Village Day - Summary

    Village Day has it's faults, it has it's critics, although it has it's fans too. I produced the film and I am proud of my work, although that's not to say I cannot see what is wrong with 'Village Day.' I was never very happy with the finished product, I am the film's biggest critic.
   However the film is what it is, and despite all the problems and frustrations I encountered along the way, there were times when I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I also picked up a few skills, and learned something about film-making, and about human nature!
   I was also proud, for at the time I was staunch member of Six of One I was producing something for the society, but with the help of many many people. At the outset of the film project I had in excess of 60 people who wanted to help with the film, many of whom brought a variety of skills with them. But of course in any process there is a natural wastage, and so as people dropped out of the project for whatever reason, I was left with a production crew of about 12 people who I could rely on.
    When the idea of making a film was first put to me, the idea was for me to play the Prisoner. So I thought fine, just wait while someone writes the script, I'll learn my lines, and act the role of the Prisoner. Never did I envisage that the entire project would fall upon my shoulders. When all is said and done, I think working on 'Village Day' was well worth it. It brought many people together from Six of One, and gave many a purpose within the society. And I like to think that everyone who was involved got something out of the experience. For myself, it gave me some small understanding of how things must have been for Patrick McGoohan while he was working on 'the Prisoner.' I was relieved when it was all over. An old friend of mine said will you be making another film? I said not on your life. And do you know what....I didn't, one film was quite enough for me!
  I hope the film has given people pleasure over the years, I know it has for some. And certainly someone has seen the value in the film, because of the number of unauthorised copies there are out there on DVD. I only produced the film on video. One day, when I've nothing better to do, my time these days is all accounted for, I intend to produce a Directors cut, and edit the film together how I had originally envisaged it to be. When that will ever happen I don't know, because I've been saying that for the past 3 or so years and have not got around to doing it yet. Mind you it's been some time since I've watched the film myself, perhaps it's time I did. And do you know, 'Village Day' is the only film produced for Six of One which has never been screend at a 'Prisoner' Convention, want to know why? well it's like this............................

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Teabreak Teaser

   This photographic still has been taken from routine surveillance footage. It is during the evening when No.6 has been helping Alison-No.24 with her mind reading act in his cottage. In the photograph No.6 is posing for Alison whilst she takes yet another Polaroid photograph of No.6 to enter in the photographic section of the 'Village Festival.'

   Yet there is something not quite right about the photograph, and it took No.57 in 'Visual Records' some time before he realised what it was. So what was it that No.57 found to be not quite right in the photograph..... can you spot what it is?

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Caught On Camera!

    McGoohan "No look Don, you show me in the script where it says anything about Number Six kissing the white Queen."

    Rosalie Crutchley "Yes Don, you show me where the white Queen gets to kiss Number Six."

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The Therapy Zone

    Having viewed both ‘The Schizoid Man’ and ‘The General’ many times previously, I had observed that when No.6 pulls up the left sleeve of his blazer to show the mole which he hasn't got, that the stainless steel strap of his wrist watch is already open! this I found very strange, to be wearing a wrist watch with the strap undone. And No.2 in The General puts his sun glasses on over his spectacles! I thought this cannot be right, No.2 must surely take off his spectacles before donning the sunglasses. However having gained the Prisoner on DVD I was able to put an end to such mystery, as a frame by frame the viewing of this scene in The Schizoid Man on DVD revealed that No.6 did in fact unclip the stainless steel strap of his wrist watch. It is a frame you do not see when viewing it normally, and I was wrong about No.2 taking off his spectacles in The General, he does put his sun glasses on over his spectacles. And where there is a frame of film missing, you will find, in some of the end credits to the Prisoner episodes an incomplete canopied penny farthing bicycle! I leave it to you to spot which they are, if you have not already long since done so that is.

    What a man No.2 is of ‘Checkmate,’ sitting crossed legged on the floor of hisoffice, attired in judo outfit and a length of balsa wood placed on two blocks in front of him. "Kaaa!" And No.2 splits the balsa wood with one swift blow of the side of a hand, very impressive!

