BOAT STORIES IS WORKING IN COLLABORATION WITH THE FOLLOWING LOCAL TALENT!
One of the things I promised to do when I was trying to get funding for Boat Stories was to find and work with local talent. This was also something Amanda Mc Cormack from North Devon Moving Image was keen for me to promote. Devon is such a beautiful county with so much to offer, there's probably at least one film crew working either on documentary or drama, feature film, commercial or promo every week. But most of them will have driven from up country. I'd do the same. I was doing the same - most of my films were set abroad or in another part of the UK. As filmmakers we like to get to know a crew and work with them. It makes a difficult job so much easier if you trust the person you're working with and know what you're going to get. Plus filming for Boat Stories was going to be tough - working out on boats - trying to get both images and sound (despite wind issues or noisy engines) because I wanted the fishermen or skippers to tell their own stories. Most of the time we could only take one cameraman (or woman) out on the boat. I also expected my cameraman to edit - working to my direction - a totally different skill! And we had to get those stories down to five minutes!
When I started out I didn't know any local cameramen who were working to the standard I was after. I knew a few professional cameraman who live here but their working base is Bristol or London. So it was a big question mark for me - and one of the scary unknowns about boat stories - would I find the talent to make these films the way I wanted them made? The decision to work with locally-based professional cameramen, new talent and local musicians (profiled below) was one of the best decisions we made for Boat Stories. We would have made some great films had we brought in other crews - but they wouldn't have been these lively, natural, colourful films. Boat Stories cameramen didn't just bring talent - they brought the right easy-going, professional attitude to working with people who had never been on camera before - to the on/off nature of the filming, having to adapt to the situation and often shoot in what is known as a 'smash and grab' style because there was only one chance to get the shot and then it was gone. And the amazing thing is working with five different cameraman from four different production houses, I believe we've kept up the quality in all ten films. And I'm not the only one - when I get a call about Boat Stories 'quality' is the word that is repeated time and again. So a big thank you and huge shout out to those listed below!
Jo Stewart-Smith director Boat Stories Sept 2015
When I started out I didn't know any local cameramen who were working to the standard I was after. I knew a few professional cameraman who live here but their working base is Bristol or London. So it was a big question mark for me - and one of the scary unknowns about boat stories - would I find the talent to make these films the way I wanted them made? The decision to work with locally-based professional cameramen, new talent and local musicians (profiled below) was one of the best decisions we made for Boat Stories. We would have made some great films had we brought in other crews - but they wouldn't have been these lively, natural, colourful films. Boat Stories cameramen didn't just bring talent - they brought the right easy-going, professional attitude to working with people who had never been on camera before - to the on/off nature of the filming, having to adapt to the situation and often shoot in what is known as a 'smash and grab' style because there was only one chance to get the shot and then it was gone. And the amazing thing is working with five different cameraman from four different production houses, I believe we've kept up the quality in all ten films. And I'm not the only one - when I get a call about Boat Stories 'quality' is the word that is repeated time and again. So a big thank you and huge shout out to those listed below!
Jo Stewart-Smith director Boat Stories Sept 2015
Simon Vacher: Cameraman & Editor Simon Vacher Films
Simon & penguins in the Antarctic
On: Lobster Potting & Berried hens, Salmon Netting on the Taw & Torridge &Fishing for Clovelly Herring & Living and Working on Lundy Island
Simon will travel miles - across continents to film for work. However his base is Devon - he moved here to follow his dream to become a wildlife and documentary cameraman - so he was thrilled to be offered work on Boat Stories out on location on his home patch. While filming lobsters, Simon was seasick and one of director (Jo’s) jobs was to rescue the camera. Despite this he battled on and as you will know if you’ve watched the film – he nailed the story beautifully. For salmon netting we filmed most of it from the beach. But we still had to contend with winds gusting up the estuary - the fishing as it happened & despite the fact that I lugged the tripod along 90% of the filming was hand held. Again it's beautifully shot ...
In September 2014, Simon and I travelled to Lundy on the Oldenburg (with high hopes) to film and work with Lundy warden Beccy MacDonald. Unfortunately (as those of you who read my blogs will know) we lost our principal camera over the cliff! In November Simon joined us again to film the delightful and energetic 'Fishing for Clovelly Herring.' We were on a much smaller, open boat but this time he wasn't seasick! This year Simon has a new camera which he is very excited about it. We returned to Lundy in May to finish the film - giving Simon the first real chance to play outside with his new camera.
