Since 1999, I’ve shot many of my own films. So when it comes to kit I’m daunted by how quickly cameras and edit software become obsolete. After last week’s trip to Edinburgh I made a ...more
-- Mortonhall --
Anyone following this project on Twitter – @MyVoyageuse – may have noticed a post about my recent visit to Mortonhall Crematorium in Edinburgh that referred to ‘a recent fire’ – something of an irony given ...more
-- Curiosities --
The phrase ‘skeletons in the closet’ took on a double-edged meaning during my recent trip to the Ashworth Laboratories. Occupying the Zoology Building on the King’s Buildings Campus of Edinburgh University, it’s where Erica worked ...more
-- Show not tell --
On my kitchen table sit three small piles of coloured index cards, each with a few handwritten words: Jigsaw; Rose-tinted; Social Death; British Guiana, shorthand for scenes that survived my most recent, ruthless cull. Having ...more
-- Sub rosa --
Recently I talked with a friend about his imminent move to pastures rural and the difficulty he faces in editing his personal possessions. What to keep? What to lose? What matters? We’ve all been there, ...more
-- A distant star --
“A writer out of loneliness is trying to communicate like a distant star sending signals”. When I moved to my current house in Glasgow seven years ago I claimed a leaky shed as my workplace, ...more
-- Postcards --
One of my favourite books is ‘Boring Postcards’ (Phaidon), a collection of postcards from the 1950s and 60s depicting exactly that: New Town shopping precincts, municipal buildings, stretches of empty motorway, caravan parks and bleak ...more
-- Strange Land --
“You’re strange.” I’ve been called worse. Still, it’s not the greeting I expect to hear as I stand in the suburb of Osmaston, Derby at 6.30am, while pointing my camera at a row of terraced ...more
-- Overture --
Following an impromptu shoot related to ‘The Devil’s Plantation’ I’m keen to resume work on this film. After my recent trip to England I have almost all the shots needed barring a few local pickups. ...more
-- The Low Road --
It’s been almost a year since I embarked on this project, though in film terms a year is relatively short, certainly shorter than for most conventional feature-length productions. Right now however it feels like an ...more
-- The Crowd --
Recently I watched ‘Love is Strange’ (2014) starring John Lithgow and Alfred Molina as a long-term same-sex couple forced to live apart. Thoughtfully directed and beautifully performed, this indie film was well-reviewed. For those who ...more
-- Vanilla --
After a year on this film – polishing the script, shooting in 100-plus locations and rehearsing new post production techniques – I’ve broken every rule of industry wisdom. Nothing has been accomplished in the prescribed ...more