Radley Video: A History

How did you become so passionate about film and video?

At the age of five, I was taken to the cinema. The film made no sense to me at all, but I was fascinated by the way a moving picture could appear in front of me. Neither of my parents were technically minded so, despite repeated questions, neither could tell me how it worked! This mystery was solved when, at the age of seven, I was given a toy projector with a loop of film.

At that time we didn't have a TV, but I was regularly invited to a friend’s house to watch Bill & Ben the Flowerpot Men. Entertaining though it was, I was always more interested in how the TV worked, with its magical glowing valves inside. Similarly, it was the back-stage engineering that fascinated me at theatre productions. In an empty room in my childhood home, I constructed an elaborate stage, with a water pipe for a curtain rail, old sheets for curtains (complete with pulley-system), a record player for music and sound, and a spotlight made from an empty tin. I even carefully tied the stage lights into the mains circuit of the house. With some friends, we put on quite a production, even if the script was potty.

My older sister occasionally took me to the cinema. She loved epics like Ben-Hur. She also appreciated the magic of cinema: the swell of the music before the film started, the coloured lights on the curtains which slowly dimmed, as the audience hushed. She arranged with a friend, who was a projectionist, to let me visit the projection box to watch the newly released Goldfinger. I can’t remember much about the film, but the projectors were amazing. Enormous, noisy, flickering light spilling from the carbon arcs inside, and the mercury rectifier, looking like something from Doctor Who

Each reel of film only lasted 20 minutes, so the projectionist and his assistant had to watch for the small circle at the top right-hand corner of the screen, which indicated to start the second projector. Then, ten seconds later, it was time to switch over the image and audio to the second projector. This was followed by rewinding the first reel, before loading a third reel, ready for the next changeover … a full-time job for two people, and it all happened without the audience noticing.

At school, I was keen to make motion films, but nobody could afford a cine camera or the expensive reels of film. I owned a Russian 35mm stills camera, the Cosmic 35. I started experimenting with projecting sequences of static images; it was as close to film as we could afford. During my 6.2 year, I decided to make a film this way, with black & white slides set to an audio recording.

I picked a contentious topic at my school – rugby, which had replaced football, to great disclaim – and appointed a script-writer, an exceptionally talented boy very fond of satire and keen to mock what we saw as an absurd new sport. We had everything in place: narrator, actors, lighting, props, music (including a catchy chant), rudimentary special effects, and a title: The Great Pound Robbery The great train robbery was still fresh in people’s minds, and the “Pound” was the name given to all the lost rugby kit, which formed a large heap and was supervised by ‘the Pound Prefect’.

The first showing was for just the staff and headmaster, and he left quite abruptly at the end. The following day we were all summoned ominously to his office, only to be congratulated on our initiative. We had two school showings and raised more than enough money to cover the cost of the film.

Choosing a career was difficult. Going into film or TV seemed impossible, as there was no obvious route, and nobody could give me any advice. The decision to teach was because I enjoyed explaining how things worked, and I knew that electronics, photography, and film clubs would always be popular. Being surrounded by students just as enthusiastic as me is an amazing privilege that over decades never becomes boring.

What’s your favourite film, and which filmmakers do you admire?

The film that made the greatest impression was The Sound of Music; it was the first 70mm film I’d ever seen, with an image so large and sharp it completely filled my vision. I had also never heard stereo sound, let alone 6-channel surround sound. It was so popular, it stayed for two years in the Bournemouth Odeon, and you had to book many days ahead to get a seat.

In my view, film directors need to fully understand how film works, both artistically and technically, and this is the case with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. I’ve also admired British directors such as David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago), and Ken Russell (Tommy, The Music Lovers).

When you first came to Radley in 1989, it was to teach electronics. Was video always part of that?

There is no connection between video and electronics other than that a knowledge of electronics is useful for film and video. The subject of video didn’t arise at my interview, and it was sheer chance that, when I arrived, I was told a pot of money had been put aside to set up video. Nobody knew what to spend it on … I was asked if I could help!

What was video technology like back then?

Video tape technology was developing rapidly. The decision to go for video rather than film was a little controversial with the boys who would have preferred film, but the cost of 16mm film would have limited what could be done. The visual quality of video was no better than 8mm film in the late 1980s, but the audio options were much better, and the tape cost almost zero compared with film.

The first S-VHS camera cost a little over £2000 back in 1989, and the full editing suite to enable properly edited films to be made cost about £14,000. Amazingly, allowing for inflation, that would now be over £50,000. Nowadays, that would buy cameras and editing systems that any professional film company would be proud of. In 1989, despite the large sum, the quality we could achieve was less than half the resolution broadcast by the BBC.

How did ‘Radley Video’ first come about?

The original Radley College website contained no video; I was told that a school website wasn’t a suitable place for video. So, some students helped me create a separate website called ‘Radley Video’. This continued for several years, until Roger Shaw commissioned a new school website with video at its heart.

Thanks to income from VHS and DVD sales both at Radley and other schools, we were able to switch to widescreen and then High Definition, so maintaining the highest quality possible. The resolution of our images was now equal to the broadcasters –something I never thought would be possible back in 1989.

How did you and the students come to make the short ‘Glimpses of Radley’ films?

