Eco Shed and Be Seen, Be Heard Team Up for Film Fun!

At bemix, co-production is at the heart of everything we do; Groups working side by side, sharing skills, and creating something neither could make alone. This project is a brilliant example of that in action.

                 

When the Be Seen Be Heard group started talking about their favourite films, the Eco Shed group knew straight away they wanted to be part of it. And so began one of our most creative co-productions yet, bringing beloved films to life through props, painting, and plenty of papier mâché.

It's also a story about being seen, being heard, and belonging. Gary and Terry will be seen on screen and heard talking about the films they love, with props they made themselves. And through working together, both groups found they belonged to something bigger, a shared project built on trust, teamwork, and a lot of laughter.

Gary and Terry are both taking part in the filming, and they'll be talking about their favourite films, Gladiator and The Addams Family, as part of their contribution. But talking wasn't going to be enough. They wanted props too.

A Gladiator Fit for the Arena

Gary set to work making his own gladiator helmet out of papier-mâché, carefully shaped to fit his own head so he can wear it right at the start of filming.

                     

"I made a mask and painted it. I like doing the paper mâché, putting the paper on the mask, it looks good. I learned a new skill making it. Made me feel good. Made me messy while doing it, which made me happy." – Gary

The fittings brought plenty of laughter along the way. The group even had to rework the helmet's nose after deciding the first attempt was too flat!

Bringing The Addams Family to Life

Terry took on the challenge of building a coffin for the Addams Family scene, painting it to bring it to life. He didn't stop there, he went on to create Thing, the disembodied hand from the film. Nobody was quite sure how to tackle it at first, but this is where co-production really shone: after putting their heads together, the group came up with a plan: fill a glove with newspaper, shape it with wire, then cover the whole thing in papier-mâché.

"I loved making and painting the coffin and then the a papier-mâché hand. I enjoyed doing this. I've made new things like boxes that I haven't done before, and this made me feel happy. The coffin was important, and I would like the hand to come out of the coffin when filming!", exclaimed Terry

All 88 Keys and Counting

Stewart got stuck into building a piano for the production, and not just any piano! This one has all 88 keys (56 white, 32 black), and the lid even lifts up and down. The group had hoped to find a music box with an ABBA tune to tuck inside, but couldn't track one down!

Every piece was cut on the bandsaw, with plenty of sanding to get that exceptional finish.

Stewart also teamed up with Sarah from Be Seen Be Heard to build a World War One bunker, inspired by the film Fields of Glory, complete with sandbags made from tea-dyed fabric and filled with lentils. It's true co-production at its best: two groups, two sets of skills, one shared creation.

Steward said, "I enjoyed sanding all the wood. I learned how to make sandbags with tea-dyed fabric and filled them with lentils. I worked really hard on other people's projects, as they were unable to do some of the things themselves. I enjoy helping others."

What the Groups Had to Say

The collaboration was a hit on both sides, and it's a perfect example of what happens when two groups feel truly seen, heard, and part of one team. Nick, from Be Seen Be Heard, is looking forward to using the war bunker in his own film:

"I like the war bunker that Stewart and Sarah worked on, as this is for my film. It will fit well and catch people's eye when I'm speaking about my film. I like the sandbags."

Jonathan was equally impressed with the piano:

"It is really good, like in the film!"

And Sarah loved sharing her own skills with the group:

"It was fun sharing my knowledge of building miniatures and making things accurate to the scene, as it's my hobby."

Cheryl, Eco Shed Lead, summed up what made the project so special:

"It's been great fun working with another group – everyone had great ideas and lots of talent. It was challenging coming up with new ideas, and we worked on things we haven't done before. Gary did an amazing job of his gladiator helmet, and he even made it so it fitted him. We did laugh a lot when we were doing the fittings, and we had to change the nose as it was too flat to start with."

From a papier-mâché helmet to a coffin with a hand that reaches out, this project shows exactly what happens when two bemix groups put their heads and their talents together. It's co-production in action, and it's what being seen, being heard, and belonging looks like at bemix.

We are very proud of the creativity and work from the group members, and can't wait to see it all on screen!!!

To find out more about bemix - Click here