The Writing Is On The Wall For Huyton’s Newest Filmstars

They may be still at school, but a group of Huyton teenagers received Hollywood-style star treatment when their new film was premiered at Liverpool Empire Theatre. 1,500 fans attended the first showing of ‘Under the Bridge’, alongside other short films, that were produced by First Light films as part of Merseyside’s ‘Writing on the Wall’ initiative.

The stars of Huyton’s film were drawn from Knowsley Hey and St. Thomas Becket schools. They worked closely with renowned director Jimmy McGovern who acted as the screenwriting mentor, helping the pupils to script and storyboard their own short feature film.

After intensive workshops it was decided that the movie would be a ‘silent’ film with the emphasis placed on the power of the visual imagery. To augment the action however, two of Knowsley Hey’s pupils, Paul Dunbar and Adam Search wrote and recorded the film’s musical soundtrack at the famous Parr Street Studios in Liverpool.

The pupils gave up their Easter holiday to shoot the film at St Thomas Becket School and on location in Huyton. The young filmmakers then utilised the state-of-the-art film production facilities at Huyton’s new Creative Learning Centre, which is annexed to Knowsley Hey School, to edit the film footage with the assistance of professional editors.

The project culminated in June with the star-studded film premier at the Empire Theatre hosted by Radio Merseyside’s Roger Phillips and attended by local television celebrities including Hollyoak’s Kevin Sacre and Brookside’s Raymond Quinn.

The stars of all six films arrived in chauffeur-driven limousines and walked the red carpet, in true Hollywood style, before the screenings. Knowsley Hey’s Adam Search said, “What I liked best about making the film was that we could express our opinions and views. I also enjoyed the premier of the finished films. It was satisfying to finally see our finished films. It made me feel a real sense of accomplishment.”

All of the pupils involved agreed that the experience has given them an invaluable insight into the world of filmmaking and several hope to pursue careers in this field. Huyton Today congratulates their success and wishes them the best of luck in pursuing their creative ambitions!