21 November, 2011

Première of MidVillage Bloomers

This Thursday 24 November sees the première of a number of short films by local company Artworks Pictures.  The main production is MidVillage Bloomers, written and produced by Paul Bagshaw, in liaison with Southport MovieMakers who provide most of the crew.  The characters are played by thirteen well-known actors from Southport and Formby.

In the genteel middle England village of Chipping Honeypot, there are several unexplained deaths, which are investigated by Detective Chief Inspector Barnacle, played by Peter Heslin. Crimes occur in Longbottom Hall (Drayton House), the Church of Saint Bruce (St Joseph's, Birkdale), and Mrs Dumpling-Hill-Featherbank's garden (at the home of the Heslins).

The lives of Piles, Lady Longbottom's butler, the Rev. Denis Rostrum USB HDMI, and aristocratic paper boy, Piers de Montford Ponsonby-Smythe are in danger. The true identity of the murderer is revealed only at the end.  

The production is sponsored by Unlucky Fried Chicken and by supermarkets Fiasco and Aldidl.

Although all seats at the première are now taken, a DVD will soon be available from Broadhursts Booksellers and from Southport MovieMakers.

In case you haven't already realised it - this film is a comedy.


Cast from MidVillage Bloomers

Read more about the film in our Film Catalogue

03 October, 2011

Open Your Mind to the World of Digital Video Production

Southport MovieMakers is pleased to announce that it will be holding an Open Evening on Thursday 6 October.

If you would like to find out more about the world of digital video production, script-writing, shooting and editing and all the other aspects of modern video production, come along to the Open Evening:

  • Talk to members - Membership is diverse with members ranging in age from 90 to teenagers 
  • See equipment on display 
  • View a range of past productions 
  • Ask questions

Southport MovieMakers has a vast range of experience of film and video production. The Club is interested in creating a wide variety of productions including:

  • Documentary
  • Drama
  • Comedy
  • Experimental

Southport MovieMakers is an amateur film and video production club that has built up a strong reputation over the years and has won numerous awards. 

Tea and coffee will be served. 

All welcome to the Open Evening.


Open Evening:
Day: Thursday 6 October
Time: 7.45pm – 10.00 pm
Location: St James' Church Hall,
Lulworth Road, Southport, PR8 2BQ.


17 September, 2011

Film Ideas from Newspaper Stories

Laurence Turman in his book, So You Want to Be a Producer advocated that one of the ways of creating ideas for films was browsing newspapers and seeking inspiration; and that is exactly what we did at the last meeting of Southport MovieMakers.

In some cases, it was a matter of seeing the film in actual stories reported in the news. In other cases, it was a matter of combining two or more different items. Further ideas came about from imagining a situation and incorporating some element of a news story. Added to this was a fair amount of brainstorming and refining of ideas. All of this, of course, is preparation for writing a script.

I won’t outline the ideas that emerged but undoubtedly they represent future potential for group Club productions. 

20 August, 2011

Club Meets Again After Summer Break

Southport MovieMakers meets again after its summer break on 1 September. A full year’s activity has been planned to make the Club a hub of activity.

08 August, 2011

Group Film in Production

During August a NEW group film is in production and is being produced by Paul Bagshaw. The film is a comedy.


More information about this development in future postings.

07 August, 2011

Film-maker 90 and Going Strong

On 21 July, members of Southport MovieMakers met to celebrate the birthday of its oldest member, Jim Morris.

He entertained the audience comprised of a room full of members, past and present, with lots of memories of film-making. No nerves of standing up and speaking – the confidence of old age. If you didn’t know it already, you wouldn’t guess his age. Part of his youthfulness comes from a lifetime of making films. Of course, when Jim started, it was very much a matter of handling physical film. However, his lifelong learning has taken him into the world of digital video production.

Although Jim’s preferred genre is documentary-making, his repertoire encompasses a quite considerable range including comedy and plasticine animation, in the case of the latter, one finished film was entitled “Lunar Tics Down to Earth” which features aliens from outer space. His range also extends to what can only be described as hypnotically psychedelic. Remember, Jim’s been making films since the 60s.

Where have the ideas come for his films? One source has been proverbs resulting in one of his earlier films “Makes Jack a Dull Boy” – a silent film! Another source has been spontaneous conversations from the real world, witnessing something and applying the film-makers creativity by putting a “spin” on it.

Reflecting upon all of his experience, Jim commented that digital video is “a piece of cake” compared with overcoming the challenges of working with Standard 8 and other physical formats. Like any success in life, perseverance pays off and Jim is no exception. He has persevered over the years to become an accomplished well-rounded film-maker.

Happy 90th, Jim Morris.


Jim Morris (left) receives a specially-made 90th Birthday card from Paul Bagshaw, on behalf of the Club.