Echo Wall (the film) is complete!

Dave looking scared for good reason on Echo Wall (video still from the film)

I know its been a shockingly long time since I’ve posted on my blog. It’s not been for lack of interest of laziness I can tell you. It’s just that the production of our film about Echo Wall has taken over life as I know it for the last two months. Our days of editing, producing, and arranging all the other things that have to be ready to release a film have ranged from 12 hours at a maximum to 25 as the record (the final night). Yesterday, we handed all that work and effort over to the DVD manufacturers in two tiny tapes. A weird feeling.

But a huge, huge relief. We are really happy with our little creation. If you’d like to see it, we’ll have a trailer up on this and Dave’s blog later this week and DVDs for sale from Dave’s webshop in time for it’s premiere at the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival on Sunday October 19th. We can’t wait.

From all our prescreening and feedback sessions with friends and fellow filmakers, it seems that the beauty of the landscape of the places we filmed around Ben Nevis and Lochaber is what has grabbed folks attention, as well as the story of Dave’s effort to climb Echo Wall itself.

Dave on Echo Wall, just before the final crux (video still from the film)

The first time we showed the film to a gathering of about 20 friends in Fort William, both Dave and I felt physically ill with nerves. Both of us have a new found massive respect for all filmakers, not just because of all the effort involved, but mainly because we didn’t realise how much you really lay your creative self open and leave yourself so exposed.

But, people seem to have been inspired by the places we filmed, by Dave’s determination to climb the route, and really interested in the story of making the film itself. For me it was just something we knew we had to do - normal. But looking back it was really frightening and exhausting at times.

But the process isn’t over yet. We have so much to do to get ready for the film’s release.

It’s going to be great to be cool to be working on Velvet Antlers winter range this week too. Shortly I’ll be uploading all the winter products with some rather lovely new additions to my hampers. I could even do the sampling guilt free this summer because I was walking up Ben Nevis so much. Making a mountain film has it’s uses.