At interview, I remember driving past the lake to Warden Silk’s house (now L Social) and thinking how impressive the place was. I tried to find out more about the school (I had watched the BBC series) but there were no photos, no prospectus, just a short history of Radley College written by Tony Money. So, during my first term I decided we should start capturing the stunning surroundings.

The first ‘Glimpses’ was a test film called I’m Glad You Asked That Question. I had no idea if a fairly random collection of footage would work when set to music. I chose Bernstein’s overture to Candide, which seemed almost composed for the task. We had a showing in the Lecture Theatre and it was given a very generous response. The formula appeared to work, so I decided to make a longer ‘Glimpses’ film to mark the retirement of Warden Silk.

The digital switch in the mid-90s allowed video to be edited on a computer. The process was complicated, and fraught with frequent computer crashes and losses of data, but possible with the help of keen and talented boys. We edited ‘Royal Glimpses’ this way, a film recording the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh opening the Queen’s Court building in 1997, the 150th anniversary of the College.

‘A Medley of Glimpses’ followed in the early 2000s, with most of the editing done by Johnny Langridge (2000, C), assisted by Richard O’Brien (2000, C). Johnny’s extraordinary musical talent placed music at the centre, and it remains my favourite Glimpses film.

‘Glimpses of Radley 2008’ did more than anything to show the usefulness of archive filming, as it showcased all the building projects of the time, under Bursar Richard Beauchamp. The film drew in the talents of many staff who wrote and narrated their own sections. It was premiered in our new Theatre and received a very long round of applause, notably from Richard Beauchamp himself.

Why do you think it is important to document the life of the school through video rather than photography or written literature?

Video provides a more accurate view of the scene or event, especially as the audio is captured in sync with the visuals. A drone shot, gently drifting over the campus, gives a unique 3D impression which a still image can never do. Photography and written literature will always be important, and both have instant respectability. Back in the 90s, video lacked respectability; most parents, if they owned a TV at all, had it tucked away in a cupboard or in a separate ‘TV room’.

If it wasn’t for the support of people like Tony Money (OR, don, and Archivist) and staff such as Andrew Reekes, who saw the archival value of recordings, I might have given up. I don’t think any of the Wardens until John Moule, really appreciated the value of recording events on video. Though their support for my electronics work was unwavering, and as headmasters, they were all in a different league to the headmasters I’d known before Radley.

In 2009, Radley Video moved to new space in the Theatre building, and it’s due to move again soon. What will the new space be like? Retiring from teaching Electronics wasn’t easy, so a part-time post continuing Radley Video seemed too tempting. It was difficult to

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find a room and, after a lot of deliberation, the theatre cloakroom was allocated. It was far too small but the best on offer! The present Bursar and Warden really appreciate the usefulness of video and have been very supportive. Building work is underway, and we will be moving into a dedicated room in winter 2023. It’s a great step up for Radley Video but, like anything, demand will likely increase to meet capacity.

How do Radley students benefit by working on film projects? What skills do they learn?

The Wednesday Activity has always been open to Shells, and was the way into video for many boys, though others have joined later on. Our multi-camera filming of plays and concerts provides the opportunity to learn the techniques of operating cameras both technically and artistically. Working on film projects offers valuable opportunities to work both independently and as part of a team.

Considering the amount of time we all spend watching films and TV, it’s extraordinary that ‘amateur’ filming is so bad. I generally run a clip from a feature film and ask boys what the camera operator hasn’t done. Few notice that the camera hasn’t panned across the subject, and hasn’t zoomed. The rules are a little different when filming plays and concerts, but physically moving the camera on a jib or track still looks far better than a pan or zoom.

What advice would you give to a young person who is thinking about a career in filmmaking?

I try not to be too positive, as, like acting, it’s a very tough business. The team behind the camera is far larger than the number of actors in front, so there are opportunities out there. Most boys aspire to be directors, though, so doing one of the more basic jobs may not appeal. However, the rewards are enormous for those who succeed and there has probably never been a better time to enter the film industry, with new studios under construction, and very high-end productions on streaming services.

Plenty of ORs remember their time with Radley Video fondly and cite you as a huge influence in their decision to pursue creative careers. How does it feel to play such an important role in boys’ futures?  It’s an extraordinary and humbling thought, particularly as it wasn’t planned that way. We made films for the fun of the process and the thrill of watching an audience watching our film. There is nothing as exciting as a film premiere on a large screen. Of course, with most of our output now on YouTube, we have to make do with watching the viewing figures rise. But even that can be quite exciting!

What do you think the future holds for Radley Video?

At my advanced age that’s tricky to answer with certainty. I’m in the process of organising an archive of filming back to 1989 which will be readily accessible by our Archivist, Radleian Society, and Communications teams.

I hope that whatever happens in the future, the boys will be fully involved; it is their interest and enthusiasm which makes the task so appealing. It’s such a joy chatting over a pizza about the latest technical developments, or filming techniques. There have been more exceptionally talented boys involved over the years than I can begin to mention, and I’ve loved working with each and every one.

It’s often said that if you enjoy what you do, it isn’t work. I can safely say I have never done a day’s work at Radley.

Plenty of Radley’s Video’s work is available to view online via Vimeo and YouTube. Visit the Radley College channel on YouTube to explore the back catalogue, or visit https://bit.ly/GlimpseRadley to watch the Glimpses of Radley playlist, dating back to 1991.