Wootton Village Hall became a film studio for a week when local young people brought the past to life. The group - who were aged between 12 and 17 wrote, starred in and art directed their own short films using costumes, props and oral histories from Cecil Higgins Art Gallery and Bedford Museum.
Evacuee children from the 1940s, families fleeing air raids and courting couples from the 1950s were brought to the screen in record time. With hair and make up by Sarah of Doo-Wop Dos and expert advice on camera angles and shooting from Bedford College, the finished films should be fantastic. As soon as the editing process is complete, the films will be premiered here with a screening for families and friends in Wootton.
In their own words.....
"It was a lot of fun to do but very hectic. Being able to dress up in authentic clothes with the correct era hair and make up made the experience even more enjoyable and the films realistic, especially the props. Learning about the camera and techniques was also very interesting. It was good to create our own pieces instead of reading from a script. All in all it was a great way to spend a few days in summer."
Jess, Charlie, KirstenWhat did you learn?
"More about WW2"
"More about the trauma of war"
"I've grown more confident about speaking out."
"If you don't have exactly what you want to wear you can improvise [costumes]"
"I have learnt that I am good at organisisation."
"I like acting and I've learnt how films are made."
"I've learnt that you can show people and things from different angles and that a film can be done in a different order from the actual story then put together afterwards."
"Putting vaseline on teeth makes them shiny."