Like so many of us, in the 'business' Simon wanted to become a filmmaker after watching David Attenborough, from the age of six. By twelve, he was giving live weather reports on the local radio station based on information found on Teletext. Simon called the radio station up every morning before school, faithfully announcing the day’s weather forecast! Maybe the weather forecast will feature in one of the Boat Stories films?
For more information http://www.simonvacherfilm.com
Simon will travel miles - across continents to film for work. However his base is Devon - he moved here to follow his dream to become a wildlife and documentary cameraman - so he was thrilled to be offered work on Boat Stories out on location on his home patch. While filming lobsters, Simon was seasick and one of director (Jo’s) jobs was to rescue the camera. Despite this he battled on and as you will know if you’ve watched the film – he nailed the story beautifully. For salmon netting we filmed most of it from the beach. But we still had to contend with winds gusting up the estuary - the fishing as it happened & despite the fact that I lugged the tripod along 90% of the filming was hand held. Again it's beautifully shot ...
In September 2014, Simon and I travelled to Lundy on the Oldenburg (with high hopes) to film and work with Lundy warden Beccy MacDonald. Unfortunately (as those of you who read my blogs will know) we lost our principal camera over the cliff! In November Simon joined us again to film the delightful and energetic 'Fishing for Clovelly Herring.' We were on a much smaller, open boat but this time he wasn't seasick! This year Simon has a new camera which he is very excited about it. We returned to Lundy in May to finish the film - giving Simon the first real chance to play outside with his new camera.
Like so many of us, in the 'business' Simon wanted to become a filmmaker after watching David Attenborough, from the age of six. By twelve, he was giving live weather reports on the local radio station based on information found on Teletext. Simon called the radio station up every morning before school, faithfully announcing the day’s weather forecast! Maybe the weather forecast will feature in one of the Boat Stories films?
For more information http://www.simonvacherfilm.com
Matt Biggs: Cameraman & Editor Artaura Productions
Matt Biggs filming from the pilot boat
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Bideford based Matt is the director of photography and editor of three of our films. The evocative 'Life's Journey on the Torridge' which you can find on our film pages - and 'Winner Takes All' which follows Appledore pilot gig club ladies A crew as they train and race on their own water during Appledore regatta. And our third and final film following the work of the pilot and pilot boat guiding ships in and out of the Taw & Torridge estuary.
Boat Stories gave Matt a gentle introduction to filming on and from boats as we pottered slowly up the river Torridge from Appledore to Weare Giffard on the Cheeky Monkey. The gig racing was as Matt said more challenging & dramatic as we filmed the gig racers, who put in a serious turn of speed initially from a small rib, bouncing along trying to keep up & then Matt took his place in the pilot's seat in the gig boat to get even closer to the action. Last Summer Matt also began filming for Appledore shipyard, with several trips on the Appledore lifeboat to film the ships coming in and out and feeling very safe in their company. With all this boat filming experience, Matt was up for the even tougher challenge of filming on the pilot boat - whose deck is open for safety reasons to prevent the pilot from getting crushed as he makes the dangerous transition from little pilot boat to big ship. The action and the drama happened very quickly on the little boat and suddenly Matt and I found ourselves, lying, filming from the open deck within touching distance of the big ship. For those few minutes when boat and ship are locked together it felt and sounded as if a powerful wall of water could rise up and drench both us and the camera. It could have been a real baptism of water, but Matt was extremely cool, stayed put and dry and got the shots. |
Matt's real passion is drama - crafting a story shot by shot with a great deal of precision and care. He's also extremely versatile - juggling several projects include fast turnaround documentaries for the NHS, the shipyard, teaching students and of course Boat Stories - where we get everything as it happens and there's rarely a chance for a second take.
Matt is freelance & can be contacted at Artaura Films in Bideford. 07794 615104 More information http://www.artauraproductions.co.uk/
Matt is freelance & can be contacted at Artaura Films in Bideford. 07794 615104 More information http://www.artauraproductions.co.uk/
Mark Brindle: Cameraman & Editor Maniac Films
Mark Brindle who founded Maniac Films was the cameraman and editor of Fishing for the Long Haul and bravely opted for 26 hours or more on a fishing trawler out in the Bristol Channel. He built a good rapport with the crew as you can see from the finished film.
Mark and Stu Gaunt are also filming our 9th film: A Life in the Day of a Young Fisherman.
Mark runs a small team at Maniac based in an enviable location, a stone's throw from one of North Devon's best surfing beach - Croyde. Trying to focus when 'the surf is up' they're busy with DVD authoring, visual effects as well as extreme sports and music docs and videos. Maniac runs a very useful hire business able to provide cameras (including 4K) sound and lighting equipment and accessories with Stu on hand to help with suggestions for most things. Boat Stories is a very satisfied customer.
