Earlier this year, we spoke with 21-year-old filmmaker Emily Batty about her ambitious debut feature film "Near and Distant Things" - a bittersweet story set in her hometown of Saundersfoot. With filming now wrapped after a 13-day shoot, we caught up with Emily to hear about the experience of bringing her vision to life, working with local talent, and what it felt like to capture her love letter to Pembrokeshire on camera.
The film has now wrapped after 13 days of shooting. How challenging was it to capture your vision in such a condensed timeframe? With such a tight shooting schedule, how much pre-production planning was required?
It wasn't easy, but it ran even more smoothly than I could've hoped for. We actually had a 14 day shoot planned, with a two week window afterwards as a contingency window. Not only did we not need this window, we also cut a day off the end, wrapping after just 13 days of filming!
Going into shooting, I expected I would have to schedule early starts, long, long days, with little time in between to rest. That's what I thought we'd need because of the condensed timeframe and a zero budget, and because that's how the industry tends to function.
But, because this was the element I was most concerned with, I worked really hard during pre-production to make a schedule that was as detailed as possible, working out day-to-day locations, a list of each scene we would film, shot numbers, costumes, and all the other little things under the umbrella of logistics that as a creative, I really wanted to ignore! But filming went as smoothly as it did because of the time I put into this stage, and I think that is the main challenge people don't see outside of the film industry, and the challenge we all want to disregard but, really shouldn't. Pre-production takes a lot of time, which eats into day-to-day life (I was studying for finals during this stage!), but it is critical to avoiding chaos in filming. After each day of shooting I would review the schedule for the next day and give out timings and locations to people, and often we wouldn't have to start until 10pm and we would be wrapped by late afternoon! That's not to say we didn't have some early starts or late nights (we actually finished filming at about 1am by a bonfire in the woods, not a bad way to wrap!). But, I was able to limit this to the odd day, and this variety was really enjoyable for all I think.
We also have the weather to thank for a smooth production, as we didn't have to battle any Welsh rain and the water could not have been smoother for the days out on the boats!
Did you have every shot meticulously mapped out beforehand?
Yes and no. I knew the script scene for scene, so I knew the shots we needed to get, and each day as a part of adding the detail to the schedule for the next shoot, I would make a note of the shots we needed.
But, at the same time, it's also the sort of thing that just becomes mentally ingrained when you've had the story in your head for so long! I didn't necessarily have to physically make note. You know the shots necessary to the script and the narrative, you can picture the post-production, you just film what you know needs to be filmed. Then Louis, DP, would also have some creative, experimental, ideas to try out as we filmed each day. Some ideas just come when you're there in the moment, in the scene, and in the location.
You mentioned in our previous interview that this would be a team effort with a close-knit group of creatives. How large was your crew, and how did you manage to coordinate everything with local talent?
Our crew was definitely small! Other than myself and Louis Bullock (DP), we had two on sound, my close and talented friends Zach Worthington and Connor Adams. Then Daisy Blackwell, my friend who I worked with on our short film Drift, functioned as a runner, and social media manager. My parents also both helped out, with whatever needed doing! My dad was especially supportive day-to-day, whether that be as a runner, working on lights or sound, health and safety. Connor and Zach also trained my partner, Matt, on sound! So it was very much a small skeleton crew, composed of family and friends.
We did also end up having two stills photographers, Seth Anthony and Rachel Lambert. Both reached out looking to gain experience in film stills, and I am so glad that they did. Not only have they taken some really beautiful stills, but they've captured some wonderful behind the scenes which I am deeply grateful for. It was lovely to have photos to share online as we wrapped each day of filming. We also had a student MUA, Ostara Bates, at Pembroke College join us on a couple days of shooting. It's been wonderful to see so many people gain experience from this project.
Looking back at your original casting call for local community members across all age groups, how did the process of finding your main actors unfold? Were there any particular challenges in casting the key roles?
Facebook really is your best friend when it comes to finding cast and crew on independent productions. A lot of actors reached out in response to posts seen on social media. Many of the cast members are Welsh, and/or local to Saundersfoot. It was so lovely, discovering so much talent on the doorstep. A handful came from further afield, finding the callout on backstage before reaching out to me directly. They worked really hard to adopt a Welsh accent, and fully support what the project stands for. I am so happy with the casting for this film, there is overwhelming talented and everyone got on unbelievably well! We really have formed a family.
