Notice Board
Yarr Me Hearties!
Date: 9/10/06
Pirates...biplanes…a 1940’s St. John’s Chapel…
This short film was devised, written, filmed and edited by 17 young people aged 10 to 15 years, from St. John’s Chapel in Co. Durham.
Supported by the Lottery through the UK Council’s First Light Initiative
Trees
Date: 19/7/06
Aims
- To increase children’s awareness of trees in context to the surroundings where they live
- To explore the history, biology and folklore of trees
- To learn filmmaking skills
- To learn puppet-making skills
- To develop a creative resource for local schools/libraries
We will do this by
A mask/puppetmaker and 2 filmmakers will work with a group from South Tynedale Middle School using the trees in Haltwhistle Burn in Northumberland as a starting point
Outcomes
- Telling stories
- Practical skills in making puppets/models
- Increased digital filmmaking/animation skills
- A Premiere of the film for friends and family
- Each child to receive a DVD of the finished film
Funded by Local Heritage Initiative through Craftwrite Environmental Arts
Anthem
Date: 19/7/06
Anthem is a countywide music and film project working with musician Nitin Sawhney, which will enable young people in Northumberland to work creatively to explore their heritage, sense of place and ‘what it means to be Northumbrian’.
The project has been initiated by CP Northumberland. ISIS Arts, who run the arts in education agency for the county, are developing and running the film part of this project. Schools selected will be a mix of CP and non-CP schools.
Filmmakers, animators and media artists have worked with groups of students in schools to produce original films responding to the Anthem theme. A variety of different approaches to filmmaking have been employed – from digital animation to experimental film using 8mm and 16mm film stock, from documentary to multi-media work using still imagery.
The films will feature in a high profile event at Sage Gateshead in October 2006 and will be shown as part of the Northumberland Young People’s Festival in July 2006.
Anthem is a partnership between CP Northumberland, Sage Gateshead, ISIS Arts and a range of organisations and creative individuals.
The Prisoner Press Release
Date: 9/3/06
From:
Vicky Jones and Marc McKiernan
Haltwhistle Film Project
Tel: 01434 320360
E mail: haltwhistlefp@btopenworld.com
New film premiered at Tullie House Carlisle
120 people packed into Tullie House to watch The Prisoner and the Ball of Evil.
The Prisoner and the Ball of Evil is a short film which pays tribute to the 1970’s cult hit The Prisoner. Shot on location on the Solway Firth and in Carlisle, it has all the features of the original: a giant white ball, captives in a mysterious building, the prisoner himself- Number 6, and unexplained happenings.
Funded by North West Vision, the film is a result of a collaboration between Haltwhistle Film Project and Cumbria Care. Music was provided by local musician, Olly Alcock. The film was written, shot and edited by adults with learning disabilities.
HFP ran training workshops over several months before the group started to focus on a specific script and their own specific skills, from head camera person, Lisa Pringle, to sound-man Shaun Liddle. In the workshops the group learnt a range of pre and post production techniques. Two disabled users, based at HFP, Andrew Da Costa, and Shelley Makin who previously worked on Coast To Coast, a film which included locations from the north sea to the Irish Sea, scripted and edited the film.
Number 6, the Patrick McGoohan character in the original, is played by Adrian Doccer. He stands beneath cloudless Solway skies and declares “I am not a number, I am a free man!”
Marc McKiernan and Vicky Jones, from Haltwhistle Film Project, who managed the production said “ Digital technology allows people with disabilities access to creative decision - making in film production at every level. This empowers people to develop their own individual set of skills and to achieve high quality end results.”
North West Vision is the film and TV development agency for England’s Northwest. It works behind the scenes, supporting, funding and promoting film,TV and digital production in the Northwest. This project was funded through North West Vision's Lottery funding for organizational development.
See the images in the Gallery
Interplay
Date: 22/06/05
A big (Halty) Job for HFP!
Date: 06/07/04
HFP has just started production on a major project set in Haltwhistle. The film, The Halty Job is a remake of The Italian Job. Complete with blunders, special effects, real Minis and stooges of unbelievable incompetence, the short film tells the story in this unique Northumberland setting. Young people aged from 14 to 18 are making the film with the help of Haltwhistle Film Project. The major task of re-scripting was started several months ago by Jonathon Laidlow and Daniel Leadbitter. The Michael Caine part of Charlie is taken by Caine lookalike Graeme Hutton.
