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Add-A-Ball, My Pinball Documentary

Sam C

Registered
10 Years
Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
1,651
Location
Kettering, UK
A few months in the making, I am finally ready to share this with the world! This is Add-A-Ball, a documentary I put together for my FDA media film studies course at Bedford College. This won best documentary at this years media awards ceremonies.

You will probably recognize a few people involved, especially if you are situated around the midlands. I tried to interview industry people, those involved with the hobby in some regard and players. I also managed to get a remote interview over in the USA with someone a lot of you are probably familiar with.

The premise was a maximum length of 20 minutes, about something you have a personal interest in. So I thought why not Pinball? Yes it has been done but I wanted to see how I and my good friend Will (who accompanied me through a lot of this, a big thank you to him for a lot of the work) could do with 0 budget and college equipment. So please, feedback greatly appreciated:


A big thank you as well to everyone who made this possible. If you were involved please PM me with postage details as I will be making DVD copies for you, I wish I could offer this to everyone but for obvious reasons that is not possible.

I learned a lot putting this together, a fair amount of travelling was involved and it is staggering how much footage you need just to fill 20 minutes. I probably have over 5 hours of stuff and in the future I may consider putting together a longer version with every single question but this would likely run for 2 hours and be a lot of talking (20 minutes is probably a good run time, with filler footage which I tried to include appropriate things where relevant). I also had to use some internet imagery which I very much tried to avoid, but in some cases was not possible. I also would have liked to have someone else narrate it other than myself, but due to time issues before the completion deadline this was something else I couldn't do. In the end though I was pleased with the result!

Thanks for watching!
 
I'm watching it now Sam, from your FB link. It's excellent, really professionally put together with (from the little I know) apparently excellent editing and always really clear sound, good sharp photography with plenty of different angles and loads of variety. Great idea to include stuff with Andy Legend and Todd Tucky and also Chris and Jason and Kate.

Only one criticism from me - it was too short! I for one would be happy to see the 2hour version you hinted at. Like all the shopping of that JM and maybe some footage from a pin show.

Top notch stuff mate
 
Thanks Dan, another version will likely be in the works at some stage, but will lack filler footage as I mostly used it all up in the 20 minute version. I would have very much liked to attend a pin show but in the filming window we had none were on! The closest thing was the LPC but that would have left 0 editing time so it was not feasible to go. Shame but maybe in the future I could look at doing something with a show!
 
Will watch in abit. Does it have the ken burns effect in it at some point #standard ;)
 
Just watched, very good!

Nice that you got that guy from Morries wigs to do a segment ;)
 
Wicked little doc there and congrats on getting it out.... Cool watch really enjoyed it :clap:
Think Andy N should have been credited as " the legend " though ;)
 
Oh that reminds me, how is that doc of the 2009 UK Show/Papa coming along @Will? Can't wait [emoji6]

Hahaha I would just like to point out @GrizZ that if you look at the last seconds of said documentary ( please see attached image ) it quite clearly states before " medieval madness remakes " and , now correct me if I am wrong but they are still not out yet, so my opus still has time..... And you can't rush art :D

image.jpg
 
Top stuff Sam,me specially the sequence of you "doing up the JM". I think you made a top documentary and would love to see the extended version if u ever get round to it

Well done
 
Great documentary - really good.

Bit of feedback. You might want to correct ' What lead you to ' ....What led you'. Sorry being the grammar police, especially as I barely passed English at school;)

Also if you ever think about adding more history to a longer version, please contact me as later this year will be getting a fair few Gottlieb woodrails - circa 1954. Some say 1954 was the greatest year in the history of pinball........totally subjective of course. These games had way deeper rulesets than later 60's and 70's games.

Anyway well done:)
 
Great documentary - really good.

Bit of feedback. You might want to correct ' What lead you to ' ....What led you'. Sorry being the grammar police, especially as I barely passed English at school;)

Also if you ever think about adding more history to a longer version, please contact me as later this year will be getting a fair few Gottlieb woodrails - circa 1954. Some say 1954 was the greatest year in the history of pinball........totally subjective of course. These games had way deeper rulesets than later 60's and 70's games.

Anyway well done:)

Thanks dude, unfortunately a bit late to correct it now as it would mean re-uploading to youtube but I will keep it in mind for the future.

Thanks for the offer, I think I'm done now with this particular project and a longer version would just include all the Q&A we did. However a piece of Gottlieb woodrails might make a nice little documentary on its own, a '3 minute wonder' channel 4 style piece. If you could PM me when you get them in and perhaps we can look at putting something together!
 
Excellent stuff Sam! Really enjoyed watching it, and I can only imagine how much work it must have been to get the end result. Thanks for doing it, and can't wait for the next one....
 
OW MY GOD!!! THERES A MIDLANDS LEAGUE!!!!!!
Fantastic documentary buddy!
I'm really new to the pin scene and from Stafford so finding out theres a Midlands league is AMAZING news!
 
OW MY GOD!!! THERES A MIDLANDS LEAGUE!!!!!!
Fantastic documentary buddy!
I'm really new to the pin scene and from Stafford so finding out theres a Midlands league is AMAZING news!

Certainly is mate! Last meet of this year was Sunday just gone I'm afraid but another one will be running next year. Check out http://www.ukpinballleague.co.uk/ for more info.
 
Certainly is mate! Last meet of this year was Sunday just gone I'm afraid but another one will be running next year. Check out http://www.ukpinballleague.co.uk/ for more info.

Bugger! I was on the top of Snowdon (yes I walked, I didn't catch the train like a pansy!!!)
I need to find some details for that pinball repair guy on the vid!
I'm hoping he's Midlands based an knows about Zacs ;)
 
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