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Title: WEEKLY IN THE MAKING, a

Reference number: 7482

Date: 1974

Sound: sound

Original format: std. 8mm

Colour: col

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 12.50 mins

Description: An amateur documentary about the production of the Motherwell Times newspaper, showing details of the hot metal press printing method.

Note from Mr Saberton: The film is a comprehensive account of the production of a local newspaper (The Motherwell Times) using the old hot metal press. The commentary is narrated by JLM Cotter, third generation member of the Cotter family who owned the paper at that time and we think he was the editor. Apparently he recorded his narration live whilst viewing the film.

See also ref. T2297 Paper archive records relating to the Dalziel Camcorder Club are held at the National Library of Scotland Moving Image Archive.

Credits: p. Jessie Matthews
assisted by Alice Findlay, Betty Findlay, Jack Anderson, Dan Prentice, George Smith
comm. sp. J.L.M. Cotter

The co-operation of Mr. J.M. Cotter and his staff is gratefully acknowledged.

Shotlist: [shotlisted from mini DV - manual control track]

gvs of Motherwell Street and newsagent's shop - shot of Bellshill Speaker advertising board outside, marked DALZIEL CINE CLUB PRESENTS, then pan to Motherwell Times board reading A WEEKLY IN THE MAKING - editor walks out of newsagent's with newspaper - blue Porsche 911 drives in to yard of Motherwell Times, owner enters office - gvs in office, man typing, editor checking proofs, another talking on telephone - shots of reporters at work at desks - shots of man and woman working on page layout, pasting adverts in place (2.39) shots of man working vario clichograph machine, scanning black & white photograph and engraving it on to an aluminium plate - shots of controls and machine at work and finished product (3.55) shots of man working at keyboard of Intertype line composing machine, another trimming columns of type - gvs of other employees working on line composing machines - c/u of brass matrices falling into line - shots of operator forming column of type and placing it in galley - shots of operator composing titles and placing them in galley (6.12) ink is rolled on to first galley proof for printing - rough print is made and passed through to editor for proofing - shots of sub-editor checking proof - shots of corrections being made on typesetting machine and in galley - shots of page being prepared in galley, blocks of type measured and moved around - shots of operator preparing flong, pressing it in mangle - young worker cuts flong to size and places it in oven for baking - flong is placed in casting box to receive molten metal, locked up, plunger pulled to release molten metal in - shots of metal cast being trimmed and then cooled with water - shots of casts being stacked - young worker trims cast with chisel (11.33) shots of rotary press in action - finished newspapers coming off press, being checked and bundled, taken away on cart - ecs on newspaper board (12.50)