A Note From the Director Rough Cut Music sponsorship Southern Lifestyle Article, Monday 16 July View the article

FINTAN LIVES! <><> September 14th, 2009

Mad Dog Matilda and the magic of the dream are now firmly established in the edit suite! A couple of weeks ago, Reece Jones and myself moved into a building on the grounds of the former Steiner School in Mittagong, here in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

The school and grounds was purchased by Peter Kazacos who, with his company Kazcare, embrace a philosophy of education, care and grass roots development of community driven projects. In this regard, CMP (Community Movie Productions) are very much aligned.

Our “cottage” as we have dubbed it, has a wide verandah overlooking a beautiful garden with stone seats, sculpture and an impressive, swirling water feature that snakes and coils on itself. Any time we have found ourselves stuck for inspiration we just go outside and watch the shell-like form and the water going round and round. Simply, we have landed in the best place to finish the film. The gods are smiling, as they say.

Watching the footage we shot - it seems a forever ago – I’m amazed at what we achieved and the sheer ambition of, what was it? almost 40 locations? It’s great to look at, with some particularly fine goof takes that shall become part of the final credits. At times it’s spot the director, spot the crew, spot the boom, spot the make-up department having a yak in the background, spot Bill, Sharon, Anna, Judy, Mal, Bruce, Kate, Reece, three trucks, 15 cars, 12 tourists. Not to mention watch just about everyone either fall over their feet or their tongues, drop their props, crash into the furniture or just start laughing. There is a memorable sequence in Exeter. It was hot, it was blowing a gale. Dialogue is rendered second place to what sounds like a cyclone about to strike but the actors kept acting and, right now, I have no idea how we’ll solve that one! Isn’t Ben Ryan in Manchester? Perhaps we can have a garage sale to raise his airfare for post synching. Hmmm, maybe I could re-voice him?

Working with Reece (now wearing his editor’s hat) as ever, is a great pleasure. That he was there every step of the way is making the edit smooth and readily attainable. Being able to say “Didn’t we do a shot like…..at…….?” makes the process nice and fluid and the logs sheets less of a theory in small print. The log sheet ‘bible’, by the way, is a hundred page, 10 point, typed document. Looking at it as we hunt for a remembered shot is occasionally daunting, but never less than incredibly satisfying to know that we are going to finish the film, people will see it and, our mission, raise funds for the local children’s ward.

As we cut the film together, the story is coming to life. The screenplay is doing its work – it’s a fine story. Funny, dramatic, at times very moving. All we could wish for really: a family adventure fantasy.

As I’m sitting in the cottage, watching the screens, watching every shot as we lay them down and decide which part of the jigsaw best goes where, I am astounded at what we did. Nearly a year’s worth of dedication, commitment, belief. A core of 30 people working together as if we’d all been friends for years and then a further couple of hundred folk and local businesses who were willing to follow the madness of the dream of a story called Wishbone. It’s hard to believe that I never knew all these people. And this isn’t only my story, many others have found great friends, new careers and purpose. Without really thinking about it we reduced isolation, provided a platform and, with the bounty of Ann Morgan’s “soup and muffin kitchen” kept going and laughing with the occasional drama/tear/hissy fit (!) and never gave up.

We had:

1 camera
1 lens
1 tripod
1 flecky board – most of the time
3 or 5 lights
2 pieces of pvc pipe and some roller skate wheels as dolly track
2 pieces of timber from Bruce Pryor (and his “Ball cam” rig)
1 spider dolly from Cam Ford
1 home made (and fantastic) jib from Phil Hayes
1 home made steadicam (a geometric wonder) from brother’s Jones
1 boom
1 smoke machine
1 generator
3 extension leads
8 months supply of patience

The story of the making of Wishbone is almost bigger than the story in the film itself, but as the poster says: “It’s about magic and dreams coming true”. Absolutely.

Dave

Well done!

Glad to know that you NEVER gave up. Looking forward to seeing it on a screen. Big thanks to all who took it from page to screen.

Cheers Buck

Rough Cut Music supplies music for Wishbone

TO TOP