Get creative and celebrate North Devon's natural beauty with your own short film...

As part of the BBC's Get Creative campaign, community film makers North Devon Moving Image (NDMI) want you to get out into the wild and create a short film about the landscape and nature of the North Devon Coast AONB.

NDMI are BBC Get Creative Champions - encouraging people in the UK to get involved with the arts, culture and creativity. Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of NDMI says

"We are thrilled to be a part of this campaign and we know that there are lots of talented film makers and photographers of all ages in North Devon who can help us build a collection of short films about our very special environment."

"We are great fans of the outdoors and value the outstanding natural beauty of our coast and countryside. The Wild Shorts competition has entry categories for film makers of all ages and any level of experience. We want to inspire nature lovers and environmentalists to pick up their camcorder, digital camera, mobile phone or tablet and share their perspective of the AONB with the world."

All the information you will need about the Wild Shorts competition can be found on the NDMI website www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk or by telephoning Amanda on 01271 860610: the website also provides film making tips and for inspiration NDMI will be blogging with inspirational ideas throughout the competition.

Amanda adds "We are grateful to our funders for helping us run this initiative - a first for North Devon - and want to thank the North Devon Coast AONB, Fullabrook CIC and Tarka Country Trust for their funding. We have also been delighted with the response from local businesses and organisations in offering prizes with donations from GoldCoast Oceanfest, Down End Croyde Car Park, The National Trust, Devon Wildlife Trust, Combe Martin Dinosaur and Wildlife Park and Ilfracombe Aquarium."

Wild Shorts is open for entries throughout the summer and autumn with a closing date of 30 November 2016. There are some great prizes to tempt all ages and the winning films will be shown at a red carpet award ceremony in January and be exhibited on the AONB website.

Wild Life Shorts Film Making Competition

North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

Tap here for The Wild Shorts competition 

or call Amanda on 01271 860610

North Devon Wildlife & Environment Film Making Competition Open to All

North Devon Moving Image CIC (NDMI) wants your Wild Shorts! The local community film making organisation is calling for submissions of short films - between 2 and 4 minutes - about the wildlife and environment within the North Devon Coast Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The North Devon Coast AONB is designated to protect and conserve our beautiful and diverse coastal landscapes between the Hartland Peninsula and the edge of Exmoor. Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of NDMI, says "We want local people and visitors to capture the special nature of the area on video."

"We are hoping to see films about plants and animals, habitats, landscapes, conservation and just getting out and enjoying the beautiful coast and countryside. The competition is open to all ages - families, schools, young film makers and adults - with exciting prizes for the winning film makers in each category."

The Wild Shorts film making competition is open for entries until Wednesday 30 November 2016 and the competition terms and conditions and details on how to enter are on the NDMI website at www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk.

To add a helping hand NDMI will be running a limited number of film making workshops for schools, families and community groups. The first event will be for families and will take place at the Braunton Countryside Centre on Sunday 31 July 2016. Additionally there will be some informal 'cafe style' events where people can drop in and get advice on film making techniques and equipment and details of these will be released soon.

Amanda adds "NDMI is really lucky to have some great local sponsors for Wild Shorts and so far we have some fabulous prize donations from GoldCoast Oceanfest, Down End Croyde car park, National Trust, Devon Wildlife Trust membership and Combe Martin Dinosaur & Wildlife Park. The competition has also attracted funding from the North Devon Coast AONB Sustainable Development fund with an additional contribution from Fullabrook CIC."

Caroline Leaver, Member of the Partnership that oversee the AONB commented "The coast of Northern Devon really is Outstandingly beautiful. It is contains some amazing scenery, wildlife and a range of world class beaches and coastal environments. The North Devon AONB Board is thrilled to be able to support the Wild Shorts competition, which will showcase some of what makes this area so special. We'd love to see entries from film makers of all ages, showing wildlife, habitats and what people enjoy about our coastline. North Devon Moving Image will be running training courses locally too, so its a great chance to learn new skills."

Community Event to collect North Devon Glove Maker’s Stories for Short Film Series

The Burton Art Gallery & Museum will be hosting a free event to collect stories about the glove industry in north Devon for a new series of short films. Glove Stories is the latest project from community film makers North Devon Moving Image to collect and preserve valuable first hand accounts of life in north Devon.

