I am killing my babies

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Willy
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Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2007 10:42 pm
Location: Antwerp Belgium

I am killing my babies

Post by Willy »

Yesterday I came back home from my second journey to Wensleydale. Again I visited Tan Hill Pub, the highest pub in Britain, Billy ! It's cheap to stay in this friendly "guest house" for a few days, but what can you do on top of that foggy hill ? You can only sit in the pub in front of the open fire and drink a "Black or Golden Sheep" while listening to Irish music. Actually a soup of the day tastes better. Again I caught a cold over there, north of the Buttertubs Pass.


This time the weather conditions were almost perfect in Wensleydale itself : dark clouds, sunny spells, ... Last time I could only film the acting scenes inside : in our cottage, in "Black Sheep Brewery", in "Wensleydale Creamery" etc... As the wind was blowing too hard I could not film my walking couple, Anita and David, outside.

Now I have bought a little iglo tent and the introductory dialogues for the fillm can be done in there. It will be very funny. Indeed, in a few weeks I will be back in Wensleydale. For the third time. I will be accompanied by three members of my club who can assist me.

At this moment I have about 12 hours of footage, but I reduced the first 9 hours to 3 hours in my computer. I took lots of shots of the beautiful countryside now and it will be difficult to delete most of them. "Kill Your Babies ! ", I have read somewhere on this website. Indeed, when making a feature film, it is not a problem. You don't have to kill your babies then, because you have planned everything before doing the camera work. When making a documentary the photography depends on the weather conditions.

I knew the Yorkshire Dales quite well before going there to do the camera work, but each time you discover new spots. Wensleydale is an area of outstanding beauty. Strange : four-five weeks ago the fields were still covered by millions of buttercups, but it was raining all the time. Now they have all gone. But I could film other things to re-create the right atmosphere of the land of "All Creatures, Great and Small". Now every day I try to kill several babies that I met the last few days : calves with stupid but friendly faces, a dog taking a shower under Hardraw Farce which is the highest waterfall in Britain, etc. I felt relaxed all the time thanks to the beautiful weather. When filming acting scenes you are obliged to make a schedule, a time table. Then you feel some pressure. Don't you have that same feeling ?
Willy Van der Linden
Pqtrick
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Location: Warwickshire

Re: I am killing my babies

Post by Pqtrick »

Reading Willy's report about Wensleydale gives me that 'Oh! to be in England ' feeling again. Damp glasses and soup of the day. Have you included something about Wallis and Grommit in your film?

Filming yesterday for five hours in the hot sun of Lyon, gives me that want for the cool green grass of home!

Unfortunately, we have been back and forth twice in recent weeks for a sad occasion as my Dad died at the grand age of 92. But he leaves us with good and happy memories.

I have had a concerted attempt to try and make a documentary about Lyon. It has been in the melting pot for over eighteen months. It was intended to be a group project with the club I belong to here. I say no more. Have you heard the English expression 'You can lead a horse to water.....?'

So I have decide to do it by myself. It will not be quite the project I intended. But I least I am overcoming some of the myths of where and what I can film. My theory is don't sit in a meeting chewing over whether you can film the President of the Rublique in his Palace or not – Ask him! This is an exaggeration of course, but if you want to film something or someone ask and tell them what you are doing . Generally, you get a positive answer.

If you want to film people eating in a restaurant, inside a little theatre, in a cinema – Ask!

So back to the filming yesterday. I wanted some particular shot of the old part of Lyon. It was hot so walking a camera with tripod with ones spouse and joining a group of English speaking tourists was quite a task. Why join a group when Lyon is my wife's home town? Well Lyon has many hidden secrets and passages but you need a key code to access them – a tour guide has the codes (Another problem overcome).

It is difficult to film in bright sunlight. There is a lot of light and dark with the old tall buildings. Now with Willys dog in a waterfall and uncooperative calves. Filming dans la rue presents its own problems. Generally, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. I could hear the nagging chewing by the club members during the long winters evening about filming in the street.

