Biography of 'Edinburgh Cine and Video Society (ECVS)'

Amateur Cine and Video Society

ECVS was founded in 1936 as the Waverley Cine Society. Within a year the new club had acquired premises at 23 Fettes Row, in Edinburgh’s New Town. On moving into what was to become a permanent home, the club changed its name to Edinburgh Cine Society.

The basement properties were rented out as a contribution to covering the mortgage costs, and the Society developed the ground floor of the premises for their use. There was a cinema, lounge, kitchen, a studio space and darkroom for film processing. The war naturally inhibited much of the film making activity with many of the male members in the Services and a shortage of film stock for the amateur. The ladies kept the Society going, organising fund-raising events to help with the mortgage payments. Post-war the Society enjoyed a resurgence, with refurbishment of the club rooms and regular meetings on Friday nights and film-making in groups at the weekends.

In the 1950’s the old bus seats in the cinema were replaced with stock from a local cinema that was closing, creating a 78 seat auditorium with a separate projection box.

The club flourished in the twenty years after the war, reaching its maximum permitted membership of 150 with a waiting list.

The club rooms were in premises designated as a listed building and major renovation works were required in the early 1970’s. The completion of those works, assisted by grants from the Edinburgh Conservation Committee was marked by a visit from the Queen Mother Patron of the Conservation Committee who unveiled a plaque on the wall of the building and enjoyed a tour of the club rooms. Like many earlier episodes in the Society’s history this was recorded on film. With a reduced membership, and a need to fund the share of the building works the ground floor was sold off and the club moved into the basement, no. 23A, creating a smaller 52 seat cinema.

In the 1980’s came videotape, formally adopted by the Society in 1990 when it was resolved to admit as members those who professed to be videographers. The name of the organisation was changed to reflect this - Edinburgh Cine and Video Society. Thursday nights became video nights whilst retaining the traditional Friday evenings for the main club activities. The new section of the club benefited from a donation from a local company of two Sony cameras and two U-matic recorders. Video projection equipment was installed at a later date.

[Extracted from article by Norman Speirs in ECVS Journal Cine Chat, Issue 29, October 1996.]

Researcher: Norman Speirs

Films associated with 'COCOZZA, Enrico'

