.”

Thank you to everyone who submitted their films, if you can make it to the screenings we will see you there!

We don’t want you to get too lazy over the summer so over the next few days we are hoping to give you news of an up and coming competition to, ideally, coincide with motionplymouth (see the link on the right hand side of the openreel site) It’s always great to have an excuse to make a film! So, don’t put the cameras away and watch this space.

Adam Comiskey has started a petition to lobby the government to create a system of self-classification for artists working in the medium of video. More details and to add your name to it can be found at www.ipetitions.com/petition/SelfClassification/

Even though we were fewer in number this month that certainly did not reflect in the quality of work we enjoyed. For all of you doing exams at the moment openreel wish you all the best of luck.

Nick started us off with a film called: Nature of Childhood Memory. With a happy, cosy home video feel in parts it certainly evoked thought and memories from our own childhood.

Matt Harris screened his film: Redwood. Nightmares of a repressed memory with great use of effects and a little on the disturbing side, however, I feel I shouldn’t give too much away with this one.

Tom Canty, a GCSE student from Coombe Dean, passed in a short animation that was his Art GCSE final piece, as yet unnamed. We watched a couple of clay figures as they dismantled a DVD player and who eventually come to a sticky end. Unfortunately, Tom was unable to be at openreel, as Cuba doesn’t allow under 18’s but we received some brilliant feedback for you Tom. Obviously an animator in the making!

And finally, after having rushed back home to get a copy of his film that our set up would read, we thoroughly enjoyed a film by Michael Felcey, Angel Apathy. A beautifully shot piece of dance film, a genre I find particularly inspiring.

It is true; there really are a lot of talented makers out there in Plymouth!!

There is a fair bit of news this month: the BBC have approached us with an exciting opportunity to screen local artist’s work in the Big Screen Event during Wimbledon week in the city centre. So, for all of you who have shown work at openreel, this is a call for your short films. The format will have to be either DVD or DV tape. We will be putting together as many 30 minute show reels as we can, the only criteria from the BBC is no sex, violence or bad language, it has to be something small children can watch due to the screen’s location. We have the right to refuse entries if they don’t comply, so, edit out the f**** words and send to them us. We want the show reels complete before the next openreel which is:

Monday 5th June, Cuba, North Road, Plymouth

So get busy with it, there is very little time. Details of how to get films to us coming up so read on.

We at openreel have decided that you creatives have made our monthly event so successful that we have decided to introduce an openmeeting. Anyone interested in getting involved, discussing future events, making work, or simply interested, is invited to come along and have a say. The first meeting will be:

Openmeeting, Monday 22nd May, 6pm, Cuba, North Road, Plymouth

You can bring along your films for the BBC’s Big Screen Event then, or, we will be at Last Friday, a social networking event for fellow creatives, at the b-bar, Barbican Theatre on Friday 25th May 7pm onwards, or, if you email us we will give you an address for posting your films. The only way we will be able to return films to you is if you come to openreel on the 5th June and collect them from us.

I think that is all for now, except thanking you all for the exciting opportunities you are creating for yourselves. Let’s put Plymouth on the map.

Thanks again to everyone who submitted their films and helped to make the second openreel a very successful evening. There was a great mix of subjects and styles ranging from documentary to dance to an advert made by a 9 year old. There is obviously a lot to say and we haven’t even warmed up yet! The next Openreel is on Monday May 8^th for the more astute amongst you this is confirmed as the 2^nd Monday in May due to the Bank Holiday, we didn’t want you to miss out on that family outing!!

The evening was kicked off with another exciting VJ set from Rick Fowler who set up his camera for live feed mixing. Awesome!

Daniel Emmerson gave us a great introduction to his equally entertaining documentary: The Bruce Bedlam Story, about a truly mad genius.

Rachel and Hannah, from Low Profile, filled us with pure joy with their work in progress: Double Act, put together that afternoon!! Please give us more.

Bill Wroath treated us to a film made by his then 9 year old daughter advertising Beanie Babies, and one of his own: Crowsfeet, which had us ticked pink! (Sorry couldn’t resist)

Eduardo brought along 3 of his fascinating films but unfortunately we only got to see: All sides, a kaleidoscope of imagery and sound. We can’t seem to be able to play Data DVD’s so please bring along a different format next time Eduardo.

Sue Smith gave us: Double Edge, a beautiful and inspiring dance film which was her first commission. With sound by Eduardo Miranda, this film is a must see if you are interested in dance video.

Thanks goes to Bill Hayes who filled the dying moments with two professionally made films: Call Register and Two Stops to Bank.

Thanks also to Cuba for allowing us to use their sound system I am sure you will all agree it made a huge difference and thanks again to i-DAT, PCAD and The UOP School of Media and Photography for the equipment

We are still after your screen shots and a 30 second edit of your films for a podcast, we are itching to liven up the site with your work and comments.

Next Openreel will be Monday 8th May, Cuba, North Hill, Plymouth at 6pm.

See you then, there will hopefully be some interesting announcements for future screening events you will want to know about.

Bill Wroath, a local artist, is looking for donations of 4 seconds of moving image, copyright free, for a channel surfing montage he wants to include in a film. They can be of any genre but should be fairly action based. He is also looking for 5-10 seconds of crashing waves. If you can help him, can you please contact Bill at billwroath@mac.com