Tenterhook Time

So the judging is over and we have to wait for news.

I imagine we might get to hear if we're in the running if we get invited to the awards event at a Curzon Cinema 'in London' on 31st March.

Not too long to wait I suppose, but there's also a possibility of some of the films getting shown at the rally in Hyde Park for the March for the Alternative on 26th March.

I'm going to be trying to film some young members for that and I'm going to hire a high-definition camera from DV Camera Hire in Holborn for the day - although as its a Saturday I have to pay the weekend rate £45.00 plus £4.50 insurance. Couldn't get a Canon as it was already booked but they said the JVC was just as good. Will be interesting to try it out.

Wooooh -hooooh!

We got shortlisted!

The shortlisted films (which can all be seen on the site) are:

1) Misterpopvideo 2 ‘Cuts’
2) Prospect Union ‘Worst cuts of all’
3) RMT Television ‘The big con’
4) Agitator studios ‘ We’re all in it together’
5) Media Cove ‘A career after the cuts’
6) 2011 Restless ‘ The cuts game’
7) Digital against cuts ‘Don’t cut us out, coalition blues’
 8) Malfunctioning robots ‘A novel solution’
9) Badbonobo100 ‘Hardtimes’
10) EdinUniAnticuts ‘Invest in our future’
11) Bisqarella ‘Flatbroke Homespun Blues’
12) Ben Furber ‘Just one cut’
13) 6 productions 1 ‘TUC scissors’

and of course

14) Unison Vids ‘Mary’s Big Day’

Hit count

The film has been up on YouTube just over a week now and we're nearing 200 hits.

I promise that not more than 10% of those are me!

And 40 votes as of now on the TUC 60 seconds site averaging a 3.88/5.00 rating.

All in

The competition deadline passed at midnight last night and there are almost 40 entries.

Some of them look very professional indeed and perhaps we ultra-low-budget amateurs shouldn't be judged in the same category as those, although at the same time I think I'd like to win in our own right against all comers! Who said it's not about the winning?

Anyway, for what it's worth, I really like the entries by Isobel Foulsham, 2001 Restless, RMT and Isobel Smith.

It's also interesting to see a significant number of entries by disabled people and groups.

They are online and can be rated at www.tuc60seconds.org.uk/gallery

Premiere!

We had a great turnout - must have been the lure of the cava.

Slight technical hitch when the laptop got temperamental despite the fact we got it to work fine earlier in the day (so that's what could go wrong), but then plain sailing.

The Director's Cut is definitely better than the film we are submitting, but it doesn't meet the brief for time so that's that.

Deadline for entries is 14th March, with judges meeting 21st March. Just wait and hope now.

Premiere preparation II

The cable has been replaced and its all working smoothly now.

Cava in the fridge, Julie buying another bottle and some cake.

What could possibly go wrong?

Premiere preparation

So we've invited the great, the good, and the average to our film premiere tomorrow at Mabledon Place.

We're laying a glass of cava and maybe some cake, and Talya's coming with Kate too. Possibly Anna form the TUC, too.

It's difficult to comprehend in quite what rotten shape our IT services are in, but we need a key cable replaced so the picture will synch with the sound! It's all in the preparation....

Director's cut

Pure self-indulgence, maybe but I did want a version with a couple of scenes/angles and a credits section that the 90 second running time ruled out in the final cut.

Here it is then: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jekEav2Nc5c

Final cut

After much tinkering I decided to include Mary's 'trial and error' comment. Although it meant dropping Talya's credit - too distracting from the dialogue - it does seem to work and Julie agrees.

http://www.youtube.com/v/RA1VJ0CEQkw

Colin's clappering

Entertained myself with an edit of Colin's clapperboard contribution.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwwU8iYRV-c

Trailer

I put a trailer on YouTube and my Facebook page

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSAZkEiKRI4

Filming - at last

What a great day!

From initial read-through and spotting any problems through scouting out a location at the hospital (in Leyton) to final take (Hornsey Road) we took less than six hours, and that included a lunch at the Hamlet café (where there was a power cut just after our food was served).

Clive and Kate helped out with tea and wardrobe etc. and Colin did sterling work as our clapperboard boy, and transportation & location manager. Great camerawork from Julie who remained unflappable throughout.

Talya was absolutely brilliant. We couldn’t have got through it all so quickly and efficiently without her.

And it was all very exciting, but we focussed so well. It’s a cliché but the whole team really did run like clockwork.

Bloody freezing up at Whipps Cross, could barely make my fingers operate the camera.

I learned some important things:

-       You really can’t plan too much in advance.

-       Continuity is a bugger, especially when filming scenes out of sequence.

-       Lighting is just SO BLOODY important.

-       Sound tests are crucial in getting levels right – I sound way too loud.

-       Leaving time between start of take and start of action is very helpful

-       Running film on briefly after take is also very helpful

-       Fake blood is incredibly gloopy and staining (although it does wash out)

-       I don’t want to hear my voice on film ever again.

Smashers

Bought a couple of plain white plates for the breaking of at Robert Dyas at the Brunswick for the grand total of £3.98.

Strangely, the man at the till asked me if I wanted to buy a cheap tube of superglue, as though he knew what we wanted them for.

Script revision again

Still tinkering with the script....it gets to where you're playing spot the difference!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RC8Rdc2U0iaGZivK7xvEqPNLliifnSkYsV73fYQQwKM/edit?authkey=CO7IyuUD&hl=en&pli=1#

Car trouble

Colin has come to our rescue.

Julie's car got stolen last weekend so we were really scuppered for transport until Colin volunteered.

