Children's Film Unit

The Making of the CFU Documentary

CFU Video Clip

Three people grinning like maniacs pointing at a non-existent spot on the horizon" Or maybe just three maniacs grinning. Take your choice.

This was the most adventurous shoot we had ever been on. A behind the scenes look at a film being made. However, there was something rather unusual about it. All of the production crew were children under the age of eighteen. This was the Children's Film Unit, set up by former teacher Colin Finbow the CFU's artistic director. Sponsored by Channel Four, the CFU go on location for three weeks every year to make a feature film which would be shown on national television.

Unfortunately, this meant that they had to get the film finished in three weeks, with all the pressure that entails. And like any film production, they were behind schedule and stressed. Of course you can't yell at children no matter how intense the pressure, so it takes a very fine balance between motivation and tyranny. Colin was a master in installing motivation and enthusiasm in the children, and it was wonderful to see him work.

This particular scene was one of the hardest in the film, and involved a troop of soldiers square bashing round a courtyard. Except that the soldiers hadn't actually arrived yet. "they were going to be a couple of hours late" announced Emma, the 17 year old assistant director. This threw most of the crew into panic, all except Colin who simply filmed around the scene until they arrived.

This was the first time we had attempted a programme like this. Unfortunately it was also the first time a lot of the children had gone on a location shoot, so tension was running high.

"Stand over there", said Sam our camera-woman, during a break, "I've got an idea".

With that she dashed off and returned a while later, with a "volunteer" to take our picture. "Just point over there in the distance" she said. So we pointed. And that was that.

Well...not exactly. We didn't think any more of it until months after we'd finished shooting the documentary. Sam presented us with our own personalised T-shirts with the "pointing" photo proudly blazoned across them. "It's a flying cutaway" she announced triumphantly. "For when we have our own production company, "Flying Cutaway Productions"

That's probably still some way off. But the documentary did look really good. We interviewed such luminaries as Richard Attenborough, Susannah York and David Puttnam who all support the CFU in some way or another, and even got a letter of commendation from the CFU president Prince Edward. The programme also got shown in part on Channel One and the BBC. Not bad for a first attempt.

The T-shirts looked pretty cool too.

The Making of Willie's War

It's been a long time happening, but things are finally coming together in the features department. After almost a year of hard work, the C.F.U. project is virtually finished. After the disappointment of Channel Four deciding that they are not interested in the video, we have been in contact with Judith Bloor, a publicity officer with the C.F.U. She seems to think that we may be able to get the programme on either Sky TV or Channel One and we hope that she'll soon have some good news for us. We have also received a special mention from the C.F.U. president, HRH The Prince Edward who has said that the programme was excellent, very entertaining and of a very high standard. I would echo his words and think that everybody involved the project can congratulate themselves on a job well done in producing such a complex and professional looking programme.

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