Gloving was an important industry for centuries with factories in Appledore, Bideford, Great Torrington and Pilton in Barnstaple as well being a source of income for many home workers. The industry came to an end in 2006 when the last factory closed its doors for the final time.

Terry Priscott a former glove worker who runs the The North Devon Glove Industry History Page on Facebook says

"It was once North Devon's biggest employer. If you are local to the area, particularly Great Torrington, it is highly likely that some of your ancestors worked in the glove industry! Gloving is an important part of north Devon's heritage but there are currently no books or other information available on it."

NDMI's Glove Stories project aims to set this right by recording personal reminiscences from those who were associated with north Devon's glove industry and use them to produce a series of short films. The films will be free to watch via NDMI's website and at The Burton Art Gallery & Museum. There will also be a screeening of the series at White Moose Gallery in Barnstaple to complement the Hand to Hand exhibition by local artist Sue on 14 July. 

Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of North Devon Moving Image says 

"We are inviting people to come along to the Burton on Saturday 2 July to share their Glove Stories either by interview on camera or by writing anecdotes on our Glove Stories memory cards. It would be great to see some old photographs and artefacts too." 

 Photos show images recorded at Great Torrington Museum. 

The event runs to coincide with Bideford Heritage Day on Saturday 2 July from 10am to 4pm  at The Burton Art Gallery and Museum Kingsley Road,  Bideford, Devon EX39 2QQ.

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For more information or to offer help volunteering on the day please contact Amanda McCormack on 01271 860610 or email northdevonmovingimage@outlook.com. 

This community project has been made possible with funding from The Bideford Bridge Trust and Torridge Councillor Peter Christie.  

Boat Stories Films Continue to Make Waves for North Devon

The boat stories series of ten short films is continuing to make big waves for North Devon. 'Fishing for Clovelly Herring' has been chosen by the jury for Plymouth Film Festival on 13-15th May. Selected from over 450 submissions, this lively film will be shown as part of the Sunday brunch session and is up for best documentary, best of the south west and the people's choice award. This whole series is being shown this week at Exeter Phoenix before the feature length documentaries at the UK Green Film Festival, billed as a nationwide celebration for film lovers and green thinkers. In April the films were shown at the inaugural and colourful Ilfracombe Film Festival. Amanda Gartshore festival organiser says 'Boat Stories were a big hit with the festival audience. "Some seeing them for the first time loved them because they featured people they knew and others who'd already seen them came to watch them on the big screen." Last autumn two of the films were part of the official jury selection at Bath Film Festival. Jo Stewart-Smith, director and producer of the films says 'it's fantastic to see the Boat Stories buzz continuing, long after we sailed on our last filming trip. Once again I want to thank all the talented local cameramen, Simon Vacher, Matt Biggs, Mark Brindle, Stu Gaunt and Rich Stevenson and our sound assistants, Josh Hawker and Oscar Adams plus the ten versatile musicians we worked with - a different one for each film - together we made a great team."

Jo has been showing the films and revealing some of the adventures of cast and crew at a series of talks in packed village halls for Beaford Arts. The final talk is at High Bickington on Friday 13th May. Stephen Perham star of the film Fishing for Clovelly Herring will be chatting about his experiences alongside another boat stories star Thom Flaxman, relief coxswain and crew on the Bideford pilot.

Recently Glorious Oyster (of food and farming awards fame) partnered with Treyhill farm to show the films at a fundraiser for Sea-Changers. Several festivals are coming back for seconds. The films will be on show for the second year running at the Westward Ho Fish Festival in June and at Sea Ilfracombe and Appledore Book Festivals in the Autumn. Jo adds, "I want to remind local businesses, tourist and activity centres and groups of friends that they are welcome to show these films. They make great entertainment for those rare, rainy evenings we get in North Devon!"

Boat Stories DVDs are available from many tourist information centres, museums and galleries in Appledore, Bideford, Braunton, Clovelly, Ilfracombe, Mortehoe, Westward Ho! and Woolacombe or from the website www.boatstories.co.uk

Stephen Perham leaving harbour in Dad’s old boat Neptune 
“herrings rise to the light” Clovelly
Photos copyright Jo Stewart-Smith (All rights reserved)  
Tap links below for tickets:

 Plymouth Film Festival
 Exeter Phoenix UK Green Film Festival
 Beaford Arts Boat Stories at High Bickington Community Centre

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Boat Stories films were part funded by Northern Devon FLAG (Fisheries Local Action Group,) Bideford Bridge Trust, Tarka Country Trust, Fullabrook CIC, The Clovelly Estate, the West Country Rivers Trust and North Devon Plus
Boat Stories was hosted by Amanda McCormack from North Devon Moving Image CIC: a community film making organisation creating, collecting and sharing short documentary films about life in North Devon. 

