Ron and I are Eric's Slaves

This is a sideways step from the main characters. But Paul will have a profound effect on Eric and his wife and Ron and his wife.

I am Paul Young.

Back then I was 23, and a second year student at Basingstoke Art College. I wanted to specialise in video art. That didn't come to pass but I now work as an Arts administrator for the Basingstoke area. So my 3 years of penury and heartaches at the college weren't entirely wasted.

I was single and was dating 22 year old Gina. She was into fine arts. She now works in an office. Other than meeting me, she regards her 3 year stint as a student a waste of time.

She is now my wife. We married as final year students 5 years ago.

MY ASSIGNMENT

I had to make a 15 minute video for my second year assessment. The subject matter had to be approved by Professor Fay Price, the Head of Video Production.

Professor Fay is world renowned and Basingstoke Art College is lucky to have her.

She is still there and I am still in awe of her. Gina and I still go to the Basingstoke Annual Student Work shows. They are open to the public. Prizes are awarded and winners' works are shown in the South West and possibly (though rarely) nationally.

Professor Fay takes no prisoners in her determination to get excellence from her students. It is not a slam dunk that she would approve my Art Video Proposal. Therefore I took great pains to make sure my Proposal was robust.

But even so, I was half expecting her to refuse it.

MY ART VIDEO PROPOSAL

Scene 1 - shot of a woman waiting at the start point of the 600 mile long South West footpath. Then a man and a woman arrive. The 3 of them set off.

Scene 2 - a few shots of them at pretty parts of the SW footpath. Then I have a shot of one of the "Nudists may be seen" signposts.

Scene 3 - In the background (and so far away you can't see tits or pricks) a nude male and female couple wave to them. They wave back.

Scene 4 - They use the loos at the partly commercialised National Trust owned Middle Beach. (exterior shots only)

Scene 5 - They walk along the beach, man throws stones into the sea.

Scene 6 - They struggle as they walk up a footpath and turn to see the World War 2 dragons teeth.

Scene 7 - They stop at the viewpoint and we see Old Harry rocks in the distance.

Scene 8 - They walk past a "Danger coastal erosion - do not enter sign.

Scene 9 - They all walk down a fairly steep, overgrown, footpath down the cliff to the beach.

Scene 10 - They go to a part of the beach which, by a geographical quirk, gets cut off by the rising tide. The 3 of them erect a tent.

Scene 11 - The video shows the tide cutting off the 3 of them. It also shows the cliffs above. This shows they are isolated.

Scene 12 - All 3 get fully frontal naked. The shots are explicit. All 3 urinate.

Scene 13 - As the sun sets the man and one of the women make love. (simulated)

Scene 14 - We see the moonlit sea.

Scene 15 - The man fucks the other woman as the sun rises. (simulated)

Scene 16 - They pack up the tent but are still naked. We see the tide recede and the beach reappears.

Scene 17 - The video flashes up a message

"Nakedness is the first step towards true freedom. Seek a higher plane of existence. Sex emancipates."

Scene 18 - The 3 nude walkers are seen (in a still photo) from the rear.

FILMING PERMISSIONS

All locations (except the nudist beach) are included in the Dorset Filming permission.

Filming is not permitted on the nudist beach. However I will be filming from a distance and only be filming an actor and actress, with their permission.

PROFESSOR FAY PRICE'S RESPONSE

Professor Fay questioned me about the technical aspects of night shooting on a beach.

It is one of the most difficult things to do with challenges with lighting and sound. There may be problems to the equipment from sand. She advised me to study the scene in Jaws where Chrissy goes to a nude swim for inspiration.

I agreed to watch it. I still watch it for its combination of lighting effects.

The Professor said "The problems Spielberg had with getting a realistic shark are well known. But that scene was almost as difficult, technically speaking. I suppose you want to have that level of nudity as well.

