Hitchcock is still thrilling at the Chapter Arts Centre

The pillar outside the Chapter Arts Centre

Firstly, I have to open with a confession. This post is not strictly about film. In fact, it’s about a play. However, It’s a play that I think most films fans would be particularly interested in, I know I am. Hitchcock Blonde at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff is a production by the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and is directed by Bruce Guthrie. The play, written by Terry Johnson, is inspired by films most famous cinematic thrill maker, director Alfred Hitchcock. It is not simply an adaptation of one of his films, nor is it his life story but rather a thriller in its own right which plays with all of the conventions of a Hitchcock classic: the twists, the turns and, of course, a blonde.

The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, or RWCMD, is a higher education performing arts institute with a rich history. Established in 1949, the college sits in the grounds of Cardiff Castle, making it very much a part of the city. It teaches practical skills for the music and drama industries, with the aim of bringing their students to a high professional standard. It is that aim that makes productions such as Hitchcock Blonde stand out. For those who might be a bit wary of a drama student production, I would reassure that the level of performance is by no means amateur. “The ethos is so right” says director Bruce Guthrie “They want to do things for the right reasons; it’s not about fame.”

Director Bruce Guthrie

Originally training as an actor for three years in Guildford, Bruce Guthrie became a director almost by accident when a friend wanted to put on a play and thought Bruce would be good at directing. After setting up  a small production company with some of his fellow actors in Guildford and taking a production of Someone to Watch Over Me by Frank McGuiness to the Edinburgh festival, Bruce realised that being a director was what he wanted to do.

Having worked in the role for the past six years, how did Bruce find himself directing Hitchcock Blonde for the RWCMD? Whilst working on the Lord of the Rings musical as an assistant director, Ruth Carney who was working on the project as associate director was also directing a production at the RWCMD. Having been to see the play, Bruce met with Head of Acting Dave Bond and continued to take an interest in their productions. “I came and saw August: Osage County here” he recalls “and they were astonishingly good, and I was just like ‘I wanna come and work here'”

In Hitchcock Blonde, the plot centres around the discovery of a supposed missing Hitchcock film, An Uninvited Guest and moves between the present day story of the two characters trying to piece together the fragments of the reel and the origins of the footage in 1919. In the past, Hitchcock is featured as a character, making him a part of the type of macabre tale he is famous for. The play is full of references to Hitchcock films, which makes you wonder whether it would appeal to those unfamiliar with the directors work. “When you watch a Hitchcock movie for the first time, you don’t necessarily have to have researched Hitchcock” says Bruce “If people come to it with an open mind and this is their first experience of anything remotely Hitchcockian, then I would never presume to say ‘Oh, by the way, this is an Alfred experience.”

Bruce Guthrie on Hitchcock Blonde by ajgrierson
Hitchcock Blonde is worth seeing if only to see the high level of skill and professionalism at which the RWCMD students are working at. The College is an important part of the performing arts scene in Cardiff, turning heads towards the city who might not otherwise look. Productions such and as these are a chance to bring the RWCDM closer to the community and bring professional directors to Cardiff. “I think this has been quite successful, so it would be lovely to come back.” says Bruce who believes that the choice of ambitious projects and pulling them off is what will “attract up and coming directors, as well as established ones, to come and work with these great students.”

Details for any other up coming shows can be found on the RWCMD site as well Chapter Arts Centre.

Harry Potter and the British Film Industry

With the recent release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, I thought I’d have a little look at the place the wizarding franchise has in the British film industry.

It was recently announced by Warner Bros. that they had bought  Leavesden Studios, where much of the Potter films were shot. Not only will this protect over a thousand jobs at the studios, but it will bring a significant amount of money into our film industry, not least the whopping £100 million that they are spending on refurbing the studios. The success of the Potter franchise demonstrated to Warner that it was possible to make largescale blockbusters in Britain and what’s more that it was cheaper to do so here than in the US.

