Thank you for coming, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to take this opportunity to give you some background information regarding the Hayah Film Competition and the EmiratesMac Apple User Group. This competition came up in discussions within our user group about activities that we could do that would support our members and the wider community. Since we are an Apple User Group, it seemed natural to focus on films in a small format, especially made for the iPod form factor. We have members ranging from professionals in advertising and media, to teachers, architects, photography, and more. All of them have in common the elements of creativity and originality, which are also key elements for success in this competition.
EmiratesMac was started as a web site in 2005 and is the only registered Apple User Group in the United Arab Emirates. EmiratesMac arranges monthly meetings for its members, where we get together to share experience and knowledge. EmiratesMac also publishes a monthly newsletter called Shuffle, which is the only publication in the Middle East that is dedicated to all things Apple. Shuffle is distributed around the Middle East and has content in English as well as Arabic.
Creating films for iPod presents a number of challenges. The most obvious one is the small screen. Filmmakers have to consider that small details will not show very well. Color and contrast are also important to emphasize shapes and movement on the small screen. The length of the film matters since people will probably not want to look at very long movies on the small screen. These types of films, especially when put on an iPod, are more likely to be viewed in locations other than a family’s living room, or a movie theater, which presents further challenges when writing the script, shooting, and when editing films for this format. Finally, it’s important to consider sound; the viewer may not have headphones while watching, so it is important that the film’s story can be carried through regardless of sound. All these challenges, taken together, make for an interesting mix in terms of creating films for the iPod format.
When we started this venture earlier this year we didn’t expect that much. We thought we would get a few entries and have a small ceremony somewhere. We partnered up with Abu Dhabi Women’s College because their Center of Excellence in Applied Media made them a natural choice. Also, the Higher Colleges of Technology system is the largest provider of higher education in the United Arab Emirates, potentially opening up this film competition to participation by many young talented students.
When we heard about the Middle East International Film Festival we got in touch with them and gradually things developed into what we’ve experienced this week. The partnership has been a strong and mutually beneficial one, and we hope that we can continue to work together in future years. EmiratesMac would like to extend our most sincere appreciation to Dr. Bradley Cook of Abu Dhabi Women’s College and Jon Fitzgerald of the Middle East International Film Festival. Without you, the Hayah Film Competition would not have been possible. I’d also like to thank Omran Al Owais, who was our representative judge from EmiratesMac for his hard work in this competition.
We have been very excited about the response to the Hayah Film Competition. With entries from across the Middle East and in all categories, we’ve seen the abundant creativity that exists in this region. We have also experienced a wide range of subject matter. From the religious and profound, to the funny and lighthearted, each entry has made us think, made us laugh, or even moved us close to tears.
This new format presents new challenges and opportunities for filmmakers. No longer have aspiring filmmakers to go through the traditional studio system. They can make technically advanced films with relatively modest equipment and distribute them for even less through web sites like YouTube, FaceBook, and others. Even setting up their own film studio-like business is conceivable with the latest technology and a strong vision. We hope that the Hayah Film Competition has contributed in some small measure to encourage budding filmmakers to start their career or to spur on those already in the industry.
LinkBack URL
About LinkBacks
It was a lot of hard work but seeing how excited some of the winners were tonight at the final ceremony made it all worth while. Besides that, we've got plenty of exposure for EmiratesMac.com, which we would have had to paid a lot (a lot!) of money for.
Bookmarks