Do you want the male's penis to be seen or unseen?. Will it be flaccid or erect? Is the actor larger than the average? It makes a difference. Most people laugh at a small willy. Showing an large, erect penis takes it into porn. And we won't let you display a porn video."

I felt awkward discussing nudity with the Professor. She had no such qualms. I hadn't thought about it.

replied "I will check out the man's..."

I couldn't say the word penis or any variation of it.

Professor Fay said "Cock is my preferred term. Why are men so bashful about discussing their cocks. I hope you don't have a hang up about what mother nature has provided you with. I hope you examine your penis regularly as a safeguard against testicular cancer.

My husband didn't and he died of it."

I spluttered "I didn't realise. I am sorry for your loss."

The Professor said "I don't want anyone else to suffer like he did.

But I apologise for raising the subject in such a brusque manner. But I also suggest that you ask your girlfriend to examine her breasts. Breast cancer is also a killer."

I said "I will take your advice on both types of self examination."

Professor Fay said "Getting back to the night filming, I suggest trying night filming locally first because, for all its charms, Basingstoke is miles away from the sea. Then try a test scene with people in it. Then try a sunset scene with people. And finally try a sunrise scene with people."

I said "Great idea."

Professor Fay then agreed my proposal on principle. She also authorised the use of the Department's most expensive camera for the test runs.

She made the usual proviso about her checking locations with me. I couldn't believe that I would spend the whole day with this goddess of video art. But it was also scary because she could rescind the provisional acceptance.

THE BASINGSTOKE NIGHT SHOTS

I signed for the £3,000 camcorder. I got used to its quirks. It has a device that stops camera shake, which makes it ideal for shots of people walking along a rough footpath and up and down hillocks.

I got used to filming wildlife by a lake at night. Then I got my long suffering girlfriend to be filmed at night. It took about a week of trial and error to get the sound and pictures right.

Then my girlfriend posed as the sun set. By now I had full confidence in the camera. Finally my girlfriend left her student flat at some ungodly hour to pose as the sun rose.

It didn't work as well as I hoped. So we tried again the next day.

I was so impressed with Gina that I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She said "Yes".

We had a celebratory breakfast in a burger diner. Students are not rich.

THE NIGHT SHOTS

I put together a 90 second montage of Gina at the Basingstoke Lake. Professor Fay was satisfied that I was technically competent at night shooting. But she warned that night shooting by the sea is more difficult.

Once again Gina agreed to be a model for seaside action shots. Basingstoke and Bournemouth are on a direct train route. It meant her getting up early to get from her student digs to the Basingstoke rail station. She arrived on time. I lived near the station so it wasn't a problem for me.

We kissed and had sandwiches which I had made up and soft drinks as we went towards Bournemouth. Christchurch looked romantic from the train.

She was as patient as Job as I filmed her walking along the beach time and time again.

She wore a long thin dress and the sunlight shone through it. I liked seeing her shapely legs through the thin material. I was entranced by her wearing that dress. I spent a lot of time recording so that I had plenty of shots of Gina's lovely legs.

The camcorder picked up too much detail and too many sounds.

At lunchtime we had takeaway fish and chips and ate them on the pier.

I saw a man on a hover board and filmed him standing about a foot above the waves.

I put away the filming equipment and Gina and I had a romantic walk.

MY KINK

Then we went back for evening filming. I was disappointed because the sun didn't shine through her dress.

To be honest, I had lost track of the reason we were there. But love's like that. I had discovered a sexual kink.

When I got back to my shared student house I made a "just for us" video of Gina wearing that dress. She said "No one has ever made such a romantic video. It makes me think of myself as sexy."

I said "You are sexy" and that was true then and she still is.

Gina loved the video. She and I still love to watch it. I still love her legs. For special occasions Gina wears a white cotton slip in our flat. It still turns me on.

THE DRY RUN

Professor Fay arrived at my house. She was casually dressed, not wearing her usual sophisticated clothes.

I thanked her for her advice about testicular and breast cancers. She then drove me towards Shell Bay which was where the first scene would take place.

