I had many ideas when deciding what to do for my Special Project, although I always had the intention of working with film. I wanted to explore the Lake District in Bastuns þveit and the film Koyaanisqatsi by Godfrey Reggio with music by Philip Glass (a strong inspiration of mine) prompted a more unconventional approach to my filmmaking. By directing the film myself, I allowed significantly more creative freedom, both for the actual film as well as, perhaps more crucially, the music. The documentary film style Cinéma Vérité, developed by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, notably in Chronique d'un été, interested me greatly. Similarly, Salesman, an example of direct cinema, by Albert and David Maysles, as well as Charlotte Zwerin, added to my intrigue of documentary styles. After researching more into the concept of observational filmmaking, I was certain this was the approach I wanted to use. To me, non-narrative film was and is an excellent way of provoking individual thoughts and emotions for the audience, as opposed to attempting to incite more specific feelings, perhaps to suit certain motives.
In the context of Bastuns þveit, there were certain aspects of the Lake District I wished to capture and present. I was never interested in using actors or even following a cinematographic script, and the use of narration on top of the shots felt unoriginal and unnecessary. I wanted to explore certain themes in my film, but I also wanted to maintain emotional neutrality throughout. Although I had my own thoughts on various matters addressed in the film, I attempted to avoid any biases that could influence the audience's thoughts. The title comes from the old name for Bassenthwaite; a place in the Lake District close to me. It translates to "Bastuns clearing".
To make it visually interesting, I decided I wanted to collaborate with an artist. My older brother, Henry (https://lavenderhg.wixsite.com/mysite) had experience working with video. I thought it would be fitting to work closely with him, especially since we have grown up together in the Lake District.
To create the film I knew organisation would play a large factor in the outcome of the project, so the first thing I did was create a rough plan of how to go about achieving what I wanted. This included vague personal deadlines that allowed me to stay on top of my work as well as official deadlines and meetings with my supervisor. Throughout the entire production of the film I was composing the music, the only prompt being the rough idea I had in my head.
After conducting my research on filmmaking, I created a rough idea of what I wanted to shoot with the cameras. This allowed me to be fairly efficient when I was actually recording, as I was constantly looking out for what I wanted to film. Upon finishing and uploading the footage, I began to refine the music I would use, and eventually record, mix and master it. I would then send the music to my brother to add to the footage. My rough idea was to have all the footage recorded and sent off in early March, and the music would follow by then end of April. This was perhaps a little slow at start, as I took my time to finalise the outline of the film, but once I got the project moving, everything went relatively smoothly.
As I do not drive, much of the opportunities to go up to the Lake District and film relied on those who could drive me. Because of the booking system for equipment, I was only allowed to borrow what I needed for up to 4 days. Over New Year, I was unable to bring a camera with me, and thus no progress was made that trip. This meant I had to be efficient with my other visits. I went in mid February and was able to record little bits, although they were almost exclusively filmed in the area around my family's cottage. This was because the camera I had decided to borrow was fairly big, and I was worried I would struggle to look after it if I were to take it up a fell, especially as weather conditions can be quite unpredictable. When I went in mid March, I was able to film the rest of the content.
For the first chunk of filming I did I used a Sony Pro Camcorder. This was a very useful camera, particularly for shots that I wanted to have a slow zoom. I attached it to a tripod for the majority of its use, and this helped keep a very sturdy shot, particularly when filming for extended periods of time. However, the camera was fairly heavy and, especially with the tripod, was difficult to move around and as well as tricky to pull out at spontaneous moments. Therefore, I only ever used it for shots on the ground.
Learning from my mistakes, as well as booking a 1:1 session with someone from the Creative Media Services at the University, I used a Canon 80D camera for the rest of the footage. This camera was significantly smaller and lighter. Although it was more complicated to use, I was able to take it up the fells and, crucially, it was better quality. I, again, tried to use a tripod as much as possible to have a stable shot, although with on and off rainfall, I often had the camera packed away and only took it out for brief periods of time when I spotted something I wanted to record.
When filming, I always had my eye out for things I wanted to include. When hiking up Haystacks, I was determined to use footage of the bothy at the top. Similarly, as I went around the Lake District, I frequently filmed as many sheep as I could. In town I wanted to shoot signs of bed and breakfasts in the area; these were less hard to find.
Once I sent off the footage to my brother, I left the editing to him. I gave him a rough outline of the film, with my intentions for each scene/theme. He requested I categorise the shots I took, so it would be easier for him to filter through when he was compiling them together. My plan was always for him to have as much creative freedom as possible, so I tried to interfere as little as possible. Sometimes I would suggest changes that he would immediately decline, but also there were times he agreed.
The plan was always to have the music come naturally, and to not force myself to write for the sake of scoring the film. This was as much a musical composition as a film. This meant that there was no specific time frame where the music was written, and much of it came in bursts throughout the academic year. Since each scene had a theme I wanted to explore within it, it was important that the music should change accordingly to fit the image. This meant I had to write 5 pieces. I thought the consistency of a piano throughout the film would help glue it all together.
