"In a film of a familiar subject — a vacation trip to Florida — Ernest Kremer has done an excellent task of compiling a movie of varied sequences into a unified whole. His camera handling is competent, there are interesting viewpoints and he uses nice transitions to a new sequence, to avoid leaving preceding views too long on the screen. The continuous narrative that is presented with Southern Exposures sometimes draws attention from the pictured scenes, but the commentary in jingle style that accompanies the underwater scenes of fish adds a delightful touch. Mr. Kremer is to be commended especially for the compact and smooth editing of his film." Movie Makers, Dec. 1945, 496.
"Sport Reel, 300 ft., 16mm., represents a remarkable degree of understanding care given to this type of picture by Charles F. Chapman, M. D. Although this picture is something more of a review than a newsreel, each of the topics presented has a local news interest. Dr. Chapman has preserved the direct and stimulating style of title wordings of the professional newsreels but, in the sequencing of scenes, he has deserted their technique for an original one. This is distinguished by a clever use of closeups to symbolize ideas and for dramatic emphasis. For example, in picturing the local baseball team, he introduces the sequence with a closeup of a row of bats lying on the ground and, when presenting the players, he cuts from a medium shot of them in action to a posed closeup preceded by a title. Further, Dr. Chapman did not forget that good composition and attractive lighting are just as welcome in newsreels as in other types of pictures." Movie Makers, Dec. 1931, 684-685.
"Demonstration of four golf shots on Cardigan Golf Course with coast in the background, including the shot repeated but recorded in slow motion. Footage of tennis played at the 1931 Wimbledon Tennis Championships on 29 June 1931: including shots of the 3rd round mixed doubles match between Boussus/ Lycett v Von Cramm/ Aussem; the 3rd round women’s doubles match between Godfree/ Round v Holcroft-Watson/ Michell; the Men’s singles quarter-final between Shields v Austin; the Men’s singles quarter-final between Borotra v Satoh; and the Men’s Doubles 3rd round match between Collins/ Gregory v Cooper/ Greig." (EAFA Database)
"This film captures (in excellent pre-war Kodachrome) a day in the life of Stanley Park. An early effort at independent documentary production by a group of Vancouver film enthusiasts, including amateur cinematographers Oscar Burritt and Don Lytle. The Coast Films group intended to produce a series of films that could be distributed by the fledgling National Film Board of Canada, but World War II intervened, and this was their sole group effort. Stanley Park was restored in 1987 by the British Columbia Archives." (BC Archives)
"Amateur filmmaker and cinema historian H.A.V. Bulleid employs rapid montage and a sense of foreboding in this rural tragedy set in the Welsh countryside. On farmland in rural Wales, where crumbling farm buildings reflect the rural desolation, a young lady spends her holidays wandering the fells with her ever reliable dog. When she meets a young farmhand, a romance develops. But as the girl grows closer to the young man, she pays less attention to her dog. And when the dog is left at the farmhouse as the pair goes rock-climbing, tragedy ensues. Sensing a problem, the dog searches the fells as day turns to night. But will he find his master? And will the young lovers survive?" (EAFA Database)
"Filmmaker George Jesse Turner gets alarmingly close to the action as he records the thrills of motor racing on Southport's golden sands, with Tailwagger 1 and other cars hurtling around him. The town became famous not only for racing, as Southport sands also saw land speed record attempts, with the likes of Sir Malcolm Campbell and Sir Henry Segrave drawing huge crowds of spectators." (BFI Player)
"All of the players in this picture were boys in a summer camp who upon discovering that one of their members has a movie camera decide to make a motion picture. Like all youth they decide to imitate and based their story on Tarzan. The producers of this worked up a splendid bit of comedy, interjected a fine piece of melodrama with an Alger Jr. finish that rounded it out into a production that many of the judges felt would have been worthy of showing in any theatre. The acting, direction, story and handling as a whole was considered equal to many a professional comedy." American Cinematographer, Dec. 1932, 7.
"Telemark, filmed in the Swiss Alps by William G. McKelvy, ACL, is, as its name suggests, a skiing picture. However, it is more than that — it is also a very delightful and neatly plotted comedy that is the more convincing for being uncomplicated with the usual subsidiary plot and counter plot. Four or five youths who are expert skiers, one who is a novice, and a girl are at the beginning of a down mountain ski trail. The girl offers a kiss to the boy who can catch her. She tarts off, the able skiers follow hard on her trail, while the beginner stumbles and lags far behind. But the girl decides to trick her pursuers and hides on the way. The ending is obvious. The picture was exquisitely planned and sequenced for, as the camera follows the skiers down the mountain, there is complete smoothness in the shift of viewpoints. The action is made the occasion of splendid studies, as the boys on the run swerve and turn in stems, Christianias and Telemarks. Mr. McKelvy did not neglect to select charming compositions and to take full advantage of clear air and the contrast between the dark figures and trees and the white snow." Movie Makers, Dec. 1933, 500.
"Two popular subjects make up this short amateur film - cricket and aircraft. After scenes of bi-planes, we visit the Ashes 4th Test at Old Trafford in July 1930. After the toss between captains Bill Woodfull and Percy Chapman, the crowd applauds cricketers onto and off the field. This test match fell foul of the Lancashire weather and had to be left drawn, rain stopping all play on the last day." (BFI Player)
"An amateur film made by and starring the husband and wife duo, John & Evelyn Kibar. The Kibars are on a search for a hobby, and decide upon filmmaking. A domestic mishap by Mrs. Kibar results in their film being edited incorrectly. Title cards displaying dialogue are dispersed throughout the film." Chicago Film Archives
Total Pages: 13
Amateur Cinema