Boat Stories is also keeping Maniac films busy creating DVDs of our films for various events, including the Blu Ray for our big film event in Ilfracombe. Maniac will also author the DVDs which will be created when we finish all ten films.
Before he started Maniac films Mark worked for several years in telecommunications and computer networking. He is author of 'The Digital Filmmaking Handbook' and in the small film making community in North Devon is known as the person to go to - to answer complex technological or digital headaches!
You can find Mark & Stu at Maniac Films 01271 891140 more information on http://www.maniacfilms.com/
Mark and Stu Gaunt are also filming our 9th film: A Life in the Day of a Young Fisherman.
Mark runs a small team at Maniac based in an enviable location, a stone's throw from one of North Devon's best surfing beach - Croyde. Trying to focus when 'the surf is up' they're busy with DVD authoring, visual effects as well as extreme sports and music docs and videos. Maniac runs a very useful hire business able to provide cameras (including 4K) sound and lighting equipment and accessories with Stu on hand to help with suggestions for most things. Boat Stories is a very satisfied customer.
Boat Stories is also keeping Maniac films busy creating DVDs of our films for various events, including the Blu Ray for our big film event in Ilfracombe. Maniac will also author the DVDs which will be created when we finish all ten films.
Before he started Maniac films Mark worked for several years in telecommunications and computer networking. He is author of 'The Digital Filmmaking Handbook' and in the small film making community in North Devon is known as the person to go to - to answer complex technological or digital headaches!
You can find Mark & Stu at Maniac Films 01271 891140 more information on http://www.maniacfilms.com/
Rich Stevenson Cameraman and diver Diving and Marine Solutions
Ben McCabe: Music for our lobster potting film
Ben McCabe& dog
I wanted an acoustic banjo sound for our first film on lobster potting to complement the working boat - it's engine constantly ticking over out on the water. Luckily my daughter Izzy knew just the person. Amazingly when I rang Ben he told me he was building a pirate ship at his (landlocked) Devon home. It's an18th century galleon, fashioned from Devonshire wood and will be a rum bar and music venue - free to roam the high seas and call in at various ports.
We had planned to record some original music but Ben was off to Glastonbury... We played around with some of tracks he'd already recorded and the raw, acoustic sound recorded on his i-phone seemed to fit perfectly. If we get an update on the pirate ship - we'll let you know.
We had planned to record some original music but Ben was off to Glastonbury... We played around with some of tracks he'd already recorded and the raw, acoustic sound recorded on his i-phone seemed to fit perfectly. If we get an update on the pirate ship - we'll let you know.
Becki Driscoll & Nick Wyke: Music for our salmon netting film
Becki & Nick from English Fiddle
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When I heard Becki and Nick's fiddle playing and their mix of traditional and contemporary music - sometimes joyful, other times powerfully emotional, I knew it was right for our traditional and funny salmon netting story.
Becki and Nick were busy with festivals and weddings when I spoke to them, but kindly agreed I could use their back catalogue. Simon and I had great fun selecting the music from three different tracks to enhance our story. It was difficult in the edit to stop jigging along to the beat - we avoided anything which set us dancing or with Nick's powerful voice and lyrics. Becki and Nick are based in Bideford, where they often run music workshops with children. Talented composers and performers, you can listen to their music and find out more about them on www.englishfiddle.com |
Anisa Arslanagic & Tom Watkins: Composer & music producer for our river Torridge film
Tom & Anisa working at Yard 1 studios, Bideford.
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I was introduced to Tom Watkins by Matt Biggs, they’d
already collaborated on a couple of films. Tom also works with young musicians
and I was keen to offer the chance to a musician who hadn’t made music for film
before to work with a professional like Tom. I also love the fact that his Yard
1 studio is just across the bridge (from Matt’s Bideford studio) in East the
Water -the very bridge we’d travelled under in Life’s Journey on the Torridge.
For each film I’ve picked an instrument that I thought would work well with the story and for our film on the river Torridge, I wanted a piano. Jess, my daughter, remembered hearing the sound of Anisa’s piano playing, through the walls of the house when visiting a friend in Torrington. ‘She’s brilliant’ Jess told me. We didn’t realise at the time that Anisa had gone on to be a professional classically trained musician becoming a versatile violist and violinist as well as playing the piano. |
We sent Anisa the picture locked film so she could come up with some ideas and themes. She then played along to the pictures at the studio taking direction from both Tom and myself. I was keen to make use of the fact that she’d brought her violin along, to record some original violin. Tom wasn’t convinced, well aware how difficult playing live is and how much more easily and quickly he could produce the sounds we wanted in the studio. He was totally impressed by Anisa – who found the answer for everything we wanted in little more than one take. Tom then mixed the music for us – all done in a couple of hours one afternoon.