251 to 294 of 294 hits

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Asc Desc
	SPORT in 1959, the [6496] Add to my films A rundown of various car racing events in 1959.		1959 silent bw
	SPORTS DAY [6511] Add to my films Amateur general vidws of people at day out, perhaps a school sports day. Brief views sack race and 3-legged race.	Onsite only	1930 silent bw
	ST. COLUMBA'S HOSPICE - CHARLOTTE SQUARE FESTIVAL 1987 [6479] Add to my films Members of the Edinburgh Cine and Video Society record the Charlotte Square Festival in aid of St. Columba's Hospital, 1987.		1987 sound col
	ST. COLUMBA'S HOSPICE ROYAL VISIT 29th June 1987 [6480] Add to my films Amateur documentary recording a visit made by HM Queen Elizabeth to St. Columba's Hospice in Edinburgh. Includes footage of preparation involved before the visit.		1987 sound col
	STANHOPE, ACHLINGTON ?, HIGH FORCE 1962 [6645] Add to my films Amateur general views horse race, air show and large waterfall (High Force, Durham)		1962 silent col
	STEAM ENGINE [6543] Add to my films Amateur general views steam engine, tunnel.		1929 silent bw
	STOER AND THE N.W. [6590] Add to my films Amateur footage of Stoer area in Sutherland. Landscape, fishing boats, ferry and people.		1972 silent col
	STOP PRESS LORD PROVOST'S VISIT TO EDINBURGH CINE SOCIETY [6484] Add to my films Amateur film of the Lord Provost's visit to the E.C.S. (Edinburgh Cine Society) in March 1972. Brief view of the various film-making demonstrations and members he meets.		1972 sound bw
	STORY OF A CHRISTMAS SEAL [6457] Add to my films Amateur animation about a seal who befriends Santa Claus.		1982 sound col
	SUMMER 70 [6402] Add to my films Amateur film about Edinburgh, featuring the city viewed from various different locations. Often elevated panoramas and views of landmarks such as the castle, Calton Hill and Princes Street Gardens.		1970 sound col
	SWANS [6515] Add to my films Amateur general views people outside, smiling. Close up swans on riverbank.		1930 silent bw
	TATTOO 1970 - INSTALLATION OF OF GOVERNOR [6449] Add to my films General views Tattoo ceremony at Edinburgh castle at dusk.		1970 sound col
	TATTOO AT EDINBURGH CASTLE [5863] Add to my films Very short film depicting Edinburgh Tattoo with a fake Queen Victoria in attendance.		1954 silent col
	THISTLE MEETS ROSE [6636] Add to my films Amateur overview of a picnic meeting between Edinburgh and Carlisle Cine Societies.	Onsite only	1948 silent bw
	THREE LOVELY BLACK EYES [6405] Add to my films During a family visit to playpark, three small boys play on see-saw and swings. Various falls later, all three boys each have a 'black eye'! Filmed on an Edinburgh Cine Society outing to Traquair.		1972 silent col
	TIME FOR A SMOKE [6397] Add to my films Amateur morality tale in which a man smokes heavily in order to collect cigarette tokens for a 'free' gift.		1965 sound col
	TROUBLE BREWING [6603] Add to my films Amateur comedy short about a wife taking up home brewing to keep husband at home. Unfortunately (for wife) husband invites friends and acquaintances to taste home brew.		1975 sound col
	UNEXPECTED, the [6431] Add to my films Partially animated amateur about the visit to a toymaker of small extra-terrestrial robots who inspire him to invent Playmobil people.		1979 sound col
	VICTORY FESTIVALS PARIS [6592] Add to my films Compilation reel of nine different films spliced together - Victory festivals in Paris, Niagara Falls, Elephant having a bath etc.		1929 silent bw
	VINCENZO, NERVI [6491] Add to my films Brief views lady in garden hanging out washing in Italy (Nervi?). Intertitles of place names, later coming into and out of focus.		1960 silent bw
	WADING BIRDS / LIONS [6528] Add to my films Two Pathescope educational shorts spliced together. Wading birds followed by film on lions, both with frequent intertitles.		1930 silent bw
	WALES - ENGLAND [6670] Add to my films Amateur general views scenery England and Wales, including Stonehenge.	Onsite only	1955 silent col
	WASH DAY THE EASY WAY [3425] Add to my films A public laundries film by Edinburgh Cine Society for Edinburgh District Council from 1982 profiling public laundries at Bonnington Road, Causewayside and Murdoch Terrace.	Onsite only	1982 sound bwcol
	WATER DIVINING [5856] Add to my films Film depicts three men in an Edinburgh garden, a policeman, a Justice of the Peace and an elderly man. They test the elderly man, who divines for coins, quite successfully.		1952 silent bw
	WATERING THE GARDENER [6412] Add to my films Amateur comedy film featuring a bikini-clad woman sunbathing in her garden. A young boy is trying to retrieve his ball from a hose wielding gardener next door. Various high jinks ensue until the gardener is tricked into soaking himself.		1968 sound col
	WAVERLEY LOCAL NEWS REVIEW [6502] Add to my films An assortment of unrelated films, including 1949 Charity Day at Edinburgh University, Edinburgh Cine Club Dances, a day at the beach and (badly faded) footage of the Grand Canyon.		1949 silent bwcol
	WAVERLEY LOCAL NEWS REVIEW 1936 [6628] Add to my films Amateur newsreel overview of various events in July, mid to late 1930's, including the Burry man on his rounds during the Queensferry Carnival and various Naval craft on the Clyde.	Onsite only	1940 silent bw
	WAVERLEY LOCAL NEWS REVIEW 1938 [6651] Add to my films Amateur newsreel featuring general views of various events in 1938. Intertitles. Includes Empire Exhibition and newspaper headlines on the build up to WW2.	Onsite only	1938 silent bw
	WAVERLEY NEWSREEL 1939 REEL 1 [6650] Add to my films Amateur newsreel featuring general views various events in early 1939. Intertitles.		1939 silent bw
	WEB, the [6398] Add to my films Amateur morality tale about the potentially lethal consequences of adultery.		1968 sound col
	WEDDING [6513] Add to my films Amateur general view of church exterior, crowds at wedding and then zoo.	Onsite only	1929 silent bw
	WEDDING [6510] Add to my films Amateur general views exterior church of wedded couple. Guests throw confetti, gvs people dressed up and smiling.	Onsite only	1930 silent bw
	WEED, the [6434] Add to my films Amateur film; a humorous morality tale about man who quits smoking only to end up in hospital after seeking comfort in beer. Doctor offers him cigarette at end.	Onsite only	1967 sound col
	WEEKEND QUARTET [1658] Add to my films A humorous fiction film telling of the adventures of four grass widowers who decide to spend the week-end in a country cottage. [A prize-winning film at the 1952 Scottish Amateur Film Festival.]		1951 silent col
	WEST COUNTRY HOLIDAY [6624] Add to my films Amateur footage family holiday in West Country. Includes Tolpuddle near Dorchester. Visits to ancient monuments, abbey.		1970 silent col
	WINDFALL, the [6599] Add to my films Man receives some good fortune through the post - a tidy sum of money - only to be drugged by a mysterious visitor, and lose it entirely.	Onsite only	1969 sound bw
	WINDOW, the [6424] Add to my films Amateur film set in hospital featuring one man with bandaged eyes. He appears to regain his sight.		1982 sound col
	WINSTON CHURCHILL VISITS ABERDEEN [2797] Add to my films Winston Churchill, accompanied by his wife and daughter plant a tree in the home of Sir Thomas and Lady Jaffrey and the University of Aberdeen confers on him the Honorary Degree of LLD. [See also refs. 4025 and 4563].		1946 silent bw
	WINTER 64 / 65 [6501] Add to my films A family film at Christmas in the park and at home.		1965 silent col
	WINTER CLASS 1957 [5864] Add to my films Short film showing a film class run by the Edinburgh Cine Society in 1957.		1957 silent bw
	YES DEAR [6411] Add to my films Amateur fiction film, comedy about a nagged man on a picnic who wanders off to find a cup of tea and leaves the women to fall asleep.		1969 sound col
	YOU'LL ENJOY THIS. NOT A LOT! [6460] Add to my films Amateur footage of family campervan holiday to France. They travel through a number of small villages, stop and film scenery, architecture and family members relaxing.		1980 sound col
	ZONE OF SILENCE [6414] Add to my films Amateur film about a young couple who have an unexplained supernatural experience in the woods, possibly due to a radio blackout, which they then report to police.	Onsite only	1969 sound bw
	ZOO [6514] Add to my films Amateur general views zoo, penguins, elephant and camel, was well as people.		1930 silent bw