The build workshop is located at:
Mitchelston Industrial Estate
Kirkcaldy
KY1 3NB
Unit 90
Just head round the back of Evans Easy Space to the left where you will find Unit 90. If you just knock someone will let you in. Make sure to wear appropriate footwear and clothes so that you are safe in the workshop.
Getting there by bus?
Bus 37 timetable and Route map
Here’s a handy map to help you find it.
Top down:
Street View:
Follow the arrow all the way down to the end then turn left.
This coming Sunday, February 6th, we’ll be back in Bowhill for our weekly meet-up. In addition to meeting with your teams, we’ll also be gathering measurements and looking at costumes for the mini-shoot. If you are playing the “audience” in the mini-shoot, and that means everyone apart from the actors in the “stage play” you’ll need to wear modern day clothes- but please bring or wear what you are planning on wearing in the mini-shoot. We’re looking for you to wear something that you might wear out to a play, the time of year is around May. No logos or sparkles.
On another costume note, we’re looking for men’s hats – lots of them! We specifically need “newsboy” caps that are very wide/big in the head. Also, if you’re handy with a sewing needle or machine, you’re very welcome to join the costume group- even if you’re in another group.
It’s a great mix of hands-on work and fascinating research-
Hi!
The Design and Resources group has been researching the world of a mining village in Fife in 1926. This has involved gathering photos, making models, drawing and talking.
We are now very much focused on the Mini Shoot in February, for which we have to design and make an interior of a miner’s row cottage.
The interior needs to look convincingly realistic for the first part of the filming, and then is revealed as a stage set.
So we are very busy, trying to work within the schedule and budget, and juggling all the different requirements!
Below are some photos of the scale model which we have made as our guide to what the finished set will look like. It is a basic model, and onto this will be put set dressing, to make the space look lived in, and real.
The script also calls for quite a few props/ pieces of furniture, so we must make sure that we have all of those, so that the filming will be smooth, with no hold ups.
BUILDING/PAINTING
We would welcome help from anyone who can offer it, as this is quite a big job.
The build is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday and Sunday afternoon this week and next week.. Times and dates are:
Wednesday 2nd 2pm – 7pm
Thursday 3rd 11 pm – 5.30 pm
Sunday 6th 2pm – 5pm
Wednesday 8th 12 pm – 9pm
Thursday 9th 11pm – 5.30 pm
Sunday 13th 2 – 5pm
We will be painting and texturing the set on:
Wednesday 16th 1pm – 9pm
Thursday 17th 11 pm – 5.30 pm
We will also be gathering props, and making things like the ticket for Canada, and we will need people to do things like clean up the range which we are borrowing, sew curtains, look for things which we don’t have etc. etc.
This will all be ongoing during the build times, but if you are interested in building, painting, or anything else, and you can’t make any of those times, please let me know, and I will try to arrange extra sessions when people are available (possibly Saturday)
PROPS
At the moment we are looking for the following items:
A rag rug (which looks like it is from 1926 – in traditional style)
An armchair ( the kind of thing which may have been in a miner’s house in 1926 – not too posh, and not a modern style)
A lace curtain (not a net curtain)
An Oilcloth
A small footstool (1926 style!)
If you think you may have any of these items, and wouldn’t mind lending them, please get in touch with me, or Helen, or Fiona.
Thanks – the build and painting will be fun, and interesting, I hope – but possibly quite messy, so please don’t wear your best clothes when you come to help!
Janis
Stuart has been gathering pictures of potential locations, for both inspiration and possible film shooting.
Here are pictures he took at the NCB Workshops in Cowdenbeath. One building clearly dated back to 1925, so perfect timing for our film’s era.
Stuart Watson writes:
Hi there,
Visited the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum this morning and took these photo’s. 3 of the buses housed there were from the 1920′s. The blue single decker was the more likely style to have been in service locally, whilst the other 2 were in service in Glasgow and the south of England. The guys name who showed me around was Eddie Taylor and his contact details are as follows : eddie-taylor@tiscali.co.uk & 01383 720241.
Stuart
For more of Stuart’s pictures, check out this link.
First location: Lochore Miners Institute
Our first possible location for the mini-shoot was the Lochore Miners Institute. Meeting Janis there and stepping inside, we were impressed by the beautiful ceiling in the entrance hall. Not 1926 period but very glamorous! (1.1)
(1.1)
There is a big hall with stage, backstage corridor and it seats 150+ (1.2) from stage (1.3) looking at stage. The location is also really close to BRAG and so is handy for costume and set. What do you think?
(1.2) (1.3)
Second Location: Dundonald Institute
You should remember our second possible location as the venue of our Christmas party! (If you can remember that night…..?) The hall is smaller and so more manageable for you designers but it has a non-period ceiling. (2.1) stage and (2.2) looking from stage.
(2.1)(2.2)
Location 3: Kinglassie Miners Institute
We just stopped here on the way past; too small? (3.1)
(3.1)
A quick stop in Leslie to look at rows of houses (4.1) and the old cinema. (4.2)
(4.1)
(4.2)
These houses have the original sash windows, soon to be refurbished. A nice row to be sprayed with mud! There are old lamps further down the street and I think, with a bit of Janis and team magic, might be a good 1926 exterior.
Does anyone know any details about the Regal? It’s very run down now. What period is it? Is it original inside?
Final Location: Buckhaven Theatre
Our last location of the day was Buckhaven Theatre. They have very plush red seats to sit 102. (5.1) There’s the bonus of stage lighting and look very glamorous. (5.2) There’s more travel involved from BRAG but it might be worth the travelling. (5.3) Janis and Scott discussing sets and framing shots.
(5.1)
(5.2)
(5.3)
The last appointment of the day…..no, not the pub…..story session at BRAG! Let us know what you think of the locations and if you know of any more in the area.
Fiona.
Community Co-ordinator.
The Design and Resources Group led by Janice is responsible for the location of filming sites, the creation of scenery, costumes for the actors, and props needed to support the scenery and the action in the film.
So far the group has built a miniature cottage representative of a miner’s row. They have also collected and studied photographs of miners, their villages, houses, and activities of the 1926 period. Clothing and artefacts for props and costumes have been collected. In a meeting with the writers, a list of potential scenes have been identified. Using that list, two of the scenes were examined by teams within the group to determine what would be required to create scenery and props for the scenes. Janice had us consider what colours, materials and textures would be used and what moods and feelings should be invoked.
We have been surprised by how many questions are raised by our research into what we thought we knew. For example, when trying to identify the type of safety helmets worn by Fife miners in 1926, how many variations there were. The soft cap seemed to provide more protection for the carbide lamp than the miner! And the black and white photographs don’t hint at colours. Was everything shades of coal dust? Were the inside surfaces of the brick walls finished in any way? What did the miner’s wifes wear to go out partying?
Anybody out there have a spare Army machine gun? Sandbags too?
The designers workshop participants get busy:
And the final model of the miners row:
fifeoffice
Sahra
theatreworkshopscotland
twsedinburgh
