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Title: FIRST REELS INTERVIEW: Stephen Chester, Evanescent Herb Garden of Death

Reference number: 8098

Date: 1993

Sound: sound

Colour: bwcol

Fiction: non-fiction

Description: Raw interview footage with director Stephen Chester, concerning his short film THE EVANESCENT HERB GARDEN OF DEATH, made under the Scottish Film Council and Scottish Television's First Reels scheme.

See also ref. 7948 for complete film.

First Reels - a joint short film initiative from Scottish Screen (and its predecessor body the Scottish Film Council) and Scottish Television. First Reels was launched during 1991 by Scottish Film Council in response to a perceived need for small grants to help young and first time film-makers to make or complete their first film or video project. Scottish Television came in as co-sponsor at an early stage and as well as contributing to half the funds they have given the scheme a tremendous public relations boost by running three half hour documentaries showing excerpts from the First Reels. Applicants were invited to submit projects in any format and on any subject they chose. All entries were considered by a jury and thirty five projects were given grants varying from £50 to £2000. On show at the GFT are a representative selection of the best of the films and videos supported by the scheme. [Editorial from Scottish Film Council held in paper archives]

Shotlist: Raw interview footage with director Stephen Chester, concerning his short film THE EVANESCENT HERB GARDEN OF DEATH, made under the Scottish Film Council and Scottish Television's First Reels scheme.

Discusses: Filmed on 16mm, use of black and white against colour sections to illustrate difference between purgatory and real life. A black comedy about chaste, homerotic male bonding. There were darker moments in the production - like finding out they did not have access to editing facilities. Used digital non-linear editing. Claims this is the first ever independent production edited on AVID. All shots were storyboarded prior to filming.