Ebb Tide is a series of short films commissioned as part of the cultural programme celebrating the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Dates
July - August 2015
Project Subject
Films inspired by ships built in Glasgow
Partners
Shetland Moving Image Archive, Shetland Heritage Association
Location
Glasgow + Scotland tour

Ebb Tide is a series of short films commissioned as part of the cultural programme celebrating the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games

The films created were:

Butterfly Effect by Tirval Scott

Inspired by a valuable box with butterfly-wing iridescent finish, his visually stunning, light-hearted film mixes footage and after-effects to magical and at times hilarious effect. Tirval has experience in producing videos to accompany music projects and has had work shown at Shetland's annual film festival Screenplay. He enjoys working with public domain footage and reworking it into something new and admits that he has a fondness for the unusual.

Elysia by Greg McCarron

Inspired by the story of a Sandwick man, Cecil Smith, who was torpedoed during the second world war, took to a lifeboat and ultimately made his way back to Shetland to his family, with his ships flag still in hand. Greg mixes filmed material with animation to wonderful effect, and the story is brought to life by the Cecil's granddaughter and her husband, clothed in some beautifully appropriate 1940s clothes. Greg is a freelance film-maker and has been producing video projects since he was fifteen. He has produced promotional videos for the Shetland College UHI website and material on the Learning School as well as short films using animation techniques.

Flotsam by Clint Watt

Clint chose an unusual artefact in the form of a witch's bowl, and with its impressive cast of actors and atmospheric treatment his film is visually and historically fascinating. Clint has been producing short films in Shetland for five years and often incorporates Shetland's rich history and imagery into his work. He believes that digital filmmaking allows the flexibility to film in ways that would not have been possible previously, allowing historical relics to be understood through new eyes.

A Portrait – in landscape by Ria Moncrieff & Simon Thompson

'A Portrait – in landscape' is a short-film by Ria Moncrieff and Simon Thompson with poetry by Bruce Eunson and music by London John. It explores emigration and the subsequent balancing of emotions such journeys evoked for those who left and, more particularly, those who were left behind to make a decision. The pair were given a diary of Burra man, William Inkster's, voyage from Shetland to Australia in 1909 as their item. They took elements of his, and his brothers', story to inspire a fictional narrative to express the strongest theme they felt emerged from the relationship between Shetland, the Commonwealth and emigration – Shetlanders' deep connection to their home (land and sea) and how it shapes their identity. Ria is an English Literature and teacher training graduate from the village of Scalloway in Shetland. She has recently been developing her passion and skills in visual art by exploring ideas through photography and collaborating in film projects. Simon owns and operates Ronas Media, a television production company based in Vidlin, Shetland and makes documentaries, corporate videos and adverts for the Shetland market and beyond.

Fierce Work by Harry Whitham & Floortje Robertson

Harry and Floortje are artists born and raised in Shetland and our home islands provide us with ever evolving inspiration. We are driven to experiment with new forms of art-making and creative media to best convey the themes we want to investigate. Harry Whitham is an artist and performance designer working between Shetland and London whose work always strives to make emotional conections with an audience. Floortje Robertson is a photographer and performer living in Shetland and working around the world, exploring situations and stories through picture taking and theatre making.

Da Old Rock'll Do Me by Robert Gear

Inspired by the lifeboat from the Canberra and stories of people who were left behind in Shetland when others left, emigrating to the New World and unlikely ever to return. Robert is a historian and media artist who has been making films for the past five years. Robert has completed a PhD, where his doctoral project looked at the development of the pelagic fishing industry between 1945 and 2000. Robert has also restored a fishing lodge in South Nesting and completed a moving image portrayal of its restoration.

Links

Glasgow 2014
Celebrating XX Commonwealth Games