Uli Meyer

Well, here the more trustworthy media is saying that virologists say that it is very likely. We mustn’t forget that this virus crossed species from bats to human. With human to human viruses there is an inbuilt response in our immune system. That’s why the ordinary flu virus isn’t as deadly. We don’t have that automatic response with a virus that came from an animal. That’s why they are so deadly. Truth is nobody really knows yet.

Once 66% of the population have had the virus AND built up anti-bodies, the virus spread will have leveled out. That's what all governments are aiming for. If you get to that infection rate too quickly, too many people will die at the same time, overload the health system and cause huge human and economic hardship. Governments are trying to slow down the rate of infections without stopping it (since that is not possible) and balance that with economic losses. Here in the UK the government pays up to 80% of the salaries of laid off workers, has got rid of business rates and gives grants to small businesses. They are not doing enough for freelancers and I hope that this will be sorted out, but at least it is a start. Unfortunately our PM has acted too slow and so have other leaders. Anyone who selfishly decides to ignore self isolation and other measurements that were put in place, is jeopardizing those efforts. That's what happened in Italy where the death rate is now at 7 or 8%. The good news is that many more people are probably already infected than the figures show. In Germany they've been testing much larger numbers and the death rate is 0.2 %. Now the infection curve is apparently easing up. There is hope but there are also too many unknowns. Until we know more, everybody has to do their bit. This is the most sensible way forward. Please!

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Nothing to do with rebellion. More like ignorance. And that’s not limited to your culture.

Simply appealing to people to practice social distancing isn’t working. A big junk of the world population just don’t get it. Here in the UK people gather in parks as if it was a holiday. There are now curfews in Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany and many other countries. Those drastic measurements had to be put in place to protect people from their own stupidity. What you are suggesting would never work as you have just described yourself.

Because it happens every year. People are advised to vaccinate, some do, some don’t. This time potentially tens of millions of people could die.

Some do, some don’t. Either way, that doesn’t justify anything you have expressed.

People get flu vaccinations. If they didn’t, the mortality rate would be many times higher, not just 0.2%. There’s no vaccine for this one (yet). The video that was posted in this thread does explain this.

@Max Field A temporary hospital set-up in Madrid. People can't get proper treatment because there are too many that are ill at the same time and this is just the beginning. And why? Because too many people have ignored the advice to self isolate. Anyone could end up needing help. Life will be different for all of us from here on. You can keep whinging or try and make the best of it.

You don't get it, do you?

The virus does not discriminate. Do you really think you can simply leave the problem to one part of the population so that you can get on with business as usual? I'm sorry but your comment is incredibly ignorant and selfish. In times like this we all have to come together and do what is right. I can understand that you are scared, we all are. But please, show some courage!

No cinematography as such involved in this one but a proof of concept nevertheless. I finished this one just as the pandemic took hold.

Yeah, and I keep doing it...?

Hi Richard, I had hoped that there would be a follow up project with Warners after we finished on 'Space Jam'. I kept the crew on to make The Duck proof of concept film, tying the animation crew over and hoping that we would move onto something else, giving me time to pitch the idea. Instead Warners set up their own animation studio in London, made one film and closed down again. When The Duck was finished, we had spent pretty much all the money we made on Space Jam. It was a gamble and didn't work out but I don't regret it. I won't tell you how much it cost because you'd think I'm crazy. The Live Action shoot lasted four days in the White City warehouse, one day in the City of London, one day at the Battersea power station and two days in New York. I worked with a crew that I used on commercials and they were happy to work for lesser rates. The animation took several months to complete. When we pitched the film, we had a great script, designs, maquettes, the whole shebang. We received excited responses everywhere and I was sure the project would move further. I was very young and naive and insisted on directing both the Live Action and the animation. At one of the studios a trio of executives worked on the basis that a project would go further if they voted for it unanimously. They told me at the time that two of them were in favor. Close but not close enough. Sinking a lot of money into a proof of concept film is a very big gamble. If you have a bit of cash available, today I would make a low budget feature instead, with no effects or animation. Something that can be completed.

‘The Duck’ is a “proof of concept” film which I produced and directed in 1998. Our work on ‘Space Jam’ was just finished and I came up with an idea about a real duck that turns into a cartoon and decides to become a super hero, rivalling and competing with existing super heroes. We projected this film at all the major studios as part of a pitch the idea and came very close to making it. But alas, it all collapsed in the end and the film was never made. The animated woman is a blatant “homage” to Jessica Rabbit but I hope that 22 years on, I am forgiven. Looking at it on its own today, it is way too long. It was part of a pitch performance and as a stand-alone doesn't tell the story. We were young and had a lot of fun doing it though. And I got a lot of commercials work out of it.

https://www.frame24.co.uk/online-store/35mm-Clearance-Stock-c27284143 They sometimes sell short ends too.

It mainly killed young people? No old people? Hm, are you sure about that?

Daniel, I'm not sure what your point is. The Coronavirus does not care what date it is. Both untreatable, there's no difference between 1918 and 2020. Are you saying the Coronavirus would have spread faster in 2018? Probably, because there was no information available like today, but that is my point. When I read that people refuse to cancel their trips, insist on going to work or attend large crowd gatherings because they think they are fine, sadly ignorance still prevails. Despite living in an age where we have instant access to information. The"Spanish" flu originated in the trenches of the First World War. More and more soldiers fell ill and were sent home. The virus was discovered in Spain, hence its name, nobody knew its true origin.

Sure, but there are people who do not care about the basic precautions or are too ignorant. In my family someone spent time with an infected person who went to work and attended a concert, all while this chap knew that he was sick.

In 1918 the Spanish flu killed up to 100 million people when the world's population was 2bn. Today there are 7.7bn of us. The Spanish flu also started with just a handful of deaths. The Coronavirus might not be as deadly but to belittle the possibility would be more than stupid. Even if the effect on you might be mild, once infected you could potentially kill someone by spreading it further. The "I'm Alright Jack" attitude is why pandemics happen. People are just way too egotistical.

Hence my mentioning of schools that depend on fees to function ?

Ideally, education should be free for everybody. Going to university in Germany for example is free, no matter if your family is rich or poor. And many of the public universities are among the best. The value is in the education, not the fees. If a school that depends on tuition fees to function, creates opportunities for talent by offering free tuition to those who could never afford it, this should be applauded, surely.

Thanks David, Exciting news! I presume that one will have to order a certain amount? Anyway, I'll keep my ears to the ground.

I didn't think you were but I'm glad you are sharing the reply you had from them. Since they mentioned 16mm to you, who knows, maybe they'll have a go at producing 35mm stock too. I just bought a roll of P30 to try with my M6. Looking forward to it.

Great news. Do you know if they have plans for 35mm motion film?