Get ready…this will be a soppy blog!

A week ago I went down to Dungeness to make another short film the Cinemek G35. I was supposed to go on the Saturday but he weather was awful. That day I drove to my parents house in Kent, where I grew up. I needed to still get this filming done but didn’t want to miss out on spending time with my parents. 

So I asked my dad if he fancied coming to Dungeness with me after lunch to help me film and to be in it. He said sure ,which was great. Mum didn’t want to come as it was too cold but I got a chance to spend a really nice day with my dad. He was cold, bored by how long it took to do each shot, especially the time lapses but it was wonderful having him there. 

I think by having my dad with me inspired me to create something special. He liked “My Autum’s done come”  but he was a bit upset by the song and it’s implications. I did say to him, “Dad, you are the actor. It’s not about you!” That film remains one of my favourites, something long planned but made more special as it had my dad in it. Return to Dungeness became special to me by the presence of my dad. Without him it would have been pretty, much like Mark Dawson’s film.  But I had already made that film a year or so ago which you can see here.

When I do these little shorts I often have music in my head, and for a long time it was Saturn by Gustav Holst. The previous Dungeness film was Neptune so I wanted a theme. But when I realised I would have my dad I knew my plans would go out the window. This was going to be a much different piece. 

This is a place both myself and my dad have visited in the past, maybe together when I was very little, but separately in Adulthood. I wanted to make a film that showed this, showed how similar we were but ultimately we now have very different lives. Emphasized by the end shot. 

I can’t say how much it meant to have my dad there, it made this day really special and the film for me, along with “my autumn’s done come” will be very special as they have my dad in them. My family are ever so important to me and recently I have been trying to make up for not seeing them that much over the past year by seeing them as much as possible. 

Please do watch my film “Return to Dungeness” with this knowledge and it may speak to you in a different way knowing this. 

Now my mum wants to be in a film. Where shall we go? I have some ideas… shopping linked I think!

I want to thank my parents for everything over the past 37 years and especially the past 18 months.  I love you both. 

Tomorrow (well today as it’s very late here) I make my Zacuto promotional film for NAB. 

Bloom out.