Call for concrete suggestions re: super 8 society

[flatwood]

why not just have the membership of this site have the option of being paying or non-paying?

Thats a good idea but if I can join it for free why would I want to pay??? Not a knock on your idea, please, just wondering. Im here to help!!

I do like the idea of free but there has to be a way to pay for things. Perhaps it can be done with sponsorships. Im sponsoring the website for example.

[ECNtoo]

well, heres the thing. things cost money. if we want to activly promote the whole super8 thing it will cost cash directly or indirectly. therefore funds need to be collected. you cannot promote or market something activly for free. if a group wants to either make or fund a project that is shot in super8 then coin has to be collected. remember, we arent try to sponser a website here, we are trying to promote a film guage and give the group members privilages.

there are other advantages.

peole paying into something generally will use the service of that 'thing' more. that in turn potentially creates more services offered to the member. the arrangement reciprocates itself over and over (in theory at least, like with other groups and associations)

official membership can legally indicate a 'real' group of people, hence creating lobby point for new products or services.

paying itno a group creates a sense of reality regarding the standing of a group. its the whol insider/outsider theory. i want in to get those benefits as opposed to being out. people inside a group are more likely to try and do things for an official group than people outside a group.

an official group finds it easier to obtain and maintain resources.

think about it this way, a group that has a regular income, lobby points and social status can actually do things as opposed to being a rag tag team thats not organised. for example, its not inconceivable that a group could in fact obtain and produce super8 stocks a la pro8mm with their own equipment and producec and sell their own reloadable cart. and the benefit is its non profit, therefore making the cost significantly lower. this is not inconceivable and is very possible. its not possible without some form of official organisation. and paying membership is the begining of that.

sorry for the quickie sociology speal, but really thats it. people putting something into something expect something back. they are also more likely to maintain whatever it is that they have paid into. they also now have a public voice and the ability to gain resources. hows that?

[ECNtoo]

well, heres the thing. things cost money. if we want to activly promote the whole super8 thing it will cost cash directly or indirectly. therefore funds need to be collected. you cannot promote or market something activly for free. if a group wants to either make or fund a project that is shot in super8 then coin has to be collected. remember, we arent try to sponser a website here, we are trying to promote a film guage and give the group members privilages.

there are other advantages.

peole paying into something generally will use the service of that 'thing' more. that in turn potentially creates more services offered to the member. the arrangement reciprocates itself over and over (in theory at least, like with other groups and associations)

official membership can legally indicate a 'real' group of people, hence creating lobby point for new products or services.

paying itno a group creates a sense of reality regarding the standing of a group. its the whol insider/outsider theory. i want in to get those benefits as opposed to being out. people inside a group are more likely to try and do things for an official group than people outside a group.

an official group finds it easier to obtain and maintain resources.

think about it this way, a group that has a regular income, lobby points and social status can actually do things as opposed to being a rag tag team thats not organised. for example, its not inconceivable that a group could in fact obtain and produce super8 stocks a la pro8mm with their own equipment and producec and sell their own reloadable cart. and the benefit is its non profit, therefore making the cost significantly lower. this is not inconceivable and is very possible. its not possible without some form of official organisation. and paying membership is the begining of that.

sorry for the quickie sociology speal, but really thats it. people putting something into something expect something back. they are also more likely to maintain whatever it is that they have paid into. they also now have a public voice and the ability to gain resources. hows that?

[flatwood]

....we arent try to sponser a website here.....

And not necessary. Flatwood Studio will sponsor the website no problem. My goal is to support super 8 film makers.

[Mitch Perkins]

....we arent try to sponser a website here.....

And not necessary. Flatwood Studio will sponsor the website no problem. My goal is to support super 8 film makers.

Hey all. I bin sick awhile here - nothing serious, feeling better.

But, so, briefly -

S8S could act as an open online think tank of S8 promotion ideas.
Membership could be free and changing - those most interested will stick around
As an idea is posted to the website, those who want to fund it can group together to do so. Maybe the idea will benefit them or they just think it's a solid one.
A member who comes up with an idea could do the breakdown - how much cash is needed to do what, specifically.

Basic idea is to forget the administrative paperwork etc. and keep it online, open, free and adaptable. Only mandate is S8 promotion, however and whenever...so nobody feels signed on to something they don't like.

Just a thought.