Barnstaple Stories - Short films uncover fascinating stories of life in Barnstaple

Do you remember Raymond's pasty shop in Barnstaple? Did you ever see elephants walking around town? How did Butcher's Row become knee deep in dough? 

Barnstaple Stories is a new collection of short films uncovering some fascinating stories Barnstaple life in days gone by. The project was commissioned by Barnstaple Town Council to record and share personal and family histories of life in the town.

Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of North Devon Moving Image who produced the films, says the project uncovered some delightful anecdotes "We held a drop-in event at Barnstaple's Guildhall in November, inviting people to come in and share their stories. The interviewees talked about their personal memories of growing up and living in Barnstaple and we were captivated by the little details of everyday life which are now just that - memories."

Reaction to the films has been really positive and the sharing event was such a success that Barnstaple Town Council have decided to run a monthly local history scrapbooking event. The first meeting will be at The Guildhall on Friday 4 March 2016 and is a chance for people to come along and bring their stories, photographs and documents. From the information gathered, the group will produce the Barnstaple History Scrapbook to preserve and share precious details of life in Barnstaple.

The Barnstaple Stories films are currently available on the North Devon Moving Imagewebsite http://www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk/films.html and will soon be available to view on the touch screen display at St Anne's Arts Centre in Barnstaple.

Dick Raymond and Ian Irwin tell their Barnstaple Stories 

Peter Jewell talking to Amanda McCormack from North Devon Moving Image.

Free Flm Making Opportunity for Young People in North Devon

In association with education charity Into Film, St Anne's Film Club in Barnstaple is inviting young people between the ages of 11 and 14 to apply for a FREE film making course in Barnstaple.  Under the guidance of industry professionals the young film makers will learn about the film production process from research through to marketing and create a short film of their own.

Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of North Devon Moving Image (NDMI), who is leading the project says it will be a great hands-on learning experience for young people in North Devon "This opportunity has been made possible by funding from Into Film, a fabulous education charity whose overriding mission is to put film at the heart of children and young people's learning and cultural experience in the UK.  We are really excited about working with a group of keen young film makers and enabling them to develop their skills and share their creativity."

The project will take place at St Anne's Arts & Community Centre in Barnstaple on Tuesdays from 4pm to 6pm starting on 8 March 2016.

To apply please contact Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of North Devon Moving Image at northdevonmovingimage@outlook.com, telephone 01271 860610 or visit the website www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk/news.  Closing date for applications is Friday 26 February 2016.

Short Film: The Bideford Pilot - Out in the estuary whatever the weather.

Yes, the weather's dreadful but spare a thought for those whose work continues rain or shine, day or night and whatever the swell out in the Torridge estuary.  

The Bideford Pilot is an insightful and dramatic new short film showing the work of the pilot, Roger Hoad, who guides ships safely into Bideford, Appledore or Yelland.  In the film, Roger says "People from Bideford often open their curtains to find a ship down at the quay. They go to work while the ship is being loaded and the next morning it has vanished again."

The Bideford Pilot is one of ten short films in the Boat Stories series and local historian Peter Christie, who presented the Bideford premiere screening of the series, commented "I was delighted to see the films which really explored one of those parts of the North Devon economy that we all talk about yet very few see at first hand. It was especially good to see the film on Roger Hoad, the Bideford harbour pilot, whose essential work often happens at very unsocial hours (tides wait for no man not even Roger) and is often very challenging."

Before she began research on the film, Boat Stories producer Jo Stewart-Smith thought that escorting incoming ships over the notorious Bideford Bar would be the most difficult part of the pilot's job.  Jo commented "I know now that transferring the pilot on and off the big ships, gaining the trust of a new captain quickly so the pilot can effectively control the ship, guiding the ships up and down the tidal river through the narrow constantly changing channels and turning a 6,000 tonnes ship against a flood tide - are all tough, challenging tasks."

