Mobile Media: New Beginnings
Mobile Media secured funding from First Light and Artpoint to work with schools on new estates.
Under the heading New Beginnings, two films were made. Mobile Media supported young people from seven neighbouring schools who came together as first time film makers, working with industry professionals and learning:
- script writing
- creative writing
- filming
- acting.
Using the latest technology, they produced two distinctive films, bringing together the themes of pioneers and transitions.
The Child and Me
Young people from:
- Haydonleigh
- Peatsmoor
- Abbeymeads
- Haydonwick
- and Catherine Wayte primary schools
came together to work with Gurchetan Singh, Director, and Sara-Jane Arbury, Creative Writer, to make a documentary film following the story of their transition between primary school to Isambard Community School.
This documentary follows the stories of 12 teenagers as they make the transition from primary to secondary school; from girls and boys to young women and men; from different backgrounds and homes, to fellow pupils forging the identity of a new community. The film captures a unique moment in time for one group of young people in Swindon.
Step into the Dark
Director Keith Phillips and Cameraman Phil Ball worked with primary children from Red Oaks and Orchid Vale on locations in and around the schools, to create an eight minute film called Step into the Dark.
This initial part of the project saw the children learning script writing skills in a series of workshops run by David Collier of Granada TV’s My Parents are Aliens fame. They then went onto to look at how to portray their characters in an acting workshop run by Chris Garner, of Sixth Sense Theatre Company. A music to film workshop, with Barry Andrews from XTC and Shriekback fame, provided the finishing touches to arm the children with the tools needed.
The children wrote with David Collier a seemingly innocent film about newcomers to a brand new estate making friends with some of the local children ... but nothing is as innocent as it seems, as there are dark secrets in the old woods behind the brand new school. Step into The Dark, named by the children, is a story about brothers, sisters and new friends.
On being asked about the project one of the Orchid Vale pupils said, “We’ve had a brilliant time and have chosen a name for our film and I loved doing the film posters”.
Her father also commented, “She comes home every day excited about what she has done.”
Bill Orford, Teaching Assistant at Red Oaks, said, “The children are full of it and the different skills they have learnt are brilliant. They can’t wait to see the final version up on the big screen!"