Documentary, Rachel Carson Reserve
Week after Thanksgiving I filmed the first part of a short documentary that has been in the works for over a year. Working with the Boat US Foundation, NOAA, Rachel Carson Reserve, Atlantic Coast Marine Group, Inc./TowBoatU.S. and the Town of Beaufort, NC. This project was funded by a grant to clean up the Rachel Carson Reserve and the waters around Beaufort, NC. It was three days of filming, and I needed to bring a wide range of gear for studios setup, drone, POV’s, A and B-cams, along with all support gear.
First morning filming was inside the NOAA building, for interviews. Starting with the Rett Newton, Mayor of Beaufort, and Ph.D Student at Duke University Marine Lab. The list of the eight interviews was impressive, and the knowledge and passion for this project was evident in every interview. Makes me smile knowing there are so many talented people, involved in helping our coastal environments.
The last interview of the day was two grade school students, who impressed me with their on camera presence, their knowledge of the marine environment, along with what is happening to our oceans. They both taught me something about our oceans. Day one was busy and fun.
Day two started off with a cold front ready to pass through midday. We spent the day with Paula Gillikin, Central Site Manager, North Carolina Coastal Reserve. Paula was our guide and teacher for the next two days, and also organized the grant and project. Paula has a wealth of knowledge, is a hard worker, and passionate about her job. We were lucky Paula had the time to guide us through the three days of filming.
In the morning we rafted to Atlantic Coast Marine Group/TowBoatU.S. team who were stripping parts off a sunken sailboat in the harbor. The boat had to be stripped before it could be excavated out of the silt, which is up to the sheer. A diver was using a sawzall to cut off parts and bring to the surface.
Rest of the day was filming debris on the beaches and sand bars of Rachel Carson Reserve, and harbor. This included a sailboat, loads of single use plastic, construction materials from the hurricane, and opportunity to show the beauty of the Rachel Carson Reserve. We were lucky to spot the wild horse that live on the 1200-acre Reserve, and film them with a great backlit just before sunset. Then I was off to shoot time-lapse sunset and evening colors.
Third day I was out an hour before sunrise in 24 degrees with 25-30 kts of NW wind. Ah, it felt like home in RI. With the dry air and Main Street lined up with sunrise, I grabbed a few nice town shots.
Then we were off to film boats that were being stripped at the Atlantic Coast Marine Group, Inc./TowBoatU.S. Some of the boats were for disposal, and two ferrocement boats were going to become reefs for fish habitat.
Then off to film a Shrimp boat that had been blow over by Hurricane Florence. Atlantic Coast Marine Group, Inc./TowBoatU.S., had the job in hand and we were very impressed how well they handle everything they touch. This area was hard hit, and the long-term damage was an eye opener. It takes a tough breed to live in middle and upper East coast towns. Beaufort is so low geographically and it is evident how much global warming is affecting our shorelines, not to mention the world’s environment. We ended the third day filming a beach cleanup on the NOAA grounds in Beaufort. Ending with a few b-roll shots of Beaufort.
Thank you to Stacey Nedrow-Wigmore Hoofs & Woofs Photography for the shots of me filming.
Have Fun Every Day, and see you soon.
Paul