In The Embrace of Waves
August 15th was when the idea for the film started coming together. The decision to focus on environmentalism felt natural, given Scotland’s coastline and my personal interests. Initial research revealed that plastic pollution films were already abundant, so I explored other avenues with equally pressing but less-covered topics.
On September 1st, Finlay agreed to appear on screen as the subject. A good friend of mine, and someone who embodies the ocean entirely, I was excited to share his infectious energy with the world.
Finlay Hamilton
Surfer, Diver, Researcher. An all round great guy.
In a tutorial on September 14th, feedback emphasised the need for conflict in the story. While respecting privacy regarding the financial struggles of St Abbs Marine Station, I framed the narrative around Finlay’s fears of losing his job, which added stakes without compromising ethical considerations. Two days later, Finlay and I called to discuss details. This conversation provided valuable insights into his motivations and helped refine the direction of the narrative, as well as catching him up with our work so far.
By September 25th we had created a pitch deck which could be used as a visual aid when pitching or discussing the film. The deck outlined the themes, subject, approaches, and commitment to sustainable filmmaking practices. These practices have been integrated into every stage of production planning, aligning with the film’s environmental focus, and will continue to be at the forefront of the film as it progresses.
We also began watching a number of ocean and environmental films for thematic, visual, and sonic references, which can be found in the pitch deck above.
On October 7th, after many weeks of hard work, we were greenlit. This milestone validated the project’s vision and provided the support needed to move into full production. With this news I began developing a website which will be used to promote the film in the future. I designed it to mimic the experience of descending underwater as users scroll, creating an immersive experience from their first click. This tool will be crucial in helping us garner funding as it is a concise summary of everything central to the film, as well as information of how and why to support us.
We travelled to the St Abbs Marine Station on November 7th, both for the crew to meet Finlay, and to begin gathering footage and sound bites. Unfortunately, the rest of the class also seemed to be conducting their own tests this week and we were unable to secure the equipment required. Despite this, we went to the lab and had a great day seeing exactly what Finlay gets up to, where he spends his time, and just to hear from him.
Throughout this whole process, I was also working on my dissertation, titled “A Changing Climate: A Study of Environmental Films and their Effectiveness at Combatting Ecological Issues”, which informed ethical and environmental decisions about the film.
On November 22nd we had a test shoot of an interview, just trying to figure out how to light a talking head and how the angle and intensity of lights affected the mood conveyed.
It was then that we realised this was not the style we were aiming for, and a naturally lit and unstaged ‘conversation’ rather than interview would fit the project better - such as these examples below.
We then planned to test this new appraoch - as well as some test footage in the water - the following day, but were unfortunately thwarted by a surprise snowfall which - although a welcome sight for a bleak winter - meant that the test had to be called off.
As pre-production progresses, the balance between the narrative, ethical considerations, and our execution of the film remains the primary focus. With an upcoming surf holiday to Morocco, I have a valuable opportunity to experiment with shooting techniques, as well as familiarising myself with new camera equipment. Though not directly relevant, I still aim to use this holiday to try a number of filmic techniques which may or may not end up in the final film - but will be equally useful anyway.
We also have meetings planned with potential producers, and are continuing our search for an editor, to relieve stress further down the line when this becomes a more pressing issue. Continuing to work on the website and online presence as marketing materials is also a priority to increase potential audience engagement and support.
