It’s first thing saturday morning, I’ve already photographed Thelma and Louise on Fraisthorpe Beach and I’m stood next to Beverley Gate in Hull town center. I’m waiting for John Gilbert and Iain Thompson suddenly they both appear I know it’s them because John is wearing a Gladiator costume it’s freezing but he’s in high spirits. Some of the city centre building contractors crack jokes about it being a great party last night.
We scrub the original plan of making the image at Beverley Gate and head over to the Quayside near Prince’s Quay where we make this image celebrating one of John and Iain’s favourite films The 300.
2017Hull
Grease
I was approached to do a shoot from Grease by Claire Champlin. One of the ladies for the shoot had driven up from Cambridge and had suffered a breakdown en route so here we have the ladies from Grease minus the car abandoned by the side of the road in Cambridge. In the picture Anne Chatterton(Frenchie) Dianne Rees (Sandy) Zoe Allison (Rizzo) Claire Champlin (Jan), Beccy O’Sullivan (Marty).
Photograph Quentin Budworth © for merchandise click here
The Lady in the Van
Liz Dees got in touch with me about recreating a Hullywood moment for her mum Bea Dees. The film she had chosen was The Lady in the Van one of my favourite British film comedies of recent years.
Written by Alan Bennett, and starring Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings. It tells the true story of Mary Shepherd, an elderly woman who lived in a dilapidated van on Bennett’s driveway in London for 15 years. Smith previously portrayed Shepherd twice: in the original 1999 theatrical production, which earned her a Best Actress nomination at the 2000 Olivier Awards[7] and in the 2009 BBC Radio 4 adaptation.
We recreated the shot in Pearson Park on a chilly saturday morning.
Robin Hood
I’ve known Alan Raw for a life time. He’s a close friend and we play together in the legendary world music band Celtarabia. Alan is curating the Hullywood Icons Exhibition at the HIP Gallery which runs from Febuary 17th to April the 2nd 2017 in Princes Quay, Hull.
I could say a lot about Alan’s amazing work as a gallery director, curator, radio presenter, musician, arts and community activist or his deep commitment to family but I won’t. What I will say is that he is an extraordinary individual who will go the extra mile to advocate and champion the people of Hull.
The Nightmare before Christmas
I’ve just finished shooting Morticia Addams at Ye Olde Whyte Harte and meet up with Michael Goosen and Anna Preston to recreate a scene from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Micheal and Anna are top sports and really quite eccentric. They made me chuckle when they pitched up in full make-up in a bright red Jeep. Here is the image we put together quietly and respectfully. Next I had an appointment with Captain America at the Lord Line Building.It’s a 12 shoot day and I’m only halfway through I could murder a cuppa…
The Blues Brothers
Hullywood Icon Carol Young and her friend Karen Grannon contacted me about recreating a moment from The Blues Brothers. You may recall that Jake and Elmore are on a mission from god. I arrive at Zebedees Yard it’s getting dark. Shoot number 12 of a very busy saturday. I’ve just been sat with Dr.Evil in Thieving Harry’s and the Blues Brothers are sitting in a rather underwhelming ford fiesta. Carol is on her mobile I know she is looking for my number I tap on the window and we get cracking with the shoot.
We have a lot of laughs and after a few trial and errors then we make this image. I say my farewells and head for the ceilidh I’m playing at in Skidby with the Hessle Ceilidh Band. No rest for the wicked.
Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona
When Carol Wright got in touch with me about recreating this scene. I was very excited, it’s one of my favourite films. So here we have it. Shot at the back of the cafe in Pearson Park on a cold day in January, andwiched between Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music and Made in Dagenham we have Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona.
The story in a nutshell is that Americans Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) arrive in Spain for a summer vacation at a friend’s (Patricia Clarkson) Barcelona home. Visiting an art gallery, they meet seductive painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who invites them for a weekend of food, art and sex. Sparks really ignite when his fiery former lover (Penélope Cruz) arrives on the scene, making for a very crowded house.
Thelma and Louise
It’s the day after the projections in Bridlington Priory and on the Spa. I get into my car now affectionately known as ‘Skip’ for obvious reasons. I have twelve Hullywood shoots booked in today and I’m looking forwards to all of them.
It’s dark as I drive towards Fraisthorpe beach to meet Tracey and Ella Dent-Brown.
I park up and recce the beach car park. I find a spot and admire the view glad that I squeezed the step ladder into the car along with a PA, for tonights Ceilidh with the Hessle Ceilidh Band, a guitar, a hurdy gurdy, border bagpipes, djembe, a green screen and assorted remnants of meals grabbed between shoots.
The light is liminal we are between night and day in the distance a car approaches. It must be Tracey and Ella. I wave to them and they pull up into the position I need the car to be in. We fine tune the position of the car close to the cliff edge. Tracey and Ella are on fine form and there is a lot of banter as we set up the shot. We try a few different angles and then we make this image.
Weird Science
I’m at Hull University Chemistry department Professor Mark Lorch and Phil Bell-Young are very excited! They have been shopping for props. Phil chuckles as he stuffs a very old fashioned Boyes bra with socks and then sticks it on his head. We’d been talking on twitter Mark had spotted Priscilla when we were projecting in Beverley, said hello and explained his idea for a Hullywood shoot at Hull University’s Chemistry Lab.
Mark is preparing the scene we are shooting in a very logical and systematic manner. It’s all going swimmingly until some students wander into the lab and clock their Professors with bras on their heads – mark waves them out saying ‘we’ll explain later,now go away’.
The scene is from Weird Science, the 80s teen Sci-Fi flick about a pair of Nerdy social outcasts who are publically humiliated in school which persuades them to make their own ‘dream women’ in an attempt to boost their popularity.
Mark Lorch – Research Chemist, Professor of Science Communication and Associate Dean in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. @mark_lorch on twitter. (He is a serious scientist, honest!) Phil Bell-Young – Science Outreach Officer, Faculty of Science and Engineering. @Philby91 on twitter (He is a seriously weird scientist).
They are both mad as a box of frogs with as much energy as small child on Skittles. As they say in some parts of Yorkshire ‘Well met!’.
Hullywood Icons 