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Ten
Minutes of History
Writer/Producer/Director
- 23-28/02/1994
(1
x 10 mins) Bournemouth University / B.A. Media Production Video Major
This
is a documentary drama from the year 2050, looking back at sixty
years of life in Britain using documentary footage and
reconstructions. It examines the fall and rise of Prime Minister
David Greenhall, and his campaign to reform the UK after a nuclear
disaster in 2001 wipes out the whole of the South.
Despite
the best efforts of all on my team, this project was far too
ambitious to tackle on my budge of £550! It was very demanding
too, not only in terms of its production, but also for what it
requires from the viewer: an over-abundance of good will and imagination.
I
am most grateful to the actors who took part, especially Ronald
Pickup, Geoffrey Palmer and Christopher Good. Each gave two days of
their time for no fees or expenses, provided their costumes and
willingly trundled around the Rochester locations with us in the back
of a dodgy van.
I
fear their performances and Harry Skinner's music are the only
redeeming features of this film. I was so wrapped up in trying to get
the cast and script right that I neglected to make it an interesting
visual experience for the viewer. No smart camera moves, no visual
trickery. But I learned a great deal from making it, which I guess is
the whole point.
In
1995, Meridian picked out two clips from my film to use in Screen
Challenge, their series about student film-makers hosted by Bill
Buckley. The Bournemouth edition also included clips from the video
majors of my friends Orin Solomon, Shaun Glanville and Rachel Newell.
Cast:
David
Greenhall: Ronald Pickup
James
Croft: Geoffrey Palmer
Joshua
Parker: Christopher Good
Himself:
Alastair Stewart
with
John
Woodnutt, Peter Miles, Nadine Shenton, Ian Swann, Samantha Cadde,
Annabel East, Mike Wood.
Production
Manager: Rachel Newell
Production
Assistant: Rick Prosser
Camera:
Alison Denvir
Sound:
Ed Swatman
Lighting:
Neil Smith
Post
Production: Sean Danischevsky
Original
Music: Harry Skinner |