"Acting for film is completely different to acting for stage," said Caroline Grace, who plays the part of one of Charlie's stooges.
"The first major shooting day was a big success. Everyone was extremely professional. The crew and the actors all worked really well together," said Marc McKiernan from Haltwhistle Film Project.
Young people involved are learning filmmaking skills from scripting through to acting, camera, sound, lighting, to post-production skills such as digital editing, and special effects.
The film will premiere in October. The Halty Job has been funded by First Light (Film Council), Connexions, Tynedale Council and Northumberland County Council.
Haltwhistle’s jewel in the town
Date: 06/07/04
Work is well underway on The Gem, an ambitious drama-documentary which aims to compile as many memories and reminicences of Haltwhistle’s Gem cinema. Children aged between 8 – 18 have been learning a whole new raft of skills for the production.
“This is one of the first instances where the children at the Film Project have had to take a more journalistic approach to a project” explains practitioner Gavin Blackburn. “We held an interview techniques workshop where we talked about framing, sound levels, maintaining eye contact etc. All basic interview principles but key to getting a good piece of film”.
The group have been working very hard and have already managed to record about 10 interviews with both ex-staff and ex-patrons of The Gem aged between 40-80! Once all the interviews have been recorded some of the best stories will be re-enacted to provide the drama aspect of the film. The Gem is funded by the Film Council’s First Light funding scheme, Connexions, Tynedale Council and Northumberland County Council.
WE NEED YOU!
Have you any memories of The Gem cinema?? Did you work there? Any stories from visiting the place to see a film? Do you have any photographs or film footage of the place? If you have anything to tell us about Haltwhistle’s most famous cinema, however trivial you think it might be, then get in touch with us on 01434 320360 to arrange an interview. Or just drop into the office.
Animation sessions announced for Summer 04
Date: 06/07/04
HFP is pleased to announce a batch of summer animation workshops to be held in the area with the support of the Queen’s Hall Arts Centre in Hexham. The sessions are based around the theme of Fruity Animation and will combine to make one long piece of work. Animations with various different fruits will be originated on Mini DV, digital stills and 16mm film. Dates and venues are as follows:
Thursday 5th August
Halton-lea-gate Church Hall (10.30am – 12.30pm)
Greenhead Village Hall (2.00pm – 4.30pm)
Monday 9th August
Haltwhistle Film Project (10.00am – 4.00pm)
Tuesday 10th August
Bellingham Fun Club (10.00am – 4.00pm) FULLY BOOKED
Thursday 12th August
Wylam Village Hall (10.00am – 12.30pm)
Allendale Village Hall (3.00pm – 5.30pm)
TBA – An all day workshop at Bardon Mill.
All bookings to be made through the Queen’s Hall Box Office on 01434 652476.
All day workshops at Haltwhistle and Bardon Mill - £6.00pp
Half day workshops - £3.00pp
Two new film productions for 2004 given green light!
Date: 08/01/04
First Light, the funding group who supported last year’s Stupendoscope, has approved part-funding of £6000 for two new film productions to be made at HFP in 2004.
The first of these is The Halty Job which is already in the early stages of discussion/script writing. This is to be Haltwhistle’s own version of The Italian Job and while perhaps not featuring any big star names, it is going to be just as ambitious! Combining live action, model work and computer editing effects The Halty Job was originated by a small group of young people who attend our regular weekly open sessions. They have now formed the steering group responsible for overseeing the scripting/development of this project and work is ongoing with some wild ideas being thrown about…imagine if you can Haltwhistle Main Street chock-full of Mini Coopers!
The second project is a drama/documentary focussing on The Gem cinema, a staple ingredient of Haltwhistle’s entertainment scene for many years. Long-since closed and with little historical documentation in existence, HFP decided to create a record of people’s memories of visiting The Gem cinema all those years ago. Some of the best stories gathered will be dramatised by young members of HFP. In the same vein as Stupendoscope, The Gem will be a mixture of digital video footage and 16mm film to evoke memories of a bygone age. This project is in the early research stages.
Match-funding for both projects is currently being sought.
Anyone wishing to get involved in either of these projects in ANY capacity you see fit then please contact us on 01434 320360 or mail us at haltwhistlefp@btopenworld.com.
If you are local why not drop into our office on Main Street, Haltwhistle just opposite the Market Square.