A short documentary film looking at the life of lobster potter Geoff Huelin from Ilfracombe. This short film looks at the positive effects the no-take zone around Lundy island in North Devon has had on the lobster population and the fishing industry. Interviews with Geoff Huelin and Sarah Clark from Devon and Severn IFCA.
Filmed & edited by Simon Vacher. Music by Ben McCabe. Directed & produced by Jo Stewart-Smith.
Boat Stories
I was approached by north Devon based freelance writer/producer Jo Stewart-Smith in 2013 to co-film and edit a series of ten short films commissioned by North Devon Moving Image. The theme was to document people whose lives revolve around fishing and working boats in northern Devon.
The stories are told by the people: those who own, skipper, crew or row boats themselves. So no presenter or studio recorded voice over to fill in the gaps – we film out on boats, record out on location and go with what we get.
The result is a lively series of films with an amazing energy as each film takes you on a new adventure. Martin Hesp of Western Morning News wrote of our second film salmon netting, which I filmed, “in telling their story, this documentary is as charming, colourful and fascinating a film as any shot in the region for years.”
The commission for me had come in between filming Britain’s Treasure Islands for BBC Four. This meant I had to juggle several big projects at once, both of which required carefully thinking through camera equipment and a high level of skill shooting in challenging conditions. Getting not only great images, but sound from multiple radio microphones at once without the budget for a sound-man was one of the biggest challenges, including sea-sickness.