Being a creative through the pandemic can feel quite demotivating and like there’s nothing new and exciting happening to keep the creative juices flowing. Through this project I was mostly outside and was constantly reminded how inspiring nature is and recognised the importance for myself as a creative to reconnect and work so closely with my environment, I think it can be fuel for the imagination.
When driving into one of the villages here there’s a sign that says, ‘awarded tidiest village in 1990,’ this sign became the centre idea for my short film called ‘This neck of the woods.’ My aim for this project was to capture the quiet and beautiful locations of this valley, through the eyes of the Darren valley big foot. The story is told through radio conversations on Darren Valley FM, where residents call in to discuss big foot’s presence. Only once big foot is hunted down by the ‘Big Foot Watch’ and the military, do people find out he may not be as harmful as imagined.
The process of this project involved lots of mountain walks, litter picking and working with my surroundings to imagine the life of the big foot. Picking up materials along the way, the costume and props for this film were made from found and recycled materials. I have always enjoyed reusing materials in my work and thought it would be exciting to elaborate through a project about where those materials come from. If any litter bugs happen to see this work, I hope it reminds them that somebody else has to pick it up.
Website: https://www.erinmali.art/
Guest appearances in the film:
Elliot Bradfield, Paul Julian, Tegan Burland, Sian Howells, Joe Tobin, Nickie Perry.
Voice overs:
Oliver Ashton & George Williams.