The work has its rewards as well as its challenges and crew member Thom Flaxman says "I get to see some lovely sunrises and sunsets and appreciate the beauty of the river at all hours of the day and night. Some winter nights the deck of the Pilot Boat is just a sheet of ice. When you're hauling on a line it's worth hanging onto the boat as there's nothing to stop your boots from sliding straight over the side."

John Pavitt is coxwain of the pilot boat and it's his job to keep Roger safe, positioning the boat so they are not in danger of squashing him or breaking his legs.  He tells us "For all the technology that has come along nothing has changed from the pilot’s point of view. He is still hanging on to a rope ladder on the side of the ship under any conditions and it’s the crew of the pilot boat that have to get him safely off and on..."

During the recent storm 'Frank' the pilot crew were out working in winds up to 30 knots, escorting the Celtic Warrior out from Yelland Quay. The ship's master was concerned that transferring the pilot down the long ladder would be too dangerous due to the pitching and rolling but as Roger Hoad said in typically understated fashion "in the event all went well and the crew did a good job in quite testing conditions."

Watching the film has had a lasting impact on Instow resident Jim McCormack "I can see the estuary from my garden and when I'm outside at night I look out across the bar and spare a thought for the Bideford pilot - remembering that dramatic scene in the film where he takes his life in his hands as he jumps from the small pilot boat onto a rope ladder dangling from the giant cargo ship."

You can watch the Bideford Pilot along with the other nine Boat Stories short films at www.boatstories.co.uk.

Short Film - Ben Bengey - North Devon's Young Fishing Industry Ambassador

An inspirational young fisherman from Ilfracombe in North Devon is fast becoming the voice for the future of fishing in the UK. Ben Bengey's charm and passion for his work make him the perfect young ambassador for the industry. Ben features in a new short film - A Life in the Day of a Young Fisherman - one episode in a ten part series of five minute documentaries on the people whose lives revolve around boats and fishing in North Devon.

Ben understands the importance of sustainability in his work and wants to share this with others. In September Ben took his film to London for the launch of Blue New Deal, an initiative from the New Economics Foundation (NEF) and explains "It was about UK coastal communities and the jobs and people behind it all. So I went to talk about fishing and tell people that fisherman are not as bad as the news shows and we do put things in place to stop overfishing, like the ray box and the Trevose box."

One scene in "A Life in the Day of a Young Fisherman" shows Ben returning a lobster to the sea despite it being within the legal size for keeping. He says he'd "rather put it back... may have kids... grow a bit bigger" and adds "I don't see any reason to keep 'em. You're just messing with your own future, to be honest". Ben lives and breathes a life on the sea - at just 19 he has his own boat, Silver Spirit, which is licensed for both commercial fishing and passengers so when he's not out potting for lobsters and crabs (or volunteering for the RNLI) he's running fishing trips and he spends his spare time on his boat fishing with his mates for the sheer pleasure of it. He sums up his film with the words " I just want to be out on the water, every day, every hour."

Boat Stories Producer, Jo Stewart-Smith says "Right from the beginning I wanted to make a film about a young fisherman starting out - who was serious about making a go of it in this tough, fickle, roller coaster business. It's not a choice many youngsters make - there are far easier ways of making a living. But as someone wrote after watching our film 'Ben is following his dream and making a go of it.' The Boat Stories films are a valuable way of informing people about the fishing industry, Ben says "It's really good as like I said on the news (ITV Westcountry interviewed Ben to launch Boat Stories as a web series) people don't have a clue what we do and it's great to show people!" 

You can watch Ben's film and read more about him and his work on the Boat Stories website www.boatstories.co.uk.

BARNSTAPLE STORIES - FREE ORAL HISTORY DROP IN EVENT AT THE GUILDHALL 27 NOVEMBER 2015

Local community film makers North Devon Moving Image are working on an exciting new project to unveil and preserve Barnstaple's hidden heritage through your personal stories and photographs.  They will be holding a free drop in event at Barnstaple Guildhall on Friday 27 November 2015 between 10am and 3.30pm where you can contribute to the project.

Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of NDMI says "We are fascinated by tales and images of old Barnstaple and there is nothing quite like hearing about the past from those who have lived it or who have stories passed down through their families."

The drop in day will be an informal and friendly event where people of all ages will have an opportunity to share their stories of Barnstaple.  Interviews recorded and photographs scanned on the day will be used to produce a series of short films which will then be shared online and on the touch screen display at St Anne's Arts Centre in Barnstaple.

