John Dipper Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 I’ve just had a very interesting phone-call with someone ITV4. They are interested in filming concertina making for the ‘Made in Britain’ series, and talked to Steve and Mary as well. I’m not sure why Steve and Mary were unable to help them but they very kindly recommended us. We thought about it for a long time, and found it a massively hard decision to make. On the one hand, it would be good to have a record of our making, but at the same time, especially in the time of Covid, it seems like an unnecessary risk to have 4 people visiting and being in close proximity for several days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Wild Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 If that reason was explained to them and they understood the reasons, perhaps they will keep you in mind for the future. You can't be the only ones having that reaction. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff Wooff Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 (edited) I have had the TV crews at my house on several occasions over the years . John, I don't think the Dippers or the Dickinsons need any promotion on TV, though it would perhaps be nice to give the Concertina some exposure to the 21st century public. I met a man in a car park in Potiers last week, he was selling a concertina, as I picked up the instrument a passing Frenchman said " Wow, a Concertina, I've not seen one of those for years"... that he recognized the instrument instantly surprised me... I bet that would not have happend in Lewisham! ( note, the concertina is a very rare beast in France, even in Trad music circles). Edited January 13 by Geoff Wooff Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ethan Ham Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 I can understand the caution, but it would have wonderful to see your work the documentary. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paul_Hardy Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Given the rate of vaccine rollout, and the fairly slow pace of TV projects, I'd have thought there was a fair chance of at least your parents getting immunised before the film crew arrived. Did they say when they wanted to record? I agree that it would be great to get the Dipper concertina fabrication techniques recorded. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jake Middleton-Metcalfe Posted January 13 Share Posted January 13 Well I can't think of a better candidate for "made in Britain" than Dipper or Wheatstone, I would love to watch it! Only go for it if you are comfortable with the whole thing of course, sounds like a pretty hard decision. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Dipper Posted Tuesday at 11:48 AM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 11:48 AM Many thanks for very kind words. One of the reasons I didn't think it would work is they were after a roughly 11 minute segment, which means we'd spend days trying to work out what would be interesting and televisual, all to be crammed in between one commercial break. Also, if I'm honest, my experience of journalists is that they very quickly decide on a story (fairy tale) that they then skew everything towards and tell their own tale, despite the facts and more interesting (true) stories that you give them being better and real. I know that is their job to make things accessible, but, its so sad to watch programmes about (other) things I know about being misrepresented and the real story being missed, due to their ignorance and often totally misguided romantic clichéd sense of what 'folk' or whatever the subject is. Alarmingly, these programmes are then used as reference material, and you're thinking to yourself - how is it that this is allowed to happen!? I'll stop before I get fully into rant mode. I guess I should doing some sort of The Office type filming, laying bare all the times we cast staplers/jigs in jelly etc. In all seriousness, if I had the time, I'd like to do some 4K filming and put it on Vimeo - but thats a fair way down the to do list - I have a few concertinas to make first... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Dipper Posted Tuesday at 11:49 AM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 11:49 AM https://tenor.com/view/theoffice-jimhalpert-dwight-dwightschrute-jello-gif-8301030 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Theo Posted Tuesday at 11:52 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 11:52 AM John I completely understand you view of journalists, I've had similar experience. Your family business could easily fill a 12 week 45 minute per episode series, but sadly it's unlikely to happen. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Dipper Posted Tuesday at 12:04 PM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 12:04 PM That would be great - maybe we could rival the Cardashians 🤣 Oh no, wait, we actually do something useful! I can see a bigBrother format working - with your accent Theo - you could do the voice over! "John has been wandering around the workshop for twenty minutes now, wondering where the woggle punch is." "Rosalie has finished a set of bellows and is now in the diary room..." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
malcolm clapp Posted Tuesday at 01:18 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 01:18 PM Sounds more like a radio soap, John. "The Dippers, an everyday story of concertina folk". Dump-de-dump-de-dump-de-da.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pgidley Posted Tuesday at 03:07 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 03:07 PM (edited) I think you'd be surprised how well a long-format in-depth video essay on the construction of a concertina would be received. The shift in media over the last number of years has allowed for more niche topics, and they tend to be popular. Check out Primitive Technology on Youtube as an example. There is something meditative about watching a skilled craftsman work, without the need for any dialogue or interpretation. An example similar to what I'm picturing, by Cormac Begley (with a Dipper cameo): I can say personally that any conversation I've had with your family has been informative and fascinating. The detail and care that goes into one of your concertinas would come through visual media extremely well, I think. Now get off the web and back to punching reed frames, slacker! Edited Tuesday at 03:12 PM by Pgidley Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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