Created to support its proposal for designation as a new National Nature Reserve, the film highlights why this landscape is so vital and how the National Trust is working to protect and enhance it for generations to come. Through interviews, drone cinematography, and close encounters with the trees themselves, this film aims to inspire audiences across the country. While this film had to work within a small budget, its reach was to the entire National Trust Membership, showing that its not the budget but the approach and the story that matters.
We wanted the film to open in an immersive, sensory way, with delicate close-ups within a vast forest and subtle, intimate sounds: the quiet breath of boggy moss, the whisper of leaves, the hum of life beneath the canopy. This approach draws the viewer in, placing them directly among the textures and rhythms of nature.
From there, we wove in compelling insights from our interviews, beginning with the woodland specialist and expanding to the wider team revealing the story behind the landscape.
compelling insights from our interviews, beginning with the Woodland Specialist and expanding to the wider team, to reveal the story behind this remarkable landscape.
Striking a balance between information and beauty was key. The interviews provide depth and context, while the cutaways, from intricate close-up shots of epiphytes to sweeping aerials above the treetops reveal both the minute details and the grand scale of the forest.
Sound design played a crucial role in deepening this immersion. You may not consciously hear the bark of a tree while walking through a forest, but by layering in subtle, textural sounds, we brought the woodland quietly to life. Combined with music, these sounds evoke emotion and guide the audience on a gentle, reflective journey through the forest.
Director and Camera Operator
Editing and Sound Design
Production Co-ordinator
Nigel Moore
Hayley Repton
Natasha Welford
