New show on Beechbrook

[ContaxMan]

On Beechbrook just now you can find my show (made with "standard version" of PTE) that tries to tell the story of "The Wolds Wagoners". They were a volunteer reserve drawn from the farms of the Yorkshire Wolds (in the East Riding of Yorkshire) who served their country in World War 1. The show tells the story with text, commentary, and images taken from the unique (and at one time controversial) monument to the Wagoners that stands in the village of Sledmere on the Yorkshire Wolds.

Any comments from viewers welcomed.

[Johnwnjr]

I found that this story held my attention throughout and was very interesting. I had not heard of the subject matter before, and felt it was very well presented. I wondered whether every audience would take the time to read all the captions. I liked the separate and different voices used, and wondered whether less print and more spoken words would be better. As it is it is a bit like a Power Point presentation. The effect of the names on the memorial towards the end are very effective, if rather drawn out for the ordinary viewer. It depends a lot on the intended audience, but I can appreciate the amount of work that has gone into this and it has great depth and substance. John

[Old John]

This was a fascinating story and a very impressive piece of work. I liked the use of different voices and the war posters which told the history very well. The use of the memorial worked very well.

The only slight doubt I had was the sequence of names at the end, i was left wondering how many men were lost and of course the individual names meant nothing to me.

Many thanks for letting us see this fine show

John

[ContaxMan]

Thanks for your comments gents - much appreciated. It's interesting that of over 100 people who have downloaded this show so far, only 2 here plus one other have bothered to offer any opinion.

In my mind when planning the show, I felt the names were very important because we don't know who they were! In a sense, what I'm getting at is that here was a tightly knit local group from whom a whole generation of young men were taken - for what?

The names I record are from THE history of the reserve - "The Wolds Wagoners - Ian Sumner" first published in 2000 by the Sledmere Estate. The list only includes confirmed names so who knows how many there were all together.

I hope that this show is a tribute to their bravery rahter than mere entertainment. It is not a "finished work". As I get more information and images, it will be revised.

[ronwil]

Roger

The reason that I have not added comments is because both Johns had covered it adequately. Nevertheless, as a child born four years after the first Great War brought up in a Naval family and growing from youth to manhood during the second, I fully appreciate the thought which went into your production. Thank you for that.

Ron [uK]

[morturn]

Roger

That has got to be one of the best slideshows I have seen for a while, and a very fitting tribute to those brave men who gave their live for us to enjoy the quality of live we have today.

It is not a "finished work".

I think something is perfect when you can nether add or take anything away to improve it, therefore I would suggest you leave the show just as it is

Well done and thanks for all of your time and trouble and for sharing it with us.

[LumenLux]

Roger, I think you have very successfully hit your mark with this presentation. Upon viewing the show, it is immediately apparent that the intent is different than simply "entertainment." Having no obvious "tie" to the story, there may be many who might not follow it through. But for those who invest the effort, they will see the success of your effort. I did find I was pressed to keep up with the reading in some instances. As the material was new to me, I could keep up if only reading, but could have used a little more time to think as I read. On the other hand, I know how easy it is to become anxious when a presentation is paced too slow for the viewer. Bottom line may be that you have it just right, and viewers need to be able to adapt. Very good work.

[paulnewsom]

Whether it is seen as a tribute or not, this excellent show serves to highlight one of the "local movements" which is perhaps not covered in any of the major literatures on the first world war.

A very fitting tribute that is and excellently presented Roger - Thak you

Paul

[ContaxMan]

Thank you all for taking the time and trouble to view and comment on this AV. It's very helpful not to have to work in a vacuum.

[korporal-kloggy]

Thank you all for taking the time and trouble to view and comment on this AV. It's very helpful not to have to work in a vacuum.

As one of the earlier downloaders, please accept my apologies for not commenting before now. I don't feel particularly qualified as a new-be to PTE to comment on others shows. I hope to learn from watching as many as possible, and it really helps to read authors comments as to how and why they put their show together.

I can say that I did enjoy your show, and understood the message (as an ex serviceman myself). B/W images can be more evocative then colour images and this showed up well with your show, not only with the pictures but also the text/background. Perhaps I would have preferred slightly more time between 'slides' to read some of the comments. I think I would have converted the picture of the monument from colour to b/w, so starting with the colour picture as you explain the reason for it then changing/fading to b/w as you go through the explanation (does that make sense?) before going on to the individual slides of the friezes.

I particularly liked your idea of 'listing' the names at the end.

Thanks for listing it so we could enjoy!

[ContaxMan]

I think I would have converted the picture of the monument from colour to b/w, so starting with the colour picture as you explain the reason for it then changing/fading to b/w as you go through the explanation (does that make sense?) before going on to the individual slides of the friezes.

Yes, I like that idea. Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the show.

[Nettleton]

Moving. Poignant. And in my view should be made available to a much wider audience though not sure how you could do this. Congratulations on a wonderful slideshow.

Nettleton.

[ContaxMan]

Thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it. It's been a long time in gestation and I'm not finished with it yet.

I'm thinking of adding a third voice narrative rather than some of the text. Some people have likened it to PowerPoint & I see that this is so. Personally, I like the variety of being able to read things from the screen for myself but timing then becomes an issue. Also looking to find a better recording of the Last Post and to maybe incorporate some other shots from The Wagoners Exhibition at Sledmere House. And all this without increasing the length - actually I'm trying to shorten it a bit.

I wonder what Peter, Maureen, Ian & Guido would make of it in view of their comments in the forum discussion on marking shows!

[Peter Coles]

I think I ought to have seen this before now!

I was impressed by this very different approach to AV.

I think more folk should see this Sequence. Send it to a few International events and see what happens to it.

I found the changing of the names quite moving: nothing much happening and yet still very effective.

Congratulations on a most worthwhile Sequence which told us a great deal and said even more!

[ContaxMan]

I was impressed by this very different approach to AV.

I think more folk should see this Sequence. Send it to a few International events and see what happens to it.

Thank you - I'll give it some thought! I did wonder whether the more experienced AV-ers might feel that it was more like a lecture than an AV.