This is an immediate, tangible effect on the British Film industry, but how has the franchise influenced the face of that industry? Britain has a long held tradition of making period dramas, both on TV and in film.  Often a characteristic of these films is the idea of postcard Britain, an image of Britain that is nostalgic, romanticised and sellable to the rest of the world. In Harry Potter, we see a new postcard Britain.

Aesthetically, we see a vast lakes, huge mountains and grand old buildings. We see this scenery through all the seasons, and it is shown at it’s best. This is something shared with the period dramas, but Harry Potter’s image of Britain is not just limited to the pretty scenery. More urban set peices are also exploited; the london underground, the millenium bridge, King’s Cross station, representing an altogether more modern image of Britain whilst still being nostalgic.

In fact, much of what makes period dramas postcard Britain films can be seen in Harry Potter films, right down to the great and the good of British acting gracing the sets. The important difference is the addition of the action and setting the films in the present day, producing an image of Britain that is altogether more exciting, entertaining and accessible.

We have already seen numerous childrens fantasies immitate the franchise, though few are particularly British. It will be interesting to see if there will be a lasting affect on the British film industry. Perhaps we will begin to produce more mainstream blockbusters and in turn bring more money to our shores. Which can only be a good thing for British films of all budgets and genres.

The Local Scene: Chapter MovieMaker

Finding somewhere to screen an independent short film can be tricky, especially if you’re new to film-making. Local events can be a crucial starting point for exhibiting a new film, as well as seeing what some more experienced film-makers in your community can do.

This week, I went to Chapter MovieMaker, a monthly short film event held at the Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff. There was a real mix of projects on show: comedy, drama, music videos, animation. It seems as though Chapter MovieMaker is open to almost anything.

That’s not a bad thing though, in fact it’s what’s most effective about local events such as these. Part of the fun is not knowing what you’re going to get when you walk into the screen. Yes the quality of the films vary, but for the film-makers events like these can be great places to meet other people in the industry and test your film on an audience, whether your an old pro or just a beginner.

I spoke to a few of the people who attended this months event:

Chapter MovieMaker and events like it are not just for film-makers. It’s great to be able to go and watch films from your local area and have the opportunity to meet some of the people who made them. Chapter MovieMaker is on the first Monday of every month, and I highly recommend it. Have a look at Ryan Owen’s music video for the song See My Evil, by Tom Williams and the Boat, for a taste of the sort of thing you might see.

Big Business, Big Movies

Rags to riches, riches to rags or riches to riches. Stories about big money are always popular. The American Dream, that anyone can become a success, has been played out over and over in the cinema. Whilst we’re in the wake of a hard-hitting recession there’s never been a more appropriate time to release a film about big business.

Two of the biggest releases in cinemas at the moment are Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and The Social Network. Both have been doing pretty well at the box office (with the latter ahead of the former), but in a time when the whole country seems to have one big money problem why would we want to see a film about people making planet sized amounts of cash? Perhaps it’s escapism, living the dream through the characters on screen but I think it’s even more complex than that.

In The Social Network, the story of the creation of facebook, Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) doesn’t exactly have an easy ride, nor is he shown to be particularly likeable. The vast amounts of money that fly into his life story seem to create some very exciting scenarios, but ultimately he loses all his friends. This is a key ingredient for the appeal of a big business film. A viewer wants to play with the idea that he or she might be able to become a millionaire overnight, but they also want to leave the cinema thinking that it’s probably not worth the trouble.

Big business films were at the height of their popularity during the 1980’s. Back then, their popularity seemed to stem from the rise of yuppie culture. This, of course, was when the original Wall Street was released. Its long delayed sequel now seems to come at a time when we want to watch big business films for different reasons. As well as wanting to see the outrageously over the top but flawed lives of billionaires, there is also a desire for nostalgia, hence the timely release of a sequel to a film released over twenty years ago.

As long as there’s money, big business films will always crop up, which is fine by me. It will be interesting to see how the approach changes. With The Social Network we have already seen a move away from having a slick, stylish main character. In a business landscape dominated by internet geeks, what else could we have expected?