Tom also composed and performed the music which so brilliantly lifts and highlights the drama in our final film: the Bideford Pilot.
Tom can be contacted via www.yard1studio.co.uk and Anisa by e-mail [email protected]
Tom also composed and performed the music which so brilliantly lifts and highlights the drama in our final film: the Bideford Pilot.
Tom can be contacted via www.yard1studio.co.uk and Anisa by e-mail [email protected]
Rowan Lincoln-Gordon: Music for Fishing for the Long Haul
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Rakes Adrift: Music for our Clovelly Herring film
Whilst Simon and I were filming the herring festival we heard Rakes Adrift playing in the background. Their mix of traditional folksy music with a maritime theme using featuring fiddle, melodeon, banjo, guitar, whistle and bodhran, seemed to fit perfectly with our story. We are very grateful to Rakes Adrift, a group of friends from Ilfracombe who only got together a few years ago for letting use their recordings. Most of their music is traditional and out of copyright, however we heard one arrangement which we loved – Fisherman’s Blues, by the Waterboys. I got in touch with Mike Scott and Steve Wickham the writers who happily gave us permission to use the first forty seconds or so, as did both publishers. Grateful thanks to them and our musicians who can be heard playing at local events this Summer.
Alice Bollen: music for our gig rowing film
Alice Bollen at work in her studio
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I was introduced to Alice by her brother Stephen Perham, star of our Clovelly herring film. She appears in the film cooking up Clovelly herring kippers and get a big hug from her younger brother.
When I approached Alice she had just started Alice Bollen music in order to compose and produce music for films, professionally. She had invested in some training and upgraded her studio. For the gig film Alice came up with different themes for the training and the racing for me to listen to. I asked her to build up the tempo and excitement for the race, bringing in different instruments which she did brilliantly. The gig film was on a particularly tight turnaround and Alice took direction really well and met all the deadlines. To see her work watch, Winner Takes all, or check out her website www.alicebollen.com |
Rosamund Harpur : Music for our film on Lundy Island
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I wanted to use a flute for our film on Lundy to pick up on both the mournful, haunting cries of the seals but also the nostalgia and remoteness of Lundy's wide open spaces and the sense of freedom being so close to the sea brings. I remembered Ros playing the flute from her school days and tracked her down. She was in the process of graduating from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she trained in classical flute and preparing for her final performance. Mum, Jenny, suggested I wait until she was done but managed to confirm with me that Ros would love to do the music - so I was prepared to wait a few days. The Lundy Island boat film was Ros's first taste of composing and editing music for film. Ros describes the experience below.
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Ros Harpur rehearsing the Magic Flute with Tamino
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"I started off by improvising whilst watching the film, then developed the ideas from there, experimenting with some timbral trills and pitch bends to mimic the seal calls. I tried to combine some more lyrical, nostalgic ideas with some lighter hearted folky themes to emphasise the different aspects of Lundy life! I particularly enjoyed learning about and using the editing software which isn't a thing I've had much of a chance to play with before!"
Ros sent me several themes to listen to and responded well to direction when I asked for something a bit more light hearted and uplifting to go with the Oldenburg ferry travelling to the island, because these are tourists heading out for a day's adventure -and something lighter and more playful for the playful seals at the end. Despite being in the middle of rehearsals for yet another performance Ros met our busy deadline and I love the finished result.
Ros wants to continue with a professional music career and over the past few years has performed regularly in Cardiff, London and closer to home around Devon. She is a keen chamber and orchestral musician and is developing an interest in collaborative and contemporary performance. This was sparked when she was cast as the 'Magic Flute' onstage alongside the RWCMD opera department in their production of the Mozart opera. She would be interested in composing more music for film and can be contacted via [email protected]
Ros sent me several themes to listen to and responded well to direction when I asked for something a bit more light hearted and uplifting to go with the Oldenburg ferry travelling to the island, because these are tourists heading out for a day's adventure -and something lighter and more playful for the playful seals at the end. Despite being in the middle of rehearsals for yet another performance Ros met our busy deadline and I love the finished result.
Ros wants to continue with a professional music career and over the past few years has performed regularly in Cardiff, London and closer to home around Devon. She is a keen chamber and orchestral musician and is developing an interest in collaborative and contemporary performance. This was sparked when she was cast as the 'Magic Flute' onstage alongside the RWCMD opera department in their production of the Mozart opera. She would be interested in composing more music for film and can be contacted via [email protected]
