Arts & Culture
The River Plym Project
The River Plym Project
A mythic short film blending dance, landscape, and photography to tell the story of the River Plym from source to sea.
A mythic short film blending dance, landscape, and photography to tell the story of the River Plym from source to sea.
Year
2024
Year
2024
Year
2024
Client
Barbican Theatre
Client
Barbican Theatre
Client
Barbican Theatre
Industry
Enviroment
Industry
Enviroment
Industry
Enviroment
Project Duration
8 Months
Project Duration
8 Months
Project Duration
8 Months
Intro
The Hundred Hands were commissioned as resident artists by the Barbican Theatre Plymouth to create a film to tell the story of the River Plym. With full creative licence, we developed a slow, thoughtful piece blending environment with contemporary dance to create a narrative that connects audiences with the River Plym and inspires conservation.
Objective
The brief was deceptively simple: tell the story of the river. Our creative interpretation was to capture the journey of the River Plym from source to sea, exploring its natural beauty and how it interacts with the built environment. We worked with two dancers who embodied the River Plym and told the story through movement. By personifying the river, we aimed to give new life to the river, depicting it as a living entity and reinforcing the importance of Plymouth’s waterways.
Challenge
The greatest challenge when filming was working with the landscape and the elements to create a piece that was not only cinematic but deeply intertwined with the environment. To prepare for on-location shoot days, our team meticulously storyboarded and shot-listed the film so that we had scope to respond to the natural environment on the day of filming and allow it to inform our process.
We filmed at multiple locations along the River Plym from the rugged landscape of Dewerstone to the industrial Laira Bridge, meaning we had to adapt to shifting light, weather, and terrain. Shooting on vintage glass with the Sony FX3, our director and camera operator Drew worked side by side with the dancers, fully submerged in the river for hours to capture moments of movement and intimacy that could only be filmed from within the water itself.
Result
The finished film tells the story of a newly born river spirit meeting an ancient woodland water spirit. Their journey takes them through woodlands, waterfalls and finally to the edge of urbanisation, where the future remains uncertain. The film premiered to a full house at Plymouth’s Barbican Theatre and received a standing ovation. It remains a powerful example of how filmmaking has the potential to impact the way we think about place and environment.
Latest Projects
Arts & Culture
The River Plym Project
The River Plym Project
A mythic short film blending dance, landscape, and photography to tell the story of the River Plym from source to sea.
A mythic short film blending dance, landscape, and photography to tell the story of the River Plym from source to sea.
Year
2024
Year
2024
Year
2024
Client
Barbican Theatre
Client
Barbican Theatre
Client
Barbican Theatre
Industry
Enviroment
Industry
Enviroment
Industry
Enviroment
Project Duration
8 Months
Project Duration
8 Months
Project Duration
8 Months
Intro
The Hundred Hands were commissioned as resident artists by the Barbican Theatre Plymouth to create a film to tell the story of the River Plym. With full creative licence, we developed a slow, thoughtful piece blending environment with contemporary dance to create a narrative that connects audiences with the River Plym and inspires conservation.
Objective
The brief was deceptively simple: tell the story of the river. Our creative interpretation was to capture the journey of the River Plym from source to sea, exploring its natural beauty and how it interacts with the built environment. We worked with two dancers who embodied the River Plym and told the story through movement. By personifying the river, we aimed to give new life to the river, depicting it as a living entity and reinforcing the importance of Plymouth’s waterways.
Challenge
The greatest challenge when filming was working with the landscape and the elements to create a piece that was not only cinematic but deeply intertwined with the environment. To prepare for on-location shoot days, our team meticulously storyboarded and shot-listed the film so that we had scope to respond to the natural environment on the day of filming and allow it to inform our process.
We filmed at multiple locations along the River Plym from the rugged landscape of Dewerstone to the industrial Laira Bridge, meaning we had to adapt to shifting light, weather, and terrain. Shooting on vintage glass with the Sony FX3, our director and camera operator Drew worked side by side with the dancers, fully submerged in the river for hours to capture moments of movement and intimacy that could only be filmed from within the water itself.
Result
The finished film tells the story of a newly born river spirit meeting an ancient woodland water spirit. Their journey takes them through woodlands, waterfalls and finally to the edge of urbanisation, where the future remains uncertain. The film premiered to a full house at Plymouth’s Barbican Theatre and received a standing ovation. It remains a powerful example of how filmmaking has the potential to impact the way we think about place and environment.
Latest Projects
Arts & Culture
The River Plym Project
The River Plym Project
A mythic short film blending dance, landscape, and photography to tell the story of the River Plym from source to sea.
A mythic short film blending dance, landscape, and photography to tell the story of the River Plym from source to sea.
Year
2024
Year
2024
Year
2024
Client
Barbican Theatre
Client
Barbican Theatre
Client
Barbican Theatre
Industry
Enviroment
Industry
Enviroment
Industry
Enviroment
Project Duration
8 Months
Project Duration
8 Months
Project Duration
8 Months
Intro
The Hundred Hands were commissioned as resident artists by the Barbican Theatre Plymouth to create a film to tell the story of the River Plym. With full creative licence, we developed a slow, thoughtful piece blending environment with contemporary dance to create a narrative that connects audiences with the River Plym and inspires conservation.
Objective
The brief was deceptively simple: tell the story of the river. Our creative interpretation was to capture the journey of the River Plym from source to sea, exploring its natural beauty and how it interacts with the built environment. We worked with two dancers who embodied the River Plym and told the story through movement. By personifying the river, we aimed to give new life to the river, depicting it as a living entity and reinforcing the importance of Plymouth’s waterways.
Challenge
The greatest challenge when filming was working with the landscape and the elements to create a piece that was not only cinematic but deeply intertwined with the environment. To prepare for on-location shoot days, our team meticulously storyboarded and shot-listed the film so that we had scope to respond to the natural environment on the day of filming and allow it to inform our process.
We filmed at multiple locations along the River Plym from the rugged landscape of Dewerstone to the industrial Laira Bridge, meaning we had to adapt to shifting light, weather, and terrain. Shooting on vintage glass with the Sony FX3, our director and camera operator Drew worked side by side with the dancers, fully submerged in the river for hours to capture moments of movement and intimacy that could only be filmed from within the water itself.
Result
The finished film tells the story of a newly born river spirit meeting an ancient woodland water spirit. Their journey takes them through woodlands, waterfalls and finally to the edge of urbanisation, where the future remains uncertain. The film premiered to a full house at Plymouth’s Barbican Theatre and received a standing ovation. It remains a powerful example of how filmmaking has the potential to impact the way we think about place and environment.