Has there ever been consideration of simply not having a theme and just letting people come up with their own theme under the UWOL umbrella to see what folks can come up with -- maybe combined with a 2 month contest to really open up the creativity?

Sometimes weather, seasonal, and other conditions can make it difficult to come up with something to meet the current selected theme. A theme-less contest would remove any limitations except personal illness that doesn't let you get out. (In that case, someone could probably come up with something looking out the window from their bed!)

Phil. yes, it was done a long time ago and I believe it was great. Lots of entries. Mine was "Morning Coffee". It was a short video of me having coffee in the morning and watching my bird feeder before going to work. I have made this same suggestion several times, as well as having two months to complete your entry. I also suggested that we are allowed to use video clips previously shot for other challenges but never used. I stated that most nature/wildlife films use stock footage. If I have clips of an alligator that I need and already have one why should I go all the way back to the swamp just to video it again? After all, good videos include good editing, not just good shooting. Bob

The idea of the challenge was to get people out shooting instead of just talking about it. Making and uploading a video and getting some feed back on it. The purpose of the theme was to push people out of their comfort zone. There was also a lot of entries back then but it seems it was looked at more like a competition instead of a challenge. Maybe the problem is naming a winner instead of everbody that uploads a completed video is a winner. The feed back and being able to watch other peoples ideas of the theme and their videos are the most interesting part of the challenge. We did have an open fun challenge once that was nice to do.
The last challenge theme should have ruled out most excuses. A person needs an open mind when looking at the theme. I sometimes get an idea in my head and it seems I have blinders on when it comes to any other ideas.

Gordon

I know the common theme idea was so that we could see how other filmmakers tackled the same idea.
That is part of the coolest thing for me is seeing ideas about a topic I never would have thought of.

The other part was to not use previously shot footage to get us out and shooting in the field.

If we could use previously shot footage I probably have enough that I could put together a film on any theme without ever leaving the house.

I’m open for anything though.
All I know is that I need to apply myself and get out and shoot.
It’s been a couple years since I’ve done much shooting and that needs to change!

Good points, Gordon. I agree 100% that sometimes -- indeed, many times! -- I need a push to get out of my own personal comfort zone, but I also like producing work within my comfort zone, too, and I wouldn't mind seeing what others can produce within their comfort zone without any limitations of an imposed theme.

I tend to disagree with you about the last theme making it almost inexcusable to do something. The weather where I live was as bland and boring as could be -- very unusual for the period. With the lack of many submitted videos, I think there is something going on and I wanted to present a suggestion that might help. (Or might not!)

I also admit 100% that my own creativity it seriously lacking and holds back my ability to produce something under the expected themes. That is MY problem and has nothing to do with the any theme Trond submits.

As to Bob's comments about using previously shot (and unused) footage, I went back and looked at the rules which state "Previously shot footage, as long as it is a minor part, for educational or illustrative purposes, was shot by yourself, and not the main story/feature of your entry, is permissible." That seems a bit vague to me, but that may also be my inability to understand the rule correctly.

I wondered if perhaps a time limit -- say 10% -- could be previously shot footage even if it was used before and used for any purpose for the video. For a 3 minute video that only allows 18 seconds which doesn't seem too much and could add to the story.

18 seconds could be a major part of a story if it showed something in the past while the other 90% was above how things had changed. For example, what if I used previously shot video of primary rainforest to open a piece on how deforestation or gold mining has devastated that area? It would be impossible to go back in time to get that footage, but it would be essential to the story and would be only a tiny part of the total work.

I am very curious to her what others think. Discussions like this are what get my creative juices flowing and I love learning from those of you with more experience and more talent than me!

All I know is that I need to apply myself and get out and shoot.
It’s been a couple years since I’ve done much shooting and that needs to change!

That is me 100%! After having just retired early and moving to one of the most beautiful parts of the world, I don't have much of an excuse except I need to get my butt out there!

I never suggested using all previously shot videos to put together your entry, just a few clips. If you go back a year look at the entries, or non entries:

UWOL #45 had 6 entries
UWOL #46 had 2 entries (and one of those was an unofficial entry)
UWOL #47 had 1 entry
UWOL #48 had 3 entries
UWOL #49 had 1 entry

Friends, something needs to be done to get more people to actually complicate a challenge! I am open to suggestions.