    How well do you know your alphabet? Poor old No.6, his mind housed in the body of the Colonel, and remember it is supposed to be the mind of No.6 and not that of the Colonel, nor actor Nigel Stock! In ‘Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling’ No.6 has retrieved the photographic slides from the photographic shop, and after returning home, he closes the blinds and prepares to find the location of Seltzman through a number of slides. The number of the slides corresponds with the letters of SELTZMAN, the number of each letter of the alphabet 19, 5, 12, 20, 26, 13, 1, 14 No.6 calculates on one hand. This action has often been ridiculed by some people, but could you do better, I don't think I could, because I just had to write down the letters of the alphabet to make the same calculation as No.6! Mind you agents of No.6's calibre who deal with codes and ciphers are supposed to know, its all part of their training.

   Sonia's powder compact was designed by Mary Quant, well the flower on it was.

   I cannot but help feel that there should be some symbolic meaning behind the way No.6 puts that toy clown in the way of the camera as he leaves the nursery in ‘The Girl Who Was Death,’ but for the life of me I cannot figure what that might be.

    It was asked how the helicopter pilot knew how to bring No.6 back to the Village in ‘The Schizoid Man?. Simply because No.2 had told him to. Watch again as they approach the helicopter. As No.6 goes to speak to Alison, No.2 says "Excuse me..." and calls the pilot to one side.

 

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Village Day - The Premier

    One of the remaining tasks was to create a promotional trailer for 'Village Day,' which I intended to show at a Six of One work-in {work-in's which used to be held to put between 2,000 to 3,000 mailings together to send out to the membership} so to advertise the film.
   I myself did not edit either the films trailer or the film itself. Funds were running out, and there were still a number of outlays to make, the printing of video covers, the hire of a venue for the premier showing of the film, and a number of other sundries. So that when a friend said she could use a film editing suite for nothing, I bit her hand off, but the fact that I could not be there at the editing of the film was a draw-back.
    The day of the Six of One work-in held at the Irish Centre in Birmingham, at which the trailer for 'Village Day' is to be screened, I was both excited and nervous. This was the first opportunity for me to show off the work which had thus far been carried on on the film, to show what the audience at the fims premier later in the year could expect, I hoped they would not be disappointed. I was also a little nervous, in case the audience did not like what they were about to see.

   But all went well, and the trailer for 'Village Day' was well received, despite the poor sound quality of the film. But in showing the trailer there must have been some disappointed people in the room, those who had put money on me not producing the film, bets they were all soon to lose! You see in the months that followed, I was told that someone within Six of One, was so sure that I would not produce a film, that a book had been opened and bets laid against my completing the project. I only wish I'd had a bet myself!

    So, the task in hand was the editing togther of 'Village day,' which was something entirely out of my control. All I could do was write notes to the editor as to how I wanted the film put together, along with a large number of telephone calls to the film editor. I recall one telephone call when I got very angry, as the editor was running through all the film footage, back and forth, over and over simply to watch the various scenes. I had to forcibly say that to keep winding and re-winding the film would have a detremental effect, that by doing that it degrades the film. Also during another telephone communication from my film editor - oh what an Executive Producer is put through - as my film editor seemed more concerned with the idea for a second film premier of 'Village Day' rather than the actual business of editing the film together! Just get on with the effing task in hand *!!"?** Otherwise there won't be any film premier to go to!!!! I think that this was the worst time of the films production for me, and looking back, had I another way to have had the film edited together, I would have taken it.

   A rough-cut of the film 'Vilage Day' eventually had been sent to me. I could see that there was still a great deal of work still to do, and so I got to work immediately in writing the most detailed notes of instructions, as well as speaking to the film editor on the telephone. Some scenes had been cut into the film too short! It's was going to be a long slog, that much I could tell. And there was still the films sound effects to sort out!

   At the same time I turned my attention to the video sleeve covers. I sent an idea of what I was looking for to a friend of mine, and left it to him. In time he returned to me four different designs, of which I chose to to have printed in a large number, ready for the release of the film on video.

    Eventually 'Village Day' was completed, a master tape and second master, which were of the highest standard video tape were made . But I have to say that I was far from happy with the finished result. There is far too much of Number 6 walking about on his own in the Village, and a number of close-ups shots had been missed out of a number of scenes. But I blamed myself for that, not being able to be present at the editing stage of the project. Had I been, well it would have been a different thing altogether. And yet, dispite the faults I found, the film contained so many very good scenes.

