Ska'd by the music will be released in 2018

Award winning documentary

Ska'd by the music

For updates on screenings. 

Reggae Film Archive:
"Great new film which sheds light on the story of Symarip and the skinhead movement in the UK, very informative film, just when you think you know it all... well worth watching."

 

Silver Producers (Outstanding Achievement  Award)

 Documentary Feature Film 2021

 

 

Special Jury Award

Best Documentary Feature Film 2021

 

Special Mention Documentary Feature Award

Port Blair Independent Film Festival 2020

 

Best Documentary Award

Madras Independent Film Festival 2020

 

Critics' Choice Award (Documentary Category)

Tagore International Film Festival 2020

 Best Documentary Film Award

Global India International Film Festival 2019

 

Nomination Golden Trellick Award

Best Music Documentary

Portobello Film Festival 2018

Roy Ellis on stage with Peter Hook, Roddy Bryers and Mark Wyeth

Dir: Sharon Woodward              Running time: 60 mins
 The story of the creators of the ‘Skinhead Moonstomp’ album.

The British Jamaican Ska band that engaged a generation of working class teenagers.
 ( Deaf and Hearing Impaired - Film Subtitled)

TV trailer here 
 

Screenings of Ska'd by the music:

March 22nd 2018: Film Oxford (Deaf and Hearing Impaired subtitles - colour coded for each person speaking) First public screening followed by Q & A with director.

 

                   Narrator - Natasha Marie, Associate Producer - Mark Gunther, Director - Sharon Woodward

May  2018: Broadcast on - Together TV FreeviewHD 93/ Sky 539/ Virgin Media 269/ Freesat 164/ Together TV Guide here to subscribe to the Channels newsletter here

May  2018: Open screening - Whitworth University , Spoken, Washington USA 
(also shown on the British Politics course at the same University).

June (25th - 27th) 2018: Cinema screening (Q & A with director on 25th June) Chapter Cinema, Cardiff

July 22nd 2018: 2-Tone Village a hub celebrating the late-1970s ska music genre 2-tone, with a museum, gift shop & restaurant. R/O 74/80 Walsgrave Road, Coventry CV2 4ED

September (5th) 2018: Rock and Roll Life section - Westbank 3-5 Thorpe Close, London W10 5XL Portobello Film Festival

October 25th 2018: ABCD Film Society - The Kings Head & Bell, 10 East St Helens St, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 5EA

November 2018: The Globe - Newport Street, Hay - on-Wye, Hereford, HR3 5BG

November 2018: Skamouth - Great Yarmouth, Norfolk 

December 20th 2018: Swizerland International Film Festival, Swizerland

March 23rd & 24th 2019: Global India International Film Festival, National Film Archive of India, NFAI Phase 2, Behind Bharati Veedyapeeth, Kothrud Campus, Kothrud, Pune, Maharashtra, India

October 5th 2019: Beeld en Gerluid in Hilversum Netherlands

July 2020 : Tagore International Film Festival, West Bengal, India

October 2020 : Madras Independent Film Festival, India

 

October 2020 : New Cinema Film Festival, Lisbon, Portugal

 

November 2020 : Port Blair International Film Festival , India

 

January 2021 : Golden Sparrow International Film Festival, India

 

December 2021 : Silver Producers - Outstanding Achievement Award , Kolkata

 

 

Frank Pitter,  Director- Sharon Woodward, Monty Neysmith

2 Tone Village Coventry

 

Your Work is really awesome and it is Officially Selected in the

 "Global India International Film Festival - 2019"

Crowdfunding Ska'd by the Music

Distribution  Concord Media (Education and Arts) 2018

 Concord Media - Ska'd by the music

Ska'd by the music has been F-Rated.

A new rating for films directed by women, written by women and/or with significant female characters on screen, in their own right.

Articles on Ska'd by the music 

Ska'd by the music - Arts & Culture Oxford Today 

Crowdfunds for film 

FULL Credits - Ska'd by the music

Executive Producer
RICHARD DURIEZ

Director, Producer & Editor
SHARON WOODWARD

Assistant Producer
MARK WYETH

 Co-Producers
TONY BASS
SAM HENRY
RICHARD MUNRO
EDWARD POPE
MARK WYETH

Associate Producers
MARK GUNTHER
XAVIÈRE HASSAN
ZULEIKA KINGDON
FELIPE TERRADILLOS

NARRATOR
Natasha Marie

INTERVIEWS
with and thanks to

THE ORIGINAL SYMARIP MEMBERS
Roy Ellis
Frank Pitter
Michael Thomas
Monty Neysmith

with
Graeme (Goody) Goodall

Jennie Matthias
Former Singer with
THE BELLE STARS

Roddy Moreno
Singer with
THE OPPRESSED

Neville Staple
Singer, Performer with
ORIGINAL RUDEBOY NEVILLE STAPLE (BAND)
Former Singer with
THE SPECIALS & FUN BOY THREE