We talked almost nonstop about films. It was strange being alone on a car with a celebrity and getting her insights into how certain movie scenes worked. Some of them are classics, like The Shining and The Exorcist. Others are from arty, non commercial, little known films.

Her favourite director had managed to keep the art house ethos yet had managed commercial success. He was Ken Russell, who believed in what he did with every fibre of his being. You can take any frame of any of his films and it would make a good photo.

Her favourite scene was in The Devils. He used lights to make a naked woman look pregnant. It was obviously an artifice, but audacious.

We discussed Russell's "The Lair Of The White Worm". Professor Fay rated it highly. To me it was a failure, despite many good scenes. To me it was a pale pastiche of The Devils. It cried out to be re-edited and more effort made with the worm.

Russell didn't have the patience Spielberg had to rectify the Jaws shark problem. That was the central problem with the film.

I couldn't believe I had stood my ground in an argument with Professor Fay.

She conceded that the worm was disappointing. She said "Having realistic horror creatures has been a problem ever since film was invented. Even CGI hasn't really solved it."

ARTHOUSE FILMS

She was proud that some of her students had made art house films. They hadn't given into the lure of the mainstream commercial path. They had the balls and determination to create their unique artistic expression. They had something to say, it may be a serious or s flippant message. And they say "bollocks to the mass-market'.

She recalled one of her student film had caused a fight. The film lasted over 20 minutes. It just consisted of a camera panning forward and backward with a vase and a flower as the only objects being filmed.

Halfway through someone shouted out "Its fucking rubbish. Utter waste of time."

Someone shouted back "You know shit about film."

The original man shouted back "And you know shit about life."

Cue the 2 men to fight.

I thought "At least my video will be better than that."

THE FERRY

We had to queue for 30 minutes to get on the car ferry over to the peninsular. We knew we had that long to wait because they have a sign which says "30 minute wait for the ferry". They also have a sign at the 15 minute wait stage.

Professor Fay was frustrated with the long wait. A Breezer open top bus sped past us on our outside on its bus only lane. It must be one of the few bus lanes which is to the right of other traffic.

She was even angrier that, when we reached the ferry, it was on the other side of the water. Then the attendant waved a second Breezer open top bus in front of us.

She parked her car in the Shell Bay National Trust car park. We made use of their loos. She spotted a wooden bridge. We went to explore. It went through a lake and onto the beach. Professor Fay suggested using the wooden bridge in my video.

She also suggested using the sign that says "Start of the South West footpath" and to show the ferry arriving. Then to show the woman waiting and the other 2 characters getting off the Breezer open top bus at Shell Bay. Then they go to the loos and use the wooden bridge.

THE WALK

Professor Fay suggested 2 points of interest. She also suggested that the nudist couple take a photo of the 3 man characters on a small wooden bridge. That would give a reason for them waving.

For the nudist scene Professor Fay got me to stand (fully clothed) where the couple would wave. She recorded my waving from the vantage point we had agreed.

We then doubled back on ourselves to get back to the car park. She paid the ferry toll fee and drove to Middle Beach.

She was happy with the locations I had chosen. Actually my girlfriend chose them as she once lived in Studland village.

Professor Fay suggested to alert the coastguard that people would be camping and filming overnight in the cove. She didn't want to have Air Sea rescue called out unnecessarily.

Her final suggestion was to have someone to store the tents etc. She would authorise someone staying in the Studland Grand Hotel. I got my girlfriend to act as the courier. I paid the difference and she booked a double bedroom for 2 nights. She was alone one night and we shared the room on the second night.

That was the first time we slept together. I was disappointed that she wasn't a virgin. But it was great.

THE VIDEO

The video won a prize and was included in the South West tour. It was shown at Bournemouth Arts Centre. So my wife and I (how I love saying that) went to see what people thought.

It was there where I met Eric and Ron and his wife.

To be continued