The first piece I wrote, for the opening scene, had to have a flowing energy to it. For this reason, the piano repeats the same three note motif for the entirety of the piece. I wanted the trumpet, played by Rory Evans, to be light and have an airy timbre. Free tempo in the trumpet melody helped evoke a free flowing idea, much like the beck, and added an element of unpredictability. Towards the end of the piece, the two instruments come together more clearly, and a descending sequence from the piano motif leads into the second piece.
With the second scene presenting the beauty of the Lake District in all its grandeur, I wanted the music to have an open feel to it. The second piece was just for piano. The left hand plays the same repeated chord throughout the piece, while the right hand switches between a chordal and melodic ideas. The agitation created through the left hand led to an effective resolution when the Bb Minor chord moves to the A minor, before switching again to C minor, in preparation for the third piece.
One part of the music I thought could work well with the film was the use of a pre-existing melody. For the scene that included sheep, I wanted to create a link between what was seen on screen and an old Cumbrian sheep counting method. Jake Thackray had previously written a song called Old Molly Metcalf. In this song, and its performance, he comedically presents this counting method; yan-tyan-tethera. As it is so distinct, this is a phrase fairly common to locals in the Lake District. In Thackray's piece, there is a repeated vocal melody that has an eerie yet warming sensation to it. When played on the clarinet, by Zhongping Lu, this short phrase seemed to fit nicely within my film, and with an added piano part that was edited afterwards, sounded beautiful.
The fourth piece was the most dissonant of the 5. I wanted to build up tension gently throughout the scene so that the calmness restored in the final scene was very impactful. The same three notes (C,D,Eb) are played throughout the song, with one note at a time joining in to create different chords. The spacing between the chords, and the pedal being held down, helped to create an ambience around the chords, as the resonance rings through and remains with the listener. I end the piece with a repeated cluster chord played significantly louder than the previous chords acts as a break into the next piece, once again using the spacing and pedal to allow the resonance to linger.
The final piece was the trickiest for me to compose. Unlike the other pieces, this one did not come to me naturally. I wanted to finish with a more melodic piece. I initially played with using some of the material I had already used in the other scenes, but I decided I wanted to create an entirely new piece. Referencing Philip Glass' Koyaanisqatsi score was something that intrigued me, but I found that when I tried this it was difficult to create a new sound. My Heart's in the Highlands by Arvo Pärt on the poem by Robert Burns is a piece I often associate with the Lake District, despite (obviously) describing a different part of the UK. It is a piece I love to play on the organ when I am visiting my family, and so I thought it could work quite well as the basis for the closing scene. I initially started by writing the piece in G minor (up a tone from the original in F minor) and using material from the retrograde of the organ part. I thought this worked well, but I wanted to make a few adjustments to make it fit the scene a bit better. The final outcome may not sound much like Pärt's piece, but I believe the overall mood of the pieces are similar, and, therefore, it suits the closing scene of my film well.
Once I had written the pieces, I wanted to record straight away. Unfortunately, I have very little knowledge of recording techniques, so my plan was always to recruit the assistance of a willing coursemate to help me out. My friend Will (https://www.willhepworthmusic.co.uk/) kindly agreed to help me. Will also did the mixing and mastering for the project.
We recorded the five pieces over two sessions; the first three done in one day, and the last two a few weeks later once they were finalised. We used AKG 414s and Rode NT5s for everything, and recorded them onto Cubase. I did not want to take up too much of everyone's time, so thankfully the recording process was fairly smooth. Rory and Zhongping were both very professional and it did not take many takes to get it just right. As I played the piano pieces myself, I was able to take my time with each piece, making sure I got the sound I wanted. With the third piece, I used Audacity to manipulate some piano sounds we recorded, mostly taking away a lot of attack and occasionally stretching snippets.
I wanted to have a warm sound to the piano, and, therefore, I felt the occasional pedal clunk or key tap suited the ambient, intimate nature of the film as well as the pieces that accompanied. Similarly, we recorded the clarinet and trumpet from different angles, this allowed us to hear breath as well as key taps.
I have taken a lot from my experience of making Bastuns þveit and look forward to applying what I have learned to future projects. This was my first time working on the creation of a film, and doing most of the work myself has meant that I have been able to learn many new skills, and I feel I have developed creatively a lot. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring an area I call a second home, and creating this film has helped me admire the beauty I may have at times ignored.
Whilst I am very proud of what I have created with Bastuns þveit there are a few things I would change if I were to do it again. Perhaps Bastuns þveit can act as a demo for a larger project. I would be interested in creating a longer film exploring similar, and perhaps more, topics, especially in greater detail. As I did not have very long to create my film, the collection of footage took place over two long weekends; with more time I could gather more footage. Similarly, although there was a slight gap between the two trips I filmed in (about a month), filming throughout an entire year would definitely be interesting to compare and contrast. With a bigger budget I could use both better cameras and recording equipment (I think having drone shots would be powerful), but also employ professional musicians and producers, thus meaning I could compose music for larger and more proficient ensembles with a better end product. Whilst in Bastuns þveit I have deliberately chosen to not use any dialogue or narration, I think conducting interviews and researching more about the themes I explored could be an effective way of producing a more scientific film, much like techniques used by Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch.