The Making Of Made in Wales

Greetings and welcome to It's My Shout.

Now, what is this? What is It's My Shout?

Basically, it's a summer training scheme

that has been running for the past nine years,

which has been producing quality short films that have been broadcast

and supported by the BBC.

-Slate 33, take one.

-Just take two steps back. That's it.

It's My Shout has eyes and ears everywhere.

It works with people from all walks of life.

It visits schools and colleges.

It is always looking for new talent to be in front of, and also behind,

the camera, working in various production areas.

Here we go, camera set...

And...action.

My name is Simon Lee, from Dolgethly,

and I started working on It's My Shout back in 2009,

where I was a runner, just sort of at the bottom, doing anything I could

to help out, and watch as much things as I could,

to learn and get the most out of the experience.

Hiya, my name's Tannan, I'm from Bangor,

and I'm playing the role of Stacey in ABCDad.

'In college, I just focused more on my dancing than my acting,'

so I thought it would be something different that I could enjoy doing.

I'm Gavin Porter, from Butetown. I've lived here all my life.

I've shot some stuff and I've directed some short films,

but never really worked with a full crew and I realise I need to learn

the intricacies of how it works on set,

in order for me to take that next step, really.

-Cut!

-Cut there.

Each summer, It's My Shout and a range of trainees work together

to produce and shoot six short films,

which will be broadcast on air - a fantastic opportunity

for anyone wanting experience in the media industry.

The participants work in conjunction with each other.

They work in all forms of areas, such as location, such as running,

make-up and costume, to name but a few.

Also, every year,

it welcomes new writers and new directors into the fold.

The film is about a 16-year-old girl.

It's on her birthday, so she's just turned 16,

and she writes a wish-list of all the things that she would like to do,

now that she has turned 16.

I've been involved in community projects, not just in Butetown,

but all of South Wales, really.

Butetown, as it's now known,

has been here for...

I've been part of that community all my life, since I was born.

All the directors meet on a regular basis, to go through scripts

and the pre-production process.

...kind of places that you want. He might have ideas in his head.

The script was set in a leafy suburb,

but me - as a person and a director - didn't really identify with the world

that the story was set in, so obviously, as a film-maker,

I would like to think that you tend to push some of your own personality

on screen, and because I am from a council estate, Butetown,

it was, kind of, natural for me to set it here.

Now, everything normally happens down here, in South Wales.

This year, though, we are branching out, into Bangor in North Wales,

to film ABCDad.

All trainees and cast are sourced locally, giving students in Bangor

a unique opportunity to work in this environment.

-Open.

-You promised, Gaz,

you promised you wouldn't disappear and you did - again.

-Just open the window.

-Where have you been?

-I've come to help ya.

'ABCDad is about'

a young lad who has got difficulties

'with writing and reading and he's really trying to get a job.'

-Read that.

-No.

-Just read it.

-I said no.

-Why?

Can't you read or something?

He does try really hard and that's when he meets Ffion

'and Ffion helps him.'

I didn't know you couldn't read. I can help you learn, if you want.

It's a job interview. It's tomorrow, at two.

You need to go to The Castle pub, OK?

-What?

-Don't be late for the interview.

Last chance, remember?

The character of Stacey, she's 16 years old,

she lives on a council estate. Her boyfriend was Gary,

who wasn't a very good boyfriend. They had a baby together, so she then became a single mother.

-What's she crying for?

-Cos she still hasn't seen her dad.

-Well, I'm here now.

-Yeah, until you piss off again.

-Stace, I promise.

Whatever, Gaz.

BABY WAILS

It's My Shout teams up with various partners -

schools and colleges -

each year, to help push the training scheme further.

It's a work experience we can't give them.

It's a work experience where they can get out and really see

what the industry wants from them.

Slate 25, take one. At end.

-On the end.

-On end.

-Nearly!

It's just unbelievable. It's given us, as a college,

the opportunity to give our learners

real-life experiences working on a programme which they know

is going to be transmitted and that gives it that sense of reality

and a sense of belonging to an industry.

In fact, we opened it up totally,

to any of our students that wanted to do it, in creative media

and the art department.

-Art department!

-Cheers!

'We didn't, sort of, say they had to be camera people.

'They came and saw the opportunity.

'The student might be on a media TV production course.

'Ashley chose to do something different, once they realised

'there was an opportunity for it.'