Amanda adds "The Barnstaple Stories event will be an opportunity for people to come along and share their own memories and pictures of Barnstaple in days gone by.  It will be an informal event with free tea, coffee, cake and a chance to put your feet up after a hard morning's shopping. We are hoping that we will hear stories connected to local landmarks and significant historical events as well as romantic and poignant anecdotes and preserve them in the form of short films for future generations."

Previous NDMI Oral History Project

Old photo Barnstaple High Street - Mac Fisheries and WH Smith Shops

The Guildhall is fully accessible with a lift to the first floor and at 12.30pm on the day there will be a free guided tour for anyone who is interested.

For further information contact Amanda McCormack, Creative Director, North Devon Moving Image 01271 860610 northdevonmovingimage@outlook.com

 

Barnstaple Guild Hall

All Photos copyright Amanda McCormack North Devon Moving Image CLC (All rights reserved) 

SHORT FILM HIGHLIGHTS THE WONDERS OF DIVING IN NORTH DEVON

If you ever thought that scuba diving in North Devon would be dull then think again. The waters off the coast of Ilfracombe are littered with wrecks and populated by fascinating underwater life. A new short film - Every Dive is an Adventure - introduces members of Ilfracombe and North Devon Sub Aqua Club (ILFSAC) who dive alongside volunteers from Seasearch, surveying marine life as they explore this fascinating underwater landscape.

Film producer Jo Stewart-Smith talks about the inspiration behind this latest addition to the Boat Stories series "I had two people equally passionate about their favourite subject and was torn between whether to focus on exploring undiscovered wrecks or recording marine life in our short film. Luckily, because wrecks which lie on the sea floor act like rocky reefs and become magnets for marine life we are able to reveal a little bit of the excitement of both."

Jo says that the title for this film is a direct quote from ILFSAC Chairman Shaun Galliver who says in the film "Diving off the coast of North Devon is a challenge and we never know what we are going to find - whether we're looking for a new wreck or new marine life - every dive is an adventure."

Galliver, a self-confessed 'wreck head' told Jo about the many wrecks off the North Devon Coast "Around 1910 Cardiff was one of the world's busiest ports and in one year 13 million tonnes of coal or 300 ships a day travelled past Ilfracombe. Many of those either hit rocks or hit each other so we still have a lot of undiscovered wrecks here, we found four last year and even last week we dived two new ones."

He commented that to dive a new wreck, one that no one has touched or seen for 150 years, is amazing and the club can offer that opportunity to its members. ILFSAC has been exploring new wrecks since it was founded in 1960 so its club house is a bit like an Aladdin's cave of treasures from the deep. One of these holds pride of place at the bar; a ship's bell which came from the steamship The George Lamb which came a cropper on the rocks in the late 1800s.

Jo was entranced by the brilliant colours in ILFSAC diver, Maggs Ashton's photographs. Maggs is passionate about photographing this colourful underwater world 'people always say you must have photographed that in the Red Sea, I have trouble convincing people that they are found here in North Devon."

In the film Sally Sharrock tells us about Seasearch, a project which encourages divers to map out the sea bed and survey marine life "We work on the assumption that if we don't know what's there we can't protect it and the only people who see what is down under water are the divers. We train them in basic marine biology so that they know what they are looking for."

Talking about the variety and colourful nature of the marine life Sally says "It's like an old fashioned sweet shop where you have all the jars of different colours on the walls." On this dive she discovers a curious looking Tompot blenny and exclaims "they're always good fun, 'cause they've got a big smiley face!"

Every Dive is an Adventure will be shown on the big screen along with the 9 other Boat Stories Films at a free event on Friday 16 October 2015 at Bideford Cinema, Kingsley School, Bideford - details at www.bidefordcinema.org.uk.

Unsurprisingly, seats are selling fast so if you can't get to the screening you can watch the films online at www.boatstories.co.uk or look out for the DVDs which will be on sale in selected museums and information centres soon.

