A MEMBER of the Glasgow Film Theatre’s (GFT) cleaning team is hoping to submit his own short film to a number of festivals.
Ross Woodhead, originally from Kelso but who has been based in Glasgow for 12 years, has produced a short film called In Motion which he says is a “celebration of cinema”.
Having originally worked in the care sector, Woodhead applied for a job at the GFT – a place he holds close to his heart.
He explains one of his best memories is seeing the 20th anniversary of Ken Loach’s coming-of-age drama Sweet Sixteen, with Martin Compston, at the cinema.
“Care work as many people know can be quite tiring so I applied for a job at the GFT because it’s somewhere I’ve always come as a lover of films,” the filmmaker told The National.
“It was a cleaning job but it was a way to get in the door and my main aim was to maybe try and work my way up through the different areas.”
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Specifically, Woodhead explains he has a keen interest in projection and his latest film In Motion aims to capture the magic of that process.
He says it was inspired by watching Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on 70mm upon its release in the summer.
“The GFT (below) usually sells out these shows, Oppenheimer did anyway and I think we’re one of the only places where you can see films like that in Scotland,” he said.
“I wanted to capture some of that magic that goes on in the projection room. I was working with celluloid and when I went in to film the guys, there was so much beautiful motion and light moving around the room.
“Capturing those images passing through the light to make that film, I felt I wanted something that celebrated that form of cinema.
“It explores the light that hits the cinema screen and the light that goes into the viewers' eyes.”
Although Woodhead admits film projection is something of a “dying art,” he still says he believes this adds a new dimension for viewers.
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He explained: “An important part of my life is the communal experience of watching a story unfold together and that’s what I’m trying to say with this film.
“I think people like the thought that there is something analogue going on behind them rather than someone just pressing play on a digital film.”
On the short film itself, Woodhead says he is hopeful that once it’s gone through some final touches that he can submit it to some short film festivals.
There’s even the possibility he might be able to see it in his beloved GFT.
“I’ll be submitting it to festivals. My friend is an audio engineer so he’s doing a sound mix and as soon as that’s finish we can look at getting submissions sorted,” he explains.
“The programmer here also told me there is an avenue for it to be shown here.
“I really just want for it to travel a bit and have a life because it’s really all about celebrating cinema."
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