MOONSTOMPERS
Stephen Harris
Drew Stansall
Gareth John
Barbara Reggio
Mark Wyeth
Lawrence Fox
Berto Smilingroots

THE INFLATABLES
Tony Bass
Howard Keeping
David Shefford
Martin Holloway
Richard Keeping

THE CRABS CORPORATION
Visón
&
DJ Simon  

OTHER FANS INTERVIEWED
Richard Huggins
Ali Palmer-Smith
Traceey Ann
Debbie Jones
Beth Kane
Roy Ashworth
David Johnstone


1st CAMERA UNIT (UK)
Richard Duriez

CAMERA ASSISTANT (UK)
Sharon Woodward

2nd CAMERA UNIT (Argentina)
Tonga Skarch

SOUND
Richard Duriez
Tonga Skarch
Sharon Woodward

SOUND MIXING TECHNICIAN
Miguel Mocho

SOUND MIXING ASSISTANT
 Felix Jäger

RESEARCHERS
Richard Dawson
Roddy Moreno
Ali Palmer-Smith
Paul Sillett
Sharon Woodward
Mark Wyeth

ARCHIVE, SUPER 8 FOOTAGE & STILLS
Roy Ashworth
Richard Dawson
Roy Ellis
Graeme (Goody) Goodall
Monty Neysmith
Frank Pitter
Paul Sillett
Michael Thomas
Mark Wyeth

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Photo - Specials Fans
RAR Carnival Against the Nazis
Leeds, 1981
Courtesy of
Syd Shelton

Prince Buster
Courtesy of
Marishka Regan

Desmond Dekker
Courtesy of
Gavin Watson

Roy Ellis on Stage
Courtesy of
Kevin Flores

OTHER STILLS
Robbin Larsson
Debbie Jones
Donna St Clair
Rose Cook
Yosef Kwote Harper
Max Jones
Darren Reggae
Ron Hardy King-Justice
Kevin Lewis
Karl Pratt
Maria-Eléna Ridgway
Sue Arnold
Angela Meklin

 Music

Skinhead Girl
Written by Neysmith/Ellis
Licensed courtesy of
B&C Music Publishing Limited
Performed by
Roy Ellis & Moonstompers
Monty Neysmith
The Oppressed
The Inflatables

Skinhead Moonstomp
Written by Neysmith/Ellis/Morgan
Licensed courtesy of
B&C Music Publishing Limited
and
New Town Sound Limited
Performed by
The Inflatables
Roy Ellis & Moonstompers
with
Neville Staple

Must Catch A Train
Written by Neysmith/Ellis
Licensed courtesy of
B&C Music Publishing Limited
Performed by
Roy Ellis & Moonstompers

Chicken Merry
Written by Neysmith/Ellis/Thomas
Licensed courtesy of
B&C Music Publishing Limited
Performed by
Roy Ellis & Moonstompers

Skin Flint
Written by Neysmith/Ellis
Licensed courtesy of
B&C Music Publishing Limited
Performed by
The Crabs Corporation

The Boss Is Back
Written and Performed
Roy Ellis
Courtesy of
Liquidator Music

Spirit of 69
Written and Performed
Monty Neysmith
Courtesy of
Monty Neysmith

Mother Nature
Written and Performed
SAGNOR
Courtesy of
SAGNOR

Skins n Ska
Written and Performed
Frank Pitter
Featuring
Danny Harle
Courtesy of
Frank Pitter

Shazza Skank
Written by Howard Keeping
Performed by
The Inflatables
Courtesy of
The Inflatables

Thanks to music management:

Original Rudeboy Neville Staple(Band)
Warren Middleton

Liquidator Music
Toni Face

Special thanks to:
Neville Staple, Christine Staple, Warren Middleton,Vanessa Wilkinson,
Roddy Byers, Maria Goodall, Ronny Moreno, Peter Hook, Faz Keyani,
Thai Vespa Nguyen, Margit Neysmith, Phil Chen, Penny Woolcock,
Adrian Spencer, Viviane Fallah, Andy Chesham, Danny Harle, Zac Peters,
Patsy Kennedy, Greg Turner, Brenda Thomas, Jan Skelton, Clive Wills,
Jason Hughes, Richard Mod Barber, Mark Rider, Patrick Hurst,
Jennie and Darren Russell-Smith

Sidney Poitier - Creative Artists Agency
(Talent and Literary Agency)
Los Angeles

