Whoever it was who said that movie making is no walk in the park, no bed of roses, no drive down easy street, and no double cheese burger with extra fries and a side order of onion rings, was one VERY perceptive fella!
Movie making is hell! It’s a walk on the wild side, it’s a dance with danger, it’s a tango with terror, a waltz with a wilful warthog, a foxtrot with fear, a paso doble two step with a peckish penguin, a gentleman’s excuse me with a….gentleman.
Let me tell you movie making will chew you up and spit you out. It’ll mop the floor with you, wring you out in the dirty bucket of disappointment, leave you limp, damp and cold and then grin and do it to you all over again!
Movie making is tough…it’s so tough that on the universal scale of toughness it’s literally off the scale. It’s so tough that if you look up TOUGH in the dictionary it just says ‘Try making a movie buster!’
Now I’m not saying that the committed band of OVFM coaching evening stalwarts who gathered on Tuesday evening were making a movie…no I’m not saying that!
And I’m not saying that they weren’t!
What I am saying is movie making is difficult. It’s like juggling two eggs, doing up your shoelaces, constructing a flat pack wardrobe…and sending a text message…when you’re over forty!
But the OVFM coaching evening stalwarts laugh in the face of difficulty and decided they would make a movie (or a ‘film’ as we in the know say) anyway.
So with scripts in hand, props to the fore, best learning brains in gear and a whole heap of equipment that I couldn’t begin to describe (or understand!) we set about making the best darn movie OVFM has ever seen (made on a Tuesday this week, between the hours of 6.30 and 10pm, about letters….guaranteed. PS This is not a guarantee!)
I could tell you how we did it…but I wont. You should have been there. The heat of the lights, the roar of the crowds (or was that my stomach rumbling?), the romance, the drama, the highs, the lows. But we got through, we manned up, we soldiered on, we whistled while we worked, we tip-toed through the tulips, we rolled out the barrel and we got to it and made our bally movie.
And if you want to see this triumph over adversity, this diamond plucked from the mud, this snook cocked at failure, then come soon to a picture house near you where you will gasp, cry, laugh and possibly even be entertained (terms and conditions apply) and all will be revealed. You’ll believe a man can fly, or failing that you WILL see yours trully in a cameo role that’ll take your breath away. Acting? Make your own mind up. Wonder, amazement, expectation or simply gormless? You decide; )
Great post ! Lovely photographs! Looks like you all had a lot of fun and achieved a lot in the timescale. Well done all involved. Look forward to seeing the resulting film!
Thanks Bob. You’re right, putting a film together in one evening is a challenge. Total respect to the team for rising to that challenge and enjoying themselves into the bargain.
ps. You DID enjoy yourself team didn’t you?
It was great. I learnt more about my camera that night than in the previous eighteen months of use!
I hadn’t realised we had so much fun
Fun’s our middle name!
I look forward to seeing YOUR photos from the evening Andy, you multi tasker you:)
Great post Simon and the b&w photos add a certain something.
Although that pic of me smiling is going to ruin my tough guy image! 😛
Hi Lee,
Don’t worry your image is safe!
Great pictures Simon, and good to see so many members involved. At least you didn’t nearly freeze to death like some of us did on Lee’s recent shoot!
You’re never to let me off the hook for that are you Annabelle? 🙁
Remember, it’s not proper art if you don’t suffer a bit!
Thanks Simon. A great set of happy memories.
Cheers John,
and BTW thanks for introducing me to ‘Le Ballon Rouge’, what a great film!
Looks like a slick operation, I like the black and white photos, very stylish. Good to see my uncle John enjoying himself at something he loves, keep up the good work and have fun, all the best
Pete
Hi Pete, thanks for visiting the site, for leaving a message and special thanks for your best wishes.
ps. Your Uncle John is a fab club member!
Great photos Simon and brilliantly written comments.
Obviously a better crew than last year, if I had been well enough I would loved to have joined in the fun that you all appear to be enjoying. Good luck with the final production
RAWBOB
AS ever, Simon, your photos are the best, shame most of the people look worried and soooo serious. Except Chris cat man.
No Barbara!
That’s pure happiness you see on those faces!!
A bit late for comments – but great pics and comments, when do you plan to show us the film?
Hi Freddy
I believe the raw footage is being edited by several of the Coaching Crew to produce a number of different versions.
No doubt there will then be a ‘contrast and compare’ session at an opportune club night.
I can’t wait!