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 murial and down a terraced street, Young Simon at the rear, as the patrol passes a young women brushing the pavement she asks Simon "What's your name?", As the Patrol leader shouts to Simon a shot rings out...

     We received out of the blue a email from Binary Films who were looking for help and advice for a short film they were making to be shown on  the Film festival circuit. So with a few emails exchanged we volunteered to help out. Suddenly with short notice two of Forces 80 members Myself and Darren found our selves on a terraced street in Manchester on a Cold, Wet and windy day. We had agreed to provide uniforms and weapons but this 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 Patrols leader. Ok 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 into 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 other two actors who we dressed and familiarized with the weapons and  how to patrol.

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.

With the first scenes being filmed we had a few moments alone to practice being a squad. We were to 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.  

    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 finishd we got our revenge by letting them stand in the rain whilst we took cover so that their uniforms matched ours.

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 dipping from our berets and slowly soaking through our jackets.

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

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, I was not to escape the camera or the special effects guy. Having carried on walking as Darren turned and was shot the directors saw a chance of expanding the special effects and after a few trys I ended up like this.

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.

"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.

Both myself and Darren enjoyed the day and even though I 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.

Cut!

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

THANKYOU.

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