Hurst Point Lighthouse Films

Hurst Point Lighthouse Light

Hurst Point Lighthouse Light from Charlotte Greenleaf on Vimeo.

The first film in the series concerns the light characteristics of Hurst Point Lighthouse which I filmed within and the Needles Lighthouse which is in the distance (which was simulated with a flash light).
Hurst Point Lighthouse: 4 flashes every 15 secondsNeedles Lighthouse: 2 flashes every 20 seconds (Light 14 seconds, Eclipse 2 seconds, Light 2 seconds, Eclipse 2 seconds)
The film is in real time with the four flashes of Hurst Point occurring, then during the eclipse of the Hurst Point Lighthouse the light characteristics of the Needles are visible in the distance. Due to the fact that the light time cycle for Hurst Point is 15 seconds where as the Needles is 20 seconds, during this 1 minute film, the light characteristics of the Needles will be captured at altering times through its cycle.
The Needles Lighthouse is visible on the horizon upturned by the lens.
Hurst Point Lighthouse Spiral Staircase

Hurst Point Lighthouse Spiral Staircase from Charlotte Greenleaf on Vimeo.

This film concerns the spiral staircase which ascends the internal walls of the lighthouse up to the Service Room and Lantern Room. The captured footage has been manipulated to accentuate the circular form of the structure and the ascent in height. The staircase is the visual focus of the space and thus it becomes the focus of the film, duplicated, flipped and reversed to create a spiralling perspective of the space.
Hurst Point Lighthouse View

Hurst Point Lighthouse View from Charlotte Greenleaf on Vimeo.

The film involves footage of the visible view from the Lantern Room over the seas the lamp of the lighthouse constantly guides vessels through. This is a continuous pan of the view through the lens, relating back to the rotational mechanisms of the lenses.

Hurst Point Lighthouse - The Needles Lighthouse

Hurst Point Lighthouse in the foreground and the Needles Lighthouse in the distance across the water

Roughly six kilometres from Hurst Point Lighthouse across the western approach to the Solent is the Needles Lighthouse just off the coast of the Isle of Wight. The Needles is situated at the end of a narrow chalky peninsula which descends to jagged rocks to guide ships entering the Solent.

Each of the lighthouses have a different specific light characteristic which are listed below in the specifications.

Hurst Point Lighthouse & Needles Lighthouse Specifications

Information from Trinity House website & Solar Navigator website

Inside Hurst Point Lighthouse

I returned to the spit the following day and finally the opportunity came for me to enter inside Hurst Point Lighthouse, with many thanks to Sean Crane who maintains the lighthouse in working order.

For some time now I had only viewed the lighthouse from its exterior, admiring its perfect white walls rising into the skies. Small glimpses through the key hole and windows and a photograph in the museum had hinted at a spiral staircase on the interior with a central void...

I wasn't let down, entering through the door and into the structure the echoes of our voices drew my eyes up to the height of the tower. Four small windows flooded the open interior with light as a narrow staircase circled up the walls, disappearing into the Service Room at the top.

In many other lighthouses the interior of the lighthouse serves as living space and is divided into rooms where the lighthouse keeper would have lived, at Hurst Point there are cottages separate to the structure and therefore the height of this impressive structure can be fully appreciated internally.

I slowly escalated the staircase, as my fear of vertigo emerged and then some how seemed to be overpowered by my elation at finally being able to ascend this structure. At the top of the staircase I appeared in the Service Room where there are two high intensity projectors which were installed in 1997, prompted by the growth in volume and diversity of traffic in the Needles Channel. 'The projectors, sited in the service room below the lantern of the High Lighthouse, provide an accurate system of red, green and white directional lights giving precise cut offs over narrow arcs of visibility which can be realigned in the event of movement of the Shingles Bank.' - Trinity House website

A vertical steel ladder lead up to the Lantern Room.

At the centre of the lantern room are three tiny 50 Watt Tungsten Halogen bulbs, surrounded by a huge first order Fresnel lens. The lens is separated into sectors of different focal length with a red sector provided by a strip on the lantern. The bulbs flash four times every fifteen seconds.

Large triangular storm panes are supported on diagonal metal Astragal bars, and provide a view across the western approaches to the Solent and Hurst Castle.

Hurst Spit

I returned to Hurst Spit for the day to try to gain further inspiration.

The spit has formed as a result of the prevailing southwesterly winds which have progressively moved the shingle of Christchurch Bay eastward by longshore drift from the supply cliffs of Highcliffe, Barton-on-Sea and Hordle Cliff. Gravel has gradually been lost from the end of the spit and it has moved landwards through a 'rollover' process. The spit has been largely rebuilt with dredged gravel to maintain its form and from fears the shingle ridge may permanently breach isolating the Hurst Castle and Hurst Point Lighthouse. However the end of the spit, where the lighthouse is located has been less effected by erosion and has been left in its natural condition.