No problems, common-sense should prevail and you are in a public place. But the most annoying thing is that when people do see you, they either duck down pretending to be invisible or stop dead in their tracks and apologise. I just prefer people to walk by normally! More film for the cutting room floor.

Then you can guarantee when you set up an appealing shot 'contre jour', there is never a jolie jeune fille strolling by, more likely than someone with a less aesthetic silhouette!

But then when you gain that air of confidence, with my camera of modest proportions but bigger than the average camcorder. Passers-by hear us speaking English (as we do) one commented 'Are you from le Bee Bee Cee ?' - 'No, he's no-one really important!' replied my wife! Confidence gone.

So much ado. Whether this escapade of filming will get to a finished and credible presentable story, I wait and see. The day ended by joining the tourists eating and drinking in the old part of Lyon.

Perhaps film making is a little like eating. You may have flair for cooking, but a meal prepared by someone else is better enjoyed.

To close, the call of these daffodills dancing in a green and pleasant land, is getting even louder!
ned c
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Location: Dammeron Valley USA

Re: I am killing my babies

Post by ned c »

Ah, we ex-pats; I live amongst mountains and canyons, deserts and not too far away (2 1/2 hrs drive) from the sin city of Las Vegas but the green of England beckons regularly, we have been over twice so far this year and the taste of best bitter lingers, as do bangers and mash; cottage pie and treacle pud. Yesterday found a store in Illinois (we are on the road) that sells Marmite and Branston, heavily stocked up! No regrets though.
ned c
Pqtrick
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Joined: Sun Oct 14, 2007 6:14 pm
Location: Warwickshire

GREEN GRASS AND WARM BEER§

Post by Pqtrick »

I am pleased that I have solicited some reaction, Ned. Treacle Pud, and thick custard! I like the mountains and lakes, but perhaps my scale of things is more akin to narrow boats and daisy the cow mooing in a small meadow.

You mention the distance of 'just two and a half hours away'. That’s nearly Marseilles from where we are. Some one we knew was visiting Canada, and wanted to visit friends one after noon. Asking the directions they were told, 'It just up the road, past the lake'. Two hours later, they said they were still driving!

Your two trips to England. It was possibly cheaper for you, than it is us. We entertained some Americans visiting Lyon, a couple of months ago. They mentioned 'Turnpike' roads there. It amused me because of the origins of the word in the UK.

Till the next time! PS I do do some film making from time to time!
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Willy
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Re: I am killing my babies

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One of my friends said :"Maybe the expression is ... I am killing my darlings !". I think he is right. English is difficult sometimes. Last night I came back home from my third trip to the Yorkshire Dales in 5-6 weeks. Again the weather conditions were different. My actors were there again. They were in a good mood from morning till evening. That's always an advantage. They did some acting scenes again. For instance at the Buttertubs. These gaps caused by erosion are 50 to 80 metres deep. This time some friends of my film club accompanied me. They were willing to risk their lives. My actor David had to fall just in front of a deep gap. A friend took my camera. An other one directed my actor. I felt dizzy and also my actress Anita didn't feel very well. Anyway that moment in my film looks very spectacular. I also changed the dialogue in the introduction. Now my actress says that the weather is not always fine in Wensleydale. Sometimes there is fog. Sometimes there is drizzle, but the scenery is fantastic when there are sunny spells.

I made a programme or shooting schedule and everything could be done. So after the trip I was happy, but also very tired. My actor David asked me when the film will be finished. I told him that the BIAFF-deadline is 10th January. Last year it was 31st January. I understand that David, but also one of my English friends Geoff, who "offered" me these two actors, are very excited and that they would like me to finish the film as soon as possible. I told them that I can't promised to finish that film by that time. Filmmaking is a hobby and sometimes people do not realize how much time it takes to solve "problems". Filmmaking under pressure is not good. I think they understand. Now I have about 16 hours of footage. I can enjoy myself the following months. I also have two other projects. These are shorter films and I am sure that these will be finished before 10th January.
Willy Van der Linden
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Willy
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Re: I am killing my babies

Post by Willy »

I had to stop my previous message because my computer was making a lot of noise. Maybe there is a virus in my computer again. Sometimes it crashes and then I have to write everything again.