Phil your weather may have been bland to you but maybe not to me. I'm sure a person could can use it to show it's not the normal. Saying that brings up the biggest problem I've been having lately and that is coming up with a good idea (and sometimes any idea) for the theme which I think a lot of people do.
As for the decline in the number of entries I don't think it really boils down being able to use previous shot footage or not. Having to work with a theme will have some effect but that is part of the challenge. I think it's just not having the drive to get out and shoot something which I have been guilty of. Yet any time I do get out I really enjoy myself. I'm the type who shoots anything and everything that interests me at the time and it may not even fit the theme if I'm shooting for the challenge. Having time can be a factor. I still feel that it is looked at more of a competition. It should be looked at more of a learning and entertainment experience. There are some very talented people here that may scare off some from entering but the feed back and ideas gained from watching their videos and all the other entries are very valuable.

Gordon

The idea of the challenge was to get people out shooting instead of just talking about it. Making and uploading a video and getting some feed back on it. The purpose of the theme was to push people out of their comfort zone.
You nailed it! UWOL has always been, and still is, about making the participants improve their own skills as outdoors film makers. It has never been the intention to be a "see what I could do with footage shot during the last decades." To reach that goal, you all need to be more or less pushed.

Frequent excuses are "less than perfect weather" and "lack of time." Been guilty of those myself. I'm sure if I didn't come up with easy excuses, I could have produced more entries. Maybe the results would have been less than perfect. But it would have pushed me, and maybe something could have been learned in the process too.
The previous theme was to address that.

Next theme will be made by two 11 year old creative girls. Maybe it will be easy, maybe not, I have no idea. :)
Their theme will be used no matter what they come up with.

I know the common theme idea was so that we could see how other filmmakers tackled the same idea.
A lot can be learned by seeing how others interpret the same theme. This is why the feedback is such an important part of the challenge.

Maybe we should focus less of "winners", and most on the feedback process? This could remove the thought of UWOL being a competition and turn it back to what it really is, a personal challenge of the players' skills.

A few times we have had some "fun shoots" where the participants have been allowed to film whatever theme/ideas they prefer. Might or might not happen again.

Regarding "boring" weather, scenery.... It is a common thought for locals. We are so used to what we see, and it is in the human nature to seek the best, or else.we don't bother.
What I see "every day" back home, and think of as nothing special, visitors from abroad or even just another city, can see as the most spectacular they have seen.
Worth remembering when we have a very broad audience from all over the globe. Maybe this can push you into see things in a different perspective.

The low number of entries, is depressing.
I believe there are many reasons for this trend. One is the general trend to publish raw footage in real time to social media, instead of a proper editing. A quick publishing is more important than quality.

Another reason can be that people see the quality films the "hard core" of participants produce again and again, and this can scare off newcomers who would be interested to participate, but don't feel they have good enough skills.
This is why I always try to make a point that UWOL is open for everyone, regardless of skills.

Phil your weather may have been bland to you but maybe not to me. I'm sure a person could can use it to show it's not the normal. Saying that brings up the biggest problem I've been having lately and that is coming up with a good idea (and sometimes any idea) for the theme which I think a lot of people do.

You're probably right about the weather and how another would see it from a different perspective. As I wrote before, my own lack of creativity in coming up with an idea to adapt to the theme is driving me crazy.

Each time I really look forward to the challenge and when the theme is released I can't come up with anything that I think is at all interesting. I blame myself for that and I feel very, very frustrated. I am confident in my ability to shoot and edit really good stuff, but developing a story -- even if it's only 4 minutes -- is something I'm not good at.

Probably I just need to do something -- anything -- and not worry about how close I am to the theme. As Trond says repeatedly, my focus needs to be on learning and fun.

As for the decline in the number of entries I don't think it really boils down being able to use previous shot footage or not. Having to work with a theme will have some effect but that is part of the challenge. I think it's just not having the drive to get out and shoot something which I have been guilty of. Yet any time I do get out I really enjoy myself. I'm the type who shoots anything and everything that interests me at the time and it may not even fit the theme if I'm shooting for the challenge. Having time can be a factor. I still feel that it is looked at more of a competition. It should be looked at more of a learning and entertainment experience. There are some very talented people here that may scare off some from entering but the feed back and ideas gained from watching their videos and all the other entries are very valuable.

