ABSTRACT
Many amateurs were drawn to making films about either familiar local areas close to where they lived, or visual records of unfamiliar places when they took day trips and holidays. In this way their films became a vehicle for a creative exploration of geography and space. These films also enabled amateur filmmakers to showcase their skills in cinematography and editing techniques. Indeed, many amateur film festivals awarded prizes for the best holiday film. However, a recurring problem with making holiday films for public exhibition was the possibility of alienating the audience by presenting them with a succession of static images of well-known sites. Therefore, a trope amongst serious amateurs was to use family members as visual reference points. This tendency can be seen in titles, both fiction and nonfiction, made by filmmakers with strong connections to the amateur cine movement. For example, Eggs for Breakfast (1949) and Oban 1951 (1951) both won awards at amateur film festivals. These films illustrate how families were utilised to bring a human touch to what could potentially be criticised as an impersonal travelogue. This chapter focuses on amateur films that are located in a curiously ambiguous space between family records and public entertainment.
