Oscar Film Unit Gold Anthology is a collection of student films made by the University of Surrey's film society since its formation fifty years ago.
[ General information | Troubleshooting ]
This is the list of questions provided along with posted copies of the DVD. If you have any problems with the DVD, check back here at intervals for updates or email us - ofu at xillennia dot com.
This FAQ last updated 11th January 2006.
General information
Why "Gold Anthology"?
The title is in celebration of OFU's 50th anniversary. We can’t be sure of the exact date that OFU was founded, but documentary evidence shows that OFU made a film for the BBC in 1955. We’ve therefore decided to celebrate 2005 as OFU's Golden Jubilee year.
What films are included?
There is more than a dozen films on the disc, including Rag '67, Rag '69, Manor House Beer Festival (1979) and the famous OFU Sex Film (1974).
What films aren't included?
Notable missing films are Boy With A Moon And Star On His Head and Enter The Newt.
Why is there a copyright warning on the DVD?
Two of the films contain soundtracks, which, whilst they enhance the films, are not licensed to us. We are therefore not in a position to distribute the film widely or to allow others to do likewise. This is why we are not charging for the disc.
Furthermore, we respect the fact that many different OFU members over several decades worked on these films and it is up to them to determine how their work should be distributed. We make the films available as a service to former OFU members, on the understanding that the disc will not be copied further.
Does OFU still exist?
Yes and no. There is a brief history of OFU at the OFU Alumni website, www.ofu.org.uk, which attempts to explain what OFU is up to these days. The good news is that many former members are still in touch with each other and, better yet, many are still very much interested in film.
What is Xillennia?
Xillennia is a group of ex-OFU amateur film-makers. We've made a handful of short films with more on the way and are jointly responsible for the production of the OFU Gold Anthology DVD. We have a website at www.xillennia.com.
Problems with the DVD
The films aren't very bright / are scratched / are out of focus.
This is due to the conditions under which the digital transfer took place. Consider this disc to be a "first draft". If sufficient demand exists, we’ll start again and do it properly.
There's no sound.
Most of the films were shot on 16mm and are silent. The films with sound are Jaws In The Library (2001) and Ar*ing Around In G-box (2002).
The disc doesn't play or hangs.
or My DVD player can't play DVD-R discs.
If there is a fault on the disc, please return it to us and accept a replacement with our apologies. However, please first check to ensure that your DVD player can handle discs of the format despatched. If you need a DVD+R format disc instead of a DVD-R disc or vice versa, let us know when you return your disc and we'll ensure that you receive the correct format in its place.
I've got a replacement disc, but it still doesn't work.
DVD-R discs are specified to work with almost all modern DVD players; those few that remain can usually play DVD+R format discs. However, some older players simply can't play recorded DVDs at all. Since the minimum run required to make a DVD press financially viable is well in excess of the number of discs we are intending to produce, we regret that we have no further recourse and you will not be able to watch the disc until you replace your DVD player in the future. Please let us know if this occurs and, if sufficient demand exists, we will consider producing VHS copies to supplement the DVD release.
The menu buttons disappear off the top / side of the screen.
This is a problem with the first batch of DVDs when viewed on some television sets (PCs are fine). We've fixed the problem in the second batch, so if you're having problems, return the disc to us and we'll send you a replacement. (Discs in the second batch have the letter "A" at the end of the catalogue number, i.e. XILDVD004A.)