Mitch

[ECNtoo]

i dont want to be a wet blanket but here goes.

most of the time groups of people that dont have an official structure never get anywhere. most of the time it takes money to have a group with an official structure. most of the time groups without clear and concise goals fail.

the 'do as you want attitude' rarely ever works, otherwise people can just post stuff here and see what happened from there. laissez faire didnt work for regan and it doesnt work for most people. an association, club or society still operates much like a business in the sense that its a sample of people with some sort of goals and resources (its just not able to make a profit, so to speak). imagine trying to run a business with no clear and concise goal, no positions for people and a lack of organisation wouldnt work.

ill offer a real world example. the hovercraft museum in the uk has a lot of great machines. they need upkeep and maintanence. apparently there are randomly specified days where people show up to do work on the hovercraft. its a 'do as you want to fix things' attitude. nothing ever gets done because people dont necessarily show up every work day. things get started and forgotten. tasks are asttempted by unqualified people. things that need to get done often get overlooked.

as for the website part, i thought connecting with this site would have several benefits. a small amount of membership funds could go towards it to keep it running. the site is also a fantastic portal to pull people into a society. this is obvious marketing to me. people might randomly click into the society's website on google or something, but to have a strong association with this site plus the random google search thing has a far bigger chance of finding new members.

on the point of free membership. you most often get what you pay for. companies like kodak are far more likely to offer deals to incorporated associations, etc. becasue they prefer to deal with such entities for arrangements.

in conclusion, organised, focussed and official groups tend to be far more successful than unorganised, vague and loosly structured ones.

[flatwood]

Hey all. I bin sick awhile here - nothing serious, feeling better.

Dang, Mitch. I was wondering where you were. Glad you're feeling better.

[studiocarter]

Form a legal organization with world wide membership all on the web. Hold meetings on line. Conduct business internationally. Sell DVDs of S8 films. It is a great idea. Save the gauge. Sieze the day.

[flatwood]

.... Sell DVDs of S8 films. .....

My thoughts exactly. It's a viable format.... the resolution solution!!!

[fogo]

Top marks for energy StudioCarter! I support much of what ECNtoo says, but I think most of the people interested in a Society have got more to offer other members than money! Theres a huge amount of technical expertise across a very wide spectrum, so I'd like to see people who'd be prepared to stand up as 'Technical Secretaries / Directors', perhaps in their particular niches, be it repair, telecine etc etc. As has been discussed before, getting non S8 specialists is the difficult bit...Obviously Marketing & PR are fundamental to lots of what has been discussed, so come on out, wherever you are in the woodwork...

As regards funding others work....

I'd say we start with (perhaps the worlds first) Online Film Festival. This would be an annual event and would be an ideal vehicle I believe to showcase any members work before a relatively sizeable and knowledgeable audience....democratic too....The Grand Prix winner gets a film cart of choice from every member???!!!!!

I don't know, just talking out loud but personally I'd want to see an example of someones work before they get a chunk of Society cash and this might be a good vehicle for this. All of us on this forum like to see work posted, for me its one of the highlights, and it really need only be a natural development of this. It would also give someone with some marketing savvy a good concept to work with. You never know, we might eventually be able to translate it into a 'real' event, be it in Europe or the US or Canada or wherever?

Thats where my thinking is right now
Ade

[flatwood]

I'd say we start with (perhaps the worlds first) Online Film Festival.

Thats a neat idea. It would have to be an Online Super 8 Film Festival. Maybe theres some use for the website yet???

[fogo]

Sorry Flatwood, I certainly didnt mean any other type of Film Festival than SUPER 8!

[flatwood]

Sorry Flatwood, I certainly didnt mean any other type of Film Festival than SUPER 8!

I think I knew that but wanted to make sure!!!

[Mitch Perkins]

Form a legal organization with world wide membership all on the web. Hold meetings on line. Conduct business internationally. Sell DVDs of S8 films. It is a great idea. Save the gauge. Sieze the day.

There ya go - best of both worlds, legal, online...if there are no administrative costs, why charge for membership? I really am asking; maybe there's a reason to charge.

The mandate is very clear - to promote awareness of, and therefore wider use of, Super 8 as a viable capture medium.

It could be fully structured but still open to more casual involvement. It doesn't have to be like other societies - break the mold so to speak.

A festival is a good idea, but there should also be permanently linked clips of S8 looking it's best.

Say, this is a nice, clean, positive thread, ain't it? Who knows, maybe this thing will actually fly!

Mitch

[fogo]

Well Mitch,

lots of that positivity is down to yourself and your idea.

Don't know how others feel about this particular issue, but to be perfectly honest I do feel a sense of weirdness that this might be seen as some kind of rival 'organisation' to the very site that we're all currently part of and participating in, that of Filmshooting.com.......makes me feel a little difficult..

Just wanted to express that and my own thanks for the hard work that is being done right here

To get back to the substance of the thread, I think Mitch is right in that lots of interesting work that much of us would like to have produced, is posted and then 'lost' in different threads. Having a permanent 'gallery' would be very useful, perhaps highlighting the work of different people in their favoured genres...

Like Mitch i hope to see the ideas developing and that they keep coming...

Ade