Week four - After the Apocalypse

This week we were given the task of creating a post apocalyptic film, shot within a ten mile radius of Aberystwyth.  We were told to explore it visually, looking at close up details and wider views using different points of view and perspectives, as well as creating a soundscape, using recorded and imported sounds.

Location

A tour of the area on the way home produced some interesting images, with inspiration coming from the bleak Welsh coastline around Borth and Ynyslas, and a childrens play park, shut up for the winter at Clarach Bay.  

A demolished building in  Borth looked promising, a group of crows perched on part of it ominously while I watched, unfortunately it was completely fenced off, and I managed to get some shots only by poking my camera lens through the wire fencing. 

Borth beach from the cliffs to the North of the seaside settlement looked bleak and dramatic and held filming possibilities.

A caravan which had been gutted by the recent wind and storms stood in  the garden of a house on the winding road between Clarach and Borth.  The windows were missing, shredded curtains hung in the breeze, and the location not only looked ideal, but due to the bits of corrogated iron knocking about the garden, held all sorts of interesting possibilities sound-wise.  Unfortunately, there was no way of contacting the owner of the empty house, and we couldn't set our camera up on private property.

In the end the group chose  the Clarach Bay holiday village area with it's wind-damaged signs and grey stony beach.  The children's play park inspired us to consider the use of toys as props, a deserted play area, toys abandoned could be a poignant scene.

The recent wind had destroyed some of the facilities at the location, which we took to our full advantage - the most impressive being the mobile home turned upside down.

The childrens play park was part of the reason we chose this location, but in the end it was unsuitable for filming, being fenced off and looking like it was closed up for the winter rather than devoid of life thanks to a disaster.

What a different day from the day we actually filmed!  Although it was pleasant in the sunshine, the weather was far more evocative of a post apocalypse scene on the day of the location search.

Research

We looked at the sort of images which suggested a disaster had occurred and created a mood board of post apocalyptic pictures to inspire us. We started gathering props to represent them.
A gas mask was obtained, the skull of a sheep, various toys, books and a baby shoe.  We decided it was better to have lots of props and use the ones that seemed appropriate on the day in the location.

A set of photographs taken inside Chernobyl after the nuclear disaster inspired us to look further at the use of childrens toys and clothes.  The power of an abandoned shoe, a lost teddy bear or a doll was too powerful an image not to use.   The inclusion of some old photographs  led us to wonder if we could perhaps introduce some characters with them.  

Click to see post Chernobyl gallery

Filming

The day we filmed was bright and beautiful with clear blue skies.  The location offered all sorts of opportunities for our film we had not been aware of and the props were not as essential as we'd anticipated.  The most amazing thing was a mobile home which had been turned completely upside down in the recent wind, and we obtained permission to film it as it really epitomised a post disaster scene.

We used the gas mask and skulls, some toys, photographs and spectacles along with the car which gave a vague narrative of a family gone missing.  The shots of wind damaged signs, a shattered lamp post and a chain hanging from a bridge were more effective in the end however at creating a mood of lonely abandonment.  

This post not only looked effective clattering away in the wind, it also added a superb noise to our  soundtrack.

Though he was absent this week, Tom went about recording some clips of his own that might have been of some use to the group. Examples shown here:

However, none of them ever found their way to the group in time to be considered for use.

With hindsight, less shots held for more lengthy periods would probably have more successfully created the mood we wanted. The soundscape, created from real sounds on the day and others recorded afterwards worked well to enhance the bleak emptiness of the location.    Once again, a great deal has been learned by the group, not least the awareness that we need to be unafraid of holding a shot for much longer. The confidence to create a mood and feeling with simply held powerful shots is something we must aim for,  but we are generally proud of what we achieved with this weeks film.

Week 4's Film: Aberpocalypse: