Topping Out Ceremony
This film was taken at the topping out ceremony for Milton Keynes Theatre and shows the speeches, ceremonies and views of the building under construction
The film opens with members of Laing construction team serving themselves with drinks by a long table in the foreground set with cups and saucers. This then cuts to a high shot looking down on a group of construction workers in safety jackets and hard hats, standing around the area where the ceremony is to take place. A female reporter comments on the event which is to take place, taking five takes. The scene fluctuates between the reporter and the team below. It cuts to the reporter in a new location, in the fly tower, where she has three takes for a description of what is to happen.
00:04:01 there are speeches by a Laing construction official and John Napleton, Director Central to the Commission for New Towns. The sound quality is poor as they are filmed from above. There are shots of the people on the stage, the audience, the workers and the gap in the ceiling.
00:10:46 we see the final concrete panel lowered into place and a banner of Milton Keynes Council is automatically unfurled to the sound of applause. The scene switches to officials with a spade ceremoniously “planting ” a piece of Yew tree in the floor and being photographed doing so. John Napleton completes the job using a trowel to smooth the area being worked on. The camera shows the workers and guests watching.
00:14:01 the film cuts to a shot of the tiered seating area to be completed. Before cutting to construction workers listening to a speech (inaudible), the speaker is not shown.
00:16:17 shows more speeches and Mayor Valerie Squires giving a presentation box to John Napleton. This is followed by a cut to the buffet tables showing people helping themselves to food and drink.
00:18:01 Cuts to the roof on a cloudy day, there is a crane in the background and the Union flag; Milton Keynes council and Laing flag flying at the top of the building which is not yet completed. Various views of the roof are shown and the view down on site next to the Theatre to the future restaurant district area. Bulldozers are seen levelling the soil.
00:24:26 Cut to various Laing workers stood in a line, the camera pans along them several times before cutting to a shot of the seating area partly completed
A full transcript is available on request
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