DIY set-building: how we made our punk-inspired short films

Aspiring young filmmakers got a taste of the professional life this autumn, seeing their vision unfold on the big screen at BFI Southbank, as part of the BFI Future Film programme in celebration of the 40th anniversary of punk.

After almost two months spent building a state-of-the-art punk set, workshopping, pitching, filming and editing, the moment had come. Friends, family and onlookers joined together in celebration, waiting in anticipation for the films to begin. As Monty Tailor, a co-writer and cameraman on his project, commented: “It’s weird but yet cool to see something you put a lot of time into on the big screen!”

The three films were gritty, raw, mouthy and, above all, exemplified DIY punk spirit: they were low-budget and made with subversive and simple techniques that question the multi-million-dollar blockbuster filmmaking model.

In line with the ethos of the punk season, BFI’s Future Film launched a summer programme that let the young take over at BFI Southbank, sectioning off an area for their creativity to be unleashed.

It all started with the building of the film set: affectionately named the ‘Punk Box’. With a budget of £1,500 and socks pulled up, students on the screen set design course at Wimbledon College of Arts set to work for four months researching all things punk, and pitching and experimenting with designs to make the most elaborate film set seen in their three consecutive years of collaboration with the BFI. 

Student Kate Macrae, who headed up the building effort, said: “What was so great about this set was the fact that DIY and punk go hand in hand, and so we were able to experiment with a variety of cost-cutting techniques which really enhanced the punk aesthetic of the set.”

By doing drives by charity shop and stalking Gumtree, we were able to collect 2,000 records, ranging from The Clash’s London Calling to Iggy Pop’s Lust for Life, along with an old vintage telephone, studded punk fashions, guitars, a drum set and an old toilet (worthy of Marcel Duchamp).

A couple of hundred posters and stickers later, we’d put together a stellar punk record store with a music venue and an accompanying grungy Trainspotting-esque bog. Most of the funding for this project went on the wood for the record stands, stage, till desk and flats; this is a common issue on many film sets. This set not only had punk spirit, but an eco-friendly spirit: after the set was taken down, the record stands will continue to be used in the BFI Shop.

“It really pushed us to learn hands-on-skills that we hadn’t previously needed,” Kate said, “from tiling toilet walls to learning the art of haggling [for getting props]. This project is unusual as it gave us the rare opportunity to create a set from beginning to end. It’s not often that set design students are given the chance to research and design a set, and then create it and film on it. We thank the BFI for giving us this unique opportunity.”

State-of-the-art sets are one thing not many young filmmakers have access to. Cameras and microphones are easy enough to get hold of, but if you have nothing to point those at, what good are they? What is a film without its locations, props and ambience? A film comes to life with these details.

Then for the next stage of this epic punk saga… In came Marc Price – celebrated DIY director extraordinaire, known for zombielicious films such as the $70-budgeted Colin (2008) – who led a workshop on low-budget filmmaking.

The workshop proved you don’t need to throw millions of pounds into shots to make an edgy, innovative film. Good ideas, support from good friends, and creative camera angles is all it takes to contribute to the legacy of innovative cinema. While paying homage to underground cinema and its filmmakers and pioneers, the workshop encouraged participants to not just try to be the next Tarantino but to tell their own story. The workshop was full of practical tips on how to flesh out script ideas and pitch, camera basics and sound recording introductions, and time-saving editing tips.

Don’t have a professional photographer’s reflector? No problem. Grace Pogonoski here (second from the left in the photo above) uses the white surface of an LP copy of Ray Conniff’s Concert in Rhythm album to reflect light on the actor’s face. All part of the ‘do the best with what you’ve got’ attitude of this set.

Mark pointed out simple ways to make shots more interesting: closeups are a must apparently. “Cinema is more than just mid-shots and wide shots,” he pleaded. He also initiated real-life set simulations and encouraged the shy onlookers to step up, take control, direct a scene and not worry about making mistakes. 

We filmed from the highest ladder to the lowest bog, even putting the camera in the toilet (no cameras were hurt during filming!) 

So now that the punks kids were savvy on how to spruce up their homemade films, they went on to make their own films.

As well as the Punk Box filmmaking opportunities, young people were encouraged to go and watch films in the BFI’s punk season as part of Future Film Recommends (weekly screenings of films recommended for other young cinemagoers by our in-house team of young programmers), and special events such as our pre-screening event in the Punk Box, which included an on-stage Q&A about music and fashion subcultures and live ranting poetry.

You don’t need to suck up to the big man or the big production companies to make films. Just get out there and start making them with friends. Marc illustrated how big directors like Peter Jackson got a start by making films like Bad Taste (1987) on weekends with friends, while skirting around a full-time job.

BFI Future Film’s very existence is designed to encourage the same spirit by making programmes such as Raw Shorts and these summer programmes, which get young people to step up and get hungry for all things film.

This supportive film community came as a surprise to me, when I observed how well-versed in film lingo and technique some of these young aspiring filmmakers were (after having engaged in some other Future Film programmes). On set, they knew the 180-degree rule and terms like “coverage” shots and “blocking” that are essential for a shoot.

If you are a young filmmaker of 16-25 years old, get involved by visiting Future Film programmes such as the next Raw Shorts event, presenting horror shorts and a discussion with Marc Price on 22 October at 12:30, or the once-a-month Future Film Recommends screenings and discussions. Most importantly, if you have already made a film, there’s still time to submit it to the 10th BFI Future Film Festival before the 20 October deadline.