Roy Spence

For over 50 years, Roy Spence has been making low or no-budget films in rural Northern Ireland, with subjects including leprechauns, aliens, fifties rock ‘n’ rollers and the undead. It Came From Comber gives an honest and revealing account of Roy’s problems, techniques, solutions and successes in low-budget filmmaking.

In this Roy Spence film, created for the Ulster Folk Museum, Joe O’Neill shows a range of blacksmithing skills and techniques using tools and methods that have not changed in centuries. These include heat welding, scarfing, scrolling, curling and bending. All completed in a traditional simple forge. The original version of the film included an audio track explaining the history, tools and techniques of a blacksmith, however even as a silent film, the powerful visuals of this timeless skill remains evident.

A remote rocket-station in the desert is on the point of launching a nuclear-powered rocket when an alien craft appears, at first playing havoc with computer read-outs, and then blasting the station to ruins with deadly rays. Only a handful survive the attack. Now the story is told again in shortened form, with a narrator reading the story of the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11.

Meet the people reliving the 1950s in the outskirts of 1980s Belfast. This Spence Brothers documentary gives an enjoyable glimpse into a family reviving the Teddy boy culture in 1980’s Northern Ireland. Follow John ‘the Ted’ as he shows you where to get the records, clothes and learn the essential moves, all in the outskirts of Belfast. Then meet the other committed members of Greenisland’s Junior Rock ‘n’ Roll society dedicated to this bygone era.

A strange old hermit uses witchcraft to give life to the Frankenstein monster. Will the creature be his instrument of revenge, or will it turn on its creator?

Short historical film with a surprise twist filmed at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.

In this Roy Spence film, created for the Ulster Folk Museum, Joe O’Neill shows a range of blacksmithing skills and techniques using tools and methods that have not changed in centuries. These include heat welding, scarfing, scrolling, curling and bending. All completed in a traditional simple forge. The original version of the film included an audio track explaining the history, tools and techniques of a blacksmith, however even as a silent film, the powerful visuals of this timeless skill remains evident.

A remote rocket-station in the desert is on the point of launching a nuclear-powered rocket when an alien craft appears, at first playing havoc with computer read-outs, and then blasting the station to ruins with deadly rays. Only a handful survive the attack. Now the story is told again in shortened form, with a narrator reading the story of the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11.

A remote rocket-station in the desert is on the point of launching a nuclear-powered rocket when an alien craft appears, at first playing havoc with computer read-outs, and then blasting the station to ruins with deadly rays. Only a handful survive the attack. Now the story is told again in shortened form, with a narrator reading the story of the Tower of Babel from Genesis 11.

Meet the people reliving the 1950s in the outskirts of 1980s Belfast. This Spence Brothers documentary gives an enjoyable glimpse into a family reviving the Teddy boy culture in 1980’s Northern Ireland. Follow John ‘the Ted’ as he shows you where to get the records, clothes and learn the essential moves, all in the outskirts of Belfast. Then meet the other committed members of Greenisland’s Junior Rock ‘n’ Roll society dedicated to this bygone era.

A strange old hermit uses witchcraft to give life to the Frankenstein monster. Will the creature be his instrument of revenge, or will it turn on its creator?

Short historical film with a surprise twist filmed at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.

Short historical film with a surprise twist filmed at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum.

Two children playing hide and seek stumble upon a strange visitor on the beach. This sparks a chain of bizarre events inspiring civil disobedience in a Newtownards housing estate.

Two children playing hide and seek stumble upon a strange visitor on the beach. This sparks a chain of bizarre events inspiring civil disobedience in a Newtownards housing estate.

Rosemary Wilson leaves home one morning for a very important interview, but finds her car has a flat tyre. Luckily ‘a friend’ of her husband spots her dilemma and offers her a lift. After a series of setbacks they reach the Town Hall, 15 minutes late. Here, Rosemary discovers that the fact that the job has already been appointed isn’t the only shock that awaits her.

A miner finds an ancient Druid artefact which released a beast on a small Welsh town

Considered to be one of the most ambitious short films made by the Spence Brothers, this stone-age alien extravaganza has everything a true sci-fi fan needs in spades. The mission is simple: aliens must capture and record living specimens from earth. However a violent earthquake forces the ship to take off whilst a giant robot, used to collect specimens, is swallowed up in the eruption. During quarry excavations in the present day the robot is re-animated, and the mission is still on.

