11 minute read
MONSTERING THE LOCH
A tale of nerves and excitement from the perspective of Gordon, the amateur filmmaker.
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As the person responsible for the main visual output in MWC, it was of no surprise that the weeks leading up to Monster the Loch - the annual fun boat race on Loch Ness - I was feeling somewhat anxious. Our role on the day was as Official Timekeepers of the event, and we were all really excited about it. But for me personally, it was a different energy. I needed to capture this glorious event, in whatever shape it may take, for our own posterity (and marketing), but also on the off chance that it could be used further afield. The pressure would most decidedly be on.
I’ve been a keen photographer for around 15 years, mostly for my own entertainment but when MWC began, it was natural that we would try to keep as much of the big money expenses in-house, photography being one of them. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard “you should be a photographer!” Sadly, it’s never been on account of my skills, but rather the high price good photographers rightly charge for their services. For that reason, we’ve managed to make great savings by creating most, if not all of our visual output in-house.
That skillset expanded to include filmmaking when we launched our first Kickstarter campaign, with the Cherwell video shot, edited and launched from my spare bedroom. Such is the magic of cinema that in the opening shot, where the silhouetted Cherwell zooms towards the camera before being illuminated and rotating, you can’t tell it was filmed in my living room against the electrical cupboard door. Since that point, having witnessed first-hand the reaction you could muster from film as a medium, I was completely hooked. My focus remained on photography for most of our daily needs, but in the background, I was slowly building up my experience of filming, composing and editing films. We launched a few other videos over the years, including the Lomond Chronoscope video and several model range detail films, but not really anything with cinematics, with locations or live, realtime pressures.
In early 2019 I knew that we had a number of big projects looming that would demand video content, as well as our Crowdcube campaign which relied heavily on a resolved, fully formed and professional video. With the prospect of producing films that could make or break our efforts, we invested in proper filmmaking equipment. With 4k cameras, Steadicams and drones come big pressures to deliver - no longer could I rest on the excuses of aging or low-end equipment. But in my eyes, this was my chance to really show what I could do, for MWC but also for myself. Proof, if you like, that I had a semblance of real film-making ability.
In early September of this year, we all focused our minds towards Monster the Loch. I had planned quite a lot in advance; mostly in terms of story arc and how we could weave the narratives of the day into one cohesive film. This gave me a rough mental framework to work within, so that on the day I knew that certain shots, if I got them, would fit easily into this narrative.
A few weeks before the event we had confirmation that the GB Rowing team would be rowing in the event with an aim to break the record, and we would have the honour of sponsoring their effort too. Which meant I not only had to capture the spirit of the day, the majesty of Scotland, the memories of the participants and the potential World Record success, I also had to make sure I didn’t impact the GB attempts. And not crash the drone into Loch Ness. That was a big requirement.
I know Scotland well and have travelled the route we took North many times, so I knew of places where, if the weather was kind, we could stop and try to capture some nice views. I was travelling in one Land Rover with Oliver being in the 2nd (we had a lot of stuff), so had prepared all the camera gear inside the cabin if the chance presented itself. It’s with no doubt that the Scottish Landscape Gods were smiling upon us, for as we crested the Loch Tulla viewpoint hill with rain pelting off the windscreens, the sun miraculously appeared and we witnessed one of the most spectacular views of the Buachaille Etive Mòr in the distance I’ve ever seen. Even more lucky for us, the parking place at the start of the long straight road to the foot of the hills was empty.
Within minutes of stopping the cars, the drone was in flight, taking to the skies above and capturing footage I could only ever have dreamed of in planning. I flew around as steady as I could, getting shots framed properly. I asked Oliver to get in his Land Rover and drive up the road towards the glen, and I would track him in the air; a much desired shot from the planning stage to convey our journey to the event. I’ve never attempted something like this so was quite apprehensive, but as Oliver set the Defender steady along this straight road, I was able to get a cracking shot of him in motion, set against the beautiful Scottish landscape.
Turn after turn, minute after minute, we were met with these jaw-dropping, beautiful scenes that I was able to quickly deploy the drone and capture. The technology we have at our disposal is incredible. I wouldn’t have imagined gathering footage of this quality even 2 years ago; sending a 4K camera into the air with very little effort and committing to memory these incredible scenes. I’m very lucky to have access to this technology through MWC.