Karen Walter
Editor's PA & Office Manager
NME Magazine
  

Also thanks to
Cowely Workers Social Club, (Oxford UK)
Rebellion Punk Music Festival (Winter Gardens Blackpool. UK)
100 Club, Club SKA, (London UK)
Oxford Boxing Academy (Saxon Way, Oxford UK)

For Interviews in other Countries
I use the Skype software
I use the Face Time software

 Thank you for supporting this project:

Chris Adlem, Julia Richards, Terry Watts-Jones, Allan Lauder,
Monica Hanaway, Irmgard Hüppe, Dan Edwards, Andy Norton,
Mayyasa Al-Malazi, Victoria Boulton, Peter Gittins, Olivier Rodzen,
David Twine, Donna St Clair,  Vladimir Holinka, Ladik Holinka,
Steve Weston, Richard Dunn, Mark Ralph-Bowman, Paul Ramos,
Dariusz Dziala, Diana Bell, Richard Wood,
Christiane Jeuckens, Martyn Chalk, Mark Hynds,Stuart Brady,
Janice Hoiles, Grey Burdick, Mark Price, Rachel Foggitt,
Sofia-Chezene Theophilou, Reulier Olivier, Clare McDonald,
Michael Rosie, Stephanie Townsend, Elizabeth Joy Duriez, Fizzy Oppe,
Harald Griebel, Darren Gurney, Stuart Jarvis, Philippa Yeeles,
Malcolm Crowe, Sophie Alam, Manuela Fernandes,Emma Davidson

Ska'd by the music (story of the Symarip)

Ska’d by the music (story of the Symarip)

I earn a living from commissioned video production work, teaching media studies and running audio-visual workshops.  But very occasionally I pursue a labour of love. A film I feel compelled to make whatever the outcome, process or financial backing. Such a film has had my, somewhat divided, yet consistent attention since 2012. 

Ska’d by the music is the story of the Symarip, (also known as The Bees, Seven Letters, the Pyramids and Zubaba). I first heard their music many years ago in the late 1970s and early 80s, following the Two-Tone revival of Ska music in the UK.

I think some people might expect a documentation of recorded gigs and maybe something about the band. If that is the case you will be disappointed, what I wanted to highlight is how significant they were at capturing a moment in time.What I found so fascinating about them was the audience they attracted. Not the first group of black musicians to appeal to a predominantly white audience. But this was different, they were appealing to the Council Estate kids.  

 

The Jamaican kids, alienation and lack of opportunities, were being echoed in white working class teenagers. It’s a complicated subject and that was why I felt a desire to address it.

The establishment branding these two groups separately as a problem. Found themselves becoming increasingly uncomfortable at the now common ground these teenagers found in each other.

They were working in the same factories, going to the same clubs and dance halls. Sharing and exchanging music and culture, it doesn't take a huge leap to see where the parallels were drawn and connection were made.

The 1960s were offering a period of change, although perhaps a little more progressive in some areas than others. Looking at film and music culture during this period, we get some indication of attitudes of the time.

In the UK, earlier in the 1960s for example, we can see reactions to films like a 'Taste of Honey' (dealing with mix-race relationships and having a gay character in the storyline).

Warwickshire County Council had banned the film ' Saturday Night Sunday Morning’. The distributors at the time had been concerned. They saw a problem with a film in which the working classes were portrayed as leading an active sex life! 

We only have to watch some of those TV programmes dealing with attitudes in the 1960s and 70s to see that however far you feel we need to go as a society, we have come a long way since then.

Symarip in terms of the music they produced, the audiences that followed them needed to be documented. Both as a reflection of music and fashion, but also I believe as a consideration of social and economic history
of the time.

Anybody who remembers seeing the response to the ‘Sex Pistols’ and Punk in general in the press and on TV, will remember how paranoid the authorities were. So if we take that to some eight years earlier. Those of us not around, or too young to remember. We can only imagine, what the responses must have been like to this group of young Jamaican Rude-boys. The nervousness and snobbery of the powers that be, escalating into something else. 

Symarip were not overtly political, but they were making changes in their own way.  They did not discriminate what colour their girlfriends were. They engaged with white working class teenagers following a skinhead fashion. On a knife-edge, it would only take one thing to push those in power to start banning the group, songs and any performances. Of course the inevitable happened, overzealous teenagers smashing up furniture was all that was needed. Songs were banned by the clubs, BBC and the Mecca ballrooms. . .

Ska’d by the music (story of the Symarip) released January 2018

Interview with Mark Watkins That'ts TV Oxford - speak about film at 5.20
Filmography - Sharon Woodward
StreetStyle - Review of Thank You Skinhead Girl