| Why is it, you may ask, that we amateurs usually plump for making a comedy?
It is a well known fact that comedy is one of the most difficult of styles
to achieve. It must be well written, well performed and well timed. Probably
many clubs make a comedy because they believe that it will be less
embarrassing than a love story or a film on an adult subject.
So it was that our club film turned out to be a comedy. |
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| In a nutshell the story is of a man who discovers an unexploded bomb
in his garden and of his subsequent efforts, as time ticks by, to contact
the correct Government Department for advice hampered by one of those irritating
recorded phone message systems that we are all too familiar with ... |
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| "I'm sorry but all our lines are busy at the moment and you are held
in a queue!" as well as being in imminent danger of explosion caused
by a black cat walking over the bomb or his next door neighbour choosing
the wrong time to practice his golf swing! |
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| The film was originally made for the IAC North Thames Region Triangle
competition, a knockout competition between sets of three clubs showing a
programme of three films, a Documentary, an Open and a film made to a Set
Theme. The theme being 'Time'. |
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| The Potters Bar Cine & Video Society production was the result of
a brainstorming session at the club with many ideas being suggested. But
it was left to Chairman, John Astin LACI, to gel the ideas together and write,
direct and shoot the production. |
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| Other members of the society providing lighting, sound and prop skills
as well as 4½ stars of the film: Charles Wilkinson
who played the hapless gardener, Penny Love LACI, his wife, Heather Hawkes
who is the unseen voice of the government answerphone and Fred Musk, his
neighbour. Oh, and the half ... well that was Emma the black cat who
had to be enticed to stand on the bomb by hiding some prawns (her favourite)! |
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| With careful planning the main bulk of the film, both interiors and
exteriors, was shot in one day. The 'voice' of the government answerphone
was recorded and edited beforehand so that the main actor could react suitably
to her various bizarre options ... "If the bomb is red, PRESS 1. If
the bomb is silver, PRESS 2 ... If the bomb is grey, PRESS 3" ... and "If
the bomb was made in Essen, PRESS 2 etc ..." |
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| causing him to run from phone to garden to look at the bomb until his
wife points out that he is using a cordless telephone should take it with
him! This proves fatal, as when he does finally contact the department concerned
it is not only closed for the day but they offer a list of things NOT to
do if you find an unexploded bomb: one of which is to use a cordless phone
within close proximity! |
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| The camera used was the Mini DV Sony VX1000 with a Sennheiser gun mic
on a pole. The answerphone messages had been recorded on the camera and
transferred to audio cassette for playback during shooting. The plan was
to replace this sound with the original digital recording plus a telephone
effect at the edit stage. In the end the 'off camera' answerphone voice was
used with some 'doctoring' as there was some overlap of dialogue during shooting
and also it became obvious that the clarity of the answerphone message options
was essential to the success of the film. |
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| The film was edited on Adobe Premier 5.1c with Canopus Raptor. A rough
edit of the film was completed and I was given a VHS copy so that I could
choose any music required. The music was to underline any comedic points
etc. The majority of the music used came from the KPM Music Library. I chose
a rendition of 'English Country Garden' for the titles and first scenes
of the man digging in the garden. |
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| We were able to extend some of the title captions to synchronise with
the music. This flexibility is one advantage of editing on a computer based
system. Other pieces of music underlined the time passing whilst he wrestles
with the 'phone options plus a faster piece when he runs from house to bomb
as well as a slightly tense piece for when his neighbour is in danger of
sending a golf ball over the fence onto the bomb! |
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| The Club is covered by a copyright clearance licence obtained through
the IAC.
It was also my job to light the interiors. These were lit using two 'redhead'
lamps of 800 watts each with 'tracing paper' to soften the light. No blue
gel was used as the french windows of the room were never in shot. |
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| The exteriors were shot from a variety of angles giving the film interest,
some low angle of the gardener's face as he digs up the bomb, long shots
to place him in the environment and high angle shots as he runs from the
house to the bomb to check on the various options asked of him. Many good
close-ups were used throughout the film to point up the story and to add
interest.... CU of finger pressing buttons on 'phone ... CU of frustrated
face CU of bomb CU of clock with minutes ticking by etc. |
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| The 'bomb' was made by one of the team. Inevitably it looked a bit of
a 'joke' bomb, but that was all part of the style of the film! The bomb was
'planted' in the garden and the gardener began to dig. As shooting progressed
and the action became more frantic, apparently the real neighbours became
quite suspicious and worried! |
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| The part of the film that took the most time to shoot was the explosion.
It was thought that the use of some fireworks would do the trick with the
'bang' being filmed in big close-up and edited in. But this just didn't work
at all with pathetic futs coming from the 'bangers'. A crew member volunteered
a smoke machine that is used to pacify bees in the hive to create a large
amount of smoke. |
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| Apart from this taking some time to get going as it has to be filled
with dried grass and set light to, it caused the entire crew to suffer from
runny eyes and coughing fits!
We discovered that in the editing all that is required for an exploding bomb
is a straight cut to a lot of smoke synchronised to the sound effect of a
large explosion. And so it was that Timeline went out with
a bang! |
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Potters Bar Cine & Video Society meet on alternate Thursdays at The Wyllotts
Centre, Darkes Lane, Potters Bar. Help and friendly advice is always available
and visitors are welcome. Ring 01707 656446 for information.
