Midlands Review of Shape Refine
midlandsmovies • March 20, 2021
Shape, Refine
Directed by Dean Harris
2021
Saddle up for a new documentary from Midlands director Dean Harris whose new film follows woodcarver Pete Rix, a man who left behind his design career for something altogether much calmer and fulfilling.
With years of enjoying woodwork as a hobby, Pete Rix took the leap into a new full-time labour of love meticulously making rocking horses. Using traditional methods in his workshop Pete explains he enjoys “making things with my hands” and stresses the importance of moving away from the computer in these times.
In a pandemic world where Zoom calls and webinars have become the norm, it’s great to be reminded of the physicality of manual work and the joy it can eventually bring to families. And the film highlights these attributes well.
His passion also comes across with a keenness to make something that lasts through time. And the documentary delivers a tender portrait of the techniques and traditional hand-crafted work that goes into creating these life-like fillies.
In a number of talking head interviews, the considerate designer explains that his creativity is enhanced by the knowledge that further creativity comes from children’s imaginations who enjoy the end result.
From carving and sanding, the playthings are brought to life and Rix shares a sculpture of his dog’s head which is as realistic as anything you’re likely to see on an historical marble statue.
With insight into the little-known aspects of the processes Pete uses, the documentary explains how the horses are created from start to finish and the painstaking efforts it takes to finally finish them.
Although it doesn’t throw anything truly new into the documentary format, director Dean Harris takes you along for a gentle and satisfying ride with this fascinating portrait. And “Shape, Refine” ends by showing the filmmaker can also sculpt his own skilful short by providing a measured look at a lost art.
Michael Sales
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Our resident local film critic @_jacob.holmes headed off beyond the region's boundaries to the BFI London Film Festival. In our latest Midlands on the Move feature, Jacob shares some helpful hints for first timers, as he provides a guide for local filmmakers and film fans as to what to expect when visiting events further afield... In 2025 I had the honour of attending the 69 th BFI London Film Festival for a week, I attending premieres for some of my most anticipated films of the year. And even grabbed a press pass too. This wasn’t my first film festival, but this was my first London Film Fest and to be brutally honest, in the build-up, I was nervous! Sadly, I found the BFI and Accreditation websites not very intuitive and quite confusing. So this this article hopes to give some peace of mind and let people know what they can expect when attending such UK festivals - both as a regular guest and as press. Tickets Getting regular tickets can be stressful, akin to a big concert. And in a way it's like the Hunger Games, a survival of the fittest type of vibe. First off, BFI advertise tickets go on sale at 10am in September, which is true but not wholly accurate. Instead, at 9am you head to the website and get put in a waiting room with a random allocated number for when the actual sale start at 10am. At that time it tells you where you are in the queue. If you get lucky, you could wait 15 minutes, but often the wait can be an hour plus. Finally when you can make a purchase, you are let in and can put all tickets into your basket. I have two years of experience with this queue! The first time, I failed completely and all movies I wanted to see were sold out. But this year I had a plan! The key to success is knowledge to how to play the game. Tip 1: For the best possible chances, subscribe to the BFI and become a member. The year membership was £35 at its cheapest. And if you're in the Midlands like I am, outside the festival a membership can be fairly useless unless you go to London often. But what this membership gives you is important. A week before general release there is a presale for BFI members. Not only is this a benefit, it also gives you a crucial second chance. By that I mean if things don't go your way the first time, you can try again in the general sale. And I had to do exactly this. When general admissions came out, I tried again for tickets for Wake Up Dead Man and got my ticket! Tip 2: Quantity. There's nothing against the rules saying you can’t enter the queue on multiple devices! I was placed very low down in the queue in my first year on one laptop, but this year I used my phone, PC, laptop, my friend's laptops AND my friends' devices! But it all paid off. Devices can take 2 hours or only 30 minutes. More Devices = Higher chance of getting tickets. Tip 3: Know the films you want to see beforehand. If you don’t know what films you want to see or when they screen you will be completely lost. Write a timetable - and furthermore, have back up plans. Sometimes you'll click on what you want and it will be sold out, but having a backup plan will be much easier overall. Tip 4: Even if you don’t get tickets, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty of second-hand ticket websites selling tickets at normal (or sometimes cheaper) prices. Websites like Twickets, social media accounts like @LFFstubs on X or the r/londonfilmfestival on Reddit will have second-hand tickets. In fact, I sold one of my tickets on Twickets and had no complaints either. Press passes As you can imagine, this process is very different for industry passes. The biggest issue is tickets go on sale in waves each day. Instead of one go, pass holders book their tickets day by day. Tickets go on sale at 8am two days before, usually taking place on the accreditation app or website. In some ways this is easier, but it's also a gigantic pain. Although it's MUCH easier to get a ticket, do have to wake up every single day to go onto a laggy website and book a few tickets. You may even have to book tickets in the cinema. Another issue can be if you plan to see both general and press screenings. One you book way in advance, but press screenings are booked during the fest. Ticket prices for public screenings vary, but the gala/premiere screenings are usually £30-£40. Whilst the press screenings are completely free, you just have to pay for the pass itself which is around £55.