The Rocking Horse

Synopsis:

The film came out of a collaboration between myself and Drew Henley while we were in our first year at the Slade studying painting. It was in the same year that the film course was started at the Slade but at this time there was no practical work involved and no film making facilities at the Slade itself. Although I attended screenings and seminars. In fact the facilities were provided by University College London Film Society which was fairly well equipped. The film was originally turned down by the British Film Institute Experimental Film Fund although later when they saw the rough-cut they agreed to make a grant of 250 pounds (370 U.S. dollars) for the completion. 

The music was composed and recorded by Simon Standage at the University of London Union and the sound was mixed from five 1/4” tape recorders onto a Bell and Howell 16mm magnetic projector with recording facility. Later the film achieved notoriety as it was given an X certificate and there was a certain news value in the fact of students making an X film. (See copy of article in Today Magazine 6/62). The film was later selected as one of the British Entries to the Venice and Vancouver festivals.

Press:

Today, "Now the amateurs get an "X" certificate", 1962 by George Bruce 

Experimental Films, 1962 by Terry Coleman

The Rocking Horse, "Not for the family", 1963 by Michael Ratcliffe (excerpt)

Disco Express Magazine, Barcelona, Spain, 1978