An element of casting that was challenging, was the fact I was casting a family, and casting different 'versions' of the same character at different ages. So for example I had to not just cast the lead, Joe (played by Michael Cruise), but also Young Joe (played by Tommy Oliver), and they had to look like the same person. And there are multiple 'young and old' versions of various characters and many are meant to be related! But, we have pulled it off!
What surprised you most during the shoot - either in a positive or challenging way? Was there anything that didn't go according to plan, or perhaps something that exceeded your expectations?
Honestly? It was a dream shoot. And I think that was what surprised me. Nothing really went wrong, at all. And more importantly, when we did have to problem solve little things, it was always so collaborative and I could not have asked for a more supportive cast and crew. No one was really fixed to one role in the crew, and the cast really did navigate scenes and dynamics together in a way that was just so fun to watch.
I am a 21 female filmmaker, making her first feature film, and I was respected by everyone, and no one made me feel like I was out of my depth. My cast and crew believed in me, trusted me, and that was everything to me. We've all bonded so much in the making of this project. Not only are we all like minded and driven by a belief in independent, guerrilla-style filming, but we honestly just had fun. This film has so much heart. There are some really beautiful, heartwarming scenes, and there are some that are deeply bittersweet, and some are dark. So, we laughed together, we 'awwwed' together, we cried together, we went through all of it together. I don't want to say that surprised me necessarily, but it is what it is hoped for, and the fact this family came to life the way it did is a wondrous thing.
Saundersfoot was integral to your story, and you described it as both beautiful and dynamic. How did filming in your hometown feel, and did the local community respond as you'd hoped?
It was truly amazing. I've always lived in Saundersfoot. I used to write stories and take photos up in the woodlands or in the beaches or around the harbour to go with the words I would write. Then, when I got to university, I started screenwriting, and Near and Distant Things took shape. Writing this story, was writing a way home from a library. It's a love letter to home, but it's also more vulnerable, and nuanced than that. It's a lovely story but it's bittersweet. It speaks to the isolation, but also the romanticism and the sense of community that small coastal villages, such as Saundersfoot, foster.
The film's core message is that community and human connection is an essential part of the human condition. The actual filming of this in my hometown solidified how true that is in small Welsh communities, because the local response has been deeply heartwarming. The support we have received has been amazing. Byron and the staff as the Royal Oak kindly let us film in the pub, Stuart Denman and Gareth Davies allowed us to film as they chartered Ebony May and Lady Sian. Local Darren Thompstone allowed us to film on his boat. So many local boat owners reached out! The Dean's allowed us to film at Battlefield Live for our woodland scenes, the list honestly goes on. And the constant stream of messages offering us good luck and support has been so lovely.
I am beyond grateful, and I cannot wait to share the film, so that people can see Saundersfoot on the big screen! It is a beautiful place, not just because of the landscape, but because of the people, and I think the film speaks to that.
Now that principal photography is complete, what does your post-production timeline look like? How long do you envision spending in the editing room bringing "Near and Distant Things" to life?
I am nearly finished on the rough cut already, but there is still much to do! The talented Zach Worthington and Connor Adams will be sound editing, as well as producing the score and soundtrack. We already have a couple of the songs secured for the soundtrack, and I am really excited for this to be added. We plan to finish editing by Christmas, so it's going to be a busy few months!
You mentioned wanting to have local screenings as a way of giving back to the community. Are those plans still on track, and when might Pembrokeshire audiences get their first glimpse of the finished film?
We will definitely be having local screenings. I can't give an exact on when the film will be shown locally, or when it will be released for public viewing, but I expect it'll be about this time next year. The plan is to have our local premiere on the deck, weather permitting, so fingers crossed it'll be a summer release! I'll keep everyone updated. I'm really excited to share the film, for so many reasons. I hope people enjoy seeing Pembrokeshire on the big screen, in a local production. I hope people enjoy the story, the cinematography, the music, and the outstanding performances from the cast. It's something really special.
For more photos and information from the project, visit the official "Near and Distant Things" Facebook Page.
Photo Gallery (click to view in full)