To get the shots that we wanted,

we've basically moved everything around.

Green here. So if you replace those.

We haven't bought any of these nappies.

We're not allowed to actually leave them as they are,

'so we have to make sure that they go back exactly as we found them.

'We try and abide by the rule, if someone lets you'

use their place, you leave it better than you got it.

Some trainees find themselves

helping out in more than one department.

Simon's colleague Steve, for example,

worked in both the art department and locations.

It was a really good experience to look for these places,

'to use local areas and find catering also,

'and sort out all the locations, really.'

Basically, we are setting the design here for the bus stop scenes.

It is printed on waterproof vinyl,

but just putting it over, just in case.

These are for the bus stop scene,

when Gary is waiting for a bus.

But because he can't read,

he doesn't realise that the bus is not actually coming.

And...action!

As a director,

Gavin has the responsibility

to cast his actors and create his overall look.

He, too, finds his characters within the local area.

'Charlie, as a person, in my head I see her as, kind of, a dreamer.

'She's 16. Obviously, she's written a list of what she would like to do.'

I've got a few ideas.

# Everybody's wishing

# Me a happy birthday

# Everybody's wishing

# Me a real good time

# Everybody wishing... #

'I see her and it's, like,'

I'm trying get the idea of, like, Beauty and the Mundane, I guess.

'I see her as a colourful character that I want to cast.

'Butetown is a colourful place,

'so she's fits in with...'

in with her surroundings, really.

'Emily is from Radnor. She had the innocence that we were looking for'

to play a 16-year-old - someone who has only just turned 16.

'I felt Emily fitted the character, visually, how I imagined it,'

and also she married well

with the other people that I had in mind to play the other parts.

My initial instinct was to cast people from the Butetown area,

to play the parts.

'There are creative people in the area,

'but there is not necessarily a go-to organisation.'

Oh, you want a real gamble?

Try internet dating.

'I've know him all my life, I guess, really. He's from the area.'

I think that he's an unearthed gem.

He's multi-talented, but he just...

I don't think has either had the opportunity

or had the belief in himself

that he can do things creatively.

What's wit' all this gambling, anyway?

If you want to gamble, how about mining in Bolivia

or eating a blowfish's liver?

Don't bother... Machine broken.

Won't be fixed till Thursday.

-Happy with that?

-Yeah.

Both cast and crew spend the time before shooting begins

preparing for their roles, in order to have everything perfect

for their time on set.

'I prepared for my character'

of Stacey by speaking to my sister, as she was a single mother.

'Everyone, my whole family and my friends, have all been supportive

'and they have all helped me'

learn my lines and go over it with me, so I can do my action.

'Stepping on the set for the first time was really weird,

'because I had never, ever seen anything quite like it before.

'I'd never seen loads of lights and cameras and so much people.

'It was, like, a really good experience,'

but it was also quite scary, just knowing that, when you are acting,

everyone is, like, staring at you,

but, after about five minutes, it was fine and everyone was so nice.

Once on set,

trainees are thrust into how professional film-making works.

There are many departments involved,

so each individual focuses on their own role.

This one is, basically, about Gary's, sort of,

struggle with being able to read and write...

..or even understanding things.

And this is, kind of, his little way

of being able to, sort of, understand things,

like telephone numbers. He links them with symbols.

Like using the ATM machine, he knows he's got to put his card in first,

pop his PIN in and then he gets the money out.

The script itself is quite specific, in what it wanted,

especially the...name "Gary".

The writer even said how she perceived it.

So that was quite easy to do.

What's that?

You ready?

'In terms of preparation,'

I spent about two weeks, possibly, going through every shot.

'When I went on set, then I had an idea of exactly what I wanted to do.

'I didn't want to waste time. I knew time was, kind of, precious.

'When I went onto the set on the first day,

'I felt if I didn't know the answer to things

'it would reflect badly on me, so I was,

'kind of, for the first morning,

'I thought, "I need to know the answer to things."

'But as the day wore on

'I realised I was probably one of the ones with the least experience

'and I had a good crew around me and it would be'

to my benefit to, erm, listen to what they had to say and be happy

and, kind of, work as a team.

Throughout the process, and as filming begins,

friends, families and communities show their support for the scheme.

I haven't seen anything like this before. I think it's really good.

Everyone's looking and watching and wanting to know what it's all about.

Things like this are instrumental in getting young people involved.

