AV Group
The Audio-Visual (AV) Group
The Audio Visual (AV) Group is open to all Society members with an interest in this topic.
A successful AV show uses sequences of images set to music or a sound track either to tell a story or to entertain the viewer. This process takes a series of digital images – together with appropriate music, a vocal soundtrack, or maybe audio effects – and through software such as ProShow or PicturesToExe to produce AV sequences. The group objectives are to offer an inspirational and educational environment to appeal to all levels of AV expertise within the Society.
Meetings consist of a mixture of demonstrations, challenges, tutorials, workshops and other activities of the group’s choosing. Members may consider entering our own Dunelm Trophy competition, following the rules as shown in the competition section of the WPS handbook.
We are looking to continue growing the AV Group and we welcome members who would like to get involved, whether new to the technique and would like to learn how to achieve some amazing results, or more experienced and wanting to show their achievements or share their knowledge.
Barbara Lambert now leads the AV Group and can provide information on the group and its activities, or you can ask any committee member.
The next AV Group Meeting
See the list below or look at the main programme, all WPS members are welcome. (Littleton Millennium Memorial Hall)
If you wish to take part in the challenge, please select one or more topics from this list on the Challenge List page.
Also, if you wish to choose an AV tutorial to view, the Society already have purchased a selection which can be seen on the Tutorials page.
Audio-Visual Accreditation
The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) have a formal accreditation scheme open to every club or society member. As with other PAGB awards, three levels are available:
- Credit (CPAGB/AV)
- Distinction (DPAGB/AV)
- Master (MPAGB/AV)
Further information can be found in their information leaflet.
Copyright Law
Copyright Law can be very complex and members are advised to use utmost caution in selecting music to accompany their photographic sequences. The Society do hold the appropriate licenses but these only apply to work being presented by the Society itself to an external audience. The licenses do not cover individual Society members in putting together pieces of work and presenting them in any public forum (including our own meetings). You should ensure that the work that you use is free from copyright or royalty restrictions or considering purchasing the necessary licenses on an individual basis. Following the latter route would require you to join the Film and Video Institute & follow their Copyright Clearance Scheme at a small extra cost. Their website has a lot of information regarding copyright terms.
AV Resources
AV enthusiasts, particularly PicturesToExe users, are encouraged to consider the purchase of some recommended tutorials from Beckham Digital in Australia. Equivalent UK price for a 30 minute tutorial is around £1.70 at current exchange rates. Tutorials, and other resources, can be found on their website.
Several sites offer Royalty-Free resources but always check the license terms for usage guidelines & restrictions:
| Freesound | – | for background sounds |
| BearShare | – | for Royalty-Free Music |
| Jamendo | – | for Royalty-Free Music |
| Freeplay Music | – | for Royalty-Free Music |
| AKM Music | – | for Royalty-Free Music |
| VideoBlocks | – | for Royalty-Free Video Clips |
Educational tutorials may often be found on YouTube, a very abundant collection of resources. Some recommended channels to check (or subscribe to) include:
| ProShow Gold and Producer | ||
| PicturesToExe | ||
| Audacity | – | (Not a channel, but a Search) |
Sometimes, it can be better to sit back and enjoy a very well produced AV show, so sit back and enjoy some sample offerings on the following websites:
| 1. | Ian Bateman | This includes his award winning “A Night at the Opera” and “The Gathering” |
| 2. | Howard Bagshaw | The quality of YouTube is not good, but Howard Bagshaw’s AV’s “Ride to the Wall” and “Special” etc. have won awards and are are well worth viewing. |
| 3. | Beechbrook | This site has an enormous number of sequences which can be downloaded |
Please contact Barbara Lambert if you find further AV resources which may be of interest to other members.
Other AV Groups
AV tutorials
The Society already have purchased a selection which can be seen on the Tutorials page.
Where To Find Us
Littleton Millennium Memorial Hall