Underwater cameraman, Rich Stevenson, just surfaced and back in harbour,  ILFSAC, Seasearch members and camera crew after a successful mission, Neptune setting off on an adventure. Photos copyright Jo Stewart-Smith (All Rights Reserved)

• North Devon Moving Image CIC
• Ilfracombe & North Devon’s Sub Aqua Club (official full title of the club btw) they’re often called ILFSAC or Ilfracombe Dive Club
• Seasearch 

The Boat Stories Series: Short Films Capture the Magic of North Devon's People and Environment

A gala screening event at the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe on Friday 4 September 2015 celebrated the completion of Boat Stories, a series of short films about local people who live their lives connected to boats and fishing in North Devon. This was the first chance for the public to see the whole series of ten, five minute films on the big screen with the added bonus of hearing from and chatting with some of the characters in the films and the film makers themselves.

Boat Stories collaborated with the Museum of Barnstaple and North Devon's Fishing for History Project to organise the Ilfracombe Event and Museum Development Manager, Alison Mills commented:

" the films have done a great job in capturing the way in which North Devon people interact with our landscape - which is such an important part of how this area has become the beautiful place it is."

"I would single out the salmon fishing (Salmon Netting on the Taw & Torridge) & Steve Perham (Fishing for Clovelly Herring) films as vital in capturing what may be the last few practitioners of traditional fishing methods, but I also greatly enjoyed the other films - and the obvious concern of the other fishermen about how they can protect as well as prosper from our maritime resources."

The production of these insightful and professionally produced films was made possible in large part by funding from Northern Devon FLAG. Steve Pitcher, Chair of Northern Devon FLAG and North Devon Coast AONB Partnership applauded the work of film producer Jo Stewart-Smith:

"The films are inspirational and are a great showcase for the beauty and activity that are found on the North Devon Coast. Above all it is the people talking about their lives and livelihoods that makes them so good. As the Northern Devon Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) we were very pleased to support the making of these films and to secure funding for them. Apart from the high quality of the films they are also an excellent record of the strong fishing heritage we have here in North Devon. Everyone should see them!"

This may the completion of the production phase of Boat Stories but it is by no means the end. Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of North Devon Moving Image (NDMI), says the objective of all NDMI's projects is to create, collect and share short films about life in North Devon. She says "The first eight films from Boat Stories are available now to view on the Boat Stories website. The complete series will be available online following our final free public screening event at Bideford Cinema on Friday 16 October 2015. Beyond this we are hoping to distribute compilation DVDs to libraries, museums and information centres so as many people as possible can get to see these valuable (and entertaining) local social documentary films."

Visit www.boatstories.co.uk to view the films, book seats at the Bideford screening event and read all about the making of Boat Stories.

Free Public Screening Event Launches Boat Stories Short Film Series

It is time to roll out the red carpet for the series premiere of Boat Stories - ten short films featuring local characters whose lives revolve around boats and fishing in North Devon. Local film maker Jo Stewart-Smith has joined forces with community film making organisation North Devon Moving Image (NDMI) to tell ten different boat stories. From traditional salmon fishing to the Lundy ferry and from Clovelly to Ilfracombe Jo sought out stories of heritage, politics, sport and family to create a valuable snapshot of life in North Devon today. As the project comes to a close and the final film sails out of the editing suite it is time to celebrate Boat Stories with a free screening event at the Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe on Friday 4 September 2015 at 7.30pm. Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of NDMI is delighted with the project "Jo has worked extremely hard on Boat Stories. From a chance meeting on Woolacombe beach two years ago to this fabulous series of local social documentary films we certainly have a journey to celebrate."
"Boat Stories has been much more than just a film making exercise. Jo has also kept the public up to date with the project in her frequent blogs and photos on the Boat Stories website and this in itself is a great local resource. Additionally, I've been very strict about NDMI's 5 minute running time policy and some of Jo's interviews were too good to end up on the cutting room floor so we have posted the best video clips on the website." Jo also did a great job of keeping it local, another rigid NDMI rule. She says that one of the best things about working on the project was the opportunity to work with new filmmakers. "Boat Stories was made by four different locally-based freelance cameramen, we had several young talent assistants on camera and sound and we worked with a different local musician for each film."
Jo adds "The biggest highlight though, was the people I met: fishermen, skippers, crews and scientists or conservationists - being welcomed on board for a few hours or whole days and being given a privileged peek into a new world."
"There were lows too: including losing a camera over the cliff on Lundy island on the first day of our three day visit and realising we'd have to wait till the following year to complete the film. On other films we cancelled trips for bad weather and lack of fish, had a couple of seasick cameraman and technical issues with film equipment, but the shows went on!"
Chrissie Ingle, Project Development Officer at North Devon + says "The Boats stories films have shown how intrinsically linked north Devonians are to the sea. These short films, supported by the Northern Devon FLAG, pack a lot into 5 minutes and are funny, engaging and, most importantly, informative. I thoroughly recommend going along to the showing of the films as part of the ‘Sea Ilfracombe’ and ‘Fishtival’ events, they are a treat to see. "
The Boat Stories Premiere is the launch event for Sea Ilfracombe 2015 - a weekend of celebrating all things maritime from 4-6 September. Although this is a free event, tickets must be reserved via the North Devon Theatres box office. 

