You can now watch the film on You tube here: Sacrifice

"Sacrifice" 

        The Security Guard stands over the  dying boy  who  asks  him  "what's  your  name?",   Simons  eyes  glaze  over  as  he remembers  his  first  tour  in  Northern Ireland during the early 80's....

The Patrol walks past a IRA muriel and down an terraced street, Young  Simon  at  the  rear,  as  the  patrol   passes  by a  young  women  brushing  the  pavement,  she  stops and  asks  Simon "What's your name?"

Hearing this the  Patrol leader shouts to Simon as a shot rings out...

We  received  out of  the blue an email from Binary  Films  who  were looking for help and advice  for a short  film that  they were making to be  shown  on   the  Film  festival  circuit.  With emails exchanged we volunteered  to help them out.  Suddenly, and  with quite short  notice  myself  and  Darren  found  our  selves  on an old  terraced  street  in  Manchester on a Cold, Wet  and windy day. 

We  had  agreed to provide the uniforms  and  weapons but this also turned  into  bodies  to  fill  the  uniforms as well. As the emails came thick and fast and  the day approached,  the  film company said  that they  would  like  to use  two of our members in the film,  to which one was to portrait the Patrol  leader. "Okay" was the reply  and with  that our first encounter with the film industry was but hours away.

6am  found  us  loading  the  car  and  on  the road heading towards Manchester,  arriving  just after  7am to be greeted  by the film crew and  Bacon  butties  with hot cups of tea. They  had found our  weak spot.  Within  half an hour we had met the two young actors  who we kitted out  and quickly  familiarized  with  the  weapons and  how  to patrol.

With  the first  scenes being  filmed we  had a few moments alone to practice being a squad.  We  were t o learn  as the day went  on that  Military tactics and drill was not to  be film  friendly and  that give and  take  was the  order of  the day.  

 
Darren (left) getting into the spirit of things and me (Above) after bouncing off a door after Darren was shot. 

Pre Film shot before the wind turned to Ice and the rain arrived. It was said that by the end of the shoot that we were looking like real squaddies - Cold, Wet and Pissed off

(left)  This is how  they  made  the  landrover look like it  was moving,  two guys each side rocking it. With  the camera  focusing  mainly  on the  actors  faces you proberly would not know the difference. At  this point it started raining  and we were getting wet (notice the dry patch under  the Landrover).  With every  drop  our  uniforms  were  getting darker by the minute, unlike the two in the landrover. When the scene was  finished we got  our  revenge by  letting  them  stand  in the  rain whilst we took cover so that their uniforms matched ours.

(Right)  The  camera  women checking  that Darren  (on the monitor) was  in  the right  place.  Due to  the  tight  filming  the spacing of  the patrol was a  few  feet rather than the actual recommended  spacing. This scene was done again with the other members of  the patrol  in the background.  The  Rain  was  getting  the better of us squaddies with it  now dripping from our berets and slowly soaking  through our jackets.

(Left) Darren receiving  instruction on  how  to fall safely onto the  mat  on  the floor, I  think this  may  have  been one of  the rare  moments it stopped raining. Once  the scene  was done  Darren was  whisked of  to makeup for his neck wound to be readied  for his next big moment. Whilst  this was happening  the rest of us continued  to be  positioned and  filmed and even though  I  had set a goal of being  on camera  as little as possible and especially no close ups. To my  horror I   was not to escape the camera or the special effects guys. As I Had carried on walking when Darren turned and was shot the directors saw a chance of  expanding  the  special  effects  and  after a  few try's I ended a bit blood splattered myself..

"More blood, more blood". The Make up girl applying more turkey meat and pigs brains to Darren's wound

Close up of  Darren's wound, surprisingly despite the amount of fake blood soaking into the uniforms, it washed out quite easily.

We both fully enjoyed  the day and  even though I smirked laughed at the thought  of  Darren getting shot  he had the  last laugh  when I got splattered. Once  home the  kit  was  straight  in the  washer and  the weapons cleaned and oiled; webbing sponged down then off to bed. This was a unique experience we are never going to forget. We now can  not  wait  till  we receive our copy of  the film and see that Oscar worthy performance by Darren.

Another pre film shot, backdated to show how close 
to the real thing we were.

Blood splatter from Darren's wound. This was the end of the filming for me (Thankfully) and I then after trying to clean myself up hung around to see Darren's Oscar winning performance

Cut!

We would like to thank the crew of  Binary films, from  the  directors, Camera crew, SFX guys, Make up Girl right down to the goddess that bought us the hot cups of tea .

THANKYOU.