Who would have guessed that the same ordinary morning in the everyday life of the boys was soon to become a day that the whole of Goldings would remember for many a day to come. For this was the day that a film crew were to move in on the place, and turn it into a busy film set. Little did anyone know that there were to be a great many changes in the inside of the building.

In the next few days there was to be a great deal of activity, as crews prepared the tubular steel erections that were to hold the arc lamps. After this was done the painters moved in and began match‑painting, that is to say the metal tubing was painted to match the colour of the paper on the wall; this is done so that the tubing will not show when filmed against the wall.

Next came the equipment; numerous yards of electric cable were unrolled and lay about the place in an ugly fashion, and nearly always where a person was most likely to fall over it. After this the generator was moved up into position, and the engine started. This was all done in readiness for the first day's shooting which, according to the weather, could be an indoor or an outdoor shot.

Making a film proved to be a tedious and boring event, as I found when I was watching a rehearsal of one of the scenes. In this scene, ‘Johanna’, portrayed by Judi Dench, was being taken on a tour of the orphanage by the principal, an elderly clergyman, who is rather boring and so When Tom Bell arrives, she is only too glad to leave her former companion and join Tom. This was rehearsed innumerable times until the camera and all the timing were exact, and then it was filmed, not once but many times, so that the editor may take out that which is not needed, the other to be passed to go on, for the big film.

From here we moved to outdoor shots. These can prove quite an ordeal for the director and all people concerned. The cameraman has to have an exact level at which the dolly or manoeuverable frame for the camera is to be moved. If this height is not on ground level a frame has to be built at the level required. This has to be exactly level, as a slight slope could mean that a great deal of film may be wasted as a result of an error by one man.

As the days progressed, more and more people became involved, and so there was a great deal of hustle as everybody moved around, each busily carrying out his or her duty. But as always the everyday life of the boys carried on, everyone moving about the place in the usual way, occasionally stopping to take a glance at the filming, but politely being ushered away by one of the staff. It is not very long before they get into full swing and at last they settle down and begin their task of making a film amid the clamour of the boys forever asking questions about the particular day's filming.

From here we move to the sound crews, their headquarters a blue van in which is seated a member of the crew; it is his job to tape all the speech in the film. All day he sits in the van and waits for a track to be sent through to him. He then has to record all that is said. After this is done he has to play it back and then dub all that is not needed, such as an accidental sneeze or cough. All this is done to ensure that only what is required is taken on tape as this has later got to be placed with the film, and then the two are joined so that the projector can run film and sound at the same speed, without fear from the operator that the sound will not match up with the movement of the actor's mouth.

Lighting, too, plays a great part in the making of a film, and natural lighting is greatly depended upon when an outdoor scene is shot. It must always be favourable to the camera or else it is unable for the filming to continue, as a sudden burst of cloud may cause the light to be blackened out, and to go on filming the generator would have to be brought into use to provide power for the use of the electric arc lamps which supply a very brilliant light and intensive heat. This fact ' makes it necessary for a piece, or pieces, of fibre glass to be placed over the front of the arc, so that the heat is cut down and the actors do not perspire from the heat. When the arc lamps are turned on there is a tendency that the lamps will reflect the glare that is given off by them upon certain polished pieces of furniture. To remove this reflection the arc is set at a certain position on the dial, thus eliminating any possibility of a reflection.

After each scene is taken the continuity girl has to take down all the particulars of what the actors are wearing in case there is any doubt as to what was being worn when the film is shown to the producer. At the end of the day she has to write an account or report of all that has been done during the day. It is her job to check all that has so far been done, and she has to make a complete description of the set so that if there is any cause for a retake of the scene the props crew have an account of where each article of furniture is to be placed. During one scene there may be numerous changes, all of which have to be agreed upon by the director, cameraman, and of course, all the crews.

The most fascinating scene to my mind was when the crew had to go up on to the roof to take a shot of Tom Bell ascending a ladder in order to retrieve a ball from the roof. This shot was most intriguing, as it had to be taken from two levels. He had to begin his ascent at the bottom of the ladder, with the camera at the bottom; he climbed to the roof of the bayed window adjoining the school‑room. From here the cameraman moved up on to the roof. Tom again began to climb up the second ladder, this time with the camera looking down on him. In this way it was able to film his facial expressions as he climbed over the parapet between the roof and safety.

None of this was done by Tom Bell. His understudy and stunts man was responsible for the climbing as Tom was not able to do such work, and so his understudy, who is willing to take the risk, is employed. It is his job to see that all the dangerous parts which have to be played by Tom are in fact handed to him who in turn has to act them. The stunt man has a right to refuse anything he is offered and can demand anything, which will secure his safety. For example, he has the right to refuse to use anything, which in his mind it is not safe to use. A faulty job done by the 'chippies' may result in an accident, which could end in a financial loss to the company.

From here we turn to the props, which has about the busiest time of the lot; it is their job to have all the costumes ready.

Time is the most important factor and this is where speed with the props is a necessity. Each prop has to be properly stored and easily accessible Take, for instance, an outdoor set. This shot has to be taken on a flat lawn, but bushes are also needed. It is therefore necessary to take a saw and cut down a few sprigs of tree or bush and place them so that they stand upright, this being all part of the props daily duty.

With the props are also the make‑up girls whose job it is to see that the actors have enough powder on their faces, that their eyebrows are black enough; their hair is in place. These are the people who come on to the set when a shot has just been taken, and they straighten up the hair of the actors and get them ready for the next day's shooting which, if the previous day's filming is finished early, may carry on the same day.

In the film industry there are many jobs, one being the focus puller. It is his job to get a focus reading and then to set the camera at the focus required. To do this he has to find out the length in distance the actor will stand from the camera, he then has to read another instrument and then decide upon the focus. This may vary with the conditions in which one is filming, such as an indoor focus may be completely different to that of an outdoor focus.

When a film is made the film crew must eat, and this I think is why there was a great deal of attention paid to the area just before the arch, which is where the film crew had their mobile canteen, and it was here that quite a lot of boys were meeting with one aim in mind. It was, in fact, at half‑past four that they used to wait at the door until the friendly cook came from inside the canteen and offered them the sandwiches which were left over from the day, which was much to the pleasure of the boys.

I would like to thank the director, Charles Crichton, for his kindness in allowing me free access to the sets, so that I could learn something about the making of a film. Also my thanks are due to all crews for their help.

Terry Cain

The Goldonian vol xIx Number 3 winter 1964

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Printed by the boys s in training at the Press of Dr. Barnardo's Homes Goldings, Hertford

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