8 July 2022
How many films can you make in a school day, do you think? With fifty-three Year 8 students from Fitzharrys and three Abingdon Film Unit tutors? Well, quite a few, it turns out! Ten, to be precise.
A busy week for Abingdon’s Arts Partnership staff concluded on the penultimate day of term with the terrific “film-in-a-day” challenge that had been thrown down last March by Martin O’Neill, our friend and colleague from the Fitzharrys School English Department, who, with help from Abingdon’s magnificent trio of Film Unit tutors – Duncan Pickstock, Colin O’Toole and Bronwen Parker-Rhodes – drew up a comprehensive plan for the day to make sure it happened. And what an undertaking it was!
The Fitzharrys students, none of whom had ever done anything like this, were divided into ten groups. Each one met with an AFU tutor for a couple of hours a fortnight beforehand to develop ideas, make plans and draw up storyboards. Each film would have to be shot in just ninety minutes – an unbelievably tight timetable even for experienced filmmakers, let alone enthusiastic newbies – so stories had to be clear and simple (which meant little or no dialogue), and any props, costumes or other items required had to be prepared in advance. The next challenge was scouting for locations around the Fitzharrys campus, then drawing up a shooting schedule that ensured a) the various locations were free at the appointed hour and b) that none of the groups would get in each other’s way when they were trying to shoot.
It was a mighty task, but one that the indefatigable Mr O’Neill, the AFU tutors, Mr Taylor and a number of helpful colleagues from Fitzharrys managed to see through to a successful conclusion, on time, and with everyone still in one piece – more or less! Mind you, it often happens that the backroom boys find themselves being yanked in front of the camera when someone realises a film needs an extra character. Mr O’Neill certainly won the award for hardest working man in showbiz when he agreed to have a bucket of cold water poured over him as part of the action of one film. Happily, the sun came out in the afternoon, and both he and his smart school suit were gradually able to dry out before the end of the day without the need for a change of clothing. Everyone has to suffer for their art.
All in all, it was a wonderful day of creative fun and learning, and a perfect way to round off a year that has gradually seen the return of shared in person artistic activity across the partnership schools. We are indebted to Martin O’Neill and the fabulous young people at Fitzharrys for affording us this opportunity to work with them.