In terms of self-esteem, I don't think you can do

better than the media.

'Based on what I've seen from your initiative,'

encouraging youth to get into media, I think it's a very good thing.

'When I grew up, my street was always'

full of kids and it was always a busy place.

'There's nothing like that happens in my street,

'because it's got a bad reputation. And it was weird

'filming there, cos everyone I knew came out in the street'

and everyone was asking me what was going on and stuff like that.

It was just weird.

"..hope you're not too disappointed in us both.

"I'll send you postcards of our adventures. Love, Gruffy."

This training opportunity can also open up the chance

for young actors and actresses to work alongside

a range of experienced and well-known performers.

An invaluable chance to learn from some of the best.

I think that the It's My Shout series of shows is a fantastic idea

to give experience to young people

trying to get into the business,

all aspects of the business - camera, lights, editing,

you name it.

Even young actors.

-Yeah, yeah.

-You're going to leave, are you?

-Yeah, got to go now, so that's... see you.

-My wife left me.

We're not just helping this generation,

the upcoming generation, but we're skipping future generations

to create a greater future for our industry.

To pick up six scripts and get them organised

and to use all the kids

that you've got from schools and the universities,

to give them the experience of a few old professionals like me

I think is a marvellous achievement.

Did you know, in the 18th century

you could take out insurance against going to hell?

Do you have insurance, Bruce?

Working with the trainees today has been amazing.

I haven't really known who's a trainee and who's a professional,

which I think is the way it's meant to be.

They seem to have mixed both of them together,

so I'm none the wiser about who is actually

doing this for a living and who isn't.

The value of It's My Shout is that it teaches hands-on experience,

because you can go to any number of media courses around the country,

and you'll never have the hands-on experience of working

on a film set, which is the only way you learn.

I think the scheme is a good entry point

for people coming into the industry

and just getting an idea about what it's all about, how it all works.

Aargh!

Come on, now. Oh. Er.

Oh. Erm.

Am...Amber.

-Mike!

-Amber!

Some of them have never done anything like this before.

It's great that they are all coming together

to create art, hopefully,

and just gain... well, take what they can from it,

and it's one of the very few opportunities in Wales

for that to happen.

I think it's important,

especially in this day and age, to turn a key,

perhaps, in young people who want to get into the business

and just give them a little taste maybe of

what it holds for them

if they decide to do it on a professional level.

Danielle!

APPLAUSE

'We've done it, we've won.

'We...defeated the monster.'

Yeah, I don't want to sound...soppy,

but, yeah, there was a really good atmosphere on set, I felt,

and the whole crew were really great.

It was good working with other trainees,

cos I was a trainee myself.

'I think they all done a really good job.

'I must admit, some of the trainees did'

impress me with the skills they had.

Smile and wave for the camera...

'Geraint, first AD.'

He was instrumental in helping me, really.

Just picking up a series of shots we missed from the other day.

I'll talk you through what we want

and what we're doing each time as we go through, OK?

'We met beforehand. I told him I really lacked experience,'

so he guided me along the way,

from simple things as "do I say 'cut'?"

I left 'cut' to him. I didn't even leave 'cut' to him,

it was his job to say 'cut'.

'Yeah, he was firm but fair,

'I guess is a good way of describing his style.'

Obviously vastly experienced,

and he helped the whole process keep on time.

Got a lot to achieve in the first couple of days.

I've hit the ground running, but yeah,

it's going very well, actually.

Quite clear, quite concise. Pushing him hard, but he's reacting well.

It's My Shout has been a huge help to me building my confidence up.

'It's been a great help for that.

'Also it's been a huge help for me getting contacts with

'people who actually work in the industry

'and learning valuable tips from people, being able to'

progress as a person and progress as myself to where I'm aiming to go.

It's made me more confident

and it's given me an experience of how films

actually get made and how long they take.

Hopefully, from this here I can carry on and possibly get

some work in the film industry.

It's been a good experience. I enjoyed it.

Once the filming is finished, screening preparations start.

This gives the participants experience in marketing,

publicity and arranging the events, and all this culminates...

here! At Porthcawl's Grand Pavilion.

After each film has been completed,

all participants are invited to view,

celebrate and be awarded for their work.

It's great for them, and a night like this is

great for them too, because they get some recognition

for the work they've done and to get to play showbiz.

You're marvellous. Marvellous.

