Arts & music

STAG’S WORLD OF ROCK

Well, with lockdown still on at the time of writing, there’s not much news to bring you. I still can’t see many shows being up and running before next year. I think the entertainment world will be last on the list if and when we ever get free of this virus. I had a call from a great promoter friend who was telling me the loss his company has made after they had to cancel their 3-day music festival. It really is a worry and I fear a lot of music venues and festivals won’t return. There are a couple of top local bands who’ve brought out new videos (filmed before lockdown) so why not check them out on their Facebook page: Last Flight to Pluto released “Red Pill” and if you look closely you will see yours truly in it. Also, Just Drive, a band I’ve been pushing, are back with a new song and video called “Someone to Love” and it’s definitely worth a listen. Well, that’s all for now, stay safe and keep your music news coming.

Stag Marks 07549 728356

Photo: Stag Marks

A FILM MAKER’S POINT OF VIEW

The last few months of lockdown have had a huge impact on the film and television industry, with production all but grinding to a halt, including the all-important post-production facilities. For those of us who still shoot traditional film, whether 16mm or 35mm, Kodak Lab based in Pinewood Studios stopped processing because with most production work at a standstill, there was little material being shot to be processed and the machinery is expensive to run and requires a high turnover of film to go through the system to make it cost-effective. Cinelab London in Slough, though, has kept going in a reduced capacity to cater for those film-makers who have, with some ingenuity and luck, still been working. As lockdown in Wales has been applied more rigorously and for longer, I am uncertain when I will be able to resume shooting my Llandow Air Disaster film, and our changed world requires a few

revisions to the shooting script because several locations that were envisaged at the time of writing are now in question –but whoever said that making a film was easy? There are always problems to be overcome at the best of times!

Anthony Hontoir Downwood Films 07510 934299

Photo: Anthony Hontoir with Arriflex 35 2B camera (Photo: Adele Hontoir)

PYLE & PORTHCAWL PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

We recently held our annual Clyne Jones Trophy competition and due to the Coronavirus restrictions we held it via video conferencing. It was a very close competition with Heather Roper winning the trophy with three excellent images, congratulations Heather. We’re a very friendly camera club with a mix of male & female members and welcome new members of all ages and skill levels, it’s all very informal so if you have an interest in photography why not join us, we usually meet on Thursday evenings at 7:30pm at St Clare’s School, Newton CF36 5NR but our meetings are currently suspended due to the Coronavirus situation so we’re currently holding competitions etc. online instead. Our program is available at www.pyle-porthcawl-ps.co.uk

Geoff Baker