Hello to everyone!
I am looking for some help for my next article which will be about children as amateur filmmakers. So if you have been shooting films as a child please be kind and write to me some thoughts of it.
Here are some questions but you can also write about everything else concerning the theme.
How old were you when you filmed?
What did you film? What kind of subjects or themes dis you have?
How many films did you shoot?
Did you watch your films afterwards with your family, relatives or friends?
What do you think about your hobby nowadays?
You can send your answers to the following address or write something here in this forum.
satenkaATsurfeu.fi
I will return to my article in the end of the year but it is good to have some material already now. The article will be (hopefully) published in some scientific journal so I hope I can use your texts for this purpose. I will use the information so that no one will be able to identify you.
Thousands of thanks!
Children as filmmakers
Moderator: Andreas Wideroe
I started filming when I was 13 (1986). My first subjects were family holidays, our cat, my friends - often doing daft things like attempting stunts on our bicycles or setting fire to model cars.
I also filmed the plants and small animals in my parents' garden, anything that seemed beautiful to me at the time. I've always had a thing for sunsets and light reflecting on water.
On a few occasions I took the camera to school and filmed friends at break time, teachers and even a little in the lessons.
More recently I brought a super 8 camera into the school where I work (2000, 2001, 2002) and sometimes let the kids film. Getting a childs' eye view is different to your own when you're 6'3 tall! And fun to see their reaction to the "cool old film camera"....I even had offers to buy it.
I also filmed the plants and small animals in my parents' garden, anything that seemed beautiful to me at the time. I've always had a thing for sunsets and light reflecting on water.
On a few occasions I took the camera to school and filmed friends at break time, teachers and even a little in the lessons.
More recently I brought a super 8 camera into the school where I work (2000, 2001, 2002) and sometimes let the kids film. Getting a childs' eye view is different to your own when you're 6'3 tall! And fun to see their reaction to the "cool old film camera"....I even had offers to buy it.
The government says that by 2010 30% of us will be fat....I am merely a trendsetter 
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steve hyde
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Angus, thank you for your reply. I got some important things of it!
I am waiting for more answers!!
Steve, I am writing my dissertation on children, home movies and childhood memories. Extremely interesting subject but raises so many questions all the time...
Superbus, I also think I am the only woman writing here. I also keep teasing Finnish filmmakers in their forum with my non-technical questions
Hmm, what would I say about women as filmmakers. There are some of them. I have around 70 hours film material for my dissertation, approximately 70 filmers and ten of them are women. That is a rough estimation. But interestingly, nearly all amateur film researchers are women!
I am waiting for more answers!!
Steve, I am writing my dissertation on children, home movies and childhood memories. Extremely interesting subject but raises so many questions all the time...
Superbus, I also think I am the only woman writing here. I also keep teasing Finnish filmmakers in their forum with my non-technical questions
Hmm, what would I say about women as filmmakers. There are some of them. I have around 70 hours film material for my dissertation, approximately 70 filmers and ten of them are women. That is a rough estimation. But interestingly, nearly all amateur film researchers are women!
sonicnickel (sp?) and freya are non-men IIRC...Superbus_ wrote:Salla, I think maybe you are the only women in this forum... Am I right?
What is the gender percentage among super 8 filmmakers? Are there any women? Please tell me!
others?
maybe this shouldn't become the "count the women" thread... after all, the nice lady did ask a question... ;)
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Actor
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Re: Children as filmmakers
About 12 - 14.Salla wrote:How old were you when you filmed?
A western based on a novel. Reg 8 financed by buying one roll of film per week down at the drugstore. If memory serves each roll cost about $2.50 with processing. Silent. Only sound recorder I had access to used wire which, of course, cannot be edited.Salla wrote: What did you film? What kind of subjects or themes dis you have?
Just one. It was about three hours long.Salla wrote: How many films did you shoot?
Yes, plus one paying audience.Salla wrote: Did you watch your films afterwards with your family, relatives or friends?
Too expensive for a kid. When my Dad found out how much I had spent on the movie he cut off my allowance saying that I did not need an allowance if I was going to spend it on that kind of foolishness.Salla wrote: What do you think about your hobby nowadays?
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film_idaho
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Hello,
I am 15 years old and I started an interest in film work late last year. And I shoot on the Super 8mm format. I try to shoot short independent films with friends mostly with school themes. And sometimes if I have film I’ll go shoot some mess around stuff with my friends’ downtown getting on top of buildings, by the rivers, at vacant buildings, local sand dunes.
I love everything about cinematography I hope to go to NYU and study film but that’s a big time dream. If you need any more information just PM me.
I love film
-Alex Mason
I am 15 years old and I started an interest in film work late last year. And I shoot on the Super 8mm format. I try to shoot short independent films with friends mostly with school themes. And sometimes if I have film I’ll go shoot some mess around stuff with my friends’ downtown getting on top of buildings, by the rivers, at vacant buildings, local sand dunes.
I love everything about cinematography I hope to go to NYU and study film but that’s a big time dream. If you need any more information just PM me.
I love film
-Alex Mason
Eat or make art? I choose art.