Fantastic.

The standard would be very high.

I mean, there's been a lot of talented people working on these.

I'm looking forward to seeing the ones I haven't seen

very much indeed, yeah.

It's a... I'm quite excited, really.

I'm so nervous to see the film,

just because I don't know what to expect, so...

it's just going to be so...

it's going to be weird seeing myself on telly, I think.

So I'm really nervous, but I'm excited.

Got a job.

-Nice one!

-Yeah.

-Where is she?

-She's sleeping.

There's a thing on it, you know, like a little tag thing.

Really daunting and scary right now,

and all we're doing is just sitting here, well, standing here

having some glasses of champagne, you know?

I feel like I'm prolonging it. I just want to see it already

and see if I enjoy it.

'I'm just enjoying myself tonight,'

I'm just enjoying the feel, really,

and being down in South Wales for once.

Just looking forward to seeing the final product of the films

and how everything looks.

RADIO: '...the Shipping Forecast, issued by the Met Office

'on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

'The general synopsis - low, German Bight...'

CLOCK TICKS

'He seems fine in himself.'

King Dai could hear the screams

coming from deep within.

Once he had saved them all, he would be loved by the townspeople.

'A glance they hold, a story told,

'without the need for words.

'A moment spent, her smile,

'her scent.

'Hearts flutter now like birds.'

Come on.

-Whoa.

-I know.

It makes me feel...

alive.

FEEDBACK SQUEALS

Anyway, here we are.

This is the moment you've all been waiting for.

And the winner is...

Once the films have been shown,

awards are given out to the trainees

who have excelled during the process.

I really, really hope Gavin or someone wins something,

because they all just did so amazingly.

I'm kind of scared if I win something,

because the heels I've got on are ridiculously high

and I'm afraid I'll fall when I walk up to the stage.

Apart from that, it's quite exciting!

Well, it's the first time I've seen myself

on a screen like this, you know?

It's mad, like, you know?

It's wicked. Hollywood next!

APPLAUSE

Tonight, we want to once again recognise the talent

that has emerged this year both in front of and behind the cameras.

Steven Mason for ABCDad.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

How do you feel?

Oh, it feels amazing. It's just...

I just really wasn't expecting it.

Lucy Gallagher.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

I'm really quite shocked.

Christopher Jacobi for camera.

I'll stop there, cos I'll talk about bacon, so, sorry!

LAUGHTER

Anthony "Wella" Carrea for Sweet Sixteen.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

I just said to the man there... I don't know what to say!

LAUGHTER

Well, I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who voted for me,

like, you know, and I'm just speechless about this award.

Thomas Herbert...

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

..for King Of The Castle.

I'm very, very happy.

Thank you very, very much.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Emily Burnett

for Sweet Sixteen.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Er, Emily Burnett? Whooo!

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Thank you to Gavin,

who was an amazing director.

He did so...he was just amazing.

And thank you for this.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Best Senior Actor is,

for ABCDad,

Michael Sanderson.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

And the winner of Best Film...

Sweet Sixteen.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

HE MOUTHS

I didn't expect nothing like this,

but I am really happy that I got it, you know?

Happy, over the moon...

obviously, I said it earlier, it was a genuine team effort, really.

It's been great to just be recognised,

sort of like they've been keeping an eye on sort of who's good.

I couldn't get up off my chair!

And I can't believe I got up! Actually, I did it without falling!

Let's just see what happens from here now, really.

It's really a good event, I think, to...you get socialising

and meet everyone again, and just have a good time, really,

and celebrate everything that's been done.

Looking around, there's many, many people here in the industry

that actually do this professionally,

that I can actually speak to and go up to them

and say "hello" and say who I am.

I hope I'll keep doing stuff like this.

I'll quite happily live my life doing short films like that,

cos it was so much fun doing it.

To kind of get the experience at a young age in particular,

it's invaluable, and it's exciting,

and it allows you to be creative and to do what you want

and have the opportunity to do it.

And as I say, a lot of people don't have that, so, as they do have it,

they'd better make the most of it.

If I could do this as something...

as my career, or whatever, I'd love it.

I can't even put it into words. It'd be amazing.

The award ceremony brings this year's scheme to a close.

However, many will take away the skills and the experience

they have learnt to forge future careers in the media industry.

It's My Shout wishes them all the best.

Take one.

..25, take one...

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