Intel Digital Home Film Competition

Written by Wil Harris

December 23, 2005 | 11:48

Companies: #dolby

Restoring Uncle Don by Paul McCrudden

By day, Paul McCrudden is a consultant with a large city firm. By night, he's an enthusiastic amateur film maker who happened upon a competition with a subject based around a film he'd already written! Rather good luck we think and, finishing in the top four, his talent would seem to be born out.


What inspired you to enter?
It was a great opportunity to make a film. I had recently written a short script for a story that followed similar lines to what the competition was about (having a home entertainment system integral to the plot), so it was something that I could adapt and enter confidently.

Intel Digital Home Film Competition Restoring Uncle Don

What happens in the film?
The story is of a 12 year old boy who spends a week with his older brother – a generation older than him – and transforms his older brother’s outlook on life and friendship. I found it an interesting idea to have two brothers in the story who hardly knew each other – there’s a 25 year age gap between them – and what that meant in terms of their understanding and perceptions of the digital world we all now live in. They say you get smarter with age, but I think there are a lot of kids and teenagers who have a much better grasp of the way the world’s moving than older generations. That’s what I tried to get across in my film.

Intel Digital Home Film Competition Restoring Uncle Don

How did you come up with this concept?
One of the features of the film is that the older brother is obsessed by owning not only the music but also the container it comes in – the CD box, or the vinyl cover. I know people who are the same. For them I think maybe it substantiates the music they own with a bit more meaning – it reminds them when and why they bought the music. It’s a big contrast to downloading your favourite singles off iTunes and storing your entire music collection on your computer.


How do you expect the technology you use on a day to day basis to change in the next 10 years?
The idea of one hand-held, all-encompassing device is an attractive one. Something on which we can watch pre-recorded TV shows, listen to music, take photos and video, access emails and surf the net is very appealing. I think there will always be a need for something that does all that in the home though, which is where Intel’s Digital Home products are so valuable. And as electronic goods become more accessible, and therefore cheaper, I think it’ll be awesome having control of TV, music, film etc no matter what room of my home I’m in. Every room, and not just the lounge, will become an entertainment room.

Intel Digital Home Film Competition Restoring Uncle Don

What is important to you in terms of technology
Ease of use is essential. Technology can do so much, but when it starts to cause you trouble, there is a switch-off point in most people that just gets frustrated by it. I think also ‘upgradeability’ is crucial. Technology will continue developing and I don’t want to have to keep buying a whole new system every year, but just the relevant parts that I want to upgrade.
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