Sometimes in the west of Scotland we are blessed with the kind of summer weather which makes autumn take one by surprise. ‘Surely the leaves can’t be falling already,’ I think, ‘we’ve barely had two sunny days to rub together’. Well, fortunately for the Scotica team, we’ve been able to spend some of this season away in warmer climes, working hard and receiving a fair dose of sunburn. Here we have a short update covering some of the fun projects we’ve been working away on over the past couple of months.

It’s All Downhill from Here

At the end of August, the we returned from a blazing week in the alps which took us high into the Aosta Valley. Working with a tough and enthusiastic team of runners and crew, we completed principal filming for a new documentary short, soon to be unveiled, about ageing and representation in trail running. Taking us right up to a summit wild-camp overlooking Mont Blanc, this shoot was a delight and we cannot wait to reveal more about the project in coming months.

A Poem to Celebrate the Joys of the Season

After the success of our ‘Winter Poem’ film, we received another creative brief from the wonderful folks at Forest Carbon – this time, to capture the overwhelming liveliness and divine beauty of the summer season. The Scotica team headed down to County Durham, armed with a camera in one hand and a draft of the poem in the other, in search of images big and small which encapsulate life at its busiest. The resulting film is a celebration of the joys of the season, and we’re delighted to share it with you.

Getting Into the Nitty Gritty with Gore-Tex

Another recent shoot saw the Scotica team meet up with creative agency TCO London in the Highlands to capture a some footage for a new ‘repair and reuse’ campaign from Gore-Tex, showing how garments, when cared for properly, can last a lifetime. It was great fun to get creative with textiles, macro lenses and a hose-pipe and we think the results speak for themselves.

And Finally… Something Completely Different

What does it mean to be connected to nature? There are so many ways to feel more connected, and one of those ways, for so many folk, is through a lens. For photographer Karen Miller, looking through her camera is her way to connect with the animals she photographs. In a way, it’s not really about the photography at all, but the experience it brings.

We have been keeping this project under wraps for the past few months… but now we’re ready to announce the premiere of a new documentary film at Montrose Land x Sea Festival next weekend on September 14th! Scotica director Rachel has been working on ‘Finding Bo’ for the past couple of years, and we are so excited to be able to bring it into the world with a first screening + Q&A this month.

You can buy your tickets here: https://www.landxsea.org/notesfromsheepland2024

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That’s all for this update, as always you can keep an eye on our social feeds for the latest news and clips from upcoming films. Until next time!

Gregor & Rachel