University News Last updated 22 April 2015
John Hunter a student in the School of English, recently had his short film screened at Swipeside Festival in conjunction with the Flatpack Film Festival.
During John’s time studying the Screenwriting module of the course, John creatively recounts his story of how the film came into action:
No Big Deal!
It was a quiet November morning at Perry Barr Campus, just before the first class - Screenwriting. I was here to see Andy Conway – my tutor – to talk about my recent emails to him; struggling to open the door-handle with my knee, as my hands were full of cups of steaming hot latte.
Last week he had casually informed us that he would be on the lookout for some short-film screenplays for submission to the Swipeside Film Festival run by Birmingham City University as part of their contribution to the Flatpack Film Festival.
I’d sent him a script, Hands, written several years ago, about the daily grind of an unemployed man, told solely through shots of his hands.
After some deft, knee, elbow, handle dexterity I burst into the room and plonked Andy’s coffee down on his desk, then asked brightly,
"Did you get my short-film, screenplay?"
"Yes."
"Any thoughts?"
"Yes. You should definitely make it."
"Make it?"
"Yes, get a camera and make it. I’ve got a camera you can borrow if you want."
I smiled politely, as I slumped into my chair, and thought to myself, Come on Andy, I just brought you a coffee, and you drop this on me! I’ve never made a film before in my life. I wouldn’t know where to begin.
Andy then added helpfully, "Or you could even make it on your iPhone."
My brain began to melt. iPhone! I thought. I don’t own an iPhone. I’m still impressed by the fact that my mobile phone allows me to talk to people who are not in the same room; and not only that, it doesn’t need to be linked to them by wires.
In the silence that followed, my eyes panned right, past Andy’s left ear, at the view from the sixth floor across the intervening wasteland of houses, streets and trees to the elevated section of the M6 where traffic flowed at great speed and wondered if escape northwards was at all possible.
Andy began speaking again, and my attention was drawn back into his spacious office. "Yes," he began. "The University sees Swipeside as an opportunity for interdepartmental collaboration. I can put you in touch with people in the School of Media, to advertise for help in making your film."
Andy had clearly taken my stunned silence as assent. So now it appeared I was committed to making a film.
Finding a crew
Two days later my email, seeking music students, was answered. I met Ben and Ed in Café Bebo in the now defunct Paradise Forum. A slightly odd meeting, as I got the impression they spent most of their time recovering from the shock of how old I was (Yes, I’m a mature student, more mature than most Camembert).
I outlined the plot, and they made interested sounding noises. I agreed to send through the script and left them chatting while I returned to work.
Christmas was approaching and students were fleeing the city like traffic on the Aston Expressway. There had still been no response to my advert for a film crew.
After my initial reluctance, the possibility that the film might not get made after all, came as a surprising disappointment.The School of Media kindly offered to run the advert again, but I was not holding my breath.
Sometime early January, I got a response from a Birmingham City University student studying at Metropolitan College, called Joel.
We met in The Old Joint Stock pub, sipping their expensive sparkling water, as we went over the script together.
Joel seemed to think it would be a fairly easy film to make.We parted on an upbeat note, with Joel agreeing to get back to me with a storyboard by the end of the week.
I had decided I wanted to do a section of the film in imitation of, La Jetée, a French Sci-fi film told entirely through a series of still photographs. It was the inspiration for Twelve Monkeys.
We had made a beginning
We began shooting. We didn't know it, but we were about to encounter a level of bureaucracy that Yes Minister would have envied. The School of Media had sent information about borrowing film equipment.
One lunch time I found myself heading towards the new Library of Birmingham. Just before I reached the annoying revolving doors, I met an old friend, Timm, who was now a photography lecturer in the University’s School of Visual Communication.
We hadn't seen each other for several years and after catching up I asked if he would be interested in taking some photos for a film. With his usual enthusiastic gusto, he agreed.
Timm, Joel, John, Paul and I turned up at the very quiet, Spotted Dog, and found we had the whole bar to ourselves.
The sun was streaming through the small, partially stained-glass, windows, so the lighting was ideal. After a quick discussion about the nature of the shoot, Timm was ready to go, and Kate, the very helpful barmaid, agreed to her hand appearing in the film.
Lasting about two hours, and shooting over 500 photos, we had completed our very first session. Next day I collected the photos from Timm, a wonderful set of highly luminous images, which visually told the story of the bar-room sequence perfectly.
Andy, meanwhile, had been trying to penetrate the great mystery of when Swipeside was taking place, and more pertinently, when the short films were to be shown.
Potential dates flew back and forth but the truth seemed to elude us. There was now a clear sense of urgency. Flatpack was beginning on Thursday 19 March, and even if we didn't know when Swipeside was, we knew it would be soon!
The M6
Wednesday night, after finishing my class, Joel and I met in the foyer of the School of English Building and, on the comfy black sofas, sat and watched the current version of the whole film.
I suggested a few more cuts and on Friday met Ed to hand over the USB. He and Ben had booked a studio at the Conservatoire for the weekend and were prepared to ‘pull an all-nighter’ if necessary to get the music done.
Luckily they got their sleep and on Sunday night, Ed sent through a link to the music. I listened, amazed, to an incredible soundtrack.
The Joint Stock witnessed Joel and I meeting yet again as he handed over the USB with the final cut; music and film having been successful merged into a seamless final product. We were ready.
I sat in Andy’s office - sans coffee - and handed over a DVD of the final film. Andy had cracked the Swipeside code at last, and my film Hands was to be launched on to the big screen.
I gave a huge sigh of relief, and looked furtively over at the M6, wondering how many cars had travelled down that road since this whole process had begun.