Considered to be one of the most ambitious short films made by the Spence Brothers, this stone-age alien extravaganza has everything a true sci-fi fan needs in spades. The mission is simple: aliens must capture and record living specimens from earth. However a violent earthquake forces the ship to take off whilst a giant robot, used to collect specimens, is swallowed up in the eruption. During quarry excavations in the present day the robot is re-animated, and the mission is still on.

A geologist uncovers a ring of oddly-marked stones in a lonely mountainous area. The markings and size of the ring would suggest the landing site of a spaceship. In the centre of this ring is an unknown electronic device. The geologist discovers too late that he has stumbled upon an alien recording device left behind to monitor and relay information about planet Earth.

A geologist uncovers a ring of oddly-marked stones in a lonely mountainous area. The markings and size of the ring would suggest the landing site of a spaceship. In the centre of this ring is an unknown electronic device. The geologist discovers too late that he has stumbled upon an alien recording device left behind to monitor and relay information about planet Earth.

Low budget science fiction spoof. A trip to rural Northern Ireland in search of Viking remains leads to contact with alien invaders.

Low budget science fiction spoof. A trip to rural Northern Ireland in search of Viking remains leads to contact with alien invaders.

This video is for all those who wish to include special effects in their movies, but don’t have expensive equipment, large budgets, or previous experience. Using only a basic camcorder and such everyday materials as sand, water, card and glass, the producers achieve a wide variety of effects such as weather conditions, explosions, volcanic eruptions, miniatures, special make-up, poltergeist activity and much more. Each effect is prepared and filmed in front of the camera to enable you to follow each step of the process through to the finished result. No artistic or special creative flair is required, so that the absolute beginner can produce very worthwhile effects. The Spence Brothers have well over 40 years of experience in this type of work and are now making this know-how available to others. This programme is a must for anyone who wants to enhance their movie-making but whose ambitions are restricted by a lack of budget.

This video is for all those who wish to include special effects in their movies, but don’t have expensive equipment, large budgets, or previous experience. Using only a basic camcorder and such everyday materials as sand, water, card and glass, the producers achieve a wide variety of effects such as weather conditions, explosions, volcanic eruptions, miniatures, special make-up, poltergeist activity and much more. Each effect is prepared and filmed in front of the camera to enable you to follow each step of the process through to the finished result. No artistic or special creative flair is required, so that the absolute beginner can produce very worthwhile effects. The Spence Brothers have well over 40 years of experience in this type of work and are now making this know-how available to others. This programme is a must for anyone who wants to enhance their movie-making but whose ambitions are restricted by a lack of budget.

This award-winning documentary on Belleek pottery was made jointly by filmmakers Roy Spence and J.J Tohill. Narrated by RTÉ newsreader Cyril Smith, this stunning documentary highlights the talent and craftsmanship that goes into each and every single piece of fine china and the generations of skilled artisans who create these works of art.

A comical documentary film by Roy Spence focuses on the various stages of a bottle of school milk. The commentary is given by a pint-sized cartoon character called Junior who appears on the milk-bottle cap. He explains the whole procedure to a little girl at school who has confused the words ‘diary’ and ‘’dairy’. This charming educational film was made for the Milk Marketing Board for Northern Ireland.

Attempting to resurrect two former high priests of the Brotherhood of the Wolf through Black Magic, a newcomer transforms a young artist into a werewolf. The ceremony goes wrong at the crucial moment and the newcomer is carried off to another dimension.

The tormented ghost of a young woman, who was burned at the stake as a witch by New England puritans, is laid to rest by a traveller who realises the solution to her torment.

The tormented ghost of a young woman, who was burned at the stake as a witch by New England puritans, is laid to rest by a traveller who realises the solution to her torment.

Inspired by the American Horror films from the late 1950s, in a remote American lake a fisherman dislodges a canister which has been jettisoned from a flying saucer. A teenager and his girlfriend manage to convince the police of the existence of an all-consuming creature that has emerged from the canister, but it’s not long before all hell breaks loose and the creature from space consumes everything in its path.

