A Favourite Scene in Village Day

   This scene was filmed along a long and quite often deserted country B road not too far from Bracknell in Berkshire.

    A long and quite often deserted road, so I was informed by one of the film crew who was local to the area. A quiet stretch of road it might have been at one time, but not on that particular day we chose to film. Because as it turned out the world and his wife wanted to drive along this particular road, just as we were filming. I couldn't believe it!!!

   First off I asked if Bill, the owner of KAR 120C could crash his Caterham 7 for me. Bill said "No problem!" I was amazed. I said to Bill I want the car to suddenly skid as the driver loses control, and crash into a telegraph pole. Or rather skid the car and bring the Caterham up as close to the telegraph pole as you can as though the car’s crashed into it. So that is what he did, the actual crash looked very realistic, and the bonnet was adjusted so as to affirm the crash for the camera in close-up shots. I sat in KAR 120C slumped over the wheel with blood oozing from my forehead, blood which was actually tomato puree which looked very realistic. It was quiet all around as a close-up was being filmed, the only sound was that of the wind. Even the cows standing in the field looking on were quiet. The whole scene looked very realistic, so much so that a white van driver pulled up and said did we want him to call an ambulance, the crash looked pretty bad. We were all amazed, and explained that we were making a film, and with that the white van driver drove off. The remainder of the location shoot was of KAR 120C being driven along the road, this way and that, from the roadside and through the back window of a car set in front.

   Once the film shoot was complete we all retired to our friends’ home for refreshments and to screen the rushes of the days filming. All was well apart from the crash scene, there were two members of the film crew standing at the side of the road in shot as the Caterham 7 crashed. “Damn and blast!” What was to be done? Go back the next day and film the crash all over again? No, because we had to be on our way to London for a location shoot in the capital. Then as we were deliberating the problem, one of the crew said he could alter the film on his computer - marvellous. So the film was taken away to be worked on over night. The next day as we prepared for the trip to London the film was brought back and screened. The few frames of the film of the crash scene with the two people standing in shot had been shrunk, and you couldn't tell the difference from the rest of the film. 

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