FILM Photographer of the Year 2020 Discussion Thread ***Final Scores Added***

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This is the discussion thread for FILM Photographer of the Year 2020. Please keep all chat in here.

The rules and themes can be found here
 
Great stuff and thanks for arranging this, Nick (and everyone else involved who I've missed because of not being aware of anything outside my personal bubble recently)! :D

Can't promise that I'll be able to post any entries this year but as that's no different to any other year, I think it's time I started pushing myself. So, on that note here's a question about this year's themes ... December is rule of thirds ... would a triptych be a valid entry assuming the submission is a single image file containing the three parts?

Not that I have any bright ideas yet, I just really like the word triptych and it'd be an interesting thing to tease myself with over the next year. :p
 
Well that is me out. Not happy about the Misery Month and the arbitrary decision on what to do when not enough entries.
 
Hi NIck,

The link to the discussion thread (this one I presume?) in the rules post is pointing to the 2019 thread. Assuming unintentional?

Thanks Ian
Well that is me out. Not happy about the Misery Month and the arbitrary decision on what to do when not enough entries.
Sorry you feel that way about the mystery month although I'm sure not everybody is happy with 100% of the monthly themes but won't let that put them off entering.

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "the arbitrary decision on what to do when not enough entries" what exactly are you unhappy about?
 
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As we have only been running the FPOTY for a 3 years now it seems to me that it is an evolving beast that will change with each year as a new person takes over, now I'm not keen on rule of thirds and Jan hates stranger portrait but it won't stop us entering. If you don't want to enter then don't but please don't flounce off in a huff we're a small group and we need everyone we can get :D If you feel the need for change then volunteer to run it next year and you can decide the rules.
 
What's the thinking behind the new points system Nick? It seemed to me that the current system lead to the front runners getting too far ahead and the new system looks like it will exacerbate the situation.
 
What's the thinking behind the new points system Nick? It seemed to me that the current system lead to the front runners getting too far ahead and the new system looks like it will exacerbate the situation.

I'm not sure it exacerbates the situation Chris so I spent some time checking.

I've just checked using this years scores so far and the current placings using the F1 method wold make the table look like this:-

1st 145 Andysnap
2nd 126 Peter B
3rd 120 FishyFish
4th 97 Carl Hall
5th 88 ChrisR
6th 85 Mrs Snap
7th 70 Harlequin565
8th 69 sirch
9th 66 dmb
10th 56 Excalibur2

If compared with the current standings shown in the screenshot below the major difference is that Andysnap would be leading (and I know this should be obvious) this is because he has more 1st places, he has finished 1st in 4 of the this years monthly themes and his nearest challenger only 2, surely this level of consistency producing quality shots should be rewarded shouldn't it?

poty 2019.png
Unless there is a consensus against the new scoring method I'm going to run with this for next years FPOTY and then whoever takes over the running the subsequent years can do their own thing. As @Andysnap pointed out this only the 3rd year this has been running in this format so it was always going to evolve as it went along.
 
Unless there is a consensus against the new scoring method

I'm a firm believer that if a volunteer presents themselves, then "their way" is the way it's done. If I want to do it my way, I can volunteer! "Be the change you want to see" :)
I'm just grateful someone stepped up, so thanks Nick!

I guess it could become an issue if multiple people volunteer, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there I guess. [suggestion: they just row via PM and come back to us once the dust has settled]
 
Can we retrospectively change the scoring for this year to use the F1 system? I'll jump up from fifth to fourth place :D

I agree with Ian; if you're volunteering to run the competition then you run it your way. I found out in my first year that you can't please everyone because everyone has their own view of the perfect FPOTY system. Just make the decisions that you think are right, and if someone disagrees that strongly then they can step up to do it next year and put their own mark on it.
 
Fair do's, I never win in the Snap house.:ROFLMAO:
 
What's the thinking behind the new points system Nick?
Nick's given his view on this, but hasn't mentioned that this scoring system was used for several years in the forum-wide POTY (which had a very small film subsection of about 4 of us!). This doesn't make it better or worse, just something with some history.
 
Thanks @RaglanSurf for taking the time, I wasn't complaining and apologies if it came across that way, and I appreciate the explanation.
 
I'm dreading a few of these themes, but thats mostly because they'll push me out of my comfort zone. I'm looking forward to the challenge, except the mystery month, because it takes me 8 weeks to think of anything creative :D

Also, I'm not sure what you mean by "the arbitrary decision on what to do when not enough entries" what exactly are you unhappy about?

I went and reread the rules and can only assume he meant those with 0 votes score 0 points. I do find it a bit discouraging, mostly because I expect to be in that bracket, but I wouldn't say its unreasonable tbh.

Looking forward to getting started and hope to enter more than I did this year :)
 
I must say I'm not keen on the new scoring either, being habitually in 11th or 12th place. This approach seems more competitive, which doesn't appeal much to me, I don't particularly want to be better than someone else, just better. I'll give it a good go though just because I like using my film cameras. I guess I'll have to work harder at it to get in the points.
 
There will unfortunately always be a few disappointing results and disappointed photographers.
The scoring was changed a few years back, when we started the FPOTY points were only given down to 6th place so there were a lot of folk that lagged behind really quickly despite getting votes and finishing mid table, they were not scoring points, I think this years system should carry on in that vein but it will also reward the most popular photo each month.
 
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On your marks, get set, go!
 
I've written them into Evernote, which means they'll turn up on my phone (which is not really very Conventional!)... but experience tells me I won't have a clue what they are for at least a couple of months...
 
I've written the monthly Themes on my 2020 wall calendar, since that seemed like a Conventional way of reminding myself. ;)

I've gone low tech too! I've written them down on a post-it note and put them in my wallet

New here but might like to take part, where does one find the thread to post shots into please?

Welcome aboard! It usually gets posted within the first couple days of the month, so it should be up soon :)
 
but experience tells me I won't have a clue what they are for at least a couple of months
You are doing well at a couple of months, I simply never know what any of the themes are. I might try Carl's approach and write them out and put them in my wallet.
 
I have an even more low tech reminder.....Mrs Snap:D
 
Do I need to sign up for this somewhere ? or just enter ?
Thanks
 
Do I need to sign up for this somewhere ? or just enter ?
Thanks
Just enter your image in the entries thread Nick linked above and you're done. Rinse and repeat for the rest of the year as we get there.
 
OK thanks
 
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