FAMESPOTTING
I 11. 9 l a:
J()li S'l‘ALlN KNliW the valtte ol’ the collective. So do Scottish l'ilmmaking team The Sprocketeers. While the former led his country into tyranny. despair and ultimate dismemherment. the latter are merely in the husiness ol' tnaking quality short lilms with a longer term aim of helping out other aspiring producers and directors.
'l‘heir numher are (‘laire Kerr (ex-cook and l‘ilm and Video graduate). Wendy (iril'l‘in (producer with a hackground in theatre and
We had two days to feed the crew and only one day’s money, but the Hare Krisnas showed up with some food.’
Adrian Mead
maker of liirst Reel Mirror Mirror). Susan Kemp (creator ol‘ forthcoming Pun l’riwl for the Prime (‘uts scheme). Rehecea Bra/.il (hackground in acting and production management) and Adrian Mead (whose flair for hairdressing has run alongside his desire to make lilms).
‘While I was in New York. I was in hairdressing and working in the (iangs Project. which acts as a hallway house hetween gangs.~ recalls Mead. 'Bizarrely
16 THE “ST 20 l.“.ar—-2 Apr 1998
its
a '~ ’01 wit: 4
success story, THE SPROCKE ERS.
Words: Brian Donaldson Photograph: Creative Photography
enough. it crossed over very well. They all look really nice in the gangs now - elass ol. homehoy.‘
The group met at the lidinhurgh liilm liestival and ol‘l'icially became a film loundation in May l‘)‘)7. A tnere ten months later. and they‘ve landed one of this year‘s BB(' Scotland/Scottish Screen ’l‘artan Shorts - First. It's Dark. directed hy .loltn l.ove. produced hy Wendy (iril‘lin l‘or Sprocketeers which will have a hudget of (64.000. The tale is an amhitious one ol‘ a middle— aged man on his death-hcd. looking hack at various times in his lil‘c it's part animation and there‘s a car-crash in it. .-\nd all in l’il‘teen tnintttes.
'l'hcy're also in the process ol- contpleting New York Diary. a story ol'
ohsession. addiction and illttsion. which concerns the hreak-up ol a couple‘s relationship. ‘lt‘s heen an uphill struggle and. because it‘s on 35mm lilm stock and the sound design is special. it‘s heen tnorc expensive.’ details Mead. ‘We were incredihly lucky. We had two days to l‘eed the crew and only one day‘s money. hut the Hare Krisnas showed up with some l'ood. I must he the only man who seeks out the Krisnas to give them money.‘
a hetter
Smells like team spirit: Wendy Griffin, Claire Kerr, Susan Kemp and Adrian Mead of The Sprocketeers
And what ahout the name'.’ ‘We wanted to give an image of starting something new. something unexplored.‘ recalls Kerr. ‘()l‘ cottrse. it gives the l‘eel ol‘ l'ilm heing pulled through the projector. and iii heing small and seemingly insignil‘icant.‘ Still. it heats the other contenders which included All l’or One And One lior .-\ll and. though this may he a
joke. an anagram ol We Need Money
Desperately. Yet. what ol‘ those moments when a right royal harny hreaks out over a camera angle or a \':\'l‘ slip. and you wish you were all alone with your own creation‘.’ 'We're all quite good at going round the block and having a think] al'lirms .\lead.
Now. The Sprocketeers are set to emhark on their most amhitious project yet - putting in place training programmes to give other l‘ilmmaket's the help to plug the knowledge gap which the group’s individuals initially l'ound tricky to overcome. ’.\listakes tnade in production can he quite expensive.‘ mases Kerr. ‘Also in terms (it what you do with a lilm alter you‘ve tnade it. there‘s really no training. There is some help out there hut it's not very accessihlef A