My suggestion, like Bob, about previously shot footage was just a suggestion to possibly make things better. I don't think it has anything to do with the decline in entries, either, but I can see where it would be a reasonable compromise to producing better work with minimal effect on the requirement to shoot in the prescribed time frame.

I was intimidated before, too, but I was thinking about that a few days ago and now I don't really think that is an issue for me. Everyone here seems genuinely nice and supportive of each other. It's not really an issue of a competition to me because I'm not ready to compete with some of the very talented folks here, but the experience and learning I would get from feedback are most important right now.

Heck, I'm learning a lot reading everyone's posts on this thread!

...the biggest problem I've been having lately ... is coming up with a good idea (and sometimes any idea) for the theme which I think a lot of people do.

Gordon, how does this sound -- let's make a commitment that we're going to do SOMETHING no matter how bad we think our idea is related to the theme. No matter what, we come up with something and go out and shoot. (Or, I guess we can just go out and shoot a lot then edit it all into a theme later!)

If mine comes out really bad I'll just ask everyone to be kind in their critiques, but at last I'll have something to be critiqued this time. :)

Phil

I went back and looked at the rules which state "Previously shot footage, as long as it is a minor part, for educational or illustrative purposes, was shot by yourself, and not the main story/feature of your entry, is permissible." That seems a bit vague to me, but that may also be my inability to understand the rule correctly.

I wondered if perhaps a time limit -- say 10% -- could be previously shot footage even if it was used before and used for any purpose for the video. For a 3 minute video that only allows 18 seconds which doesn't seem too much and could add to the story.
Let me give an example:
If you make a film about bears, and the only footage you use of the bears, is previously shot footage, and the remaining of the film is shot during the challenge time frame. Then the bear footage would be the main footage/ story, and excluded from the allowed use of previously shot footage.

But if you make a film about the wilderness of Alaska in general, and include.the same footage of the bears, then this footage would be permitted, because bears are not your main feature and/ or story.

Hope this made it a little easier to understand.

As always, if anyone has questions about use of their previously shot footage during a challenge, you can always email me and ask at any time.

...If mine comes out really bad I'll just ask everyone to be kind in their critiques, but at last I'll have something to be critiqued this time. :)

Remember that the toughest critics come from ourselves.
Even if you think your film sucks, others may really like it a lot.
Besides the feedback you receive, could give you valuable tips and ideas of how to improve.

The "tales.of wonders and woe" threads are meant to be a place where you can ask for tips and ideas during the challenge as well. Interaction between the players, are encouraged.

Phil and Gordon, I’d like to get in on that pact and finish something this round no matter what.
I need to get out of my shooting funk and the only way to do that is to get out and shoot!

Phil and Kevin you're on! I'm going to get something entered this time but I'll have to be able to justify how it fits the theme. I've entered stuff before that was probably stretching the theme pretty thin but then I was going to upload something. Also it is up to us to interpret the theme. Now days I try to upload something a little better to make it look like I've learned something over the years. I'm still a little annoyed with myself over the last challenge. I just could not get it to come together with my idea but it never even occurred to me to do something like Bob did until I watched his. I had the footage to do it.

Gordon

What about letting entrants that have never entered, enter after the start date. Might encourage some newcomers.

To allow signup after the theme has been released, has been tried a couple times. It might be worth trying out again.

I think that the number of films/entries dropping is more of serious concern to us currently and i am one of the culprits to this. However sometimes the themes may just render the overall completion a bit short of the required or simply out of question as we all are in different corners of the world.
I really like the idea of keeping the theme open and on the other hand restricting the footage to the current shot period, that way people are encouraged to film then and also to produce a film that they feel would make a good short. Guess it may increase the number of entries however its just a guess.
Since it was a idea tried long time back it may be a good time to retry it .
i am in for this .

I really like the idea of keeping the theme open and on the other hand restricting the footage to the current shot period, ....
Since it was a idea tried long time back it may be a good time to retry it .
i am in for this .
Your wish may come true for the next challenge. I am told the theme is already made for the February challenge. :)

By the way, there has never been, and will never be, a minimum duration for the UWOL entries. There is only a hard limit for the maximum! A 30 second well made film, can be better than a 4 minute "just pulled some shots together."

Notice:
The April 2019 challenge will be a 2 month April/May round.