Today was pretty eventful. The sun broke through the clouds, the birds were joyously proclaiming the day's beauty in a myriad of harmonious melodies, and the energy of pre-production was building and buzzing within me.
Over the last weekend, as suggested in the previous blog, I took a drive up into the Natal Midlands, the Dargle area for those of you familiar with the area. Scouted some awesome locations! But...as anyone familiar with the area will understand, there is something very "un-flat" about the Midlands. In fact, adjectives like "rolling" and "picturesque" spring more easily to mind. Think; "The Shire"! So, until I remake the adventures of a little hairy footed fellow, I realised I should have to keep looking. No..."facetious-ness" aside, the location we first visited, a game farm called "Tilly Tudlum". Somewhat ironically and, in that, reassuringly, the farm had very many of the rather ridiculous requirements I had from the script breakdown. Antelope, horses, a mule, rivers, waterfalls, cliff's, forest, etc. First thing I see driving down the "driveway" (like 2 km's long) is a heard of tame Eland. Largest antelope in Africa (the world I think?). Majestic creatures, really. Anyway, so, could easily have had access to them. They have a (far to luxurious for a student film crew) lodge which could accommodate most of us, and, at a push, with some script "tweaking", I could certainly shoot some of the film there.
But, as I mentioned above "something" was missing. I've pre-conceptualised the script with a definite "look" in mind. The actual segment of the Boer War that I'm exploring and contextualising the narrative in, took place in the (then) Cape Colony. Near the Eastern Cape border, heading into the "Klein Karoo". And I've come to feel that that particular setting is very crucial to the narrative, in terms of the feel and seeming "rawness" of the place. Not to mention the arid, harsh, antagonistic elements the place would bring to the story.
So, I was/am facing a dilemma. Do I "trek" (move/journey) the whole cast and crew down to the actual Karoo, braving the cost and time implications of the trip, not to mention the fact that I would be going in somewhat blind, as scouting from here, now with my schedule as it is, would be pretty impossible. Or, do I seek to recreate that feel, locally, by hunting for the "right" locations, and basically "tricking" the Karoo, in KZN. OR...(another option), do I rethink the story, somewhat radically, moving further away from historical authenticity, and contextualise the narrative here, in Natal (KZN).
At this stage, this last option seems the least problematic. In fact, after today's scouting, this last option is seeming less and less like a compromise.
We went to a nature reserve (see above pic) literally 15 minutes outside of Pietermaritzburg! While certainly lacking the vastness and flatness that I (still) feel the story needs, it has its own elements of "severity". An awesome river gorge, which would lend itself to the "symbolic river crossing" and entry into the unknown world of the 2nd act. Note to self: You WILL remember that you are (only) making a 15! minute film!!! Anyway...I'm set on my symbolic threshold crossing.
Another 10 minutes from there, we visited a different game lodge, which could seriously have been in Kenya!!! I was blown away! They had giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, and plenty other buck. Plus, they had a river, and a (kinda) forest! I need to remind myself that every place that has a river, also seems to have a forest. So, it seems that I might be able to shoot a Boer War film, 15 minutes away from Maritzburg. Definitely worth considering...will perhaps save the Karoo for the feature that is sure to follow!
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