So, as we edge towards the end of 2018 what have we achieved as a working team? Well, together we have managed to create quite a sophisticated Main Set (or is it as a mixed-media- creative-play-space?)
And in this space we have created a film trailer which can be seen on this website.
Looking back , we had spent the previous year, 2017, organising our infra-structure in terms of people and resources and so began 2018 well: We had a group of talented and interested people all willing to contribute – our actors with learning difficulties, videographers, makers, artists, SFX musician, support people, dramatherapists, accounts person and website facilitator.
Together we were working towards our first day of filming with the group before Simon Tytherleigh, our videographer and mentor, left on a round Britain journey in his catamaran, Nellinui. Not surprisingly, we were frantically busy in our efforts to get the set and props completed in the run-up to the filming deadline. At the last minute we had been fortunate to find Ron Winterwood, an electronics expert who worked hard on wiring up a couple of actor’s control panels so they lit up and beeped and buzzed as they should. Finally we were ready enough for some initial filming to begin!
On the 18th March we all gathered at Otterhayes and in a frenetic two hours of filming, managed to capture some of the key elements of the early part of the film. Simon Tytherleigh got to work editing and brought in a work in progress trailer just before his departure – an exciting moment!
So it seemed to us that we were on a bit of a roll but inevitably things change.
Of course we had anticipated some obstacles but little did we suspect that on a Saturday evening in early June, a tree would fall and destroy the Activity Room where we do drama and where we had built our film set. It certainly did take the wind out of our sails. The good news is that Otterhayes Managers have recently informed us that the insurers have finally agreed to replace the entire building and that work will commence in early January 2019. Good news – even if we have encountered a delay of nine months or so. The gift for us with this delay is that we have had a extra time to make and improve our set items and for the group to better learn the narrative of the story.
During the summer months the group and I continued working in a marquee and now, during the colder weather, we are making use of the Art Room to work on the set while we wait for the re-building work to commence. We have been busy! We have continued rehearsing the story-lines and also have been making, decorating and improving the props and set items. Highlights have included making and decorating new wooden octagonal control consoles which Ron has now wired up and which are all working well. Some of the group have also been drawing out the Silverhawk Story onto the spacecraft wall panels which look excellent and adds something unusual to the look of the set.
Some sad news was that Sarah ‘Flossie’ Flattery moved to a new group home in October and will not be playing the part of the Doctor in the film which is a pity but can’t be helped. We will miss Flossie but Lucy Barrass had taken over her role and is The New Doctor!
Our achievements during 2018 are all down to the efforts of many people. BIG thanks to:
- Kat Thomas for sourcing many and various materials and items for the set
- Sonja Kemp for doing an amazing job on sparklifying the Mirror and the Happiness Plinth.
- Chris Leyland c/o Array Media, for creating our website where the blogs and the trailer are published. Chris also created the main website image of the Silverhawk in orbit around a far-off planet which looks suitably intrepid and exciting.
- Ron Winterwood for all his hard work on the electronics for the consoles. They are literally fantastic.
- Simon Tytherleigh for his help and advice and getting us to a point where we have some film footage on the website
- Alby Bruce and Mary Booker for their dramatherapy and acting skills.
- Jane Harris for doing the accounts. Much appreciated.
- Chris Lowe for enabling the model Silverhawk engines to flicker.
- Bayley Drew, a volunteer helper who has already made some useful contributions.
We are looking forward to moving forward with making our film during 2019.
The Silverhawk Sci Fi Film Project 