   So I had a film, I had a venue where the films premier would be held, and then came another brush with RL, co-ordinator of Six of One. He didn't give the film official society backing, in either deed or funding. However when it came to the point of organising the films premier, RL must have seen that it was all going to be a success, because he contacted me saying that perhaps the premier event could be made into an "official" event, that the funding of the event could come out of Six of One coffers, that RL himself would take over organising the event. The damned cheek of the man I thought. I was enraged, so angry to think that before when I asked for assitance and Six of One official help it was refused. But now all of a sudden it was the best thing since sliced bread...I told RL that neither he, nor any so called official backing from Six of One was required, or words to that effect. As a consequence he tried to prevent me from putting flyers promoting the premier event into the Six of One mailing, but I did it anyway.

    Final preparations would be made, making sure that nothing could be forgotten. And that The "big screen" and projector would arrive tomorrow morning in good time to be set up before those attending the films premier were due to start arriving. Surley I would be able to relax now. Nothing could go wrong, this so close to the end of a very long and difficult film project.

    The Film Premier of 'Village Day'.......... A day that began early, and after breakfast everything was checked and double checked. Costumes, props, photographic stills all to be put on display, the Video of the film to be screened, as nothing could be forgotten.

   So with everything loaded up in the car, it was off to the Hall at Enderby, in Leicestershire, where the film premier event was to take place. Once there it was all hands on deck to unload the car, then once in the hall costumes had to be set out on display, photographs to be pinned up on display boards, along the bust of Patrick McGoohan set on a plinth, which had been specially commissioned for the film, along with props set out on tables. Chairs to be set out, cinema style, and the large projection screen and video projector to set up........ the large projection screen and video projector to set up..... where the bloody hell was it? Somewhere between Leicester and Newcastle in all probability, and was something I was really sweating over. If the screen and projector didn't arrive on time, I'd be left with egg on my face. Why such equipment form Newcastle? Well because of the size of screen, and besides a good mate had said I could have use of the equipment for free.

   As the guests began to arrive, I tried to greet as many as I could personally, who had come from all parts of the country. We had required that people should 'dress up' as we hoped to make it as like a premier as possible. Most complied, some dressed in wonderful attire, but you always get one or two, don't you, who consider themselves 'unconventional' who made no effort at all. And what's more the bloody projection screen and projector had not yet arrived! What's more people were getting ready to see the film, taking their seats etc. I was sweating buckets I can tell you..... But wait, there's the car arriving outside, with only a few minutes to spare before the official start of the premier event the screen and projector had arrived, much to my relief.

    Once the screen and projector had been set up, with the patience of the audience, the premier commenced with a screening of a selection of Six of One film archive, with some very dated hairstyles and clothes of those members on London walkabouts of Prisoner film locations. Then it was the big moment, the film premier of ‘Village Day,’ after there was a long and prolonged applause, which I took and was very much appreciated. But it does not take one man to produce a film, it takes many, both in front and behind the camera. But just to force it through, and see the job done....... that man was me, just as Patrick McGoohan had done with 'the Prisoner.'

   Then there was a screening of selected out-takes, followed by a buffet and drinks, followed closely by the presentation of a portrait to me, a portrait of myself in No.2's office..... that took my breath away. To think that I was so much appreciated. But the work was actually it's own reward, except that I was presented with a painting of myself as No.6 pictured in No.6’s office. For some years the painting hung over the fire place.

  The film was very well received, and the premier event a wonderful success.

Next time Village Day: the summary

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Quote For The Day

    "You must be new here. In time most of us join the enemy against ourselves."
                                        {No.14 - Checkmate}

    It is easy to place different interpretations upon the many and varied aspects of 'the Prisoner,' take the quote above for example. I seems to me, judging by what No.14 says, that it would appear that he has had something of the same experience as No.6 in 'Fall Out.' Perhaps at some point in the past No.14 might have been put to the test, faced with himself as No.6 had been. The effect of which, has apparently having been the same as it was for No.6, after all No.14 is still a prisoner!

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Thought For The Day

    Here's a thought. You know how it is when No.2 apparently died in that cage in 'Once Upon A Time,' and how some little time later he was resuscitated by a medical team during 'Fall Out.' Well seeing as how they couldn't let No.2 rest in peace, would 'they' have resuscitated No.6 had he been to one to die in that cage?

   And if the shoe had been on the other foot, that might very well have meant that No.2, who having survived the ultimate test, would have made him the man magnificently equipped to lead the Village! But instead No.2 was put on trial for his failure, his failure to recognise that fact that he had been successful in extracting the reason why the Prisoner-No.6 resigned!

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