Aoife Gallagher, 15 Jun
Gerard Lough’s new short film Waiting For Magic Hour has wrapped
filming in Donegal.
Magic hour refers to the name photographers give to the brief period
during sunset and sunrise where the twilight can make for visually
striking images.
The movie includes a vast array of Donegal locations such as Inishowen
Lighthouse, Errigal Mountain, the ruins of Dunlewey Church and the
shipwreck Bad Eddie at Bunbeg Beach.
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"We've literally gone from one end of the county to the other in search
of the very best scenery. No sound stages, no green screen, no CGI,”
Lough said.
Brazilian newcomer Aline Panini (The Young Offenders) plays a
photographer who is sent to Donegal for a weekend to shoot some of the
county's most sweeping scenery. A local man played by Donegal actor
Aidan O'Sullivan (Spears) is assigned to drive her around and very soon
their different personalities clash in humorous and unexpected ways.
Nevertheless, they gradually form a friendship over the course of their
road trip. Actor Aidan O'Sullivan has now notched up over one hundred
film credits, this film marks the sixth collaboration between himself
and Lough.
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45.JPG]
The project is Lough's eighth short film as director and has kept him
busy while he tries to decide what his next feature film should be. "I
think all creative types can find themselves blocked at some point in
time or are beset by indecision for any number of reasons. If you don't
watch out, the months can turn into years and then you get spooked and
struggle to summon up the confidence to get behind a camera and direct
again.
“That's why I'm a big believer in doing a short film or a music video
when you're at that crossroads. The strange thing is, by the time
you're finished your small project, you'll probably have figured out
what the big project should be."
It marks a sharp departure in style for Lough, who is best known for
the dark crime thriller Spears which was shown in cinemas in Ireland in
2022. This film is a much more light-hearted affair.
"That's the other beauty of doing a short film, because of the
drastically smaller budget, you're free to try something different to
what you've done before,” he continued.
[Dunlewy_Church_scene_WAITING_FOR_MAGIC_HOUR-1718207797959.jpg]
Also returning from the Spears team is actor Michael Parle. A new
addition to the team is Derry musician Michael McElroy who created the
electronic score for the film. He recently played a set at the
Celtronic event held at the Regional Cultural Centre in Letterkenny.
Lough has also taken on the director of photography role again with
this project being an opportunity for him to test drive the Blackmagic
4K cinema camera for the first time.
"The Blackmagic camera is the God send to independent film-makers I've
been waiting for,” he said.
“Some of the previous cameras I've worked with created images that were
pretty good if you knew what you were doing but usually seemed to have
that cold, digital look no matter what. The Blackmagic gives you the
flexibility of shooting digital but can now also achieve the gorgeous,
warm look of 35mm film. The icing on the cake for me what using an
anamorphic lens to give it that cinematic widescreen look, which is
perfect for a film where you really want to show off the scenery."
On a personal note, the film is dedicated to his father Pat who passed
away last year. "Dad had a passion for photography and a respect for
the craftsmanship that goes into both still photography and
cinematography. This little film will pay tribute to him and all the
photographers of the world."
Waiting For Magic Hour will make its debut on the film festival circuit
in autumn 2024 as Lough is still a firm believer in the magic of the
big screen debut in front of a live audience. "Once you've seen your
film play in a cinema, it's hard to just settle for nothing beyond
YouTube! The film has been shot in anamorphic for another important
reason; it'll look deadly in a cinema presentation."