And so, we come to the final piece of Alchemist-related video, which happenned when, after having spent hours trailing through the footage we shot, there were certain moments and certain incidents that I didn’t want to simply lose forever. In the ‘Full Metal Alchemy’ making-of, I’ve been trying to sum up what making The Alchemist meant to me, but this is probably the best way to show you what it was like to be there. Seventeen minutes of chaos and nuttiness as only me and Tris were capable of generating back then. Sometimes (I should stress- only sometimes), I really miss being sixteen…

Part 1:

and Part 2:

Enjoy…

It’s been four months in coming, but here’s more of the story behind my first true adventure in genuine storytelling– or, what happens when an over-enthusiastic sixteen-year-old gets hold of a video camera and decides to make a film. For those who want to play catch up– the previous Alchemist-themed entries are all here, along with Youtube links, while here’s part one of the making-of story, and here’s part two. Otherwise, read on…

Strobe Lighting is the Key…

Well, I don’t know if there’s anyone left in the auditorium, but here’s the final sequence and credits for the VHS no-budget epic that I produced with my friend Tris when I was a tender 16 years of age. If nothing else, The Alchemist and what I accomplished while making it has defined my life in an odd way, and showed me that if you set your sights ridiculously high, sometimes you can be surprised by where you end up. Anyone curious can follow the tags to the other chapters of the production. To whoever’s left out there– hope you managed to extract some kind of enjoyment from it (and well done for making it to the end…)

Plus, I’m heading back to Cornwall soon– so maybe, just maybe, I might be able to get the legendary Alchemist Out-Take reel on YouTube. Consider yourself warned…

The story of the making of my first true adventure in genuine storytelling- a one-hour, no-budget sci-fi/fantasy adventure- continues. If you want to know what happenned before, here’s part one– otherwise, read on…

‘It’s all Kingsley Amis’ fault…’

The ‘flashback’ structure comes to an end, and my VHS-shot action epic- crafted by my sixteen-year-old self with little filmmaking knowledge other than how to film a conversation- edges towards its final showdown. While I would advise any viewers around to turn up their monitor’s brightness levels (Amazingly, I didn’t realise before making The Alchemist that filming down a mineshaft with both lead characters dressed almost head-to-toe in black might not be the wisest idea), the final action sequence here is one of the sections of the film that I’m most proud of. It’s all choreographed and arranged to the Maurice Jarre soundtrack I ended up using (the track is from The Mosquito Coast), and despite my absolutely terrible acting, I’m still pleased with how it turned out.

Come with me down memory lane. Only a short amount to go…

We’re onto part 5– and finally, we get the section of the film that was an insane amount of fun to film (although possibly not quite as much for Tris, who had to spend rather a large amount of time walking around Cornwall College dressed in a gas mask and waving an air pistol). It’s a countdown, as David Harwood has to find a way of recovering the metal carving, and getting it somewhere he can dispose of it, before time runs out and the Alchemist has full control of his friend’s mind. Stand by for plenty of blazing action, disintegrations, punches, loads of enthusiastic running around, loud music, some dazzling special effects, and one particular scene where my character gets his way out of a tight spot in a way that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. My excuse? The location we wanted to use wasn’t available, so we had to think fast. Whatever happenned, here’s Part 5- enjoy…

Here it is. The full story- at least, until my friend Tris reads through it, and points out all the things I’ve forgotten in the comments. The tale begins…

It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play…

Here we are, with part 4 of The Alchemist, my VHS-shot mega-epic from the halcyon days of 1991. Last time we saw our heroes, David Harwood (me) had been chloroformed by Darren Johnson (Tris), mainly because of the fact that Darren is now possessed by the spirit of a 12th century Alchemist with the ability to store his mind inside a piece of metal. This episode- to be honest- is even more exposition (which brings us to almost 15 minutes of pure exposition- I have got a little better, storytelling wise…), but by the end of this, we’re finally on the move and heading towards the majesty of the chase sequence. Trust me- it’s worth the wait…

So, we’ve had a mysterious apparition, our heroes have dug a big hole, and recovered an interestingly shaped piece of metal. You’ve seen some suspicious acting, and some even more suspicious hair. We now enter the traditional part of every one of my stories- the “let’s sit down and explain the plot” section. I will freely admit- it’s damn slow in parts (at some point, I’m going to use iMovie and cut a new version of The Alchemist to tighten it up a bit…), but be patient. The chase sequence isn’t too far away.

The story continues…

(And as soon as I get a chance, I’m going to give some serious details about the making of The Alchemist. It’s a fun saga, and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.)