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Topic: UK Forum shut down
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted February 07, 2007 04:42 PM
Mark Silvester's UK 'Silvo Screen' forum shut down today. It ran for a couple of years and provided some entertaining, and sometimes controversial, banter. Aimed primarily at DVD projection, it was sometimes dismissive of Cine, but the stated aim was the enjoyment of the big screen experience, and as such, it will be missed by many of us. Thanks to Mark for hosting the forum for as long as he did.
Fortunately, Brad's US forum seems to be going from strength to strength, not only with a small but continual influx of new members, but also in the scope of formats that it covers, now even including 9.5mm, and with no restriction or bias against projected DVD posts.
So this forum has now become the one-stop web site for all film collectors. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted February 07, 2007 05:22 PM
I think this forum will still thrive for many a year, (Though I do believe it will shrink more over time, as people sell off thier collections), but I do believe it will still exist ...
as there are just a bunch of us die-hard super 8 enthusiast who don't collect super 8 because it's the newest trend, or because it's financially sound, (cuz it aint!!)
Were an irrational bunch, and, quite frankly, there's not a lot of sense to paying 400 dollars for something you can get restored on DVD for 20 bucks ...
No, we love it because it's such a pleasure to run something on the big screen that's so organic, so backwards (by todays standards). I think that people who get into video projection, quite frankly, (and I'm someone who owns a 200ft. projection TV, so I can speak on it), really don't get the magic of celuloid.
So, may I coin a term for us? (which may already exist, for all I know).
We are cinematic PURISTS, or, even better, CINEMATIC ORGANICS.
ORGANIC CINESTS?
Any ideas out there?
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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Steve Klare
Film Guy
Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted February 08, 2007 09:21 AM
I think where people run into trouble on either side of the fence is becoming too Orthodox about the whole thing. It is not wrong for a film collector to watch either/both film and/or projected video, much as it isn't to also listen to music, watch TV, jump rope or play the harmonica: it's all in fun!
What's wrong is people becoming critical of others who don't see things their way. It's alienating, polarizing and was at the root of the low level competition that developed between "over here" and "over there".
I while back I was in a canoe club where many members kept their boats two or maybe three seasons and then bought new ones. It became very tiresome being someone that "still had one of those"; not because other members kept re-buying, but because it was often pointed out to those of us that didn't. (...the canoe industry must have been thrilled!)
I fixed the problem. I kept my boat and dumped the club! I've saved thousands and got what I was after in the first place: enjoyment!
For myself I plan to wait it out a little while, let the technology mature, the prices fall and the formats stabilize, and hopefully watch the 2010 Olympics projected on my big screen.
-after that? Mixed media shows!
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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...
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Mike Peckham
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1461
From: West Sussex, UK.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted February 09, 2007 06:25 AM
It’s a shame Marks forum had to close, he had provided a warm and comfortable place for those people who had made the leap to DVD projection and with it the decision to abandon film entirely. Those of us who happily run DVD and film together, didn’t fit in there and were marginalized for our continued enjoyment of the old format.
Some of the anti film rhetoric struck me as being a little hard to understand; a little like telling a keen fisherman that he was crazy to spend all that money on fishing tackle and his mornings sitting by a river in the rain, when he could buy perfectly good fish at the super market; they seemed to rather miss the point. Although one suspects that the truth really was more about a feeling of regret at having given up such a consuming interest.
I hadn’t looked at Marks forum for some time but when I last did, it seemed to mostly consist of obituaries that had been copied and pasted from other sites.
What sets this forum apart from others is the sense of ownership felt by its membership; Brad posts infrequently and the moderators are forum members. I think Mark, replying to almost every post made on his forum and frequently feeling the need to talk up the member’s intellectual and literary abilities, gave the forum a point of reference that its membership clearly appreciated. Perhaps that was all the more necessary with a topic such as DVD, which is mainstream and doesn’t enjoy the slightly eccentric and committed following of a niche interest, such as cine (or fishing ).
Hopefully the old members will find a happy place to chat in the new forum (that Paul has now posted details of), and I wish them well.
Mike
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Auntie Em must have stopped wondering where I am by now...
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted February 09, 2007 07:01 PM
I think there are many reasons for the overwhelming success of this forum compared with the others:
1) Brad insisted, from the outset, that user's post using their real names. This differentiates it from all the other forums, where people can hide behind pseudonames and (if they want to) hurl insults around. Real user names, along with the photos, personalizes the whole forum experience, and makes it a really comfortable place to visit. It's like talking to real friends, which in fact it is.
2) Brad has been pretty strict about kicking people off the forum who get out of line with bad language, insulting posts etc.
So no rabble allowed on this forum.
3) The level of technical expertise amongst the members is quite astonsishing. Just about any problem raised here gets good solid technical answers. No other film forum offers this capability.
4) The members are a very civilised and tolerant bunch. We respect each others opinion, and if we disagree, we express our opinions in a courteous way.
5) The ability to upload equipment photos, technical diagrams etc., adds tremendously to the enjoyment and technical support of the forum. Again, no other film forums seem to offer this capability.
So simply put, Brad's forum is the best on the web. Nothing else comes close.
But then, we all know that.
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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Adrian Winchester
Film God
Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted February 10, 2007 12:02 PM
I don't think I can add much to the points above concerning the SS forum, and I agree that there's no point raking up the details of the more controversial content. To be fair, it certainly had some interesting threads and knowledgable members and I contributed numerous posts there, mostly before the anti-film mood built up. On a less positive note, I thought it sometimes had a 'cliquey' feel to it, with a very high proportion of the posts being sent by a small group of people. You could probably say that about many boards, but it was emphasised by the fact that some of the posts from the regulars almost seemed to be in a bizarre 'language' unique to that site, that reflected the attitudes and weird sense of humour of the members in question. I must also add that I was astonished by some of the self-congratulatory posts there saying what a friendly, welcoming group it was, because I don't think anyone who read the content of the more emotive anti-film collecting threads there could deny that some of the posts were amongst the most vitriolic, sarcastic and insulting that you are ever likely to see! I think the fact that I managed to 'stick it out' and carry on posting despite expressing alternative views caused me to gain a little respect there, but it's not an experience I'd like to repeat very often!
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Adrian Winchester
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what does concern me is that someone who might have spent a lifetime collecting films goes into a store and is cleverly convinced to buy a video projector, being told it has better picture and sound etc, they set it up at home and then make the big mistake to sell there films and projectors, after a few weeks the novelty of video projection wears of, but its to late the very thing they had so much fun with is gone, snapped up by other collectors. If I had one piece of advice for collectors for what its worth and that is, if you want to buy video thats fine its certainly got its benefits but dont sell your films, as Paul quite rightly says, best of all worlds. "sound advice"
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