Simon Harris

Summer vacation, 1978 and he was half way through studying for his 'A' levels at the Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, England when he took his first steps within the film industry. Johnny Jympson (Editor) and Eunice Mountjoy (First Assistant Editor) found him a small job at Pinewood Studios assisting the Producer Michael Currer-Briggs who was sorting through out-takes for potential production stills on Peter Brooks' film "Meetings with Remarkable Men". About the same time his father, Graham Harris, who was a Sound Editor brought home two 35mm Moy film edge numbering machines, a small film rewind bench, some spools and an Italian joiner which they set up in the spare bedroom. Instead of revision, most evenings throughout his 'upper sixth year' were spent trying to get the Ghastly black numbering ink to the right consistency, numbering and logging film rushes and making up 1000 ft rolls of 35mm film spacing (junk film) which his dad used to sell to the various productions he worked on.

By the Spring of 1979 Graham brought yet more film work home, setting two full size editing benches and film trim bins in the back room of our house. He also acquired an Acmiola (a vintage version of a Moviloa) with a 'bullseye' lense. He had a got a contract to dub Chandra Barot's epic Indian film, 'Don' into English.

Autumn 1979, after finishing school he was supposed to continue on to University College, London to read Chemical Engineering, but by this time had got the 'film bug' so didn't turn up and instead took a job as Handyman at Rank Film Distributors which was then based at the old (London Films) Denham Studios site, next to Rank Film Laboratories (now Deluxe). His principal job there seemed to be carrying film prints up and down stairs to the Film Repair Room as the elevator was permanently out of action. At the time it was absolutely crucial to obtain ACTT membership, as the film industry was then a 'closed shop' which meant you simply weren't allowed to work without a union card. Most fortunately and very kindly one of the ladies of the Film Repair Room heard of an opportunity for a 'trainee second assistant editor' on a short film, Horace Ove's 'Stretch Hunter', which was going to be made at (the then brand new studios) Samuelson's Production Village in Cricklewood. He was interviewed by Bryan Oates (Editor) and Danny Nissim (Producer) and was told if he got the job and worked hard they might help him get that vital union card. It was all pretty nerve racking at the time. Thankfully everything turned out for the best, he got the job and they did indeed help with his ACTT application.