 North Devon Lobster Potting. Photo copyright Boat Stories (All Rights Reserved)

Boat Stories Short Films. Photo copyright Boat Stories (All Rights Reserved)

SHORT FILM: LIVING AND WORKING ON LUNDY ISLAND

Following several sneaky cameo appearances, North Devon's iconic Lundy passenger and supply boat the MS Oldenburg has her own starring role in Living and Working on Lundy Island, the latest short film in the Boat Stories series.

In the Boat Stories series so far we have been up the rivers and out to sea, often catching a glimpse of the Oldenburg as she sails out of Bideford or Ilfracombe. We now travel with her out to Lundy to meet the Island's warden Beccy MacDonald.

On an island with a tiny working population, Lundy workers learn to multi task. Beccy overseas research projects and, working in the field herself, monitors puffins and surveys seals. She meets the Oldenburg as it delivers day trippers, wildlife enthusiasts and researchers and offloads essential supplies - like clotted cream - she keeps visitors informed - running guided walks and snorkel safaris. As a member of the island coastguard team Beccy's radio crackles constantly as she is the contact for all visiting charter boats and fishermen. Along with Jonny, her partner, Beccy fills divers’ air bottles and when housekeeping is stretched in the busy season, like the rest of the team and volunteers, she mucks in to help with bed making!

This short film captures the beauty of the island and its wildlife but also highlights an issue which is having an impact on marine life in North Devon and around the world. 

Boat Stories Producer, Jo Stewart-Smith says "We were walking along the coast path filming Beccy doing her seal survey when she turned and said ‘there’s something here I really want you to film.’ She’d spotted the pale seal with some plastic caught around its neck, which a diver had reported to her. While the other seals, hauled out next to it relaxed, totally chilled, the pale seal was rubbing her neck and scratching at it with her flipper. Beccy explained that unfortunately because Lundy is a rocky island it would be impossible to dart the seal to try and remove the entanglement because she’d jump straight into the sea and drown. 'It may upset people' she said, 'but it is something they should be aware of – the marine litter has quite a negative impact on all our wildlife, even on something as large as a seal.'"

Natalie Gibb from North Devon Coast AONB led Clean Marine project adds “It’s a fabulous film. Although incredibly sad, the example of the entangled seal on Lundy is a great way to put the issue of marine litter into perspective. I’ve seen many distressing images of injured wildlife, but I have never witnessed it directly, especially so close to home. It’s something that I hope many people can all relate to, with it happening right on our doorstep. It also reminds us that every piece of rubbish the Clean Marine and other volunteers pick up is worth removing. It’s that little bit of incentive we all need to keep us going when we head out on our next beach clean.”

Along with the other Boat Stories short films, Living and Working on Lundy can be viewed on the Boat Stories website www.boatstories.co.uk where you can read more about the making of the film.  Additionally, this coming September and October there will be two free Boat Stories celebration events, in Bideford and Ilfracombe, where members of the public will be able to view the complete series of films and meet the contributors and crew.

 

Simon Vacher filming Lundy warden, Beccy MacDonald

MS Oldenburg ferry sailing to Lundy 

Photos copyright Boat Stories Jo Stewart-Smith (All rights reserved)

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The Boat Stories series of short films is available to view free online at www.boatstories.co.uk.

