A 13 year old boy has just signed up to my videos and I have got a message from a 34 year old guy who found the film I made on Dunblane " Best in Show" under Google. He doesnt say if he has any Scottish connections.
But I am really miffed that the local paper, Stirling Observer, did not carry a story I sent them of my appeal to find the names of all the folk who took part in my photographic project in the Changing Room gallery some time ago. Its up on You Tube and has had over 100 hits in a couple of days. Clearly there is a lot of local interest but can I get the paper interested? no way.
Following my video "The Singing ghost" about Craig-y-nos Castle in Wales the BBC web-site have asked me to write a piece for them on the book I am researching about the time this was used as a TB sanatorium for children. Hundreds, maybe thousands of children passed through Craig-y-nos, many died, yet there are no records of this in Welsh history. I was there for 4 years as a child. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYBE2saRm7M
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,585-2487919,00.html Hope this link works to Grayson Perry's account of the Turner Prize at the Tate gallery.(links not working today…help webmaster where are you?)
Attended an evening seminar yesterday in the CCA, Glasgow organised by the Cultural Enterprise Office.([email protected]) It was excellent! It focused on building confidence and developing skills. Called"Looking back, looking forward – with confidence".
Voice coach Hilary Jones, who trains actors at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, gave a highly informative talk on how to use your voice when making presentations/pitches.(including some interactive demonstrations and a spot of Tai'chi – learning to relax through proper breathing etc).Did you know that a public speaker is judged on 50% appearance, 7% on content and 38% quality of ther voice?
Lynne O'Neil took us through goal setting techniques. Instead of telling us how useful they were she made us do it! While I have read many books on the subject I had never actually put pen to paper and completed any of the exercises. She made us take 5 blank pieces of paper and write down :(1) achievements for past year (2) things we want to leave behind (3) Wild dreams(if you could wake up tomorrow morning and your dreams would be fulfilled what would they be?) (4) goals for next year and (5) things you want to bring into your life.
Making web movies is a bit like gardening. Once they are up on the internet you tend them carefully, doing a bit of viral marketing if they are slow to take off, or some good old fashioned physical networking like yesterday when I went to an exhibition in a private house and discovered that the Brigadier of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders had just purchased a number of paintings for Stirling Castle and he was a personal friend of the family. I happened to mention that I had filmed the Argyll & Sutherlands last historic march through Stirling in August and its proving to be a great hit on the web. So they suggested I drop off a copy of the dvd for the Brigadier. It would be great to have it in their official archives.
