Tuesday 19 February 2013

Review: Skeptics on the Screen 1-5

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REVIEWS SKEPTICS ON THE SCREEN Birmingham Skeptics DVDs by various speakers Birmingham Skeptics in the Pub Birmingham Skeptics host one of the most well-attended Skeptics in the Pub in the country. They also have one of the best websites, which includes a must-see weekly round-up. All in all, a powerhouse of skepticism. So it's not surprising that they've also taken the initiative to film some of their speakers, and publish the results on DVD. I've had a look at five great talks: When the Universe Came to the People by Alice Sheppard; What Are The Twelve Steps? by Danny Strickland; Juggling: Theory and Practice by Colin Wright: A Skeptical Look at Atheism by Andy McIntosh; and Darwin's Ghosts by Rebecca Stott. Many of you will have seen these talks in the flesh, and that's fine because these DVDs are not intended to be a substitute for the real event. Brum Skeptics say they won't upload the content because they don't wish to dilute the talks' impact on future audiences. But if you've seen the talk and haven't taken detailed notes, these DVDs are the perfect way to enrich your experience. The production standards are very good, with cuts between two angles to avoid an amateur 'staring' effect. Many of the slides are superimposed upon the live action so that you can read them as well as you would have at the actual event. There are rolling front credits to provide an introduction and great menus so you can choose between the main talk, the Q & A and the stills. The sections are further subdivided into chapters so that you can jump neatly to whichever section you'd like to see most. All in all, I can't see why you wouldn't want to buy them. Great speakers, great render to DVD and great price – starting at £3 if you pick them up yourself from a SitP (£4 if you want it posted inland). Available at the events and from the website http://brumskeptics.blogspot.co.uk/ . Highly recommended. Deborah Hyde Published with the kind permission of the Author and Editor of The Skeptic Magazine (Winter 2012) 
Published with the kind permission of the Author and Editor of The Skeptic Magazine (Winter 2012)



Well, you can't say fairer than that, but while we're here, just a few additions since the first 5 discs were produced:-

We now run on 3 (yes three, count 'em) HD cameras with occasional footage from a fourth (and for the technically minded the post-edit output is 720).

All of our discs can be purchased on our Webpage or via the DVD store on the Skeptical DVDs Facebook page for £3 plus (very reasonable) P&P.

A reminder: 
 
We set up Skeptical DVDs so that people can experience the joy of a Skeptics in the Pub whenever and wherever they want.

Although this is a slightly separate entity from Birmingham Skeptics it has the same ethos as all SitP activities in that it is a completely voluntary and not for profit venture. We thought it would be a good idea to be able to bring a bit of skeptical goodness to your living room and all profits are donated to Birmingham Skeptics.



 





Posted by Birmingham Skeptics at 18:03

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