Powerful Stuff (public information film)
| Powerful Stuff | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Patrick Veale |
| Produced by | Sue Tramontini |
| Written by | Patrick Veale |
| Edited by | Mike Gilding |
| Distributed by | Independent Business Television Limited |
Release dates | 1988 |
Running time | 15 min 45 secs. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Powerful Stuff is an Electrical safety film from 1988 made by the Independent Business Television Limited for the Electricity Council. It was shown in schools and edited into stand-alone PIFs for television broadcast.
Plot Summary
The film begins with Darren, and his brother Tom, meet his friend on a motorcycle. Darren wishes to go on a motorcycle. Darren and Tom meet up with Andy and walk to school together. On the way, Tom sets off a gang of teenagers who chase them all the way to an Electrical substation. Tom spots a football in there which Darren tries to break in and get, but a reluctant Andy talks him out of it; instead, they play football with other friends to school. Once they enter the class, Their teacher introduce a visitor named Mr. Jones to them. Mr. Jones explains to them that he works for the electricity board, and teaches them the dangers of electricity like touching overhead cables, being careless around cables and climbing pylons, showing clips of what happened when people ignored or did not know the danger that could be present in the situation. Meanwhile, Darren who is bored and begins to ignore all of this by listening to his Walkman and daydreaming of going on a motorcycle that his friend was using earlier in the beginning. On the way back from school, the boys see the friend's motorcycle. They come over until Darren sees his friend's ball is punctured, thus making Darren remember the football in the substation and takes Tom with him. Darren breaks in while Tom keeps lookout and Darren climbs up a substation building. Meanwhile, Andy sees the deflated ball and suddenly knows that Darren has taken Tom to the substation to retrieve the football. Darren throws the football but it hits one of cables which gets him electrocuted. Tom runs in to help him but touches a cable which electrocutes him as well, much to the horror of Andy and his friends. Later, the fire brigade, ambulance and the police arrive at the scene at night as Andy remembers Mr. Jones' lecture to the class about dangers of electricity as Yesterday's Men plays in the background along with the radio news report of the incident as Andy and his friends mourn for the deceased boys.
Television Broadcasts
Scenes from the films were made into Public Information Films with their campaign: "Don't take a chance with Electricity".
- Fishing Pole: Two boys were walking down the path next to the river, but when they move out of the way to let a moving vehicle pass by, one of the boys' long fishing pole hits the telephone wires and left his face and hands disfigured forever.
- Badminton: Two girls are playing badminton outside while their mother answers the phone without knowing the builder left behind a ladder. The ball ends up in a tree and the girl climbs up a ladder to get it but gets electrocuted much to their mother's horror.
- Building: A gang of young boys were cycling into an abandoned building where they mess around, smashing up things. A boy grabs a pipe and whacks an socket, much to his mate's amusement. The boy hits it again and then whacks it hard until sparks explode from the socket and kills the boy's friend much to his horror.
- Kite: A teenage boy foolishly climbs up a pylon to rescue the girls' kite that was blown into the wires. The boy's friend tries to warn his mate about the dangers, but to no avail, the boy stupidly climbs to where the kite is. When he was that close, the wire gave out sparks, killing him and falls back to earth.
- Football: Darren, Tom and Andy were outside the substation. Tom spots a football which Darren attempts to retrieve but Andy talks him out of it. But Darren ignores his friend's advice, breaks in and gets himself electrocuted whilst retrieving the football. Tom goes in to help but ends up electrocuted as well much to Andy's dismay. This film features excerpts from the full version, but one of the scenes were altered to show Darren's ignorance and his consequence.
Soundtrack
These are the two songs that were heard in this film.
- The Heat Is On - Gloria Gaynor (Played at the beginning where Darren and Tom meet up with Andy and run in pursuit from a gang of teenagers.)
- Yesterday's Men - Madness (Played when Andy and his friends mourn for Darren and Tom after the incident at the substation.)