Finding the Story

Posted by Emma Dove - 10:00 on 24 May 2013

In June 2012 I graduated with a degree in Film and Media from Stirling University. I moved to Glasgow without really knowing what I would do there, envisaging pursuing my filmmaking on a voluntary basis and gradually building experience and contacts. I had one finished piece to my name - a short documentary called On Another Note about a quirky musician who makes her own mechanical instruments, that was produced as a dissertation project.

Soon after moving to Glasgow I was contacted by IOTA. They had seen On Another Note online and were looking for a local filmmaker to document the Sublime Residencies in Cromarty. It was a big opportunity for me, so I decided to buy my own camera in order to take on the project.

It was through working with IOTA that I was put in contact with Neville Gabie, who was looking for a filmmaker to help him film the building of a new community skiff, the Lily Rose, in Achiltibuie. Neville had also seen On Another Note, and thought that we shared a similar aesthetic. I started working with Neville in October 2012 and have been on filming trips to Achiltibuie almost every month since.

(Image: Emma attaching a go pro camera inside the skiff)

Having the opportunity to work alongside Neville has, as would be expected, allowed me to really develop my own practice. Yet I have learned a lot beyond just practical skills development.

Neville’s work is very considered. He allows time to really get to the essence of what he is doing. Before I began filming in October, he had already taken several trips to Achiltibuie, meeting with people, getting to know and understand the characters, and learning about the place. When we first met, he showed me a sketchbook of photos to demonstrate his ideas and vision for the film he hoped to make.

In past projects I would usually arrive in a place and begin filming almost immediately, later finding the ‘story’ at the edit stage once the material had been gathered. It was new to me to be considering a narrative framework before beginning to film. However rather than being a limitation, the framework allowed me to think more creatively. It provided a structure for each shot, something to inform each decision. I could still film intuitively, but with more of a sense of purpose. Exchanging and reviewing footage every evening meant that we were always discussing the film, where we were going with it, what was working, and what we still needed.

With Neville coming very much from an art background, it has been really refreshing not to be working within a ‘category’. I feel that the work we have been doing transcends the traditional borders of documentary and drama, siting somewhere in between. I had a little lightbulb moment in a discussion with Neville and our editor Stuart about the film. I was asking about who our central character was, and Stuart said ‘I think the central character is the boat’. That really helped me to think about what and how I should be filming.

Learning about Neville’s previous experience and the way he has worked on previous projects has also been very interesting to me. One thing that I think is of particular importance in the way that Neville works is his ability to communicate with almost anyone. We have been wholeheartedly welcomed by the community, to the point that Neville was recently piped ‘Happy Birthday’ by the locals in the pub, and I was offered the ‘passenger’ place in their skiff race to the island of Tanera. Neville (and in turn his work) is very much respected by the community, perhaps because he is very unassuming in the way that he works and genuinely interested in everyone else’s lives. As such, the project is more than just about making a film, it is about being a part of a community.

(Image: Neville chatting with Alan from the Coigach rowing team on the beach at Tanera)

One of the most important things for me in terms of developing my practice is that I have been given the space to work very much as an equal alongside Neville. So whilst I am learning a lot from the experience, I also feel like I am very much involved in decisions and confident to put forward any of my own ideas and suggestions.

An important part of Neville’s work is collaboration, and so I have also had the chance to meet and work alongside other professionals – Becky, a local sound recordist from Ullapool, and Stuart, an editor who has worked with Neville on previous projects. For me, actively working on a project together, sharing different perspectives and expertise, and learning organically throughout the process is the best way to expand and develop my practice. I have also met people who I know I will be able to approach in the future and potentially work with again.

A year on from graduating I’m now working on a variety of different projects. I couldn’t have foreseen making a living as a freelancer this time last year. My advice to others in similar circumstances would be firstly, to have something to show for yourself - a piece of work that is going capture people’s attention - and get it out there – submit to festivals, contact relevant websites and groups. For me, being at university wasn’t just about getting a piece of paper, it offered a lot of support and guidance and the space to develop work that has been fundamental to me in getting further work since graduating. Having someone decide to put their faith in you is also a big step, and so the support I have had from IOTA has been critical. I now have a body of work that I can show for my practice. A diverse viewership for my films through IOTA means that I am also developing a wide network of contacts.

Lastly, some good sound advice that a tutor once gave to me – be kind, don’t be a *horse’s rear*, and you’ll go far.

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