(Further information: Hurst Spit - Barrier Beach of the West Solent article)

As well as accumulating gravel and pebbles, major shingle beaches can gather other floating objects from the water. Hurst spit is riddled with fishing nets, drift wood and other various washed up objects. Below is a series of objects I collected from the spit, including a piece of timber with the inscription PGS, a piece of fishing net, a rusty piece of metal and an extremely smooth pebble.

The wonders of the internet enabled me to track down the logo inscribed on the timber, and match it to PGS Group - Palettes Gestion Services. The timber was obviously part of a palette which has found its was to Hurst Spit.

PGS Group was founded in 1993 in Saint-Etienne-Du-Rouvray, France to repair pallets. Since, PGS Group has integrated new palette production into its services, expanding and becoming 'n°1 of new and reconditioned wood pallet in France and n°2 in Europe, and reaches the position of 1st pallet sawing producer.'

- Group PGS website

Washed up objects in the shingle

Building remains and drift wood

Exterior walls of Hurst Castle

Shingle drift prevention

The spit provides a wealth of inspiration for my final show with numerous different historical and geographical forms and washed up objects...

Insert

Following tutorial discussions and also the fact that I am not entirely satisfied that this device is achieving the fullest from my project intentions, site and potential, it's time to reflect upon the body of research and information I have amalgamated.

I have reached a point in my project over the last month where I have become so concerned with the mechanisms of how to achieve specific movements, that my project is in fear of dismissing a social or political programme. It has been mentioned that perhaps the mechanisms do not necessarily need to be particularly concerned with such agendas, however this could add strength and much needed direction to my project at this stage of the year.

There is the notion of the films allowing the viewer to experience a space in a way that we would otherwise not be able to, where the motion path is derived from the architecture of the space. Maybe it concerns a fantasy of flying, achieving an experience out of the ordinary, exaggerating the qualities of the space.

The idea of finally using the filming mechanism to film inside a lighthouse has been an ongoing intention throughout my project. I have previously been unsuccessful in gaining access to the interior space within various lighthouses. It is therefore crunch time in deciding whether or not this is going to be a viable space.

If it is not then perhaps I design a mechanism which when placed inside a different space, films in such a way to give the viewer an experience of being inside a fantasy lighthouse. I perhaps use my progress story of not being able to get access to the lighthouse and the inaccessibility of many lighthouses now as the reasoning behind the mechanism, where it allows the viewer access to the lighthouse that can otherwise not be entered? The machine gives someone the experience of the inaccessible.

Most importantly is that lighthouses have a great deal of Romanticism attached to them, for their isolated locations, and safety which so far has not been exploited. I need to build a real connection between the device I am building and the lighthouse, considering the poetics, fantasy, mystery, characteristics (lens, light etc) etc as well as its form.

I definitely would not consider changing my site at this stage and therefore consider a return to Hurst Spit to gain further inspiration to be of utmost importance, and hopefully I can go inside Hurst Point Lighthouse.

Filming Device: Bicycle Re-appropriation

I have been struggling with designing the mechanism and one idea was to limit myself to a series of building elements to give the design some parameters. If the filming mechanism is about allowing the viewer to experience space in a way you would otherwise not be able to, this idea involves taking a conventional method of transport and re-appropriating it into a mechanism which transports the viewer through space in an unconventional way. I could perhaps take apart a bicycle or a wheelchair and rebuild the elements into a filming mechanism.

In the same way that this idea could provide the mechanism with set elements, it could also be restrictive.

Filming Device: Leonardo Da Vinci inspired

I have been studying the inventions of Leonardo Da Vinci in order to try and work out the intended movements I need the filming mechanism to carry out. In particular I have been looking at his flying machines.

The camera movements I intend to achieve are as follows (also illustrated in a previous post):

• Vertical descent / ascent
• Spiralling motion incorporating zoom
• Tilting
• Speed control

Front Elevation

Side Elevation

3D Drawing

Plan

How the mechanism works:

There is a series of cogs and wheels at the top of the mechanism which would be attached to a platform / landing. As the outermost cog is turned by hand, it causes the large wheel to turn which in turn causes the reels to twist and thus the ropes of the mechanism are unwound, descending the camera through the space. The difference in diameter of the two reels which are attached to the wing in two places means that as the wing is lowered, the orientation of the wing lowers at a different rate and therefore the camera tilts with the orientation of the wing. I was hoping that his design would incorporate the twisting of the mechanism in a spiral descent, however unfortunately this would not be achieved with this set up.

'To The Lighthouse', Patrick Wolf

'Spiraling Flight of Maple Tree Seeds Inspires New Surveillance Technology'

Read article

Filming Device Proposed Camera Angles

Zoom

The following drawings propose how the path of the camera could zoom in and out of the space as it descends in a spiralling motion, as opposed to just falling on a single vertical axis. This path shows how the zoom function on a camera could actually be achieved by establishing it into the path of the cameras motion.

