One Minute Wonder - Minute Masters

Gill White & Allison Peebles, writer and director of "I was a Honky Lover"

As The List gets ready to announce a new short film competition for 2008, our film editor Paul Dale talks to the winners of this year’s One Minute Wonder competition about their films

As of today the five films are available to view on www.list.co.uk. In January we will be launching an all new screenwriting competition, but in the meantime, let’s hear from the 2007 winners about what having their script turned into a film meant to them.

WINNER - Gill White

Title - I was a Honky Lover

Director Alison Peebles

Synopsis ‘The film is the recollection of a woman who had a large appetite for living. I like to think of her as seeing life as a bowl of cherries to gorge on but not caring too much where she spits out the pips. She is someone teetering on becoming unhinged but then she meets someone that is her equal and her life changes.’

How did you find the OMW experience? ‘The writing of the story was fun and came relatively easily. It helped to be given the theme of ‘wild’ as it sparked off so many possibilities to explore as a narrative. The day of the shoot was brilliant, the location was ideal and it was great to see how much time, effort and expertise came from each discipline within the Metro crew. The director Alison Peebles created a very open, supportive, happy set and the experience was very positive.’

Memorable moments from the shoot ‘I alerted the crew to a piece of kit that I thought was on fire, but it turned out it was the smoke machine. Catering provided a fantastic spread – everyone spent most of the day slavering and eyeing up the cakes.’

Would you enter again? ‘Yes, it’s a unique opportunity for screenwriters to have their films realised and a good working discipline as a writer to create a story within one minute.’

What are you doing now? ‘I’m having lots of fun writing a drama short, which I will also direct, in conjunction with doing a screenwriting course which is a collaboration between RSAMD and the Scottish television drama production company Broken Spectre.’

Charles Watson

Title - Call of The Wild

Director Barry Paton

Synopsis ‘It’s about a guy who takes a chance on a girl in just one minute and the repercussions of that.’

How did you find the OMW experience? ‘It was fascinating to see the time and effort it takes to make a one minute film and also getting to meet people in the industry who are actually doing stuff rather than just talking about it.’

Memorable moments from the shoot ‘Just being there and meeting people. The best moment for me, however, was seeing the finished film on the big screen for the first time at this year’s EIFF.’

Would you enter again? ‘Yes but it would have to be the right idea, there’s no point wasting the jury’s time. It would need to be the very best I could do.’

What are you doing now? ‘I’m writing a ten minute short which is a children’s fantasy and I’m working on a shorter mystery thriller script.’

Andy Brogan

Title - Wild Things

Director Brian Ross

Synopsis ‘The script was a bit of a homage to MR James’ short stories that I have always enjoyed. The scenario was supposed to reflect the repressed undercurrent behind someone who is outwardly respectable in every way. Couple that with a pastime which involves destroying something in order to preserve its beauty. As for whether the noises that the man hears are real or imaginary, I would like people to make up their own minds.’

How did you find the OMW experience? ‘I enjoyed the whole process. From the initial consultations on the script, through the filming to the first showing. There were moments when I had to stand my ground against changes and others when ideas were thrown about that I hadn’t considered but which added an extra something to the story.’

Memorable moments from the shoot ‘The butterfly wrangler who priced himself out of a job, the butterflies themselves behaving like divas and refusing to act unless conditions were just so, and the stunning location. Well, let’s just say that a whole other film could be made about that. I would say it was quite a remarkable day for many, many reasons.’

Would you enter again? ‘Definitely.’

What are you doing now? ‘Struggling to finish a full-length script. It’s an urban ghost story and, who knows, there might even be some dialogue in this one.’

Martin Richmond

Title - Life Gets You Down

Director Ranald Neilson

Synopsis ‘In a galleried prison hall a handful of prisoners and prison officers are on recreation on the ground floor. On the second floor an inmate is reaching the end of his tether and is trying to commit suicide but all is not as it seems.’