A short documentary film on the privately owned Tudor Cinema built and run by Roy Spence’s identical twin brother Noel. The film shows the preparation and organisation involved in running the small 66 seat private cinema and is a loving tribute to classic cinemas of a bygone era.

Roger, a ciné enthusiast, enlists the support of fellow ciné-club members in the making of an amateur, sci-fi film. After inadvertently filming an actual alien spaceship, his group thinks he has upped his special effects budget and suspect nothing’s amiss. It won’t be long before Roger is paid another visit by the little green men, but will this be the end or will there be a sequel?

A young man travels to collect his inheritance left to him by his late uncle but discovers that the man dabbled in the occult.

A young man travels to collect his inheritance left to him by his late uncle but discovers that the man dabbled in the occult.

In this documentary by Roy Spence, willow weaver Alison Fitzgerald takes the viewer through the labour intensive process of weaving a ciseog from willow rods, from her workshop Greenwood Baskets in Loughgall. A ciseog is a type of basket that is traditionally used for straining potatoes. From the cutting of the willow rods to the intricate weaving of the sally rods, we are treated to a brief history of a craft and tradition that’s admired all over the world.

This short documentary film, made by Roy Spence for the Ulster Folk Museum, focuses on the work of master willow-weaver, James Mulholland of Gawley’s Gate, Co. Armagh. The film traces the various stages in the making of a willow log basket from cutting the raw willow rods through to the completed product.

An American teenager is carried off by beings from space who transplant alien organs into his body. Realising that he is the guinea-pig in some gruesome experiment, he comes to a drastic conclusion... he must deny the aliens the knowledge they so desperately seek.

An American teenager is carried off by beings from space who transplant alien organs into his body. Realising that he is the guinea-pig in some gruesome experiment, he comes to a drastic conclusion... he must deny the aliens the knowledge they so desperately seek.

Winner of the World Amateur Film of the Year, The Magic Man stars Rowel Friers (Artist and Political Cartoonist) as Mesmero, a magician who tours with his wife around remote villages with their magic and mind-reading act. When three local thugs convince themselves that the magic man will reveal their crimes to the police, they hatch a plan to steal his mind-reading glasses. However, things go awry and the brutes get more than they bargained for.

A young man travels to his uncle’s lonely castle to give him a rare tractate. His uncle enlists his help in summoning up the ancient demon Cthulu, using secret rites of Black Magic which involve grave-robbing and murder. As the demon is summoned, the young man fears the worst and is forced to make a life changing decision.

A young man travels to his uncle’s lonely castle to give him a rare tractate. His uncle enlists his help in summoning up the ancient demon Cthulu, using secret rites of Black Magic which involve grave-robbing and murder. As the demon is summoned, the young man fears the worst and is forced to make a life changing decision.

Join Me in the Pines is the solo moniker for multi-instrumentalist and songwriter David Geraghty, also known to audiences as a founding member of Bell X1. Feels So Heavy is his latest single from the second album Monomania and is comprised of footage from Keep Watching the Skies (1975) filmed by Roy Spence. IFI was delighted to work with David on his response to the wealth of material filmed by the filmmaker and preserved in the archive.

Brady has spent his life trying to outsmart the leprechauns and his big chance comes when he manages to capture one. Keeping the little man a prisoner, he starves the leprechaun until he reveals the secret of his wealth. Armed with this knowledge, Brady sets off across the moor to make himself a very rich man.

Brady has spent his life trying to outsmart the leprechauns and his big chance comes when he manages to capture one. Keeping the little man a prisoner, he starves the leprechaun until he reveals the secret of his wealth. Armed with this knowledge, Brady sets off across the moor to make himself a very rich man.

This film looks at the work of three prominent lace makers in Carrickmacross, Northern Ireland in the 1980s. Mary Wilson, Mary McMahon and Rose Feeney show various intricate lacework techniques that were inspired by their natural surroundings, as well as teaching us the history and language of lace through detailed demonstrations, all captured beautifully in this film by Roy Spence for the Ulster Folk Museum. Although the popularity of lacework has declined in recent years, the Ulster Folk Museum continues to preserve these disappearing traditions for future generations.