Arriving at the Lochside on the morning of the race, seeing all the boats lined up on the grass made everything seem real. By the time we got to the shore and started setting up, the participants started arriving and, soon after, the GB Rowing Team. One of the GB team, a local chap called Alan Sinclair, is a Bonafide Olympian. He had arranged the participation of the GB team in the event and was so gracious with my various intrusions and requests.
Before long, it was 9am and everyone cast off in their myriad boats to the start line. You could see and feel the electric energy of each team as they bobbed about ready for the go. I had launched the drone by this point and followed the GB team out onto the water; the scene of all the boats pointing up the loch was phenomenal. I kept checking to make sure I was recording; I’ve been that guy before, flying around for 25 minutes admiring how beautiful the views were through the screen, before landing and realising that I hadn’t pushed the record button. Thankfully I had this time and, as the trigger was pulled and bagpipers piped, the GB team took off like a bullet from a gun. I tracked them for a while as they eased into their powerful rhythm. Once I was certain I had enough footage I turned the drone around and captured an incredible scene of all the other boats rushing towards the camera, almost like they were charging into battle. Landing the drone, I knew I had to get going quickly; the GB team were up to full speed and, if the estimates were correct, would be finishing the 23 mile course in just under 2 hours. I had to get myself half-way up the Loch to capture them rowing past, and then get back in the car and drive into and around the skirt of Inverness to the finishing line at Dores. Capturing the team crossing it and, with luck, securing a World Record was paramount to the narrative arc.
Having scouted the various potential stopping points on Google Streetview, we stopped adjacent to Foyers, on the opposite bank, as this was the thinnest point of Loch Ness. It seemed like the safest place to fly the drone across. I was secretly hoping the GB team would be rowing up the middle of the loch but, as they appeared on the horizon, we saw that they had remained very close to the Foyers side of the loch. This would mean flying the drone across the full width of the Loch, getting the shots, and flying all the way back again. It’s one thing piloting a drone - a nerve-racking prospect at the best of times. It’s another level of pressure flying a drone over water – one slip and it’s lost forever. But to fly a drone 1.5km over Loch Ness, film at close quarters the GB Rowing Team, and then fly back 2km over Loch Ness is quite a different, rather terrifying prospect.
Despite my nerves it all worked out OK and, having again captured some incredible scenes, got the drone back to base safely and set off up and around to the finish line at Dores. Time wasn’t on our side; the GB squad had made great progress as planned and were approaching on the horizon once more. I launched the drone and pointed it out over the loch again, this time tracking the approaching boat side-on as they crossed the line, thrusting their weary arms into the air and celebrating the new World Record for rowing the length of Loch Ness. To watch on the little screen and see the triumphant faces, in the environment we were all standing in, was incredibly rewarding; each passing second presented more narrative clout for the story of this wonderful day.
From then on it was mostly Steadicam work, capturing the other competitors as they arrived, celebrating and smiling from the magnificent achievements and community spirit. Filming the reactions of arriving boats and standing amongst the rowers in an electric atmosphere of companionship and triumph, was empowering. I felt like I was doing something worthwhile and meaningful. Our duties as Timekeepers ended as the last pedalo crossed the finishing line in a little over 6 hours. We handed out the last bottle of bubbly and packed our kit up, grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed back to Fort Augustus. We invited a bunch of people to drive back with us and chatted about the event, the histories and motives of their challenge to row Loch Ness, and the incredible atmosphere that surrounded the day. We all agreed it was a day to remember.
I got back home late on the Sunday and offloaded all the footage from the weekend onto the computer as soon as I could. When the first file had loaded, I just had to begin editing! The shots were as good as I had hoped, and everything was intact; one of the biggest fears of anyone filming an event, is corrupting a memory card or a file not saving; but all shots were present. The editing process was quick due to the planning I had done before hand, matching the story arc easily up to the shots I had gathered. I was editing well into the wee hours of Monday. But as I placed each shot on the timeline, I started to get emotional. The feeling of community and pure fun that everyone had experienced over the weekend could be seen in the footage, and I knew that when I pressed the button to render the film and present it to the world, that feeling would gently fade. I wanted that feeling to last forever! I consoled myself with the knowledge that this film now remains, even as the memories fade and, if watched now and again, would rekindle that spirit of fun and adventure.
Over the following few days the film was picked up by the rowing community and shared far and wide. The comments below each share were so incredibly positive and I couldn’t have been happier with the result. I am so pleased that I managed to both live up to my own, often pessimistic, expectations, but also create a film that resonated with so many people. It’s given me the confidence to attempt more things like this, and hopefully next year we can return to Loch Ness and see what we can do!
