Abingdonian 2020

6 The Abingdonian Film Unit I joined Abingdon Film Unit in the third year; unbeknown to me at the time, I would so on to produce a trilogy of short documentaries about the life of my hometown. Abingdon was a different world, let’s say sixty years ago from now, and I always feel it’s worth knowing about the changes seen by a community you are involved with. I gave myself the goal of spreading the word of what Abingdon was like, and has become today. By going around my local community and interviewing people from all backgrounds I have been able to portray vivid images steam trains pulling out of a bustling railway yard; a quasi-civil war over a pair of ox’s horns in the market square; a thick, yeasty must coating Abingdon town from a brewery that was once one of the largest in the UK. I was already familiar with — and fascinated by — these aspects of the town, but it was clear that nowadays very few students know about Abingdon’s past. The locations of Poundland and Waitrose seem to be the extent of a typical pupil’s knowledge. Initially I was a bit clueless about what path I should take in terms of filmmaking, but it seemed sensible to start off close to home. A distinct aspect of the town I’d seen many times was its traditional Morris dancers. They danced in public every now and then and had some quirky historical tales which accompanied the group. Every documentary needs an underlying story, though, and it was a perfect coincidence that, at the time I first spoke to the group about a potential film, a father and his eight-year-old son were joining the group and (re)learning the ropes together. This was gold dust for my film, as I could then describe the history of the group whilst following two main characters, who would serve to help give the audience an emotional attachment to the film. At this point I had not planned that my next two films would also reflect my local area, but with the knowledge gained from my first film I was confident about making a more retrospective documentary. I already had a fascination with railways, so it was perfect for me to contact with a local micro-brewery to show that there is a future to local brewing, and to industry in general, in Abingdon. The film was both my favourite to make and the most satisfying upon its completion. Making these films would have been far too daunting a project for me if I’d envisaged the totality at the beginning. But now, as I look back on them, I am very glad I kept going. Making a film is no easy prospect, as anyone at the Film Unit could tell you. From the initial planning and filming, to the collating and editing, the process can be tedious and tiring, but the achievement you feel at the end is huge. Of course, I owe a whole lot of gratitude to Mr Taylor and the tutors of the Film Unit, who offered their wealth of experience and knowledge to help me improve my projects. It truly is a magical moment when you complete your film, especially when you stand on the Amey Theatre stage in front of an audience describing your journey and unveiling your magnum opus on the big screen. Be sure to recognise the dedication and perseverance of your peers if they are able to complete such a feat. By no means do you need to be a prospective professional filmmaker to produce something captivating and personal, so I would always advise any pupil in the school to consider trying out Abingdon Film Unit. Tristan Mann Powter, 6KJY tell the story of an old railway, nicknamed ‘The Bunk’, which ran between Abingdon and Radley. By interviewing locals, I could develop a narrative told through their memories and anecdotes. Archive footage from the school and the internet backed up the film, allowing me to expand it and discuss the controversy around Doctor Beeching’s ‘axing’ of the British railways, which affected many small lines such as the branch to Abingdon in the 1960s. The icing on the cake for this film came when I received the opportunity to film at Didcot Railway Centre, where I could catch trains in motion as well as see various topical artefacts in their collection. Although the film had a shaky start, with difficulties in finding people to interview, I was very pleased with the result and felt there were definite improvements over my previous film. The last of the three short documentaries was on a larger scale. I had chosen to tackle the now disused Morland brewery, which was situated on a large site off Ock Street for the majority of its existence. Intending to create both a portrait of life at the brewery and a story of its demise, I interviewed ex-workers and other people from Abingdon, who shared great stories of strong, friendly environments as well as rather surprising aspects of brewery life that would not be found today. Having this incidental trilogy end with the closure of the brewery felt a bit depressing, though, so to make a more optimistic conclusion, I made