In the Yorkshire Dales there was a lot of traffic the last few days. Motorcyclists raced at enormous speeds on the roads between the long dry stone walls. I didn't like that. From time to time lambs crossed these roads and I am surprised that not more motorcyclists are killed. I filmed some warning signs : farm traffic, cows, sheep ... In the background you can see motorcyclists taking bends very sharp with their knees almost touching the road surface. I think I am not going to use these shots. I am going to kill these "darlings". They are not good to create the right pastoral poetry in my film "Say Wensleydale Cheese !" (working title).

Again I visited the Tan Hill Pub, the highest pub in Britain. This time there was no fog. I had a fantastic view. When the motorcyclists put off their helmets I noticed that they were not so young anymore. Most of them were bald, grey or had a white beard. Strange ! They looked like most of us. I mean IAC-members. They were in their fifities, sixties, seventies, eighties ...

I enjoyed the countryside with its picturesque villages very much. Askrigg is one of these villages. I had a "Black Sheep" (=bitter") in "The Kings Arms Hotel". The village was used as a location in "All Creatures Great and Small". My clubmates didn't remember that soap anymore, but when they saw the pictures of Christopher Timothy, Lynda Bellingham etc... in the hall of the "Kings Arms" they smiled because they recognized these famous actors an actresses. Those were the days !

Sometimes I have a bad experience when travelling. Some days ago I arrived in Malham, one of my favourite places (it is not in Wensleydale). I noticed that my windscreen was cracked !!! Had someone sat on the roof of my car ? My insurance is fully comprehensive. When I arrived at home I told my wife that maybe it was caused by driving on cattle grids !

I myself stayed in the Herriots guest house in Hawes. My friends stayed in Fair View Guest House. Two of them had never been in England before. They fell in love with your country and they will come back very soon. Two of my friends, Werner Van den Bulck (he was a member of the final judging BIAFF-panel some years ago) and Werner Haegeman took the opportunity to have long walks in the Dales. One of them was twenty kilometres long. From Hawes to Horton-in-Riddlesdale. Everywhere in the Dales you could see walkers ! It was very impressive. Also these people were in the autumn of their life. Is our generation more energetic than the younger people ? Though, I myself I am very lazy. I should do more physical exercise. Instead of sitting at my casablanca I should do more bicycle trips.

Three times the Yorkshire Dales in 5-6 weeks. It means three times 800 kilometres (=about 570 miles) plus 6 times crossing the North Sea (Dover-Calais). In spring I met my friend Brian in Devon and in winter I spent some days in Rye (East Sussex). I promised my wife : next time France or Italy again.
Willy Van der Linden
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Dave Watterson
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Re: I am killing my babies

Post by Dave Watterson »

Phew! Willy your schedule and adventures on this film shoot make me tired just reading about it!

As for the thread title - "killing my babies" or "killing my darlings" both are acceptable and make a dramatic heading. Both make it clear how you can feel about having to cut out scenes which may be wonderful in themselves but just wrong in the context of a particular film.

One of my pleasures is watching the "extra" material offered on most commercial movie DVDs. Usually there is a selection of deleted scenes which were carefully shot and often colour graded too ... but which had to be dropped from the finished film for various reasons. The chief reason seems to be the pace of the film. When it is assembled the director and producers find that a certain scene could be dropped without leaving any confusing gaps in the story ... and by doing that the film will be a little shorter and a seem to tell its story a little faster.

Ron Prosser has been going through that process with his award winning film "Letters" which did well at various British festivals in its 45 minute version. He cut it down to 32 minutes and won a Bronze Medal at UNICA 2010 in Switzerland last week. I look forward to seeing the even shorter version of just under 30 minutes which will be at the Guernsey Lily Festival.

We are all looking forward to "The Cheese Film" - as I call it - but you must take the time you need to get it right without too much pressure. Most of us do need deadlines to make us get work done ... but this is a hobby for us and we have to look after our health, families and other interests too.

Dave
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