Hi Salla, I didn't do any filming as a young kid, so I can't help you with any childhood recollections. I did my first video work and filming as an undergraduate art major with a focus in new genres. I did shoot several 16mm shorts in gradaute school, however, which leads me to a question I have for you...Salla wrote:I am looking for some help for my next article which will be about children as amateur filmmakers. So if you have been shooting films as a child please be kind and write to me some thoughts of it.
What is the program of study in which you get to write such an interesting dissertation? Psychology? Anthropology? Media Studies? I did both a Masters and a Ph.D in Critical Studies at UCLA and my dissertation focusing on gender in American television seems kind of routine in comparison. :roll:Salla wrote:I am writing my dissertation on children, home movies and childhood memories. Extremely interesting subject but raises so many questions all the time...
Good luck with everything
Tim
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BK
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Hello Salla!
I started shooting film when I was 14 but my interest in filmmaking started when I was 11. ( this was back in the early 70's )
Subjects include family members, family outings/holidays and school trips, cut out animation, timelapse, a short action drama and a skateboarding film starring myself and my school mates, we took turns filming. Besides family films I made about 20 films of various lengths from 1975-1986, some still only partly finished.
Shared the films with family members, friends, and at the local cine club- the older members at the club were "impressed" with how we kids could make such good films with limited resources. The films made with school friends were entered in the UK BBC TV young filmmakers competition but we didn't win though. To this day I still remember the prize, it was a Fujica P1 single 8 movie camera with a few rolls of film.
Later on I went to film school and after the training had various jobs in the industry, including cameraman for TV commercials, news and for the past 15 years as a video editor for a major int'l broadcaster here in Hong Kong.
Still have this passion with 8mm after all these years. Would love to have more time to make films though, maybe like a "cult" movie or an interesting documentary. Nowadays I am more of a equipment collector than a filmmaker, but it's hard to resist when you see equipment you dream about when your were a child but couldn't afford.
I think the majority of the young filmmakers now are spoilt with video, it's cheap and the equipment is very easy to use and fool proof...the videos are far too long and lack any discipline or story/substance and relying on far too many un-necessary effects.
Hope this story of my film life helps
Bill
I started shooting film when I was 14 but my interest in filmmaking started when I was 11. ( this was back in the early 70's )
Subjects include family members, family outings/holidays and school trips, cut out animation, timelapse, a short action drama and a skateboarding film starring myself and my school mates, we took turns filming. Besides family films I made about 20 films of various lengths from 1975-1986, some still only partly finished.
Shared the films with family members, friends, and at the local cine club- the older members at the club were "impressed" with how we kids could make such good films with limited resources. The films made with school friends were entered in the UK BBC TV young filmmakers competition but we didn't win though. To this day I still remember the prize, it was a Fujica P1 single 8 movie camera with a few rolls of film.
Later on I went to film school and after the training had various jobs in the industry, including cameraman for TV commercials, news and for the past 15 years as a video editor for a major int'l broadcaster here in Hong Kong.
Still have this passion with 8mm after all these years. Would love to have more time to make films though, maybe like a "cult" movie or an interesting documentary. Nowadays I am more of a equipment collector than a filmmaker, but it's hard to resist when you see equipment you dream about when your were a child but couldn't afford.
I think the majority of the young filmmakers now are spoilt with video, it's cheap and the equipment is very easy to use and fool proof...the videos are far too long and lack any discipline or story/substance and relying on far too many un-necessary effects.
Hope this story of my film life helps
Bill
Last edited by BK on Fri Sep 16, 2005 8:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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VideoFred
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*How old were you when you filmed?
The first time I filmed (1967) I was 14 years old.
My brother was 7 years old, and he used the camera, too.
*What did you film? What kind of subjects or themes dis you have?
Nothing special... In those days the fact one could make a film himself-in color!-was already pretty sensational.
*How many films did you shoot?
About 10-20 cartridges/year.
*Did you watch your films afterwards with your family, relatives or friends?
YES! Watching the films was a very special ceremony!
*What do you think about your hobby nowadays?
I discovered my old films again, after 30 years non-filming.
And the magic was there again, from the very first minute.
But for a child, in those days, filming was way too expensive.
We were lucky our father gave us the camera to shoot with it.
The 'roof' clip on my website is made by me in 1967.
I was on the top of the roof, my father did not mind.
Actualy, he asked me.. Yes, he was a little uncommon, my father.
I also have many scenes, taken by my 7 years old brother.
Most of it is very 'unstable' and taken from the point of view of a child, of cource.
Fred.
The first time I filmed (1967) I was 14 years old.
My brother was 7 years old, and he used the camera, too.
*What did you film? What kind of subjects or themes dis you have?
Nothing special... In those days the fact one could make a film himself-in color!-was already pretty sensational.
*How many films did you shoot?
About 10-20 cartridges/year.
*Did you watch your films afterwards with your family, relatives or friends?
YES! Watching the films was a very special ceremony!
*What do you think about your hobby nowadays?
I discovered my old films again, after 30 years non-filming.
And the magic was there again, from the very first minute.
But for a child, in those days, filming was way too expensive.
We were lucky our father gave us the camera to shoot with it.
The 'roof' clip on my website is made by me in 1967.
I was on the top of the roof, my father did not mind.
Actualy, he asked me.. Yes, he was a little uncommon, my father.
I also have many scenes, taken by my 7 years old brother.
Most of it is very 'unstable' and taken from the point of view of a child, of cource.
Fred.