Local film company Pod Films has once again put a local institution in the public eye. Steam, a short film about West Bay’s annual vintage tractor and stationary engine rally in June was commissioned by The Guardian and went online for the world to see this week [Thursday 12 August]. The Guardian’s online editor called it ‘glorious’ and Gabby Hitchin, director of Bridport’s Electric Palace, is keen to feature the 7-minute film as the trailer for a winter movie season, starting in September. Bridport’s cinema was the subject of an earlier Pod Films documentary for Guardian Online. One of the UK’s most popular newspaper websites, Guardian Online has an audience of over 1.8 million.
Pod’s director, film-maker Dave Young, said: “It’s great that our films are going down so well. I like to shoot real people and am keen to show the quintessence of Englishness in it’s many forms. Everyone is interesting if you make the time to find out what makes them tick. The Guardian like my style so we get to shoot a lot of my own ideas.” Dave also shoots presenter-led films around the country.
Pod Films, journalist producer, Lesley Gillilan adds. “We’ve been making short films for a while now. First for Channel 4 and now for Guardian Online. Our next step is to work with companies and individuals on creating films for marketing and promotional purposes or to enhance their online presence. As soon as Steam went online, we got a call from a leading creative agency asking us to make film about them and their work – this is an exciting development for us, especially as they want us to stick to our own distinctive style.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/video/2010/aug/12/vintage-steam-rally-dorset