How did you find the OMW experience? ‘It was awesome, beyond anything I could have anticipated. An experience, which will long be remembered, captured on celluloid forever.’

Memorable moments from the shoot ‘There are so many. Selecting the inmates’ costumes from the props department and seeing the creation of a believable prison in the old Govan Police Station cells and being part of a great friendly, creative team was a wonderful privilege. Seeing a pot of urine being hurled in the air and filming its landing was absolutely brilliant! And then editing the filmed segments into a whole story and having my chosen music fit the action so perfectly was magical.’

Would you enter again? ‘Most definitely.’

What are you doing now? ‘I am putting together a full length screenplay (again in a prison setting) entitled Mind Screw which I will have to find a receptive filmmaker for. I am also assembling a collection of my creepy short stories for publication. I have tentatively called it Hallowe’en Stiffs!’

Emily Munro

Title - Training

Director Adrian Mead

Synopsis ‘The film’s a reminder that war begins at home. It’s about a man who returns from combat and who is then placed in a position of power.’

How did you find the OMW experience? ‘It was great to have the challenge to write a really short screenplay and also have the creative input of professionals.’

Memorable moments from the shoot ‘I really enjoyed speaking with the young cast. This for many of them was their first filmmaking experience. Also the rain was relentless and unforgettable.’

Would you enter again? It’s getting harder to get films made in Scotland and there are so few entry level film competitions, so yes I think so.’

What are you doing now? ‘I’m the Head of Learning at the GFT in Glasgow and now teach screenwriting at the University of Glasgow plus I’m a script consultant for Nordisk films. So things are good.’

One Minute Wonder 2007 - Thank you list

D.O.P.'s

Scott Ward, Brian Cairney, Chris Maxwell

Camera Operators

Andrew Begg, Stephen Cassidy

Directors

Alison Peebles, Brian Ross, Adrian Mead, Clare Kerr - Assistant Director

Producer

Amanda Clarke

Focus Pullers

Gordan McMillan, Thomas Suski

Camera Assistants / Grip

Paul Saltman, Andrew M'Itwamwari, Cara Bowen

Jib Operators / Suppliers

Iain White - edv Productions, Neil Handyside - edv Productions

Sound Recordist

Bob McDougal, Robert Anderson, Neil Fenwick, Lisa Higgins

Art Department

Rebecca Dover - Art Director, Marianne Gallagher - Art Director / Assistant

Script Supervisor

Heather Day

Props

BBC Prop Store - Eddie Mcdaid
Butterfly Connections - Nigel South
Perth Museum - Mark Simmons
Saratoga Trunk - David
Elliot Armory Services - Jim Elliot
Prentice Westwood Buses - Carol
Tyninghame Coffee Shop - Lindsay Twist

Locations

Tyninghame Village Hall, Edinburgh Academy, Govan Old Jail, Gosford House

Location Suppliers / Scouts

Rosie & Ros - Edinburgh Film Focus, Neil Mac

Cast

James Martin, Jim Cunnigham, Mathew Zajak, Roy Entwhistle, Clare Martin, Iain Campbell, Niko Dafereras, Sean Hay, Guy Satchwell, Jeremy Hitchin

Extras

Rent-a-Crowd, Canongate Model Management - Shona Campbell, Metro Ecosse, The `Peebles` Family

Music Production

MusicWorks - Brendan Merrick

Audio Post-Production

Canongate Studios - Al George & Jordan

Editor

Paul S. Mann - Metro Ecosse

Hair / Make-up

Monica George, Astrid Azurdia, Christine Forster, Anita Anderson

Others

NCP Parking - Phil Sharkey, Lee Lighting, Xana MacLean - Youth agent, Flowers by Fiona Halliburton, Glasgow City Council

Special Thanks to

Grant Packwood, Simon Davidson, Christine Woodage, Una McLean

& Finally

Barry Paton - because he was feckin immense!!!