Filmed and edited by Simon Vacher

Music by Rosamund Harper

Directed & produced by Jo Stewart-Smith

SCHOOL WORK EXPERIENCE PLACEMENT PRODUCES CAPTIVATING SURF FILM

A North Devon teenager has produced a captivating short film about local surf forecaster Trev "Toes" Lumley during his work experience week at North Devon Moving Image (NDMI). Fifteen year old Tom Taylor, who is a student at Pilton Community College in Barnstaple, says "When I saw the work experience blog on the North Devon Moving Image website I knew that this was the right place to go. Film making is a career I want to go into when I'm older so this was the perfect opportunity to see what it involves and what it takes to do film making." "I chose to make a film about the North Devon surfer and owner of Eyeball Surfcheck Trevor Lumley. Surfing is a much loved sport locally as much as it is around the world so I felt it would be interesting to make a film about it." Tom shot his film at Putsborough Beach where Eyeball Surfcheck have one of their webcams. In the film Trev describes his passion for surfing "It's like a really strong drug, it's like being addicted to something that you just can't let go." He also talks about the dilemmas he sometimes has with the surf reporting which brings surfers from far and wide to catch North Devon's waves, saying "I feel like Dr Frankenstein sometimes, like I've created a monster."
Amanda McCormack, Creative Director of North Devon Moving Image enjoys working with enthusiastic students like Tom "Outreach and skills sharing is a big part of what we do here at NDMI. It is really rewarding enabling young people to achieve their dreams. Tom really threw himself into the project and showed a lot of creativity and quick thinking which is essential in documentary film making. He even co-produced the music which has turned out to be a really key element in this film's success." "This was a real experience of the community film making business for Tom. As well as researching and producing his own film, Tom found out what it is like to run a small business and juggle time and money to maximise output."
Amanda thanked North Devon Councillors Brian Moores, Colin Payne and Chris Turner who are all supporting the NDMI Outreach programmes with funding from their community grants this year "Without these generous contributions we would struggle to offer opportunities like this to North Devon's next generation of documentary film makers."
Tom summed up his week at NDMI "Working at North Devon Moving Image has been brilliant. I have had a real insight into what film making is about."

Tom's film is now part of the North Devon Moving Image collection and available to watch on the NDMI website http://www.northdevonmovingimage.org.uk and YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpBF315n8us

Photo: Trevor Lumley with young film maker Tom Taylor (15) from Pilton Community College

SHORT FILM: WINNER TAKES ALL - APPLEDORE PILOT GIG CLUB LADIES A TEAM

North Devon film making project Boat Stories has come up trumps again with Winner Takes All, an exciting short film capturing the thrills of women's gig racing in North Devon. The five minute documentary follows Appledore Pilot Gig Club Ladies A Team as they compete on home waters at last year's Appledore Gig Regatta. When Boat Stories Producer, Jo Stewart-Smith met the Ladies A Team she immediately spotted a good story "I was impressed with the welcome I was given" says Jo "how hard the teams trained through the winter – how competitive they were and yet the friendships they made through the team and the club carried on into their social life so that they were a tight knit group at work and at play. " Emily Lea, Vice Captain of the team says they were really excited when Jo approached them with the idea of making a film and they are thrilled with the result  "The film captures the great passion and incredible dedication members have at Appledore Pilot Gig Club. While watching the film, I went back to those gruelling training sessions, those competitive, goose bump moments where we almost beat our rivals and that sheer feeling of giving all you have got, for those incredible minutes of racing!" "Rowing is already a popular sport, but with the help of this film, I feel it will promote the sport in a positive light, and encourage more people to get fit, and what better than to row in a boat!"

The sport is popular with both men and women, a lot of Appledore Pilot Gig Club members are married, which brings healthy competition between the sexes. The ladies have three racing teams, A, B and C crews and an intermediate group, who will be forming a D crew this season. There is also a group of 'women of a certain age' and Emily says "We are very lucky to have the amazing "hot flushes" they compete in the vets and super vets races, and often win silverware for the club. We are all very close and it just proves age really doesn't matter when it comes to rowing." "Women of today are so busy juggling home and work life, rowing is a welcome escape, you can step into the boat in a stressed and bad mood and leave after a good row feeling refreshed, confident and ready to face the world!" The team's next battle will be in The isle Of Scillies at the World Championships where they will be rowing hard but also celebrating 4 hen dos. Emily notes "This of course will be happening after we have competed. There is a strict rule amongst the woman of no drinking until the last day ... that's the beauty of rowing though, we don't need alcohol to have fun!"

Along with the other Boat Stories short films Winner Takes All can be viewed at the Boat Stories website www.boatstories.co.uk where you can read more about gig rowing in North Devon and the making of the film.