A gritty gangster movie is being painstakingly shot behind the corrugated iron exterior of a boxing gym in Wishaw.
At the Shire Boxing Club in the town’s Graham Street, a group of unknown actors have been working away on the opening scenes of Extortion.
The idea for the low budget film, that is being pieced together in 10 minute segments, came from local man David McAdam, 50.
The Wishaw man has worked as an extra on professional TV productions for years.
Along with Steven Barr, 47, he rounded up others they met working as extras and enlisted the help of complete novices to work on an independent movie of their own.
Without giving too much of the plot away, David and Steve, also from Wishaw, play two ex-military veterans who now run a boxing club.
Local gangsters decide they want a slice of the action and demand a “protection payment” from them.
The first 10 minutes of the film have been shot and now the group are looking to raise funding for the next 10 minutes of filming and editing.
David said: “I do a lot of self-defence and martial arts training and years ago I trained with a guy from Newmains.
“He was in the Royal Marines and asked if I wanted to come along when they were filming Taggart.
“I’ve been doing it now for nearly 15 years but that gave me the bug for it and I just kept going.
“We all met on the sets of different productions, and most of us have been on programmes on BBC, STV and American programmes.
“Connor Beggs the script writer, the cameramen and film editor we met out on other jobs.
“They are all at university and are gaining experience.”
Steve added: “It’s a lot more expensive for us to get industry professionals but these guys are wanting to get more experience and get their names out there, just as we do.
“They are putting a lot into it and while they’re not doing it for free they are helping us keep it affordable.
“We want to show that we can make a pretty decent looking movie on a low budget, with some decent acting talent. We are working with a tiny, tiny budget.
“We decided to get cameramen and script writers we had worked with before.”
Away from the gaze of the public cameras have been rolling on the film featuring Davie, Steve and the rest of the cast.
Among them are Alan Armit, 40, from Shotts, Kirsty Joanne Zaharia, 43, from Law, and Wullie North, 59, from Wishaw.
Alan, a road worker, is a novice actor: “I do a bit of training with Davie and he asked me if I fancied playing a wee part. I’m really enjoying it.
“I’m in the second part of the film rolling about fighting. Staying in Shotts prepares you for that”, he joked.
Kirsty, a mobile hairdresser, added: “I met Davie at self defence classes and he asked me if I was interested in being involved.
“He’s a good guy and does good work in the community here, and I respect him so I was happy to get involved.
“It’s only a small part I play.”
A fundraiser is being held in the Cambusnethan Miners Welfare Club on Friday, September 13. Tickets cost £6 and are available from Davie on 07774 382451.
