This is a video made by the Banstead Film Society in 1957 starring my dad, Michael Palmer, having a jolly lovely day out in Banstead. The music is straight from a war film for some reason. Here are the notes from the original programme:
"NOTES ON THE FILM AND ITS MAKING
The main function of a film society is to show
films - the making of amateur films is the business of
a cine society, which usually consists of owners of
cine cameras and other enthusiasts who are prepared to
devote their spare time and a good deal of money to
this engrossing hobby.
From the beginning of our Society's existence
we have been asked at regular intervals "When are you
going to make a film?" The short answer was "W'hen we
have sufficient talent, time, money and equipment.
Our interest in film making received a fillip
last year when we showed a selection of the "TEN BEST"
prizewinning amateur films which had achieved a much coveted award in the annual competition organised by
the magazine "AMATEUR CINE-WORLD". We were impressed
by the high technical standard of these films and the
excellent use of colour in some of them.
If we needed a further incentive, it came with
the news of Banstead's formal link with a "twin town"
in France - Etampes- whose active cine society was
making a film which would, in due course, be made
available for us to see. It was apparent that we
might be expected to provide some film record of
Banstead which could be shown in Etampes.
With the hour, came the man - Albert Lewsey,
who had recently come to live in Banstead. He had had
considerable experience of 9.5 mm. filming and was
prepared to take a leading part in making a 16 mm,
film of Banstead.
At the end of last season (April 1957) the
Society's finances were in a sufficiently healthy
condition for a small sum to be allocated for filmmaking. Our proposal was put before the Annual
General Meeting and, encouraged by the enthusiastic
support of members, the first steps were taken.
Our hopes that the film might be officially
sponsored were short-lived, but we received further
encouragement in the form of contributions from
the Banstead Village Community Association (our
parent body) and the N.E. Ward Ratepayers'
Association.
We were able to obtain the loan of a first class 16 mm, camera and to acquire a supply of "out
of-date" film at reduced price. "Shooting" began
in May, 1957 and continued throughout the summer.
At first the weather was kind, but later on good
filming conditions were rare, and some sequences
were abandoned, or had to be taken in very poor
light. Thanks to the excellence of the camera,
and the skill exercised in editing the film, this
hazard was largely overcome.
There had been no time to prepare an
elaborate shooting script, and as the film would,
in any event, be in the nature of an experiment
it was decided simply to make a record of Banstead
and its environs - a factual film which would be
of interest both to those who live here, and also
to our French friends.
And so that is what the film is - no more
than a "documentary" without technical tricks or
any claim to special artistic merit. The film is
about Banstead and some of the surrounding country
as seen through the eyes of two young visitors,
who spend a summer day here, and meet people
carrying out their normal tasks or hobbies.
Much that we should have liked to include
has had to be omitted. We hope you will like
what remains.
16 окт 2024
