Sound and vision

Gabrielle Hoad & Megan Calver | Work in progress - Swanage Town Beach | 2024

Just back from an exhausting few days at Durlston Country Park in Dorset, creating footage for a forthcoming artist moving image work.  I had high hopes but, at the same time, didn't dare expect too much. It was a small crew - me, Megan Calver and Tim King - and it was also my first time setting out specifically to gather material for editing rather than just to document activity.  It requires a very different mindset and real persistence when the light or the weather (or sometimes the kit) don't behave as planned.  

It was gruelling. We would be up early to catch the tide or weather and still be reviewing footage and planning the next day's activity right up until 10 or 11 at night. But that sort of intensity also has advantages, firing off new connections between ideas and allowing you to start to see the shape of your future film. 

After a slightly shaky start we quickly became absorbed in the process and more confident in handling the equipment. The point where the kit stops being a hurdle and becomes a tool is a magical one.

There is also the chance of happy accidents, such as conversations with curious passers-by that suggested new ideas. And on one occasion, a pod of dolphins coming into view as we filmed out to sea. I was reluctant to pack up the camera and come home.