I put a schedule together for the filming: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Py2r07zlln6ozIKLHguAb6_TbklS5hTWisnUqZVLdA/edit?hl=en&authkey=CPfynJwC#

Kensington Gore

£2.99 for a tube from Abracadabra, Winchmore Hill http://www.abcost.com/

Actor aboard

We've got our actor! Julie's niece Talya is doing drama at college and wants to do the film. She even thought the script was funny, which helps. But she can't do 16/17 February, so we are down to 2nd March and possibly afternoon of 3rd.

Team grows...

Colin has said we can use his kitchen for the interiors!

I'm a bit anxious about how house-proud he is so maybe not so much smashing of crockery?

He's not far from the Whittington hospital either, which might be a good location for us for the exterior scene.

Costume

I ordered the surgeon's outfit today from an online company that makes proper surgical gear, but this is a fancy dress one with a hat, mask, gown, and a stethoscope. I got the £15.99 one (free p&p!) in light blue.

http://www.awbtextiles.co.uk/fancy-dress/first-choice-surgeons-fancy-dress.html

Script rewrite

First version with Mary as a student.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D3AA9s4J4ULnMmygxNszEhJflgSBk0HMcUC_syESlYM/edit?hl=en&authkey=CLK2toUE#

Julie - she say yes

Great news - Julie's on board for this! And she's got an idea for an actor for us - if not her daughter Kate, then her niece Talya.

It means a little rewiting of the script but it's good news and Julie's got a car so we can get round to any locations and save a lot of time.

Her kitchen (and ours) is not really suitable for the script - bad light and (hers) too narrow (ours) too small.

We agree we'll need a day and half actual filming so it look slike it'll be 16 Feb and 2nd or 3rd March. I'm pretty sure I can get the editing done by the 14th.

Script 2nd draft

Slight revisions...

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ARmSPqO3RIEVKEzEkhKIXV5ItKcxd_JVc6LQZ5CPW4/edit?hl=en&authkey=CILCjMsH#

Script first draft

OK - first stab at a script!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DsrzJDuItWkPubsbwthcS129NGAw11MQ66MWRlqc8G8/edit?hl=en&authkey=CM-7_cUM#

Idea

I'm definitely keen on the Big Society angle. Reductio ad absurdum - always a good fall-back!

Someone who is a complete amateur and over-enthusiastic to to the point of being too full-on ending up as a surgeon.

Team!

For the first time I'm thinking about doing a proper team job.

Megalomania is all well and good, but I don't think I can script, operate a camera, direct, sort and manage locations, etc etc.

Will speak to Julie H and see if she's interested.

Big Society

I think I'm going to stick with Big Society. It's too good a target and Cameron's not going to let it go that easily.

What to do

New email from Anna formally launching the competition and they've given us an extra 30 seconds to play with.

So a deadline of 14th March, a film about the cuts, and up to 90 seconds running time.

As ever I need a concept for a film. Usually pretty much everything falls into place then and I can get a script written quite quickly. It's just getting that first kernel.

I'm toying with the idea of something about the 'Big Society', but to be honest it looks like Cameron's idea is on the ropes anyway. Today Liverpool City Council pulled out - looking like a death knell with any luck.

Still, worth thinking about.

Competition launch

An email from Anna today launching the TUC's 2011 60 second ad competition:

www.tuc60seconds.org.uk.

Dear Filmmakers

Its been a while since I have written to you all, but I wanted you to be the first to hear about the TUC 60 Second Ad Contest 2011. We are launching the contest early this year (i.e. today) with the theme of 'The impact of the spending cuts'. We want this years entries to be part of the big event 'March for the Alternative' on the 26th March 2011, so hence the early beginning.

As with every year, thank you for your excellent contributions and also for your great assistance in promoting the competition within your own unions, if you could again be advocates for the competition within your own unions then that would be great.

The outline of the contest is below, please forward this on to your networks.

Best wishes

Anna

　

Take up the TUC challenge to make a short ad about the cuts and win a prize

　

Launching in to its third successful year, the TUC sixty second ad contest invites you to make a film about the impact of the spending cut. Your audience are those who will be affected by the cuts – either directly or indirectly through their families and communities. We want you to make an ad that really resonates with them. The best films will be shown on the big screen at Hyde Park at the March for the Alternative event on the 26th March 2011.

This is your chance to make a creative difference.

Your ad could be documentary style, TV-style advertising, frontline reportage, theatrical, animated…you could even write a song. The most important thing is to have a great idea and to present it well.

We want you to make an ad that inspires, moves, and entertains, one that people want to forward onto blogs or social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter.

The winner will receive a fabulous £500 cash prize and will get to spend a day filming Billy Bragg documentary-style. There are some great prizes for the runners up too.

Closing date for entries: 14th March 2011

The winning ads will also be seen around the world, including showings at the Geneva labour film festival and the Washington DC labour film festival.

To enter check out the guidelines, and get advice from the experts by going to

And please don’t worry, if needed, we’ll work with you to bring your ad up to broadcast quality. The most important thing is to have a good idea and to present it well.

So, what are you waiting for? Now is the time to get cracking. What’s your idea? Who will shoot it? Who will star in it? How will you edit it? The more you consider your entry, the better your shot at making an ad with the maximum impact.

Anna calls

I spoke to Anna Burton at the TUC today and she said that they were going to run the 60 second ad competition again this year. I'd like to have another go.

I put in an entry in 2009: http://www.youtube.com/v/T3VkH7jDmaQ

Didn't get time in 2010 because of a deadline clash, so I need to start thinking.