Zooming: Elevation of the camera frames captured along camera's path

Zooming: Plan of the camera frames captured along camera's path

Tilt

The following drawings propose how the camera could have the ability to tilt whilst descending along its path.

Tilting: Elevation of the camera frames captured along camera's path

Tilting: Plan of the camera frames captured along camera's path

The reasoning behind these drawings is due to the importance of the device starting to have control over what the camera frame captures, and really starting to set up a strong relationship between the device and the architecture which it is recording.

Filming Device Research

Attachment to architecture

The attachment needs to be able to attach to various flat surfaces eg. ceilings, floorings, glazing etc and leave minimal visible traces. I have therefore been considering the use of suction pads which can attach to smooth surfaces and leave no trace. They are used for example in transporting sheets of glass and fitting windscreens. Suction mounts are also used for camera work, especially when filming at speed from a vehicle, the mount can be attached to the body work of the car or a window and the camera can be held in place whilst the vehicle is in motion.

Sticky Pod Camera Mount

Image from Sticky Pod Camera Mount website

Features:

Suction Force: 200 pounds (that's how much force it takes to pull the Sticky Pod Original or ProPak model straight off)

To Release: Just roll up the edge of the suction cup with your finger to release the vacuum pressure.

Dimensions: Rectangle - 11-1/2 X 9-1/2 inches, triangle - 8-1/2 X 9-1/2 (locked down in place)

Extensions: solid black anodized CNC machined aluminum rods (not hollow tubes)

Construction: All metal, no plastic at all.

Weather Climate: sub-zero to 105 degrees F (it doesn't get any hotter here in Denver)

Duration: Up to 30 days when sitting still, around 4 hours in a very hostile (off road or racing) environment.

Speed Limit: At least 175 MPH! (We do not know the Sticky Pod's speed limit!)

Fat Gecko Camera mount

Image from Delkin Devices website

The Fat Gecko suction cup mount allows users to secure cameras to motorcycles, cars, trucks, airplanes, or any other smooth, flat, non porous surface. The blend of rugged design and ease of use makes Delkin's Fat Gecko camera mount optimal for use in a multitude of situations. Fat Gecko's suction cups are so strong they can hold a eight pound camera and the double knuckle design and 2" extension tube allow for 360° tilt, 360° turn & 360° rotation for all the best filming angles in any activity. The ¼ x 20 tripod mounting screw means users can use virtually any digital still or video camera on the market. In addition, the suction cups use a quick release function to make attaching and detaching you camera easy and fast.

Features:

Works With All Cameras: The ¼ x 20 tripod mounting screw means you can use virtually any digital still or video camera on the market.

Rugged Construction Durable For Years: Steel frame construction is rugged and durable in design and construction, this steel mount can withstand the most extreme turbulence.

Expandable Mounting Options: Loosen the top-most clamp to remove the standard ¼ x 20" photo mounting screw and the Fat Gecko can adapt to mount an array of other devices, including GPS systems, aircraft antennas and more.

Double Knuckle Design: Allows for 360° tilt, 360° turn & 360° rotation for all the best filming angles in any activity - whether the mount is attached to an airplane canopy above your head or the side of your Ducati.

Dual Suction Cups: Secure cameras to any smooth surface including; motorcycles, cars, airplanes,and more. Fat Gecko's suction cups are so strong they can safely and securely hold a camera weighing up to eight pounds. With Fat Gecko you can use heavier, more advanced video cameras to provide the best footage possible.

Homemade suction attachment:

Manfrotto Magic Arm

Manfrotto Suction Cup

tripod head with quick plate

Image from website

Hague Telescopic Suction Mount

Image from Hague Camera Supports website

The one problem with the use of suction pads is that they only attach to non-porous surfaces, and therefore cannot be attached to painted walls and ceilings. They will however attach to glass and therefore windows and glazing.

Another option is to use a clamp which can be attached to many different architectural elements. The follow clamp can be attached around flat surfaces, poles, piping etc.

Manfrotto Super Clamp

Features

Can be securely mounted on any tube from 13mm to 55mm

Supplied with wedge insert for clamping on the flat surfaces

Attachment: 5/8" hexagonal socket, M5 + 1/4" thread

Max load capacity: 15.00kg

Filming Device Problem Breakdown

(in progress)

Samsung 3D TV Advert

BBC Life Filming Techniques

Life Filming techniques article

Frenzy | Alfred Hitchcock

"She went in free, but cannot expect any help - the murder is inexorable". Gilles Deleuze on the camera leaving the scene in Hitchcocks 'Frenzy' (1972), in: 'Cinema 1, The Movement-Image', 1983, p. 19.