FRESHWATER Sizzle-Reel

A sizzle-reel from my final film project for my BA in filmmaking. I was the director of photography (DoP) on this project, meaning I was in charge of the visual ‘look’ of the film. Being a zero-budget production, I was also in charge of all camera operation!

This film finds its origins in a real news story. Shortly after I moved to Aberystwyth to study there, a large quantity of cocaine was found washed up on the shore. It was, of course, safely secured and disposed of by the local police force, but this film imagines what might have happened if it was instead found by our young protagonist, Gwilym (Lewis Pullin).

I put this reel together to direct the focus onto my contribution to the film: the cinematography.

This film was shot entirely using two of my vintage lenses to show that the film is told from the perspective of Gwilym. A wide angle lens is used to represent Gwilym in space, demonstrating his awareness of his surroundings, and a longer lens is used to show the world from his point of view.

The cinematic language I chose to use in this film was very much inspired by social-realist director Andrea Arnold, who often utilises a handheld camera to bring the audience into the personal space of her subjects and to make their stories feel more personal to the viewer.