The Groundsman
The Groundsman was the third and final grad film of Screen Graduate 2013. It was written and directed by Jonny Blair.
Crew
Writer/Director: Jonny Blair
Producer: Kenny MacKay
DoP: Andrew Wright
Camera Op: Vivii Bjorklund
1st AC: Abbie McFarlane
2nd AC: Melissa Murray
Gaffer: Alicia Shaw
Best Boys: Ben Cook, Struan Robertson
1st AD: Carol Brown
Production Assistant: Jennifer Barrie
Runner: Rosie Levine
Sound Recordist: Ed Halligan
Boom Ops: Lily Mellon (lilymellon42@gmail.com), Jordan Whitefield (jordan.whitefield@btinternet.com)
Production Designer: Annie McCredie
Art Department: Rosie Jacob
Wardrobe: Kate Dalzell
Wardrobe Assistant: Hannah Kelso
Make-Up: Meghan Bagan (mobagan@msn.com), Janet McBride (janetmcbride91@gmail.com)
Script Supervisor: Hollie Wemyss
Editor: Conor Meechan
DIT: Rachel Erskine
Composer: Alexander Horowitz
Synopsis
The film is about a lonely, junior football groundsman who instead of coming to terms with his club going bankrupt, decides to keep the stadium running.
Production
Filming started on Sunday 5th May for a half day until Friday 10th May 2013. Also was a half day in April when went to film a football match, which proved infinitely preferable to mocking it.
Cast was David O'Hara as Keith, whom Jonny knew personally, with Brian McCardie, Jim Sweeney, Darran Lightbody (academy alumni) and Frank Lovering (Benburb manager) rounding out the cast. Extras were a mix of friends and actors.
Locations were a house in King's Park, which we found on Right Move and approached the agents to use, Tinto Park in Govan, home of Benburb FC which we built the film round, Bell's Bar on Govan Road and a country road near Bishopton, for which we used a nearby B&B as a production base.
For power for Tinto, we needed to hire a generator, which was sourced from HSS Hire for £102. This was a 10kva output, which powers a 2.5k HMI, however needed topping up with diesel and made a considerable noise. Be prepared to hire cables to distance yourself from it, and will have to inform neighbours if filming in residential area. Beware delivery team can be unreliable.
Catering was provided by Where the Monkey Sleeps through the academy.
Security was provided by Alex Batchelor, at a very reasonable rate. 07985 585942